[judgementday]

OK, you are wrong. Most states are required by law to balance their budgets, so none are deep in debt. The federal government ran a record deficit of $229 billion in February alone, which was a record 41st consecutive month of deficits. (The previous record was 11 months.) Fiscal Year 2012 will be the fourth straight $trillion+ federal deficit under Obama and as long as he is in the White House, there is no relief in sight. Every state in the country has more money or a smaller deficit than the federal government.

Like Beetle said, the states are not currently set up to take on FEMA's responsibilities immediately but could do so with a little time, but if the federal government has any legitimate role to play in natural disasters, it should be very limited.

(Sorry to pile on. I should have caught up on my reading before posting. I thought that I would be the first to correct your impression that Washington has more money than any individual state but I was too slow on the draw.)

Then I stand corrected...