It's Punishment Time

Hi Everyone,

August 29, 2005 is the date when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and the neighboring Gulf coast states. Devastation was everywhere and almost 2,000 people died from the Category 4 storm. It took 4 days for the Federal Government (FEMA) to respond and a lesson was learned. Ten days after Katrina hit, the House and Congress approved billions and billions of dollars to help them rebuild and supply alternative and temporary housing tot he masses. More then 7 years later, there is still lots of work to do, especially in the hardest hit, due to broken levees, in the lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. 

October 29, 2012 is the date when Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and other neighboring states. Devastation was everywhere and almost 115 people died from the Category 1 storm. Lesson learned from Katrina meant that FEMA was there the day after; although spread thinly since the areas affected were so very immense. Now it is more then 75 days since Sandy hit and Congress has not (other then $9 billion for Fed. backed flood insurance), approved any additional money to help the rebuilding process. The GOP House majority decided that a vote for the money was not necessary until this week. Why the approval in ten days for Katrina and more then 75 days before a vote?

Whatever you have read or heard about this delay in voting, I would like to add one more interesting and most likely reason for delaying any payments. Punishment! Yes Punishment! Let's look at some facts for this unconscionable delay:

1) States affected by Katrina were all Red states.

2) States affected by Sandy were all Blue states.

3) The GOP is still furious that they lost the presidential election.

4) The GOP is mad as hell that they had to go back on their platform not to increase taxes on anyone, but had to agree to a tax increase to a whopping 2% of people.

There you have it. The GOP has managed to turn a tragedy into a political arena. But are all GOP members happy about the delay? The answer is yes and no. All Tea party and southern and mid western Republicans are indeed content with the delay. But in the Blue states, there are Republicans that are furious with their counterparts. Don't believe me? This is what New Jersey Republican Governor, Chris Christie had to say and I quote, "There's only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these victims, the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner." Christie railed against the "palace intrigue" that stalled action, telling his own party's legislative leaders to "have some guts." He added that the House treated citizens like "pawns on a chessboard." "They forget we sent them there, we sent them there, to do the work for us."

Seems to me that the GOP has deaf ears. Christie said it better then me and all I can add is that the GOP had better get its act together sooner rather then later and that punishing the north east states will come back to bit them all on their behinds.

Enough said.

Til next week.

Peter