Posted on 09/07/2005 1:58:44 PM PDT by COUNTrecount
WASHINGTON, DC. - Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) wrote a letter to Speaker Hastert, urging him to direct federal hurricane relief aid through channels other than Louisiana public officials. Citing incompetence and a history of corruption, Tancredo said a bipartisan select committee of the House should administer the aid and provide accountability for the $52 billion requested. The letter is reprinted below:
Dear Mr. Speaker,
Given the abysmal failure of state and local officials in Louisiana to plan adequately for or respond to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans, and given the long history of public corruption in Louisiana, I hope the House will refrain from directly appropriating any funds from the public treasury to either the state of Louisiana or the city of New Orleans. Instead, reconstruction and relief funds dedicated to the people of New Orleans should be administered by a private organization or a select committee similar to the historic Truman Commission.
Public corruption is a well known problem in Louisiana. The head of the FBI in New Orleans just this past year described the state´s public corruption as "epidemic, endemic, and entrenched. No branch of government is exempt." Over the last thirty years, a long list of Louisiana politicians have been convicted of crimes; the list includes a governor, an attorney general, an elections commissioner, an agriculture commissioner, three successive insurance commissioners, a congressman, a federal judge, a State Senate president, six other state legislators, and a host of appointed officials, local sheriffs, city councilmen, and parish police jurors. Given the documented public corruption in the state, I am not confident that Louisiana officials can be trusted to administer federal relief aid.
Clearly the federal response from FEMA in the aftermath of the hurricane was hampered by bureaucratic ineptitude. Making matters worse, the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana have demonstrated mind-boggling incompetence in their lack of planning for and response to this disaster. According to one recent media report, "A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan...[but] did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not corrected."
The city of New York, by comparison, had no advance warning of 9/11. Yet Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki displayed tremendous leadership in managing a chaotic situation in the city. Their leadership inspired confidence in their ability to manage the emergency and coordinate federal aid In contrast, despite knowing days in advance about the coming hurricane, Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin seem to have done little beyond encouraging residents to leave the city or gather at the Superdome. City school and transit buses could have carried 12,000 persons per run out of the city, yet they sat idle in parking lots under water - while both the Mayor and Governor criticized the federal response.
In the coming days, tens of billions of dollars will likely flood Louisiana to address the costs of rescue, clean up, and rebuilding. The question is not whether Congress should provide for those in need, but whether state and local officials who have been derelict in their duty should be trusted with that money. Their record during Hurricane Katrina and the long history of public corruption in Louisiana convinces me that that they should not.
Sincerely,
Tom Tancredo
Also, you must be deeply saddened by this:
"Delay Endorses Key Components of Tancredo Bill"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1463975/posts
Please dont believe what NYC Republican says. Please see #140 and #141
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1384864/posts
If I'm blowing this out of proportion, please let me know.
On the contrary, as I stated above, I think Tancredo is great on the border issue.
"DeLay is one of our most powerful, trustworthy politicians in the nation. Conservative, doesn't give in the the libs, pro-Iraq, pro-Israel, etc etc etc.For Tancredo to go on national TV and sell him down the river was reprehensible, IMHO."
You are such a fraud. I already explained how the media distorted his comments-- and ignored that he said the charges were trumped up. Tancredo is a true conservative as well, in fact his ACU lifetime rating is right up there with DeLay's
Colorado, District 6
2004 Score - 100
Previous Year's Score - 96
Lifetime Score - 98
Years of Service - 6
Representative Tom DeLAY (R)
Texas, District 22
2004 Score - 100
Previous Year's Score - 92
Lifetime Score - 96
Years of Service - 18
Comment du jour.
"Once again my Congressman stands up first and says what is obvious to all, yet is a non-topic in the media and the halls of Congress. Go Tancredo GO!"
I'll trade you a Musgrave for a Tancredo and $500.
Uh, I posted that in #140 already. He said the charges were trumped up, the MSM ignored that part.
If he "sold Delay down the river" as you foolishly claim, then why now is DeLay supporting his border initiatives?
I, like most fellow FReepers, despise Savage, and will continue to speak my mind. Why don't you try countering that by showing your side of that argument, rather than trying, again, to attack me?
Savage calls for price controls on gas, blasts Bush for Katrina, calls for Bush's impeachment, said often that there was NO difference between Kerry and Bush, says that we should leave Iraq immediately. Am I listening to Err America, or Savage?
I attack Savage, you attack me. Real smooth.
"And it took even less time for everyone's favorite quisling sock puppet to show up at the first mention of "Tancredo"."
Dane is not my favorite, swampy is.
How about them apples?
Everyone in the MSM and the left were targeting DeLay. Knowing that his comments would be used as ammo against DeLay, WHY would he say that, or anything against DeLay? THAT's my problem with Tancredo. He knew what he was doing, and has been around long enough to know that anything negative will be used as an albatross around DeLay's neck.
I think that's great. It was a good bill, DeLay saw it as a good bill, and supported it. It shows that he was the bigger man, and didn't let the other incident taint the need to do the right thing.
Who in government can be trusted to enforce ethics? Taintedness among politicians is a matter of degree.
Again, another personal attack. Sweet
Where did I challenge Tancredo's conservative credentials? Ever? So, why do you go down that road?
I'm a fraud because I hate Savage? I guess most FReepers are frauds then, right?
Yes, a bigger man than you. He was able to see beyond the wildy distorted comments attributed to Tancredo - you apparently are unable to do that and use them as a bludgeon against Tancredo.
Dane is not my favorite, swampy is
Oh darn, I am going to lose so much sleep over that STD.(/extreme sarcasm)
To each his own...
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