Let Minnesota Pay for Riot Damage [OPINION]

Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz is said to be "disappointed" that the Trump Administration has denied his request for federal funds to rebuild Minneapolis following the riots in May that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to buildings and infrastructure.

Too bad.

Walz and other Democrat governors and mayors were stunningly slow to react to the violence following the death of George Floyd. and seemed even to encourage it by allowing the "peaceful protesters" to rampage while doing little to stop it.

In the days following Floyd's death, anarchists set fire to a police precinct in Minneapolis. The police were ordered to stand down and surrender the police station to the mob. As businesses were torched, police were instructed to give them space to protest and to respect their First Amendment rights. Garbage.

Mayor Jacob Frey was chased away by the domestic terrorists with whom he had attempted to negotiate. And though he and Governor Walz eventually called in the National Guard, the request was inadequate and too late. When President Trump offered federal assistance, the offer was ignored.

While the total damage to Minneapolis was $500 million, Walz requested $16 million in emergency aid from FEMA. At least one member of the Minnesota congressional delegation asked the Trump Administration to deny the request for aid.

Mayors and governors who wish to encourage violence and unrest by not properly responding to it for political or other reasons have no right to expect the American taxpayers to foot the bill for rebuilding.

Sorry, Governor. I guess you're going to have to find another way to pay to clean up your mess. Just chalk it up as the price for appeasement.

Hopefully, the voters have learned a valuable lesson from all of this.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.