Mon. Sep 26, 2005
Asking Pigs To Stop Oinking
Glenn’s mad because officials in Louisiana have made a big money grab: “It is, to me, an open and under-debated question whether the federal government should fund the rebuilding of New Orleans — I’m inclined to agree with the polls that say it shouldn’t — but this is a naked grab for money by the very political establishment whose corruption and ineptitude led to the problems in the first place. It should be slapped down fast and hard.”
Maybe it should be. But by whom, Glenn? Congress? The “very political establishment whose corruption and ineptitude” led to billion$ in pork-a-licious add-ons to the highway bill just weeks ago? The President who has already plainly said we’re going to spend $100 billion, $200 billion, “whatever it takes” to rebuild New Orleans? After saying that, do you think his very first veto in five years will come on any bill Congress passes on this?
Is there really anyone still clinging to the fantasy that Bush really wants to be a fiscal conservative … some day?
And no matter what the polls say about rebuilding New Orleans, they claim they don’t pay attention to polls at the White House. They also never put these type of decisions up to the “open” debate you’d prefer. There’s five years of consistent behavior as evidence. In other words, as always, your opinion as a citizen is pretty much irrelevant to the Bush administration.
I know it’s hard now that they’re ignoring upset Republicans almost as much as they ignore angry Democrats. As a cynical Independent, I’ve been used to getting that treatment from everybody for some time now.
So, welcome to the club. It is uncomfortable, but that’s just because it’s so crowded in here.
Published 12:28PM, Mon, Sep 26 2005
Category: Politics
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Peanut Gallery
Ouch.
But, rebuilding Iraq? Why, that’s a function of charity, isn’t it? It sounds to me like they’ve spent all they intend to on that, since they’re now requesting donations.
Since the tsunami last December, Americans have ponied up about $250 billion in charitable donations … to help people get back on their feet. Heaven forbid that we ask the government to divert some of our tax dollars to the same cause.
But Glenn may have a point about this request. It sounds to me like an “opening bid” by state officials. As in, we’re going to ask for $40 billion, and hope we get ten.
Whatever they get, at least they won’t have to divert half the fund to security, and then start asking for charity donations to finish the job.
“Whatever they get, at least they won’t have to divert half the fund to security”
I don’t know – we are talking about New Orleans!
Yes, but it appears that the worst of what we’ve heard about violence in New Orleans wasn’t quite true.
“Whatever they get, at least they won’t have to divert half the fund to security�
No, since it’s New Orleans, LA, they’d have to divert half the fund to bribing local and state office holders. Remember, this is the town that was too corrupt for Casinos.
interesting note – you can’t say “gam-bling” at photodude.
That’s a comment spam filter, and it blocks terms related to p-R-o-n and p-0-k-e-r. In fact, I’m surprised you can say “casinos.”
As for bribing state and local office holders, I know Louisiana has a long sordid history in that area, and people are going to want accountability for their tax dollars. And I expect we’ll get as much accountability as we have for the billions misused and in some cases, simply disappeared, from the funds to reconstruct Iraq.
I guess what I’m saying is that maybe the politicians of Louisiana were just ahead of their time. And that I expect the government’s involvement in the reconstruction of Louisiana and southern Mississippi to be as smart and efficient as it has been in Iraq.
But I’ve gotten pretty cynical that way. Expect the worst from your leaders, and you will rarely be disappointed, and … occasionally … will be pleasantly surprised to have been wrong.
people are going to want accountability for their tax dollars
Yeah…as in, “What’s my cut in this deal?”
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Amazing how he never questions the need for a debate about funding for the rebuilding of Iraq, but I’ve noticed that people of his type generally don’t like giving the American people’s money back to the American people.
Perhaps if he and others like him had displayed just the tiniest bit of integrity for the last couple of years, then what they’re saying now would have some weight.