What is so urgent that FEMA is spending a billion dollars on survival?

[Cheryl Nelson]

This is old news but makes a good point about the expenditures...

http://www.beaufortobserver.net/1FeedbackAllbody.lasso?-token.specificitem=21535.112112

"But here's what we do know. This kind of spending by a minor government agency in this economy just doesn't make sense ... unless there are extraordinary circumstances behind it, circumstances we aren't privy to. Because Congress has failed to pass a budget, the government is now operating under what's called a continuing resolution. The practical effect of this continuing resolution is that the government stays in business, but all extras are curtailed. Agencies spend far less on travel and training expenses, for instance. And they certainly don't start stockpiling supplies.

In this economic climate, you would expect FEMA also to be minimizing expenses. But clearly, they're not. If you do the math, the approximate tab for 420 million meals comes to about a billion dollars.

What is so urgent that FEMA is spending a billion dollars on survival food?

Could officials be worried about extensive power grid damage from solar flares? (A big one hit last week and took out communications in China.) Are they worried about riots and demonstrations causing gridlock in communities? (The demonstrations in Wisconsin and Ohio have been peaceful so far ... but look what happened in Egypt.) Are they worried about terrorist attacks? (Some reports say that there's been more "chatter" lately on terrorist communication networks.)

[And don't forget the New Madrid.]

[Buckworth Jackson]

"...drop in the bucket..."

No, but enough to insure that FEMA  and friends keep eating while the rest of us...... 

[Alex Cortes]

It all goes hand in hand.....and please realize that 1 billion dollars is still just imaginary money when you do the printing yourself.....

[Mary Tabatcher]

I suspect like everything else the secret government does, this is not for the common man but for the "elites" who feel they, among all men and women, MUST SURVIVE!  How else can they continue to control the world if they are not saved from an anticipated disaster?  Could the massive storms and resulting world-wide crop failures have something to do with this prep? 

[Cheryl Nelson]

I think the point in the article is that in these poor economic times to be putting that kind of money into survival food is an indication that they are expecting something to occur.

[Kim B]

They are probably preparing for any potential catastrophic situation whether it be major Earth changes, solar disruption of the grid, etc. etc. 

[Alex Cortes]

Can you really prepare 40-50 million people for a natural disaster that can affect them......1 billion isn't nearly enough if something big does happen around the New Madrid.....It would be the proverbial drop in the bucket.