Bush confident budget can handle Katrina recovery

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WBT003843.htm

Bush confident budget can handle Katrina recovery

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, facing alarm among some conservatives about the hefty costs of rebuilding following Hurricane Katrina, said on Friday the budget can handle the costs and promised to find ways to offset some of the spending.

* He is having a press conference with Putin right now, and made the statement to answer a press question.

more:

http://www.sierratimes.com/rss/newswire.php?article=/news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050916/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katrina_bush&time=1126899011&feed=us

Bush Rules Out Tax Hike to Fund Recovery - Yahoo! News
Posted: Friday September 16,2005 - 12:30:11 pm

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Friday the federal government must slash unnecessary spending to pay for Gulf Coast reconstruction, but he ruled out raising taxes. "You bet it will cost money, but I'm confident we can handle it," Bush said.
"It's going to cost whatever it's going to cost, and we're going to be wise about the money we spend," Bush said a day after laying out an expensive plan for rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast without spelling out how he would pay for it.

edit: added more details

[Maple]

1. He's ALWAYS 'confident'

His plans just never work out.

[Kber]

16. Let me guess

he's going to pay to rebuild NO by cutting funds to shore up building codes in California. After all, why do they need those super strong schools anyway, right?

[VegasWolf]

30. This means for sure that Bush wants to borrow more money from

China to keep the lights on.

[shoelace414]

2. if the spending is unnecessary..

why hasn't it been cut in the past 5 years of his administration?

[swag]

3. Katrina's nothing a few worthless IOUs can't cover, I'm sure.

[Why Syzygy]

4. Would he know a budget if it bit him in the butt?

I don't think so.

edit: Oh BUT! Ira*q? Unnecessary spending anyone?

Ya betcha.

What a twerp. He is Powerless.

[Talismom]

5. Sure it can! He still has what remains of our social network

to destroy, including the public schools. Just send the kids to work!

Then it WILL be mission accomplished and welcome back to the guilded age!

[louis-t]

6. I am confident that he is a clueless

fuck.

[tridim]

7. No it can't.. Join reality asshole

It'll either be an IOU or you're going to have to raise taxes. I know what option * will pick.

[shraby]

8. Didn't he say one time that "it has a lot of numbers so

it must be the budget"

[Seansky]

9. oh, and let's not forget what a good business man he is

and knows everything about keeping a struggling business afloat...

He'll be as successful keeping our economy going...just like his previous business endeveours...

[Why Syzygy]

14. Hi there

:hi: Welcome to the DU. Ya-ha. Doesn't he have a great track record?

Oh but wait. He was on the SIDELINES being a CHEERLEADER!

phreak. What have the freepers done? Get them OUT OF HERE.
Off my planet! Buh-bye. Rapture. Go for it.

okay :rant:

[Seansky]

19. txs..I do want them off our planet as well...wait, I forgot

they already are in neverland...or someother planet where reality is illusion...

Txs for the welcoming...there isn't a better planet to be in right now than the reality DU sees...

[ClintonTyree]

28. And he has these incredible "gut instincts"...........

he gives me a "gut instinct" as well, only mine most often ends in vomiting.

Welcome to DU! What kept you? :hi:

[Seansky]

38. been reading it for a long time

and finally couldn't stay as a reader any longer...

Thanks for the welcome note.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE TALKING ABOUT??? nt

[ninkasi]

11. Unnecessary spending like in Iraq...

I'm going to explode if he even gives a hint of a suggestion that his stupid tax cuts are the answer. He apparently said in his speech last night...I couldn't bear to watch it...but he apparently mentioned getting rid of poverty. It's not going to happen by cutting the wealthy's taxes.

It's also not going to happen by screwing the ones who do the work of rebuilding out of a decent wage, nor by "privatizing" social security, sending good paying jobs out of the country, or destroying social safety nets.

No, we just need to get the troops home, and start requiring the wealthy and corporations to carry some of the burden the rest of us have. It should be obvious, now that Katrina has exposed the massive poverty in this country, that his policies aren't working, and that attempting to strip away medicaid, and public assistance just add to the poor's misery.

As far as "faith based funding", all that does is give money to the Pat Robertsons, and the Jerry Falwells, and the other fundie con men. School vouchers? No...properly fund the public school system, instead. Vouchers are one way people can try to keep their kids from being exposed to minorities, and that's wrong.

[Why Syzygy]

18. Yeah well

he tried to "get rid of poverty", didn't he?
How well did that turn out?

It makes me sick to think those fundie-bums who spout "gawed did this .. sinful nation" are getting relief money. What a SCAM!

Impeach Yesterday.

[Why Syzygy]

22. But ya know?

I just had an awakening.

Those blow-dried fools are his LOBBYISTS.
Why did I not get this before?
It's the pad me, I'll pad you thing! They turn out the insanity vote and the insane one gets to rule!

This is not even dignified. It smacks of many things, brainwashing, leading the sheeple around by the nose, making a profit in the meantime, profiteering (did I mention that one?), damning anything that isn't just like them, neglection, irreverance, etc.

It's a total disgrace to the human spirit.

[daninthemoon]

12. How is the school funding and road repair where you live? Got too

much money? Any homeless left? Aren't we lucky to live in a time with so much over-abundance?

[acmejack]

13. It's working out perfect for *

Now they can slash entitlement programs, You know that is what they are thinking, can't afford it, "told you that private accounts were needed", VA "painful but required cuts", national sales tax for disaster recovery, etc.

I hate it, but I think that may be the game plan. One man's disaster is another man's opportunity knocking...

[daninthemoon]

17. That's what they were working on while NO people died.

[Avis]

15. Social Security

If it isn't a problem, why did he think we had no money for Social Security?

[Atman]

20. Yeah, HIS budget. He knows it won't cost his family one thin dime

It's very easy to be generous when it doesn't cost you anything.

[anotherdrew]

21. he means: I'm confident the treasury can sell all those bonds

you see, we pay taxes and that's it, the money is gone to the government. I'm ok with that as long as things are fair... but what we have now is this... the super rich and corporate powers, they tweak their tax bill so they pay nothing or next-to-nothing, then when the treasury has to issue bonds to keep operating the government with, these same rich bastards use the money that should have gone to pay their taxes, which they get to keep due to loop-holes, shelters, etc. and use the money to buy Bonds! so they get to use their money to keep the government operating, but they get it all paid back with interest!

[Binka]

23. Right An Amway Government

YOU TOO CAN BE RICH now shut up and buy this shit! Leadership 101 by Prez Ponzi and crew.

[anotherdrew]

25. yes, so let's just eliminate all taxes and let people buy T-bills

sure, it's just a ponzi scheme, but those sky-high oil company profits and black market drug deals keep the system going, at least for another couple decades.

[applegrove]

24. He's hijacked the sandbox. If China doesn't play - he'll smash the whole

world.

[ClintonTyree]

26. Bush is an idiot.

He has no idea what runs this economy. He's just lip-syncing words written by someone else and then it's off to the exercise room. Or the bathroom, if he gets permission.

[regnaD kciN]

27. It COULD have...

...five years ago. :-(

[DrDan]

29. I don't know about you, but I feel better knowing he is confident

[lancdem]

31. Bush rules out tax increase to fund recovery

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050916/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katrina_bush_48;_ylt=AsSYOW1qPnIvWl7aMbuNs29qP0AC;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

We can pay for a bungled war in Iraq, afford huge tax cuts for the richest Americans and pay for a massive rebuilding effort without any sacrifice at all! We really can have our cake and eat it too! :mad:

[LiberalEsto]

32. So what, exactly does the chimp plan to do?

Start a national chain of lemonade stands?

[Missy M]

35. Maybe he is going to get the presses rolling at the Treasury Dept.

[joemurphy]

33. Of course he did. A tax increase would be a responsible

thing to do. After 5 years of being irresponsible, we must stay the course and not be swayed by the whims of opinion or poll numbers.

[emulatorloo]

34. Personal Responsibility: Bush screwed up -- and now we must pay

to salvage his image.

[savemefromdumbya]

36. Bush can pay for it out of HIS own pocket why should we?

He is the most useless piece of President this country has ever known so HE can pay for all the bungling over Katrina out of his own pocket. He personally needs to donate money to the victims' families. Perhaps we write this into the Constitution - if a president does something really dumb like not responding to a disaster or makes up lies to go to war then he pays for it out of his own pocket. After all the oil soaked Bushes have a lot of millions of $$$$ between them?

[SammyWinstonJack]

81. Let's start by garnishing his salary, all. He isn't earning it and he's

overpaid to begin with.

[savemefromdumbya]

90. Wheeling and dealing?

The Bush family is generally on the fringe of dirty dealings but can never be pinned.

[Fridays Child]

37. Don't you love it? "No tax increase" is code for...

...no rollback of the huge tax breaks that Bush and the GOP have given to their corporate cronies and rich pals, which, in turn, means that our great great grandchildren will be paying off this, and his many other, debts. Meanwhile, the CEOs of Halliburton, Bechtel, and SCI will need monster quarry trucks to carry away the cash they're being be handed in New Orleans.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

55. Bush quote from Yahoo article: "It's going to cost whatever it costs"

"You bet it's going to cost money. But I'm confident we can handle it and I'm confident we can handle our other priorities," he said during a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It's going to cost whatever it costs."


Brought to you by the same man who said: "It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."

[Olney Blue]

80. God help us.

:banghead:

[Why Syzygy]

83. And thank "god" that someone knows how to count.

Where are they? We do not know. MIA.

[matt819]

39. It's that neocon philosophy at work - saying it makes it so

We can fight a war in Iraq.
We can rebuild Iraq when we're not destroying it.
We can rebuild New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast
And we can do all this without raising taxes and by continuing to reduce taxes on the wealthy.

Right.

And I believe in the tooth fairy.

And Santa Claus.

And in Glenda, the Good Witch of the North.

[txaslftist]

40. He means China's budget, doesn't he?

[krkaufman]

41. Hey, it's hard wurk driving companies -- and countries -- into bankruptcy.

[Why Syzygy]

42. Wise? about the money we spend?

SINCE WHEN?

I sure hope Pelosi et.al. keep an eye on this freeper event.

You can really tell a lot from someone by the way they spend their money.
He sux at it.

LEVEES! HELLO!

I do not know how much more upset I can allow myself to become over his total incompetent behavior.

[Mark E. Smith]

43. (Voodoo) Bush: Spending Cuts, No Tax Hikes, For Katrina

MSNBC News Service 9/16

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Friday the federal govt must slash unnecessary spending to pay for Gulf Coast reconstruction, but he ruled out raising taxes. "You bet it will cost money, but I'm confident we can handle it," Bush said.

"It's going to cost whatever it's going to cost, and we're going to be wise about the money we spend," Bush said a day after laying out an expensive plan for rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast without spelling out how he would pay for it.

"The key question is to make sure the costs are wisely spent and that we work with Congress to make sure that we are able to manage our budget in a wise way, and that is going to mean cutting other programs," he added.

Some conservative Republicans on Capitol Hill are increasingly worried about the growing costs of rebuilding the coastal area devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9367762/

It is going to cost what it is going to cost... So do you think the $ billion a week program we have going on over in Iraq is on the block for cutting? Nah. Bush is talking out both sides of his ass, as usual. Truth of the matter is he's going to raise the cash the way he always does, borrow it.

[Tesla]

44. Why do they worry about money for our own country..

and give them an open checkbook for Iraq!!!

[politicaholic]

45. Bankrupt the US, then tada!, corporate bailout!

All in all, whatever happens to the lagging economy will be the next president's fault*.



*democrat only

[DemInDistress]

46. The Oil Industry made 62 billion dollars in profits in 90 days

using those numbers they expect to earn about 230 billion dollars or more for the year.Do I hear a "Windfall Profit tax"? more here... http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0915-04.htm

[Democrats_win]

47. I like the inclusion of "voodoo" in the title.

Obviously a reference to father bush calling this type of economics voodoo economics.

[Wordie]

51. Yes, that was very nice. n/t

[cmd]

48. Taking it from social programs

Just part of the grand scheme.

[Spinzonner]

49. Doesn't he mean

"... we're going to be wise about the money " we give to Halliburton ?

That'll be the day.

The Republicans need to be 'necklaced' by comparing the corruption and incompetence of how money was handled in Iraq by this administration with such prmoises about Katrina reconstruction.

[Wordie]

50. Chilling: "...and that is going to mean cutting other programs," he added.

THIS is what was missing from his speech last night...which was full of "compassionate conservatism." But TODAY, he brazenly tells us that the way he is going to accomplish all this is to rob other programs. Isn't that a large part of how we got in this mess in the first place, when he gutted funds earmarked for levee improvements to be done by the Army Corps of Engineers?

This guy is just SO unbelievably brazen!

A new one: take from the poor in order to (generously) give to the poor (although it is likely to be his rich cronies who get rich from this gambit).

[nvliberal]

52. Actually

the speech of last night was full of radical right nonsense about the wonders of "giving" to charities and of "entrepreneurs" getting involved in rebuilding New Orleans.

Katrina is now the excuse for Bush and his ilk to ram through their extremist agenda.

Anybody who thinks Bush's administration and its filthy social Darwinist philosophy are dead is NOT paying attention.

They will NOT, repeat NOT, give up.

[Why Syzygy]

84. Programs? What Programs?

Like terra alerts or such?

He is CYA, as usual. :fume:

[Cha]

53. That Fuckhead was "confident" that

Iraq had WMD, too, but that turned to Shite.

What a Fucking Farce and the USA mainstream corporate media is one of major contribitors.

[madmark]

54. Its easy to be confident when you have complete access to someone else'

credit card

[T_i_B]

56. Bush's pledge to rebuild New Orleans sparks debate on funding

I think I'd better post this here rather then starting a new thread.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/17/wkat17.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/09/17/ixportal.html

The White House was under pressure from its supporters last night to come up with a price tag for rebuilding New Orleans after President George W Bush promised "one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen". In a prime-time address to the nation delivered live from the centre of the flood-ravaged city, Mr Bush sketched out one of America's largest ever federal spending programmes.

The sweeping scale of his proposals has more in common with the traditions of the Democrats than his Republican Party and could transform the legislative priorities and possibilities of his second term.

But with a powerful caucus of his Republican Party already restive over America's huge budget deficit, the White House is facing calls to explain why the federal taxpayer should pay for the bulk of the plan.

Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina appealed for "sanity" in the federal programme. "We know we need to help but throwing more and more money without accountability at this is not going to solve the problem," he said.

[Why Syzygy]

85. But that's what he DOES!

NO accountability!

Besides, the LAST person I want "reconstructing" anything is him.
Remember "regime change"?

[Kenergy]

57. Bush is full of shit...

Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie.
He goes on camera and says one thing, but off-camera he does just
the opposite...he is one of the most DISHONEST, CORRUPT and
IMMORAL residents the US has ever had, period.
And, furthermore, ANY Congressperson that supports him is,
imo, is guilty of TREASON.

<end of rant>

[sabra]

58. Katrina costs will be borrowed, raise deficit (Bush still wants tax cuts)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16153943.htm

Katrina costs will be borrowed, raise deficit

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's advisers said on Friday billions of dollars needed to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast will be borrowed and will raise the deficit but Bush still wants to extend tax cuts.

The day after Bush proposed one of the world's largest reconstruction projects for the area, White House officials said they were still assessing how much it will cost.

Criticized for a slow federal response to the crisis and trying to restore Americans' confidence in him, Bush told a service at the National Cathedral the hurricane was "beyond any human power to control, but the restoration of broken communities and disrupted lives now rests in our hands."

...

Some members of the U.S. Congress say it could cost $200 billion, and nobody at the White House was denying the figure, which would exceed the costs of the Iraq war.

[sui generis]

59. well durn it looks like we're just going to hafta privatize SS

after all.

who knew? :shrug:

You know those Capital One ads with the vikings and barbarians? Some days that is my complete internal visual of the republican party.

I can't wait until they're back to serving coffee at the local diner.

[VegasWolf]

60. Well, if Shit For Brains wants to borrow more money, he had better kiss

China's ass with puckered lips.

[jobycom]

61. Well, as Cheney said, Reagan proved that deficits don't matter

Which, if it were true, would be great news to all Americans, considering our debt load.

[MarsThe Cat]

63. But that's just it- defecits DON'T matter...

when global warming is going to bring on the downfall of civilization- who's going to be around to demand payment on thos governmental iou's?

get GUNS people!!!

[VegasWolf]

66. LOL. Deficits don't matter to insane people. Last time we had a

deficit like this was during the ray-gun years in which house loans rose to 20%.

:)

[MarsThe Cat]

79. not really...

we've NEVER had a defecit like the one president poopy-pants is building.

[Why Syzygy]

87. that would have been Carter (dem)

I sold real estate during those years.

A 14% assumption loan was a dream opportunity.

Yeah. Sad but true.

[jobycom]

70. Every religion has its apocolypse

[Rose Siding]

62. Reuters: Treasury's Snow: Deficit to rise for about a year

ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow on Friday said Hurricane Katrina clean-up costs will drive US deficits higher but said the country can afford it.

"We can afford an increase in the deficit for a year or so," Snow said in an interview on Fox News.

http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=9676187&src=rss/ElectionCoverage

[redqueen]

64. How can they ask for more tax cuts?

:grr:

[aquart]

69. BushCo is NOT "reality-based."

[Justyce]

65. I have a couple of questions/thoughts about all of this:

I posted this in another thread, but thought maybe this one would be more appropriate:

1) Doesn't something like this take approval from the congress first?

2) In an AP article, the White House says this is going to increase the defict drastically, going to cost the taxpayer bigtime, etc. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/200... Why would they be admitting this, unless they want everyone to get pissed about it & maybe *admit* we'd be better off without govt interfering, etc. -- doesn't this strike anyone as odd?? or is it just that they want to pocket a few more billion off the top in Haliburton deals?

[brentspeak]

67. So Bush will now blame The Bush Deficit on Hurricane Katrina

[aquart]

68. Republicans are fiscally irresponsible.

Republicans kill dogs.

[Bluebear]

71. "History? We'll all be dead."

GWB

[doodadem]

72. From Tom Paine's MaxSpeak

September 16, 2005
BUSH OBTAINS FINANCING FOR GULF COAST RECONSTRUCTION

President George W. Bush announced that no new taxes would be required to finance the immense costs of the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast. Appearing with him were his new investment partners; on the left is Comrade Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of the Peoples Bank of China, and on the right is Toshihiko Fukui, Governor of the Bank of Japan.

"This borrowing will have to be serviced by future generations, long after my term has ended," Bush said with a chuckle.

Governor Zhou said, "Young Proletarians! We of the Peoples Republic of China salute your resolute commitment to pay interest for the rest of your lives to finance our glorious communist-capitalist revolution!"

[Why Syzygy]

92. Well

that's one thing he is a master at. Raping and pillaging.
Goodie for him.

Did anyone ever think about giving this moran a heart?

It is disgusting. Get my country BACK!

[Orion The Hunter]

73. RE: GWB Domestic Policy

Well guess we can start referring to the Republicans and "no-tax and spend Conversatives"...

[...of J.Temperance]

74. There's an easy way to pay for this, I'd finance it this way:

a) Windfall tax on the oil companies - they make enough money anyhow, so a windfall tax wouldn't bankrupt them.

b) Repeal the Bush bastard's mega tax cuts.

c) Cut the money that's being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.

d) Cut in half next years military budget - I think I read that next years military budget is NEARLY $1 trillion.

In my humble opinion, if one did all of the above, then one could adequately finance the entire effort to get the Crescent City back up on it's feet and to help out the NOLA familes by allowing them to return HOME to affordable housing, healthcare, a job and a good school for their children.

[truthisfreedom]

75. if politicians are saying it will cost $200B, then it will cost $1T.

one trillion dollars.

[ticapnews]

76. The national debt and the budget deficit...by the numbers

The national debt is (as of 9/13/05)
$7,942,783,923,607.13

Increase since Shrub stole the presidency
$2,215,007,185,302.49

Increase this fiscal year (ends 9/30/05)
$563,731,227,276.81

Increase from 1996-2001 (total)
510,471,979,408.73

The interest on the debt is around $300,000,000,000.00 this year. Or about as much as we've spent in Iraq...

We're scheduled to pass $10 trillion in 2008...assuming the Chinese, Japanese and Saudis are still loaning us money.

[Why Syzygy]

88. They are not loaning us money.

The are buying America.

[tanyev]

77. Better ask the Chinese what they want in the new, improved New Orleans

[muriel_volestrangler]

78. So now we know why he was willing to sound all "New Deal"-like

He's going to leave it to the next president to get it paid for. And the one after that. And the one after that ...

If it's up to him, America won't have paid for half of it before the next big disaster strikes.

[Why Syzygy]

86. Did they ever hear of INSURANCE?

It's time for those corps to pay up. Now. You don't take people's money year after years for "security" and then just roll over.

Not in my world, dude.

[are_we_united_yet]

82. OK

Now I feel better.

[pfitz59]

89. Nisqually earthquake....Seattle 2001

Bush and FEMA had egg on their faces following the quake. It was revealed that earthuqake retro-fitting funds had been gutted in Bush*'s first budget; however, quake damage in Seattle was minimized BECAUSE of Clinton-Gore retrofit measures! Bush* will borrow from Peter to pay Paul! Call it the "payday loan" administration!

[Tight_rope]

91. "Bush confident budget can handle Katrina recovery"...

Is that like the "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"...thing.

[Massachusetts]

93. "Bush confident budget can handle Katrina recovery"

The king has No clothes, champagne taste but a beer pocketbook.