Posted on 09/26/2005 10:12:17 AM PDT by kellynla
Almost every aftereffect of Hurricane Katrina has been chronicled and studied, from the impact on survivors to the toll on our emergency response resources.
But there is one more. The results are in, and it's official. Katrina also drove politicians crazy.
I don't mean it unnerved them. I mean it drove them stark-raving, rubber-room bonkers.
To be bipartisan about this, I'll offer as Exhibit A the effect of the hurricane on the leaders of my own party.
A few days ago, there stood President Bush, whom I remember electing to do many things. Chief among the domestic priorities among the 50-some million who joined me was an expectation that he would bring a certain fiscal conservatism we had longed for since Ronald Reagan left office.
We got the tax cuts, and that was good. The economy responded well, and the swelling deficits slowed. But what good is any of that if the president releases a tsunami of our tax dollars amid a misguided crusade to "rebuild" New Orleans?
His critics have embarrassed themselves with the severity and raw nuttiness of their hateful attacks, blaming him for policies that make black people poor and hurricanes more violent.
But I'll give you one criticism that will stick: Our tax dollars will flood New Orleans in an attempt to wash away criticism of federal failings in the wake of Katrina.
It is usually Democrats who drown problems in money, distracting criticism with feel-good platitudes. But this time, it is a Republican chief executive buying into the Great Society-style excess, following what another Republican (and possible presidential candidate) Sen. Lindsey Graham called a "Marshall Plan" for the region.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Why rebuild NO at all? If somebody still wants to live there they can erect their own tent.
Glad to hear Mark is still alive. For the past few years, everytime I've turned the channel to WBAP between 9-noon, all I've heard are commercials, weather, or traffic. Even before that, I think Mark's actual air time per half hour was less than 15 minutes.
Regrettably, it's getting that way with the other stations, to include KLIF.
My suggestion would be to relocate the city.
Otherwise we would have to fill in the entire city's foundation above sea level which would be an enormous expense if done correctly.
Well Louisiana state and local officials definitely failed the test that Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama officials and citizens passed with flying colors.
It's definitely not rocket science, when a storm is on the horizon "Get the heck out of town!"
I completely agree. How are they going to repair or replace levees when more hurricanes are forecast for what will be an extremely active hurricane period during the next twenty years? This is absolute madness. What idiots would want to move back to an area that is below sea level and sinking with more terrible storms in the offing? This place should be abandoned. Rebuilding it with MY TAX MONEY is a crime. Using my tax money to pay to repeatedly rebuild somebody's dream house along some storm prone coastal area is a crime. When are Republicans going to come to their senses and stop wasting our money on these insane schemes?
And while we're talking about waste, why should well-to-do elderly get drugs paid for under Medicare? I know two well off retirees who own two homes, one in Florida and the other an enormous, sprawling ranch in Pennsylvania. They own three cars including two gas-guzzling SUVs. They travel extensively overseas every year on expensive vacations. Why should I be taxed to subsidize their prescriptions? This is another one of Bush's nutty ideas. If Republicans are looking for pork to cut, get rid of this payoff to rich elderly who are anything but deprived.
Yes it is in our (the federal government's) best interest to fix an area that is important from an energy standpoint BUT it is not in our best interest to give every Tom, Dick, and Harry who claims that he was harmed by Katrina a couple thousand bucks! It is not in this country's best interest to bail out land developers who built below sealevel?
Sometimes I wonder why I voted for GW twice? He refuses to shut down the illegal immigration, he signed campaign finance reform, he totally refuses to defend himself from the attacks by the MSM regarding Katrina and not only fires a guy who shouldn't have been fired but also throws mega bucks at the situation? He continues to appoint a scum who I abhor to important positions even though that scum continually trashes him? What's next? Pro-choice????????
It was just a question posed by one of the weekend radio talk guys. NO will be rebuilt even if there is no particular purpose for it anymore aside from a tourist attraction. The Port of NO can operate just fine without the rest of that.
I'm very disappointed as well. If the other side were not so treasonous and deceitful, I wouldn't show up at the polls. But their agenda is even worse. It is frustrating! I wonder whether it's a major problem of being in Washington for so long. Over time, those in Washington, including Bush and his people, want to be liked...they are tired of taking the heat...and somehow, they think that if they compromise, the other side will "give" a little. They hope that their reasonableness will be acknowledged by the media. But it never works that way. The worst part of it is the war. Our enemy is Al Queda...and terrorists in Iraq. But the Democrats are doing their best to make sure we lose this fight so they can be seen as "coming to the rescue." Of course , they HAVE no plan except to surrender.
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