I can't vote for Obama

[RomaVicta]

So federal help for disaster victims is now an example of liberal excess? Wow. The transition noted years ago has evidently been completed in some people. The transition from citizen to tax-payer.

I'm glad that a few pennies or dollars of money I pay into the community or national till will get unlucky and devestated communities back on their feet. It's compassionate and it's an investment.

 

[tropheus]

RV - its certainly a good thing for the federal government to be a back stop for the "oh ****" outliers in our society. It's just not the first answer which is what most Dems preach for. Stated another way, true compassionate conservatism (both fiscal and social conservatism) would recognize the absolute need for sensible and responsible safety nets across a wide array of "oh ****" outliers. The problem is, we're so far past sensible safety nets that I (I won't use the we here because I don't speak for anyone else) might at times sound like a cold hearted jerk.

Federal government flood insurance and low interest loans in the wake of disasters are necessary safety nets, taking responsibility on the local and state level for failed frontline local and state leadership and response is an entirely different thing. The state of Louisiana was grossly incompetent and the federal government was largely blamed. Rather than having a sensible discussion about how Lousiana (and other unaffected states) should reform its response system, everyone is clamoring for reform at FEMA. Is some needed, probably, but not because FEMA failed to do what it wasn't designed and shouldn't be designed to do.

That's my problem, the Democratic solution for Katrina is to reform FEMA and require it to respond in a manner best suited for state and local governments.

 

[RomaVicta]

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[tropheus]

While I am not the official spokesperson for the Dems, I certainly am not the enemy. While the statement you clipped was a bit overbroad, the rest of my post certainly isn't without merit.

Repubs rhetoric is frustrating at times, but this aspect of Dem rhetoric is equally frustrating.

 

[Wulaw Horn]

Tropheus-

Excellent ponts throughout your last 3 posts about FEMA, I concur fully with how you analyzed the situation- not much of that is dealt with in the main stream press or talking points for the left.

Hell- Bush declared the area a federal disaster area before the storm even touched down- what's he supposed to do- be out there coordinating the laying of sand bags?

As to the other stuff- I have no problem making sure everyone is taken care of in this country- it's really not a money issue. I voluntarily self tax myself by giving to charity and the church in an attmept to do as much as possible to help out those who need help. I just feel as if my money is squandered and wasted by the federal governemnt, and it is not effective at doing what it is intended to do.

 

[elguapo]

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[Wulaw Horn]

Apparently the entire point of Tropheus posts that I was replying to whizzed right over your head- the point being that FEMA was not chartered nor expected to be a federal first responders team to emergency's. This is where FEMA seemed to get most of the blame- when it can and should rightly have been put on the state and local governments.

I am continually saddened that everyone thinks the federal governemnt is the answer to all of life's questions and problems- this is clearly a role for the city and state to play (that of first repsonse). FEMA can and should have a place in disaster relief- but that is after the fact, clean up, loans, reconstruction, etc.

 

[RomaVicta]

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[RomaVicta]

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[zzzz]

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[4realhorn]

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[tropheus]

RV - unless I am out of touch, that's not FEMA's historical mission, or at least not what they were actually funded to do. 9/11 brought lots of changes, including massive changes to FEMA. I still think that mission statement is more style than substance. Long term, the vast majority of FEMA's budget has gone to support and insurance/loan programs, not first response. That mission statement does sound good though in the wake of 9/11, doesn't it?

In that regard, don't worry though, while conservative (fiscally) in my leanings, Bush gets no shelter from me on a lack of leading, none at all. In fact, over a beer, I'd be much, much harder on Republicans than Democrats at this point in my lifetime.