Let's just say upfront, it has been infuriating to watch Speaker Boehner get pummeled with criticism from the left and right over his not bringing the Hurricane Sandy relief bill to the floor for a vote. Those who are most angered believe he is ignoring the plight of those most affected and need help. As much as help is needed the anger should be directed at those members of the House who sneaked in billions of dollars of other allocations which had nothing to do with Hurricane Sandy victims.
And we are supposed to believe members of Congress are sincere in wanting to see fiscal responsibility. Baloney. It's the same old same old thing, And to think they'd do something like this when lives have been ruined tells us much about them. It was pretty sneaky business, probably done under the impression everyone would be seeing the title of the bill and not looking into where the money was going.
For instance: The Congressional Budget Office contends that only 1/3 of the money would go to Sandy projects over 21 months.
150 million dollars would go to Alaska fisheries and 8 million to the department of Homeland Security for the purchase of new cars and equipment.
13 Billion for mitigation of future storms and I have no idea what that means.
207 million for the VA Manhattan Medical Center
41 million to fix up eight military bases along the storm’s path, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; $4 million for repairs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida; $3.3 million for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and $1.1 million to repair national cemeteries.
$58.8 million for forest restoration on private land.
10.78 billion for public transportation, most of which is allocated to future construction and improvements, not disaster relief.
17 billion for wasteful Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
Cancellation of loans related to Hurricane Katrina.
3.3 million for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.
$50 million in subsidies for tree planting on private properties
And there's more. If this doesn't infuriate people I don't know what will. It's a bipartisan end around a natural tragedy and people have the gall to jump on Speaker Boehner for not putting this bill as written on the floor. If it's a bill for Sandy relief, let it be so. If it isn't, junk it.
This is so tiresome and sinful. Boehner is sort of channeling Harry Truman, the pork stops with him and we should thank him while demanding that the others stop hiding allocations in a bill which is supposed to help specific people.
Well stated, Diane.
My respect for Chris Christie has gone down.
Posted by: Ron | January 03, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Many politicians are best remembered for their quotations.
FDR: a day that will live in infamy.
JFK: Ask not what your country can do for you...
Politics aside, Boehner seems like a decent fellow. Let's hope he's not remembered for saying and repeating in the White House: "Go f*** yourself."
Posted by: KUKIMBIA | January 03, 2013 at 01:45 PM
Let wish more people would live by JFk's quote, especially his fellow democrats.
Posted by: Ron | January 03, 2013 at 03:17 PM