Makers of Laguna Beach tourist art beware: the Feds are not interested in repairing your dolphin-themed art studios or pottery kilns.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has informed Laguna Beach (the town, not the brilliant MTV series) that it will not provide financial aid to repair a saturated hillside. A mudslide in Bluebird Canyon destroyed over a dozen homes on June 1 after months of heavy rain, and must be stablized before rebuilding can occur. Normally flush Laguna Beach needs $15 million to shore up the hillside, but is struggling to do so without the expected aid. Locals like Robert Power are pissed about the decision:
"Sounds like it came from the usual Washington D.C., double-digit-IQ idiots." May we suggest a tax on on saltwater taffy to raise the cash?
· U.S. Denies Aid for Rebuilding of Laguna Hillside[LA Times]