[econjack]

Does anyone else think this sounds like the Ant and the Grasshopper parable? For decades they have known that the levees could not withstand a cat4 storm, and you and I have sent them hundreds of millions of dollars over the past four decades to address the problem. For the same decades, the citizens of NO turned their heads as their elected officials frittered away our money and lined their own pockets. Well, Mr. Piper is coming to town and he demands to be paid...BY THE CITIZENS OF NEW ORLEANS. Adjust your property taxes to reflect the true cost of living there. Place a hotel and restaurant tax on those who visit there to help fund it. And while you're fixing things, you may want to dump your elected officials, from the mayor on up to your state's senator. I fail to see why the rest of US should pay for something that you've already been given the money to fix.

[Sunsong]

It's going to take a lot of hard work from fiscal conservatives all over this country to bring some sanity to the "reconstruction" effort. The ball of government spending, waste and fraud is rolling. Politicians love to spend the people's money. At this point I think only a national outcry will slow this down..

[yankeedame]

...paid...BY THE CITIZENS OF NEW ORLEANS. Adjust your property taxes to reflect the true cost of living there. Place a hotel and restaurant tax on those who visit there to help fund it. And while you're fixing things, you may want to dump your elected officials, from the mayor on up to your state's senator. I fail to see why the rest of US should pay for something that you've already been given the oney to fix.

Which just goes to prove what a racist you are. (/sarcasm)

[pankot]

Can anyone say "Boondoggle"? How about "graft"?

[TheDon]

They are sure generous (with other people's money)!

[layman]

Every time the political class spends a billion dollars it costs each American $3.33. This is about $13.00 for each family of four, so a 250 billion price tag on Katrina costs each family about $3,300 on top of the $34,700 each family owes on the 2.6 TRILLION current annual federal spending budget. Just wanted to add some perspective. I think we'd all be better off if we elected drunken sailors to congress rather than the lawyers who presently control the purse strings. Drunken sailors at least stop spending when they run out of money.

[sgtbono2002]

So if Louisianna gets 250 billion what is left for Alabama and Mississippi?

[SauronOfMordor]

The true cost of living there, if reflected in housing costs, would preclude the welfare class living in or around New Orleans. That alone would spark a renaissance there

[Right_in_Virginia]

How much is the State of Louisiana going to kick in?

[SoCal_Republican]

How about $250 billion in interest free loans. I could accept that.

[oldbrowser]

I fail to see why the rest of US should pay for something that you've already been given the money to fix.

On top of all that, New Orleans is a death trap the way it is currently set up.

[Soul Seeker]

I've had it with LA. And I've certainly had it with her politicians on right and Left. Vitter? Jindal? Blanco? Nagin? Landrieux Family? They can go drown their heads in the flooded levy's.

I am more than willing to help MISS, Alabama, Texas, Florida and any other state affected. But at this point I wouldn't mind if LA was Left to Mother Nature. She'd do better with the land than these fools have done.

[Brilliant]

Cut it in half, and we might have something to talk about.

[mountainfolk]

I think we all want to know about oversight of all payments going into La. It is inconceivable that the same corrupt system that controls Louisiana be given one cent without tight controls over how it is spent.

[afnamvet]

BTTT

[gpapa]

There were 4,500,000 people living in Louisiana as of 2003. $250 billion averages out to $55,500 per person, or $222,000 for a family of four.

Or alternatively, $800+ for every man, woman & child in the USA.

[abigailsmybaby]

I totally agree. $1.9 billion and look what we get.

Bulldoze the whole place into the Gulf.

PS...Landrieu needs anger management classes post haste.

[Mo1]

Ummm Senators ... How about we get an estimate bill before we pay for it

[AMERIKA]

GAWD I love this web site. The MSM would get an education just by lurking here which is evident by the downsizing of the MSM. We are the future of journalism. Thank You JimRob

[Mo1]

Does anyone else think this sounds like the Ant and the Grasshopper parable?

It sounds like the State of Louisiana is broke and can't pay their bills

[chatham]

Before the Feds give our hard earned and extorted taxes to pay for the rebuilding of a completely mismanaged state which seems to be built below sealevel,Will the feds reimburse me for my Homeowners insurance premium which was doubled from $800 to $1600 dollars this year.

If Landreau, Blanco and Nitwit Neggin are still in office fuggettaboutit.
Might just as well throw the 290 Billion out of an Airplane at 30,000 feet.

Cost us 15 Billion for the "big dig" in Boston and the tunnels are leaking so bad you might need a Submarine at rush hour. Nobody knows where the money went.

They built the lake ponchetrain bridge with private funds and I hope they had insurance.