Send help to Hawaii, not Ukraine

$24 billion proposal to Ukraine is a slap in the face to thousands of American families dealing with the aftermath of devastating wildfires in Maui.

The Biden Administration has just announced that the White House is requesting another $24 billion for Ukraine, adding to a tally that has already well surpassed $150 billion in U.S. taxpayer supplied arms, economic assistance, and other forms of non-refundable “relief.”

The effort to pump more money into the Slava Slush Fund, despite the reality that Russian forces put the kibosh on the much hyped Ukrainian “counteroffensive,” speaks to the utter shamelessness of the D.C. Uniparty. These individuals and institutions couldn’t care less about Ukraine. They never did care about the people of Ukraine or their sovereignty. This is nothing more or less than a blatant get rich quick scheme for the defense industry in the Beltway. It’s most certainly the ugliest foreign policy boondoggle since the end of the Afghanistan and Iraq defense industry swindle operation.

Now, your humble correspondent has just returned to the Free State of Florida from vacation in Maui.

I was staying in the Lahaina area, which, if you haven’t been following the news, has been utterly devastated by wildfires that occurred on the island on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Here’s some photos from social media of the aftermath in Lahaina:

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Lahaina, before and after the fire

I was lucky enough to be able to get out of Lahaina only hours before the fires moved all the way down from the mountains in Maui. I feel very blessed to have evacuated the area successfully, but this story isn’t about me.

Sadly, the casualty count is sure to continue rising (the death toll is now at 53). However, that number could have been exponentially worse had Hawaii’s public and private linemen, technicians, and emergency services failed to deliver on their herculean campaign to assist those who were evacuating the area.

The heroic actions of Hawaii’s linemen was something to behold. While evacuating in our jeep in the middle of hurricane force winds, line workers, public works and electric company employees were flooding the area, showcasing incredible bravery in the face of continuous danger and countless evolving hazards. They were on a mission to keep the roads open and move power lines and heavy debris out of the way, and they did all they could to clear a path for thousands of evacuees.

Now, the people of Hawaii must get the resources and manpower assistance they need to rebuild.

Not a single penny should be diverted overseas until Lahaina and other areas of Maui and greater Hawaii are fully rebuilt.

Dozens, if not hundreds of people have perished. Thousands of homes, businesses, and historical American landmarks have been destroyed. So many American families in Hawaii are overwhelmed and devastated.

Congress will be committing an act of complete and utter shame if they decide go through with funding a single foreign priority at this point, let alone another astronomical $24 billion taxpayer funded cash infusion to keep corrupt bureaucrats in Kiev onside with NATO.

Maybe just one time, Republicans in Congress can do the right thing and devote the power of the purse to helping the people of Hawaii, while telling Zelensky and the Biden regime to take a hike.