Money

[cynder]

You are so right- but it seems that the only ones running for office are career politicians.

Follow the money. No ordinary American can run for office and win without a HUGE bankroll. That bankroll comes from political parties, populated by career politicians who are in turn bankrolled by private interests. They choose the person who can bring the most ADDITIONAL money to the table and who will most benefit THEM.
Again FOLLOW THE $$$. If GW Bush had not passed out Govt Jobs like "frequent big donor rewards" to his friends and supporters perhaps we would have a FEMA Director who had disaster experience and a Homeland Security Chief who had a clue. And WHY is FEMA part of Homeland Security anyway? The huge majority of their work has NOTHING to do with Homeland Security. The job of leading FEMA should return to it's prexisting position as a cabinet level post AND should be removed from Homeland Security. Obviously this new arrangement is NOT WORKING! It may put more money into the war budget this way but at what cost in human lives and suffering here at home?
UGHHH - it's ALWAYS about the money in politics. It's just a huge Govt Shell Game and the US people are the "marks". We can't win. The game isn't designed that way - only to continue to fool us into thinking if we just do everything right, we CAN beat the odds fixed against us. As people keep saying - fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on ME. When do the American people make their anthem "I Won't Be Fooled Again"???

 

[Mabel]

................. As people keep saying - fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on ME. ................

Or, in the words of George Bush: "There's an old saying in Tennessee. I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee, that says: "Fool me once..... shame on...Shame on you...If fooled, you can't get fooled again."

 

[less0305]

I try to walk the walk. I can do better, but I am constantly improving. And, yeah, I go to some meetings. Where do y'all think I learned to go on and on about an issue?

Thank you for your comments Dara. And I will also say that I've been in the private sector for many years before coming to work for at one time a state goverment agency and now a local municipal government.....I didn't always participate in government affairs before. I read about issues and I voted. That's about it. But now that I have some working experience in government I really can see both sides of a lot of issues. We cut funding in the police department to buy something in the fire department and the police chief goes nuts. We cut something in the fire department to buy a piece of needed equipment in the police department and the firemen go nuts. Some things the city (that I live in and vote in - as well as work in) funds just drive me absolutely nuts. $35,000 for a gazebo!!!! I'd rather have another police car on the streets. But there is so much of our population that screams for recreation funds for things like gazebos and will say "what your police department does, they can do in a phone booth." It's frustrating as all hell.

 

[less0305]

If GW Bush had not passed out Govt Jobs like "frequent big donor rewards" to his friends and supporters perhaps we would have a FEMA Director who had disaster experience and a Homeland Security Chief who had a clue.

Doesn't every president appoint their own people? I didn't like some of President Clinton's appointees. I also didn't like some of Clinton's pardons of his friends. I didn't like how FEMA handled our natural disaster during the Clinton Administration. But I still love my country and can't think of a single place I'd rather live.

 

[TexMex]

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=\Nation\archive\200509\NAT20050907a.html


article about levee funding and levee boards


CNSNews.com) - The Bush administration is being widely criticized for the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina and the allegedly inadequate protection for "the big one" that residents had long feared would hit New Orleans. But research into more than ten years of reporting on hurricane and flood damage mitigation efforts in and around New Orleans indicates that local and state officials did not use federal money that was available for levee improvements or coastal reinforcement and often did not secure local matching funds that would have generated even more federal funding.

 

[Dara]

Thank you for your comments Dara. And I will also say that I've been in the private sector for many years before coming to work for at one time a state goverment agency and now a local municipal government.....I didn't always participate in government affairs before. I read about issues and I voted. That's about it. But now that I have some working experience in government I really can see both sides of a lot of issues. We cut funding in the police department to buy something in the fire department and the police chief goes nuts. We cut something in the fire department to buy a piece of needed equipment in the police department and the firemen go nuts. Some things the city (that I live in and vote in - as well as work in) funds just drive me absolutely nuts. $35,000 for a gazebo!!!! I'd rather have another police car on the streets. But there is so much of our population that screams for recreation funds for things like gazebos and will say "what your police department does, they can do in a phone booth." It's frustrating as all hell.

I get that. I appreciate my local government but I know part of it is that the citizenry is unusually informed and involved. It's common knowledge that you have to get to city council meetings early or walk for blocks and stand in the back. These are just routine meetings. I was "warned" (nicely) that in our neighborhood, people know if you don't vote and don't approve. So is my government so good because of citizen involvement? Do they know we hold them accountable so they do a better job? Or are we involved because they're so good! I suspect it's the former, and that's why I'm so big on accountability.

 

[Dara]

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=\Nation\archive\200509\NAT20050907a.html


article about levee funding and levee boards


CNSNews.com) - The Bush administration is being widely criticized for the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina and the allegedly inadequate protection for "the big one" that residents had long feared would hit New Orleans. But research into more than ten years of reporting on hurricane and flood damage mitigation efforts in and around New Orleans indicates that local and state officials did not use federal money that was available for levee improvements or coastal reinforcement and often did not secure local matching funds that would have generated even more federal funding.

I believe that's the same article KrazyCoillector posted and warned me of its conservative bent. So, agenda? Maybe someone should start a levee thread and keep all those links in one place so we can sift through the ones blaming the different levels of government. With them thrown in here, it's hard to get the truth. Isn't that what we all want?

 

[TexMex]

I believe that's the same article KrazyCoillector posted and warned me of its conservative bent. So, agenda? Maybe someone should start a levee thread and keep all those links in one place so we can sift through the ones blaming the different levels of government. With them thrown in here, it's hard to get the truth. Isn't that what we all want?

Don't worry----there's criticism of the Bush Admin too.
Read the article...I only posted the 1st paragraph. Of course we want the truth , even if some corruption of the local levee boards or incompetence
in Baton Rouge is exposed.

 

[Dara]

Don't worry----there's criticism of the Bush Admin too.
Read the article...I only posted the 1st paragraph. Of course we want the truth , even if some corruption of the local levee boards or incompetence
in Baton Rouge is exposed.

I wasn't worried. I pointed out that KK posted it earlier and warned me of its conservative bent. It can criticize the Bush adminitrastion and still be skewed to the right.

I also suggested that since the levee situation is a complex issue perhaps it would be good to have a thread just to dissect it.

It might be a good time for us to stop making assumptions about what other are thinking and just discuss the facts. You may not agree, but I think it's been disruptive.

 

[cynder]

Doesn't every president appoint their own people? I didn't like some of President Clinton's appointees. I also didn't like some of Clinton's pardons of his friends. I didn't like how FEMA handled our natural disaster during the Clinton Administration. But I still love my country and can't think of a single place I'd rather live.

Of course every President chooses his Cabinet BUT Clinton's choice had years of disaster experience and IMO did a FAR superior job to Brown - who was FIRED from his last job running a horse related business for 11 years. WHAT experience did Brown gain in that job that made him a good choice for the director of FEMA? I'm not being partisan, just logical. In ANY organization the job should go to the most experienced person you can find. Were there NO Republicans who were better qualified? Guliani maybe?
Pardons and personal faults have nada to do with this situation. Neither does patriotism or being proud to be an American. No true American loves the USA any less or wants to leave. What we do want (and deserve) are the best people doing the best work they can do. Brown (and to some extent Chertoff) are not the best people doing their best work. These guys are OUR EMPLOYEES, paid by us - does anyone really believe we are getting the best value for our money based on their actions and job performance over the last week? As their boss, it is Bush's responsibility. The buck must stop somewhere and like it or not, spin aside, as far as the Federal response, that means GW Bush. Plenty of blame and recriminations left for Nagin and Blanco and all the others in LA, MS and AL.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

Thank you for your comments Dara. And I will also say that I've been in the private sector for many years before coming to work for at one time a state goverment agency and now a local municipal government.....I didn't always participate in government affairs before. I read about issues and I voted. That's about it. But now that I have some working experience in government I really can see both sides of a lot of issues. We cut funding in the police department to buy something in the fire department and the police chief goes nuts. We cut something in the fire department to buy a piece of needed equipment in the police department and the firemen go nuts. Some things the city (that I live in and vote in - as well as work in) funds just drive me absolutely nuts. $35,000 for a gazebo!!!! I'd rather have another police car on the streets. But there is so much of our population that screams for recreation funds for things like gazebos and will say "what your police department does, they can do in a phone booth." It's frustrating as all hell.

Less, I swear you are my cyber-twin sometimes! That is EXACTLY what it's like. I first worked in private business; then local muni, and now State. And that is EXACTLY what real life budget considerations are like. Every year. There will never be enough gov't funds to go around, as we are all screaming as citizens to decrease taxes.

 

[Mabel]

Since the title of this thread is money:

$2,000 debit cards for Katrina victims

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

At the risk of making DD faint, I will agree.


Where do y'all think I learned to go on and on about an issue?

You gave me some good snickers there, thanks!