The Homeland Support Team
Posted on 09/17/2005 3:33:11 AM PDT by F14 Pilot
US president George Bush's promise to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf coast "higher and better" has triggered a wave of anxiety among conservatives in his own party, who are shocked at the expansion of the federal role in disaster relief. Yesterday Mr Bush led the country in a day of prayer for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Washington's national cathedral, declaring: "The destruction of this hurricane was beyond any human power to control, but the restoration of broken communities and disrupted lives now rests in our hands." But his ambitious pledge the night before to lead "one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen" has dismayed many of his own followers.
The promise was made in a dramatic prime-time address to the nation from a floodlit Jackson Square in the heart of New Orleans, where President Bush attempted to rebuild his credibility as a strong leader. In doing so, he apologised once more for the bungled, delayed response of the federal government. "Four years after the frightening experience of September 11, Americans have every right to expect a more effective response in a time of emergency," he said, adding that he was personally "responsible for the problem, and for the solution".
Mr Bush presented the solution in terms of an array of far-reaching government programmes. He proposed the creation of a "Gulf opportunity zone" along the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coast, in which rebuilding would be encouraged by tax incentives and subsidies. Secondly, worker recovery accounts would be set up giving adult evacuees $5,000 (£3,500) each to help them find work. He also proposed an "urban homesteading act" providing federal land for displaced people to build new homes.
Senior members of the president's own party had voiced doubts over the wisdom of rebuilding a city like New Orleans, which is mostly below sea-level, but Mr Bush shrugged off those concerns, declaring: "This great city will rise again."
The speech was aimed at reassuring Hurricane Katrina's refugees, although fewer than half said they intended to return home, according to a poll published yesterday by the Washington Post.
The promise of arguably the biggest federal government project since Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal triggered a reaction among fiscal and "small-government" conservatives. "This is a shocking expansion of the federal role in disaster relief," said Stephen Slivinski, director of budget studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian thinktank. "The fear is these programmes that are supposed to be temporary will find a permanent home in the budget."
The broad and deep tax cuts of the Bush administration's first term coupled with the Iraq war drove the federal budget from a surplus to a $412bn deficit in 2004. Higher tax revenues brought White House predictions it would drop to $333bn this year, but that hope has been dashed.
Some Republicans are voicing their unease. Senator Tom Coburn declared: "I don't believe that everything that should happen in Louisiana should be paid for by the rest of the country."
So far, Mr Slivinski said, Republican rebels in Congress could be counted "on two hands and one foot" but he predicted that, as congressional elections approach next year, concern will rise when leaders face the rank and file, who still believe in small government and balanced budgets.
"has dismayed many of his own followers "
"Republican rebels in Congress "
They only used one Republican source.
Count on it.
not saying any of it is not true, but I won't acknowledge the gaurdian to even wipe my a@@
Bush, the RINO candy man
President Bush’s biggest problem is to see that the aid gets into the proper hands using some sort of a Paymaster – a dollar at a time.
Guessing that there are about 120 million taxpayers, that's around $1700 a head on average for Bush's "plan".
That's a lot of money.
I don't approve.
But everything i hear from him in his second causes me to get angrier and angrier at him.
perscription drug plan, open borders, grants instead of loans for Africa, $250 billion to $500 billion for NO, Dept of Homeland security bureaucracy, 20 billion for airlines, 20 billion+ for New York.
This guy is a conservative? Way too much "compassion" and far, far too little conservative.
Just like any Dem, he never met a HARD-EARNED taxpayer dollar he didn't wanna throw away.
If everyone of us pointed out the pork in our state. Kept getting on the legislatures of our own state to cut it, it would at least make a dent.
Our Prez needs to get back on the tv and start pointing out what he is cutting. He said we need to cut spending. The Dems are spinning it that we are cutting "programs". He needs to be specific.
The new roundabout in my MI neighborhood and the "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska can both go. Get on the transportation bill and revoke the blank checks for the pork.
It would be good to let this play out instead of imitating the left and just knee-jerk a response. Once again we might find out that Bush did the right thing.
Tree accross the street gets hit by lightning and falls on my house burning it and all my possessions to the ground Feds gonna rebuild it for me and give me a $2000 debit card or am I expected to have insurance and savings etc etc
Couldn't something like that be designed?
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