“The amount of money that has been wasted on these so-called ‘recovery’ efforts has been mind-boggling,” said Tancredo, who is running a long-shot presidential campaign. “Enough is enough.”
Citing administration figures, the lawmaker said that $114 billion has been spent on the effort to rebuild a large stretch of the Gulf Coast after the storm hit New Orleans in August 2005 and claimed more than 1,600 lives.
“At some point, state and local officials and individuals have got to step up to the plate and take some initiative,” said Tancredo. “The mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end.”
And you know what? He's right. The Federal government should only have to pay for infrastructure and a bit of help to citizens immediately after the storm. Two years later is ridiculous. It sounds harsh, but you won't hear about aid to people who were effected by the Minnesota Bridge Collapse, or hell, you don't even hear about people effected by 9/11 still sucking on the government's teat anymore.
So why are Katrina victims still getting things paid for? My guess is because they screamed loud enough about FEMA's lack of response even though it was the local Louisiana government who held back FEMA's help until it was too late.
I'm not saying yank out the money immediately, but give people 60 days notice. You have 60 days until the rent being paid for by the government is stopped. You have 60 days until everything comes to an end. If you can't get on your feet after two years of support, maybe you should look deep inside yourself and see what the problem is. Move in with family, move to another state, is there anything inside of you as an adult that wants to get back on your feet?
We've spent $114 billion dollars over two years helping these people. You tell me, when do we say "we've done enough".
Travis
http://humidhaney.typepad.com/the_humid_haney_rant/2007/08/the-following-i.html
ReplyDeleteHere's what the lady wants:
ReplyDelete* Completely fix the federally managed levees
That's a given. That shouldn't even be on the table, it should already be being done.
* Fully fund our expertly crafted recovery plan
What makes their plan "expertly crafted"? There's already been accusations of incompetence and corruption all around, not just coming from President Bush. Ray Nagin needs to step up to the plate and actually start getting New Orleans back on it's feet. Two years later, he's seemingly failed all across the board.
* Give New Orleans all that you have promised to Baghdad - schools, hospitals, infrastructure, security, and basic services
How many of the above things are actually needed because they were destroyed in the storm? In other words, did they have a school that was run down and because of the storm, they are asking for a new school?
* Forgive the community disaster loans, as authorized by the new Congress
While many other communities haven't had to repay their loans according to her (since the 70's), if you take out a loan, you should be more then willing to pay it back. Don't ask to borrow money then turn around and ask to not to have to pay it back. If you couldn't pay it back, you should have asked for just aid.
* Appoint a recovery czar who works inside the White House that reports daily and directly to you and whose sole job is the recovery of New Orleans and the rest of the region
Fair enough.
* Restore our coast and wetlands
Define "restore our coast and wetlands"
* Work with Congress to reform the Stafford Act
Here's a link to the Stafford Act
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/stafford_act.pdf
* Cut the bureaucratic red tape
Tell your locally elected leaders to allow the Federal government all access passes wherever they are needed. Blanket approval will get the job done quicker than anything. The "red tape" is called states rights and they can't be "cut through" willy nilly. It's the foundation of how or nation works.