Governor says Obama leaving Texas in the dust
Gov. Perry criticizes White House for not responding to request for disaster.
SAN ANTONIO — Texas Governor Rick Perry criticized the Obama administration on Thursday for not responding to a request for a disaster aid for the parched state, where wildfires have scorched nearly 2 million acres.
"You have to ask, 'Why are you taking care of Alabama and other states?' I know our letter didn't get lost in the mail," Perry, a Republican and frequent critic of the federal government, said after addressing a Texas emergency management conference.
President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency for Alabama, where storms — including a tornado that ravaged Tuscaloosa on Wednesday — ****** nearly 200 people this week.
"There is a point in time where you say, 'Hey, what's going on here?'" Perry said.
Declaration of emergency
Perry had requested a federal declaration of emergency for Texas as the wildfires began to rage across the large state. The request has not been answered, although several federal agencies are supplying firefighters.
"They watch TV, they know what's going on here, they can recognize that there is going to be a request for assistance, a request for help," Perry said.
Two volunteer firefighters have died battling the Texas wildfires, which have destroyed more than 900 buildings.
