[Rhodes22-list] Katrina Update

[Brad Haslett]

Dave,

NOLA is a different beast, we're not there, and I don't know what they
need.  The Mississippi Coast needs the money that has already been
appropriated by Congress to be spent.  The locals can figure out what they
need and when they need it. The last thing they need is another layer of
bureaucracy at the federal level directing things.  FEMA is tasked with
taking care of immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster - they did
that.  Now go home! The tax provisions of the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act (GO
Zone) are working and private developers are beginning new housing
projects.  The problem in a nutshell is that no one, private citizen or
local government, is going to spend one nickel if they thing some federal
agency is going to pick up the tab. We face that issue every day. My
solution is real simple, either give the money directly to the State of
Mississippi and wish them luck or announce that there is no money and you're
on your own.  Either way, things will happen faster than they are now.
Maybe Cheney or some other czar could make things happen faster, but do we
really want another overbearing federal response to what is basically a
local problem?  Should the feds be tasked with snow removal for the next
blizzard?

I don't have the time to get into the nuances of your BDS (Bush Derangement
Syndrome).  W is no fiscal conservative and that has gotten him in trouble
with the conservative wing of the party.  Liberals everywhere should rejoice
over his spending habits.  I'll vote for whatever candidate, black/white,
male/female, Dem/GOP, etc. that has the guts to face the populace and say,
"you are all big people, we'll ask for as little of your money as possible
and trust that you know best how to spend what you're allowed to keep.  I'll
stay focused on the big things and you take responsibility for your day to
day needs."

It won't happen!

Brad




On 1/30/07, DCLewis1 at aol.com <DCLewis1 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> Brad,
>
> Two comments re your post:
>
> - Bush is no conservative?  How many hundred posts have you
> made  defending
> his actions and his record?  After years  I think  I'm hearing a new story
> line.  Let me add to your disillusionment; jr's  father was no fiscal
> conservative, nor was Reagan - the fiscal record shows
> it  unambiguously.   And yes, our
> children will be paying all their bills  for a long time.  And some of our
> children won't be around to pay those  bills because of jr's adolescent
> militarism
> (Note: this does not say you  shouldn't fight terrorists and terrorism,
> rather it says you should pick  your fights carefully, and win
> them.  Fighting in
> Afghanistan - necessary,  go for it.  Fighting in Iraq - unnecessary,
> poorly
> thought through,  dumb.).
>
> - Re the gulf coast rebuild being all about the private sector: Clearly
> the
> private sector has an extremely important role to play, but just as
> clearly
> infrastructure, landfill permitting, permitting of all sorts, flood
> control,
> etc, etc, are legitimate govt functions (legitimate here doesn't mean the
> govt
> CAN take on those tasks, rather it means the private sector WONT take them
> on
> because of liability issues so the govt has to take them on or they won't
> get  done).  Rebuilding from a catastrophe will be very much easier with
> competent and coordinated government assistance - for example rebuilding
> public
> bridges, highways, and dikes will all be funded and supervised by the
> government
> if only because no private entity wants the liability should a public
> bridge
> or  flood control dike break.  So how about a focused, competent, and
> timely
> effort?  How about a focal point and leader that reports to the
> President  and
> speaks for the President?  How about some one person who can stand up  and
> report how the rebuilding is coming along, what resources are required,
> what
> capabilities have been restored and which will be restored next, encourage
> the
> populace, etc.  I suspect Cheney could pull it off, he might actually
> accomplish something useful if he took the task on.
>
> What boggles my mind is how little focus, attention, and visibility Bush
> et
> al have given the gulf coast disaster.  Did he even mention it in his
> State
> of The Union address?  Instead he drops in occasionally for a photo
> opp  while
> flying to and from his dude ranch in Texas.  The citizenry,  particularly
> the
> gulf coast citizenry, deserve better.
>
> Dave
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