With Washington, D.C. a winter disaster-area and pundits thoroughly exasperated with the stubborn snowpocalypse, most East Coast residents are ready for a return to more mild temperatures. Though many D.C. pundits complain about the high cost of snow clearance, virtually no one thinks that cutting off funding for snowplows is a good idea.

Matt Mayer at the conservative Heritage Foundation begs to differ. Mayer argues that with most states facing budget deficits, state governments are likely hoping for snow-removal money if the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declares the storm an emergency. Since FEMA has a history of issuing warnings for what Mayer calls "routine events," he worries the federal deficit will surge if FEMA has to foot states' snow-clearing bills:

Given the federal budget deficits, FEMA can’t afford to cover 75% of the costs of state snow removal either. It is high time for this federalization of routine events to come to a halt and for states to plan and budget for what are known events every year.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at jkeller at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.