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Let’s replace the Federal Emergency Management Agency with a nimble, independent corporation called the Federal Disaster Insurance Trust (FDIT). Like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, where banks contribute to an insurance fund, each state would contribute to a disaster insurance account.
The yearly FDIT premium would be based on the number of U.S. House representatives each state has and the state’s disaster risk factor. States like Hawaii and California would have a higher risk factors because of wildfires, hurricanes and earthquakes. The risk factor would increase for states poorly managed and unprepared for a disaster.
If a family wants to live in a high-risk, poorly-managed state, that is their choice, but they should be prepared to pay more into the insurance fund. Maybe this system would engage the electorate to demand that their elected officials better manage risks and not incur a financial burden higher than states with a low disaster risk factor.
Phil Winter
Henderson, Nev.
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