Posted on 09/01/2007 5:56:39 AM PDT by NapkinUser
Lawmaker Says “Enough is Enough” After Two Years and $114 Billion
(WASHINGTON, DC) – U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) today criticized runaway government spending on post-Katrina recovery efforts as excessive, and called for a halt to any additional appropriations amid rumors that additional Katrina requests for money are forthcoming.
“The amount of money that has been wasted on these so-called ‘recovery’ efforts has been mind-boggling,” said Tancredo, “Enough is enough.”
According to the White House, the federal government has provided about $114 billion in funding and resources for hurricane recovery in the gulf coast over the last two years – or around $1 billion per week – a staggering figure. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that potentially more than $1 billion in taxpayer money has been squandered through waste, fraud and abuse.
“At some point, state and local officials and individuals have got to step up to the plate and take some initiative,” said Tancredo, “The mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end.”
Tancredo noted that after the devastating San Francisco and Chicago fires of the last century, individuals and local officials rolled up their sleeves and rebuilt – all without truckloads of money from the federal government.
“This whole fiasco has been a perfect storm of corruption and incompetence at all levels” said Tancredo, “It’s time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station.”
News outlets have reported significant abuses of federal aid money by recipients, including the use of relief money to pay for Louis Vuitton handbags, adult entertainment, bail bond services, jewelry, weapons, and even to pay traffic violation fines. Earlier this year, GAO estimated “improper and potentially fraudulent payments related to the Individuals and Households Program… to be $1 billion through February 2006.”
Tancredo, who warned in the immediate aftermath of the disaster that Louisiana officials could not be trusted with federal funds given that state’s long history of corruption, pointed out that several state emergency management officials were already awaiting trial on charges related to improperly using public funds when Hurricane Katrina made landfall.
“State and local officials have been shirking their responsibilities and taking advantage of taxpayers since before day one,” said Tancredo, “Throwing more money at this debacle will do nothing but perpetuate more of the same.”
I agree with the sentiment. The amount of money wasted is obscene.
We all knew this would happen. Money grows on trees and the government is here to save you. Citizens of this country are fools.
This outrage should have ended a year ago. The scum in La. reaches from the police dept to the mayor and all the way to the state house. The corruption is complete and cannot be avoided. This money is going right down a rat hole.
Now there's a conservative. Too bad there's so few of them left.
-- Throwing more good money after bad is something all nations do when confronted with the SAME problem that persists...is STILL moral in its solution and people SCREAM and SCREECH for a solution which is NOT moral.
Examples: HIV/AIDS, out-of-wedlock births, rampant divorce, drug addiction, homelessness, failing mortgages, alcoholism, child abuse, pornography, prostitution. The list goes on and on and on.
We humans haven't changed ONE IOTA over the millenia. The problems that persist are still basically moral.
Katrina spending goes down the sewer into corrupt pockets. That is what led to the failed dams, chaos in the rescue missions and failure in the recovery programs.
-- Saturday morning armchair quarterbacking here.
Finally, a voice of sanity in the insane effort to turn the senseless rebuilding of another city below sea level. The whole bailout has turned into another giant welfare pit.
I agree with Tancredo as well. Lest we forget the utter incompetence of Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin...but alas, the dims love to use New Orleans as a backdrop for their political hate speech....”Iz goin’ to take from those nasty rich ppl and give to ya’ll po folk”
Free money...come one come all....
How astonishing. Tancredo is also one of those rare politicians who says what people need to hear, even if it goes against the grain. And this proposal no doubt would shock many. Most Americans probably have been conditioned to think the federal government should and will spend every penny it takes, and that is the only way New Orleans can be saved. So Tancredo’s idea will no doubt be shouted down as racist, uncaring, cruel, etc.
Meanwhile McCain and others go on TV and say too many politicians tell people only what they want to hear, and this isn’t right. Oh really? When conservatives (and I’m including GWB for the sake of argument) do what they thing is right, even if it is unpopular, they are excoriated for it. So some people want it both ways.
I think I recognise that guy. I think he approached me at Jackson Square and said”I know where you got them shoes”.
I love this guy. It’s too bad that the GOP water carriers in Washington, on the radio, and here on FR have marginalized Tancredo so badly that he can never be elected president.
Tancredo is incredibly stupid to have said this. Those who would follow such a man belong in the hell-hole to which he leads. His vision is that of a "Pick and Choose" America where tough problems are simply ignored and simpleton solutions are festered up with minimal effort toward acheiving success before giving up all together. If that's who YOU are, follow him. Not me.
So you think we should continue to send money to corrupt politicians.The simpleton solutions you speak of are the same old throw money at it and declare success ones. Tom Tancredo is exactly right. Enough is enough.
Tancredo hasn't paid a single visit to New Orleans since Katrina. He's an idiot with a big mouth and bigger feet. What size shoes do you wear?
Well! I guess we can all just pack our stuff and go home. UNCLE SHAM HAS SPOKEN I think maybe you need a little more humility. My shoes are well fitted.
Well I guess I guessed right. Not the Louisiana flag on Uncle Sham’s homepage.
Well I guess I guessed right. Note the Louisiana flag on Uncle Sham’s homepage.
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