Hurricane Expected to Cost Government Up to $100 Billion

[tuvor]

September 6, 2005
Hurricane Expected to Cost Government Up to $100 Billion
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 - The federal government's costs related to Hurricane Katrina could easily approach $100 billion, many times as much as for any other natural disaster or the $21 billion allocated for New York City after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"There is no question but that the costs of this are going to exceed the costs of New York City after 9/11 by a significant multiple," predicted Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

Administration officials said today that rescue and relief operations in Louisiana and Alabama are costing well over $500 million a day and are continuing to rise.

Less than four days after Congress approved $10.5 billion in emergency assistance, White House officials said they would be asking for an even bigger amount in the next day or two.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/national/nationalspecial/06cnd-deficit.html?hp&ex=1126065600&en=5ab0cf3d9d77fcf8&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[bemildred]

1. Is this a catastrophic success yet? nt

[stepnw1f]

2. What a F*cking Bunch of Assholes in the Administration

Every appointed Bush Official has been a major fuck up. The damage is intentional, I'm sure of it.

These people are real psychos.:grr:

[tuvor]

4. Hm. Wonder how much will go to Halliburton? n/t

[stepnw1f]

5. Thief to Boot...nt

[OKthatsIT]

3. This is minus the rebuilding costs

because New Orleans alone will probably cost 1/2 trillion(especially with Bush contractees involved)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Wow...that's a lot of money but only HALF as much as Iraq thus far

[agates]

7. Makes those levee repairs and upgrades

look like a bargain now, huh???

[daleo]

8. I thought New York never got much of that money.

I suppose that is why the article carefully uses the word "allocated" instead of spent.

[all.of.me]

9. does that include lawsuits to be filed?!

[BeyondGeography]

10. Au revoir death tax repeal

[shraby]

11. That's enough to build a wall like the Great

Wall of China around the whole area if not the whole state.

[Sandpiper]

12. Hmmm...I keep thinking of a saying...Ounce of Prevention...Pound of Cure

I have this sneaking suspicion that improving the levees and pumps a few years back would have cost a lot less than $100 billion.

But, millionaires needed their tax cuts.

[Corgigal]

13. We're going to pay for both the Iraq war

and Hurricane Katrina? How? Let me guess, without raising taxes ?