He Who Hesitates May Lose

U. S. Sen. Barbara Boxer was in the Valley this week with a message that should be heeded by all victims of the Northridge earthquake. Her warning: Quake victims need to proceed quickly with their repair plans.

For that reason, Boxer’s tour of a Sherman Oaks “ghost town” was right on time, as was the message behind it. If you happen to be among the many who have not completed home or condominium repairs or haven’t even gotten very far along in the process, we know that it still seems as though the quake happened only yesterday. But for the folks now holding the congressional purse strings in Washington, our earthquake is a fading memory.

The story about Boxer’s visit here was in Tuesday’s paper. The senator’s concern was addressed in another Times story that day by James Bornemeier. He reported that the old federal/congressional tradition of quick approval of huge sums of money for disaster relief may well be over. The new Republican leadership favors a pay-as-you-go approach that has already affected additional aid for Northridge victims. It probably mean less funding, and a much slower pace as Congress argues over what programs must be cut to pay for the disaster aid.

It might also mean an end to federal Northridge funding before repairs are completed. Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) wants an extension on the federal rental assistance for affected condo and homeowners, but that simply might not happen. All the more reason to perhaps reopen negotiations with contractors and find one who can start sooner and finish earlier.