Every time this nation is faced with a disaster, be it natural or man-made, the federal government is called to come to the immediate aid of the many people and businesses that have been affected.

This wasn't always the case. There was a time in the not too distant past when disaster relief was thought to be the responsibility of local and state governments. If there was to be any federal aid at all, it came much later.

There were several factors that brought about the change during the last century, most notably the Federal Disaster Act of 1950, which was seen as a subsidiary to local and state governments and was limited to replacing infrastructure.

Then came Hurricane Camille in 1969. In her aftermath the federal government took on more responsibility in assisting individuals with small business loans, housing, jobless benefits, etc.

These days, particularly after Hurricane Katrina, many would say that the federal government is completely inept at managing any sort of disaster response. Certainly, no one could say that the government shouldn't at the very least rethink the way it handles some situations.

What is also very clear is that whatever disaster may come, no one is slow to call for help from the federal government. Everyone expects that help immediately.

When the average person thinks of the word disaster they might think of an earthquake, brushfire, tornado, flood, or hurricane. What about a lack of snow?

That's the issue that has now arisen in Maine. This winter the state just hasn't had much in the way of snow. This means, for them, a definite decline in tourists, which translates into businesses hurting and perhaps permanently closing. So they want to apply for emergency disaster relief from the federal government.

It's painful for everyone any time businesses are forced to close and people are put out of work. I wish it never had to happen and that I had the answers to solve the problem. But as sad and as painful as that is, I'm not sure that it fits into the same category as an entire town or region losing their homes or livelihoods to a tornado that comes in the blink of an eye.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seem to me that if we continue to go down this path, every time that anything outside of our control comes along, we'll expect someone else to come along and bail us out. And somehow, that just doesn't seem right.