All for All, and One for One

Maybe we won’t be getting another $4.2 billion for housing from Bush’s requested $19.8 billion afterall:

But in a draft already put together by the committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., Bush’s intention to steer housing money to Louisiana was removed.

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The move coincides with a stepped-up campaign by the state of Texas to get a larger share of hurricane financing than it has received in the past. With five members of the House committee from Texas, the state has far more clout than Louisiana, which is represented on the panel only by Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman.

Steam. Coming. From. Ears.

First, the states hit by Katrina and Rita should not be fighting over scraps. Rebuilding American cities should be a priority for the federal government, and enough money should be sent this way so that all at the table have ‘dem bellies full. Instead, we’re spending tax payers’ money in other places, and we get what’s left over. Iraq fatigue, anyone? How about Bush fatigue.

Second, if Louisiana doesn’t get the federal resources it needs to recover from Katrina because it is underrepresented on a Congressional committee, then democracy is dead. And it won’t get a jazz funeral.

You want representation? The Times-Picayune has a nice graphic showing how overrepresented we were in houses destroyed: 67%. That’s numbers from a federal agency, so there’s no padding. And that’s just housing damage. Also, never mind the fact that the majority of housing damage came after the federally built levees failed.

Texas should get all the funding they need. Mississippi should get all the funding they need. Alabama should get all the funding they need. I will not pick sides here. I will not say that Louisiana should get more funding at the expense of others who need it.

But, I will say the federal government is not doing a good job with its citizens’ money. The Gulf Coast is hurting. I don’t think anyone expected the recovery to be easy. But I don’t think anyone expected it to be this hard when dealing with the federal government. For what other reason do we have a federal government than to accomplish that which the states can not accomplish on their own?

Bush is in town today. Looks like a good day for a protest. “A hungry mob is an angry mob.” However, I don’t suggest addressing the President in the Humid Haney way. Okay, yes I do. And, regarding Ashley’s comments in the last post, muthafucka indeed.