Monday, September 26, 2005

The ghost of Kingfish Louie speaks from the ruins of Katrina

I don't know if I'd call this huspah, cajonies or just plain greed.

I don't know if you've heard about the LA Congressional Delegation wanting $40,000,000.00 -Billion- to rebuild the levies of N'awlins.

That's like 10 times the annual budget of the Corps of Engineers.

And it's not just Dems with their hands out- either.

Louisiana's congressional delegation has requested $40 billion for Army Corps of Engineers projects in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, about 10 times the annual Corps budget for the entire nation, or 16 times the amount the Corps has said it would need to protect New Orleans from a Category 5 hurricane.

Louisiana Sens. David Vitter (R) and Mary Landrieu (D) tucked the request into their $250 billion Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief and Economic Recovery Act, the state's opening salvo in the scramble for federal dollars.


Yep, and just to be sure the money doesn't go where it's supposed to go:

The bill, unveiled last week, would create a powerful "Pelican Commission" controlled by Louisiana residents that would decide which Corps projects to fund, and ordered the commission to consider several controversial navigation projects that have nothing to do with flood protection. The Corps section of the Louisiana bill, which was supported by the entire state delegation, was based on recommendations from a "working group" dominated by lobbyists for ports, shipping firms, energy companies and other corporate interests

That is all, you may now go throw up.

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