Republicans to Louisiana: "We Don't Care if You Drown"

[kpete]

Republicans to Louisiana: "We Don't Care if You Drown"
by DHinMI
Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 06:48:22 AM PDT

This morning the House Republicans will try to tout their supposed concern for the victims of Hurricane Katrina by hyping the passage yesterday of an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that includes aid for the regions devastated by Katrina and Hurricane Rita. But look below the surface, and you'll see the Republicans' penny-wise, pound foolish fiscal policies just made it more likely that there will be another Katrina-like disaster in Louisiana.

Most people who haven't paid close attention to what happened in the greater New Orleans area mistakenly believe the massive damage to the area was caused by Hurricane Katrina. Using the language of attorneys, one can say that Katrina was certainly the proximate cause of the flooding that devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas like much of St. Bernard Parish. But the folks in Louisiana know that the underlying cause of most of the Katrina-related destruction was the failure of the levees to hold the water and prevent the flooding of the low-lying areas.

Yesterday freshman Democrat Charlie Melancon, who represents St. Bernard's, Plaquemines and the parishes southwest of New Orleans, offered an amendment to the emergency supplemental that would have restored $260 million for levee funding the President had requested but the Congressional Republicans slashed from the bill. "The people of southern Louisiana need the levees to protect them," Melancon said. "We are in an emergency situation."

The Republicans don't care that the levees are so compromised that even a minor hurricane hitting southern Louisiana could flood the entire region. They voted down Melancon's amendment, with even two Louisiana Republicans--Jim McCreary and turncoat coward Rodney Alexander--joining the Republican majority in screwing over their home state.

The Republicans showed they don't care about responsible, effective government. And they don't care about preventing another Katrina-like disaster. "They're hoping we disappear off the radar screen," Melancon said. "People who wear Christ on their sleeves and vote against helping people are the biggest hypocrites."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/17/84822/4376
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll051.xml

[Pirate Smile]

1. I certainly hope LA kicks those Republican Representatives to the

curb in November.

[Devlzown]

2. Southeast Louisiana will be in trouble

if they get hit by a category 1 storm this year. And two Louisiana Congressmen voted against this? Words fail me.:grr:

[Village Idiot]

3. I wonder...tinfoil ALERT!

Has anyone ever done any digging into all the reports that the levees "held," and then the conflicting reports that all of a sudden the levees "failed?" I am referring to the unknown actions of a seven man US Engineering platoon left at a small US Army base in NO the night of Katrina...I have been wondering since I first heard about it, and some people reporting hearing explosions and such...

As a conspiracy theory, it would explain a LOT of the actions (and lack thereof) by FEMA and the BFEE Cabal...

[Rocknrule]

4. Two words can be used to describe Republicans' attitude towards the world:

Fuck. You.

[Swamp Rat]

5. kick

... for those of us wondering if we will lose this year what's left of our homes.

[Devlzown]

6. kick

[RB TexLa]

7. They never have

President Coolidge "isn't it a shame what the river did to that poor cracker's land, where's lunch?"