It wasn't a problem to spend federal dollars in New Orleans after Katrina. In fact, President Bush was lambasted by the press and liberals for not doing more and sooner. The problem appears to be a matter of scale; New Orleans was big, the Matanuska River inhabitants are politically small.  It is not a problem to pour welfare money into native villages that have no economic foundation, but it's a problem to help the few hapless homeowners along the Matanuska River.  Indeed, the Matanuska River homeowners could have made a better decision about where to erect a home, but to some extent that includes all of us. Let's see what happens the next time the ground shakes in Anchorage.  How many of the sanctimonious commentators will eschew federal money to rebuild their homes?  If federal relief money is good for some because of politics then it is good for all.  It's a slippery slope!