79-07-B5
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Disaster Area[edit]
Transcript[edit]When you read in the daily press that some part of our country has been declared a disaster area you assume that fire, flood, earthquake or some other natural calamity has struck. The declaration becomes official notice that victims of the calamity qualify for various kinds of federal aid. Such a calamity is usually a pretty obvious thing as we've all seen numerous times on the TV news. And, of course, the victims are well aware that a disaster has taken place. Recently, Cloud Lake, Florida received an official notice from the federal government that it had been declared a "major disaster area". The Treasury Department notification came to Town Clerk Dorothy Gravelin. Under a bold type heading "Disaster Notice", she read that her town -- population 128 -- had been declared a major disaster area by the President of the United States. Now Town Clerk Gravelin hadn't heard of any trouble. She looked out the window and everything appeared to be normal. Picking up the phone she called Tallahassee and several other nearby towns to ask if they were disaster areas too. Evidently they had been spared; only Cloud Lake had suffered. In the meantime, word had spread through the community, but no one could recall any disaster and none of them could figure out how they'd missed it. Clerk Gravelin's next call was to Washington. She finally reached the Florida coordinator in the U.S. Office of Revenue, who didn't know what the disaster might be but would check it out. Finally the answer came. Cloud Lake had suffered a crop freeze in January, 1977. That, of course, should have solved the mystery and ended the suspense. But it didn't. Cloud Lake hadn't suffered any crop damage in 1977 or any other year because the nearest crops are about 20 miles west of Cloud Lake. But Washington had an answer for that. There probably had been some indirect effect, such as farmers who wouldn't be spending as much money in town. There are seven business establishments in Cloud Lake, all lined up on Southern Boulevard. The busiest happens to be the Cloud Lake Adult Book Store. A check of that establishment found there had been no let up in business -- in fact the proprietor just laughed at the idea. But Washington doesn't take such things lightly. Cloud Lake has been declared a disaster are a and Washington wants Cloud Lake to forget its pride, get off the dime and admit it has had a disaster. The Town Council is supposed to fill out the government form saying "yes, the disaster had an effect on us", sign it and mail it in. Then Washington can do its thing by sending Cloud Lake -- population 128 -- the federal funds it is entitled to be cause of a freeze that took place somewhere in Florida back in January of 1977. I'm sorry I don't have word as to whether the Town Council has taken the action or whether the federal check is still lying there in Washington. The check is for $22.61. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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