DOLLARS AND NO SENSE

THE REPUBLICANS ARE CUTTING THE BUDGET in Congress to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief [story] at the same time the government isn't spending the money it has for Hurricane Katrina relief.

Beginning this week, the House GOP lawmakers will take steps to cut as much as $50 billion from the fiscal 2006 budget for health care for the poor, food stamps and farm supports, as well as considering across-the-board cuts in other programs. Only last month, then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) and other GOP leaders quashed demands within their party for budget cuts to pay for the soaring cost of hurricane relief.

IF THAT FIFTY BILLION DOLLAR SUM sounds familiar, that's because it is somewhere close to the fortyfive billion FEMA still hasn't spent for relief. [story]

FEMA, which received almost $60 billion of the $62 billion in emergency funds, had "obligated" or assigned only $15.6 billion as of last Wednesday — less than a third of the money available — according to a weekly report the agency sends Congress.

BUSH HAS SAID he won't cut and run in Iraq, but it appears he is willing to cut relief efforts and run away from real solutions in the storm struck south of the United States.  Even when the money is there, Bush won't spend it on people who really need it.  He will, however, spend money when the photo ops end.

Since Bush came to office, federal spending had grown by a third, from $1.86 trillion to $2.47 trillion, while record budget surpluses turned to record deficits.

IS THIS A CASE of government at work or is Bush so lazy he can't even spend money he already has?

Shades of Iraq, the reconstruction money Congress approved for reconstruction in the Gulf isn't even being spent. As of last Wednesday, FEMA had received $60 billion, and assigned $15.6 billion.

The excuse explanation is that Bush is being very careful not to get in the way of local initiative. Fixing things is not the federal governments job. (Ever get the feeling Bush took this job because he thought it was the world's easiest gig -- nice costumes, no responsibilities?)

I mean, it's pretty bad when even Jack Kemp won't buy your spiel about the limits of government. [Body and Soul]

AT HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL where George Bush got his MBA, the course is taught famously by the case study method.  Here Bush is a case of dollars and no sense. 

IN RELATED NEWS a noted drug addict in favor of harsh drug sentences for people other than himself ODed on the Republican philosophy [story]

I love being a conservative. We conservatives are proud of our philosophy. Unlike our liberal friends, who are constantly looking for new words to conceal their true beliefs and are in a perpetual state of reinvention, we conservatives are unapologetic about our ideals. We are confident in our principles and energetic about openly advancing them. We believe in individual liberty, limited government, capitalism . . .

CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS like the heavy hitter Rush Limbaugh may need to come up with a new word to conceal their own true beliefs, to convey what they say, and what they do.  The word would need to incorporate looking in the mirror, but also being seen through as well.  A see through mirror for now would seem to fit the bill.

PLUS MORNING IN THE LAND OF MAYHEM [WaPo] As Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans on Aug. 29, Michael D. Brown, then director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, appeared confused over whether Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had put him in charge, senior military officials could not reach Brown and his team became swamped by the speed of the unfolding disaster, according to e-mails to and from Brown.

THE HERETIK SADLY NOTES he doesn't know what is worse: the utter inaction and lack of concern at the start of the storm or lack of concern and action after.  What is obvious is that if there isn't a camera around, no concern or action are needed.

Comments

[Paul Hooson]

Just like the Halliburton scandals, FEMA has been paying excessive amounts to contracted businesses for tree removal from home rooftops. While some charity organizations such as Operation Blessing have been in involved in free tree removal from rooftops and place a blue tarp on damahed roofs, FEMA has been $18,000 a day to businesses doing the same thing. Some homeowners have been paying $7,000 for the same service, or 10 times the normal rate for this service.

And EBAY has encouraged sellers to sell items to donate for Katrina relief, but charges fees on most of this and skims these Katrina profits for itself. One Website that brought in $30,000 in a few hours for the Red Cross earned EBAY's PAYPAL division nearly $1,800 in fees skimmed from this Katrina relief effort, before PAYPAL decided to freeze the account and seize the entire $30,000. It is not known whether these funds have been allowed to flow to the Red Cross yet or not. But PAYPAL certainly skimmed these Red Cross funds for a hefty sum that is almost equal to organized crime rates.

There have been many attempts by many to profit from from the Katrina disaster, and some contractors and EBAY have been some of the worst offenders.

If you like other controversial items, check out www.progressivevalues.blogspot.com with "Run An Antiwar Website, Go To Jail" for an outrageous case of freedom of speech abuse against someone would challenged the Bush Administration's war policy.