According to the Stafford Act, one determining factor for issuing an emergency or major disaster declaration requires that the incident be beyond the state’s capacity to respond. However, several states have repeatedly received declarations for incidents within their capacity to respond. In January 2012, Massachusetts received a major disaster declaration for a snowstorm. Was this truly a major disaster? Is a snowstorm beyond the state's capacity to respond? Marginal incidents comprise events that many believe do not require federal assistance. Some have further argued that emergency and major disaster declarations have become an easy-to-use tool by presidents to curry political favor with constituents. Others have claimed that states have come to expect federal assistance for incidents that do not warrant federal assistance. As such, in too many instances federal assistance for emergencies and major disasters has become a form of entitlement for states and localities.For this Discussion, review the media and Learning Resources for this week. Then consider the declaration process for emergencies.
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