tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post112588349894175120..comments2024-01-03T05:23:36.046-08:00Comments on The Citizens: Yet another thing to investigate in 2007!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-1126091740723122702005-09-07T04:15:00.000-07:002005-09-07T04:15:00.000-07:00NPR just reported that Jefferson Davis' "president...NPR just reported that Jefferson Davis' "presidential" library was destroyed by Katrina. FYI. <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>// posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://thecitizens.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow" TITLE="">Raised By Republicans</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-1126071974482060062005-09-06T22:46:00.000-07:002005-09-06T22:46:00.000-07:00Have you guys either read / posted anything on the...Have you guys either read / posted anything on the links between GWBush and Jeff Davis? The two have some remarkable coincidences going. I read a Jeff Davis bio last year and came to this conclusion ... but someone else beat me to it a few years back. Anyway I posted a little something on my blog about it a couple of days ago. Good job on this one btw, I'll link to yours on mine .... two of my loves, Simpsons and politics!Bob Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16318018677678102168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-1126049610376720252005-09-06T16:33:00.000-07:002005-09-06T16:33:00.000-07:00And let's not forget the rest of us. We blame "go...And let's not forget the rest of us. We blame "government" but we cheered every tax cut and smiled (even if we opposed them) when we got our refunds. Most of us were blissfully unconcerned with the deteriorating infrastructure our tax cuts were allowing to worsen.  <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>// posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://thecitizens.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow" TITLE="">Raised By Republicans</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-1126049529323750712005-09-06T16:32:00.000-07:002005-09-06T16:32:00.000-07:00Note on finances: Congress has already approved $1...Note on finances: Congress has already approved $10.5 Billion. Relief efforts are around $0.5 Billion <B>per day</B>. Another $40 Billion is expected in a request later this month. NY Times says it could top $100 Billion. That's $1 for every star in our galaxy. Truly, an astronomical figure.<BR/><BR/>Yesterday, Sen. Majority Leader Frist "hastily" postponed a scheduled vote to repeal the Estate Tax, a move that would have given $70 billion per year in tax breaks (once fully implemented) to the wealthiest 1% of the nation. At least they realize such a giveaway would look bad right now, even if they don't realize we actually need the money.<BR/><BR/>The Financial Times says that FEMA's core budget has been cut each year since it was absorbed by the Homeland Security Department in 2003, and they've lost 10% of their jobs, including one of its three emergency management teams. Furthermore, 75% of the funds FEMA provides to local preparedness and first-responder grants now go to terrorism-related activities, "even though a recent Government Accountability Office report quotes local officials as saying what they really need is money to prepare for natural disasters and accidents."<BR/><BR/>Of course, trimming the budget and the workforce is not the same as making it less effective. But clearly there was no attempt to enlarge its role. And by now I hope we all realize that we need to significantly increase the priority and funding we give to non-military homeland security and national defense projects like building higher dams.Dr. Strangelovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14407042105777411150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-1126029954642363592005-09-06T11:05:00.000-07:002005-09-06T11:05:00.000-07:00It is clear that the Federal Government's preparat...It is clear that the Federal Government's preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina was dreadful. Senators and Representatives of both parties have called for hearings, and now even President Bush is calling for an investigation of what went wrong with the Federal Gov't's response. But let's not be fooled: those who call for investigations of government misdeeds implicitly absolve themselves of responsibility for them. <BR/><BR/>Congressmen blame poor preparation for the failure, as though the consistent lack of funding from Congress over the past few decades had nothing to do with it. The President blames the "bureaucracy" for the failed response, as though lack of leadership from the White House had nothing to do with it. How easy it is to blame one's appointees and subordinates; how hard it is to accept that the responsibility lies with the policymakers.<BR/><BR/>But it's not about assigning blame; it's about changing the culture. The real danger is that the lesson of this disaster--that it was <B>preventable</B>--will not be heeded. LA Times reports that, for years, the President offered and the Congress consistently authorized less than half of what Louisiana requested for flood control measures. And the Army Corps of Engineers was denied funding for major renovation projects along the Mississippi to shore up levees and dams. All of this was done in the name of "responsible" budget-cutting. Now, for the benefit of saving a few hundred million each year, we will spend tens of billions to repair a disaster in which thousands are likely to have died. A false economy, indeed.<BR/><BR/>Let us pour money into projects for safety and infrastructure. And if this means we need to let some of the recent tax cuts for the wealthy sunset (as originally planned, by the way) then let's do that. Those who are taxed more should thank us; in the long run, we'll be saving them money. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And it costs a lot less too. Any politician who accepts "mea culpa" and calls for a strong reversal of our decades-long policy of neglect will get my vote.Dr. Strangelovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14407042105777411150noreply@blogger.com