Why Obama should make New Orleans Exhibit A in his argument for economic recovery.
THE REPUBLICANS ARE THE BIGGEST BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES I'VE EVER SEEN. I SUUGEST FOR EVERYONE TO LOOK UP THE REPUBLICANS VOTING RECORD IN CONGRESS AND SEE HOW THEY VOTED WITH BUSH AND CHENEY IN LOCK STEP-OVER 2 TRILLION DOLLARS IN TAX CUTS FOR THE TOP 2 PERCENT!!!! 2 BLEEPING TRILLION. THAT'S MORE THAN 2 STIMULUS PACKAGES.................HOW DID THAT HELP US YOU REPUBLIRATS!
President Obama should go to New Orleans, with Brad Pitt in tow, and use it as ground zero for pushing his stimulus plan. Should the government help or should it be left to private industry. New Orleans gives us an answer. Three years later and except for Brad Pitt where has private industry been? All over America people in distress who still believe the Reagan statement that government is the' problem not the solution' are waiting for the evidence that private industry will come to the rescue. Good luck and keep waiting.
Hey Howard,
I was hoping someone would mention NO...3 plus billion already appropriated...just needs some red tape cutting. Here's hoping.
Hi Howard. MIchelle's hairstyle gets some attention. So should yours. (we already know you can think, write, express yourself well, are a man of accomplishments, etc. ...)
Whoever was fixing your hairt 8-10 months ago just didn't h ave it right (the color and its growing out were not your best look). Now, it looks quite good, great color, a bit fuller, well cut, yep, the look is attractive and it suits you .
Whew.
New Orleans is the last place we need to spend stimulus money. The entire city is corrupt, the people who live or lived there are taking advantage of any and every social program that provides them with cash or food or housing so they do not have to work. There is no industry or manufacturing that can create sufficient jobs. The federal government doesn't care about the people of New Orleans becasue most don't vote. Most residents have moved on and are now on the social programs of other states or have actually gotten jobs and will not return. I could go on and on and provide you with hard facts but you get the point. Invest the stimulus money where all taxpayers will get a retun on the investment!
Capt- You are so wrong; there are a lot of hard working people here in New Orleans and your "hard facts" are way off. New Orleans has a number of businesses besides the tourist industry. If you don't believe it, let's just shut off access to our oil reserves and refineries, as well as the MIssissippi River for a day and see what happens. If where you live is so great, you don't need the money.
Bipartisanship?? Everyone knew that some form of a significant spending bill was absolutely necessary, that the economy was in extreme trouble and that the specific breakdown on the bill wasn't ever going to satisfy everyone, so then why were the Republicans so belligerently deviant, even to threatening their own people, who actually felt they were voting their conscience for their constituents' benefit (in other words being responsible)? For the last eight years the Republican Party has been strongly, stubbornly, obstinately and arrogantly united, first in backing Bush-Cheney in everything and now in faulting and trying to block anything Obama offers. The two are probably related in that the costs and failures of Bush-Cheney heavily reflect on the Republicans and they now feel pressure to make sure Obama fails too, so they can recover some, and hence they become belligerent obstructionists. Another heavily contributing factor is that they feel cocky in being able to control public opinion with their strong and powerful backing and support from the influential and wealthy interests behind them. Throughout the last eight years they have clearly demonstrated this confidence when boldly doing whatever they wanted, literally thumbing their noses at everyone, and then actually depending on the overt and covert powerful support behind them to influence the media and to manipulate public opinion, deceptively appealing to individual biases and using subterfuge to excite emotions. The real question then is, who really has control of the Republican Party, whose interests are they really constantly serving? The clear answer to that is, the money and power that is pulling the strings that they jump to, definitely not the people! That is easily recognizable in seeing who has always significantly benefited from their actions. Bipartisanship will be very difficult to ever achieve there!
USA desperately needs to spend $350 million to keep the swamp mice out of Nancy Pelosi's SanFrancisco mansion.
We need that stimulus...oh ya..its in the Bill ...sweet ! .....lol lol lol lol ....oink ..oink.
You being a little piggy again CC?? How low can you actually go?? Don't answer that!!
From what I have seen so far leading up to the election and after, you a republican version of the 3rd term abortion.
How much evidence does anyone need before they see that our infrastructure is falling apart? How much evidence is necessary before it is understood that our schools are not meeting the challenge and that our medical industry isn't cost effective? How much does anyone have to suffer before understanding that the real spending power of most people is being eroded while a few keep gaining? How much corruption has to be witnessed before it is understood that government hasn't been responsible and instead has been condoning, even encouraging and participating to patronize and placate Special Interests and a select few? How long do things have to go on before it is realized that many in the Republican Party use subterfuge and deception to manipulate public opinion and simply use the emotion behind 'conservative versus liberal' to self-servingly sway people's thinking? How much has to be seen before it is recognized that there is a large segment of the Republican Party that has become puppets for the powerful and influential few, who return overt and covert support, contributions and after-office (kickback) compensation? How deep in the pits do we have to get before it is seen that accusing the Democrats of having a 'tax and spend' mentality is just subterfuge when knowing that significant spending is drastically needed just to rebalance? While the Democrats are far from perfect, how bad do things have to get before it is accepted that many in the Republican Party arrogantly and irresponsibly, without conscience, serve the interests of a select few while they only provide apathy, the costs and subterfuge to the many? How far towards the ultimate catastrophe do we have to go before the majority says 'enough' and demands change, refusing to be manipulated further? Wasn???t eight years enough; do we now have to endure obstructionists too?
I MAKE A WHOLE HEART ED APOLOGY; --- for thirty years I have been a Bigot, Racist, Tyrannical ,Greedy, Selfish, Immoral, Degenerate, Lying , Worthless ,Abusive Republican . Today I had a Spiritual Awakening and now I changed to a Democrat . I am Sick to my stomach , just thinking of how my ex-fellow Republicans are scheming and conniving on how to create a Wall of Terror to make President Obama Fail. I realize as a Republican just how much Horrific Damage we did to America.
TRACKER merely raises rhetoric in order to confuse fact. De rigure for this species sub-set. It pays to observe that checks mailed to millions of ''middle class''Americans in 2002 and 2008 were the result of bills penned by a Republican president [average check: Appr.800-1200$ roughly the same as this stim package]. Obviously,parties ''of hate''do not pull the lying BS they did on Palin,accuse an Obama of ''using drugs''[Jean Shaheen,a Democrat],accuse him of a Muslim backround [Bob Kerry,another Democrat writing in of all places,HUFFINGTON POST],engage in internecine warfare over Blagos senatorial pick by barring the doors to the Senate,or accuse another Democrat,this one Steve Cohen of Tennessee,of representing a race of people that ''killed Jesus'' [ Cohen is a Jewish-American].
Let's not confuse Tracker with the facts, Lee, Cuz he is not interested in them, I'm sure.
tracker190, for someone that claims the republican party (for the record, I'm NOT one) is filled with hate, your rage-filled tirades seem to indicate that you have already sent in your membership application. I suggest you seek some other form of anger management, transference is not healthy! Besides, this is a discussion, meant for the free exchange of ideas, please save hate-speech for a forum designed for that, k? Thanks, there buddy. Just remember, your friggin' special!
For the previous poster that inquired into the New Orleans poverty rate, in 2000, 27.9% of the city was below the poverty rate, slightly more than those who had dropped ouot of high school, and 8.3% higher than the national average. See for yourself at: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2255000.html. A new census will be conducted soon, we'll see how $62 billion in aid has changed things in all of the Katrina affected areas, shall we?
I report, you decide.
True. And I've decided that you are an idiot.
Ok, if you're not one and offended, I'm sorry.
Since you're not one let me ask you a question or two.
What label would you put on a political party that is hoping our financial disaster get worse and the only ongoing attempt to help it is the stimulus, which they hope fails?
How would you describe a Party who's President manufactured evidence to fool the world into the Iraq invasion that has costs us the lives of our best and bravest young service men and women, over 4500 so far?
What word would you use to describe a Political party that covets the votes and support of Racial and militant groups like the KKK.
What do you think of a party that uses Hate Radio and TV shock jocks like Morris, Limbaugh and Hannity to represent them/
Is it hateful to expose and criticize hate. It's the absolute truth. Should it be ignored?
Tracker - what is real clear from your rants is that you consider anyone who disagrees with you as being "hateful", "full of hate", etc., ad nauseum. It is a clear indication of the intellectual vacancy of your arguments and positions. You have to rely on calling everyone hateful, because it is very clearly all you've got.
You are pathetic. And not very smart.
well jimbo, think what you want. iF I call the GOP the party of hate and it's members, members of the party of hate, how is that stupid. why don't you try refuting the charges i make instead of trying to change the subject to me. you'll find that a little more difficut. let's start with the KKK. Why hasn't the Republican party attacked the KKK as the Democratic Party has? By the way this conversation was between me and a "non-republican" who i asked a few questions of. Maybe you might try to stand in for him/her because he/she seems to have vanished.
Attacked the KKK? What the hell are you talking about? Remember the "solid south"? That was the nickname for all the southern democrats that opposed integration and the civil rights movement. Many of them were in fact members or sympathizers with the KKK. Remember Abe Lincoln? He would be the Republican President who fough the bloodiest war in American history in order to free the slaves.
I go back to my previous statement; you just aren't very smart.
One more little question jimbo. How is the way a statement is worded an indication of it's validity? Are you a member of the GOP party of Hate? Why?
What an outrage. Not only did Peloci put in a huge sum for her long unfunded pet environmental project protecting a mouse (of course there are no earmarks, the whole spending part of the bill is an earmark), but the democrats took out the e-verify provisions which would insure that tax-payer funded jobs would go only to citizens and legal immigrants.
My name is Phyllis Montana-Leblanc. I was featured in Spike Lee's HBO Documentary; "When the Levees Broke." Life for me has changed since then and I believe President Obama is coming to our city's aid. I have since, had my story published by Simon and Schuster of New York and an agent at William Morris Talent Agency also in New York. More recently, I was asked by David Simon of the famed HBO's "The Wire" to read for a part in a tv series he is filming here in New Orleans, and I got the part! I am tired of people having a problem with New Orleans being mentioned in the media and taking verbal shots at the people here. We are not "scattered" by our own choices, nor have we "shirked" our responsibilities. A great deal of people still have not gotten their "Road Home" money and it's not due to any fault of their own. If you want your city or state to be talked about, write to the newspapers, call the radio stations, write to President Obama. But stop taking shots at us. WE ALL WERE DEVASTATED BY kATRINA. WE NEED TO LOOK MORE TO WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER IN THIS POLITICAL MESS AND NOT DIVIDE US. I'M JUST SICK OF IT! PML
Congratulations on getting the part, Phyllis, I can't wait to see it. You will need to excuse Jimbo, he doesn't get out much.
It is ridiculous that we have CEOs asking for government bailout money, while spending money on executive bonuses for their cronies and corporate jets. I don't know if there is any truth to the statement that people were buying flat screen TVs. But even if it is true, the nuts wouldn't be falling too far from the tree. How does capitalism work again? Oh yea that's right, those at the top are supposed to let wealth trickle down. Hmmm I guess they forgot about the trickling down part.
Spend your time writing about something worthwhile and attacking those that deserve attacking, Jimbo....
Oh, I get out plenty mr airhead, and the blatant fallacies of the left are very worthwhile to expose. I consider it a public service on my part.
Thank you for sharing your resume with us, Phyllis, I know I will sleep better tonight knowing of all about your wonderful life.
I know a nurse who spent time in New Orleans post-Katrina, doing volunteer work. When the first wave of relief money was issued (remember those government issued credit cards worth $2000?), she told me that many displaced and homeless NO residents ran out to the closest open electronics store and bought big screen HDTV's, and would end up storing them at the shelter where she was working. I'm guessing that wasn't depicted in Spike Lee's movie, was it? Just asking....
Uhh,Howard. Tell your blustering bovine buddy Olburman the next time you cross paths that he was lying in making Hannity his ''No 2 Worst Person in the World'' last night for his assertion that among the pork projects sought by states are ''frisbee parks''.
Turns out Hannity is correct,at least in this case. Olburman played the shifty game in stating with his usual stentorian certainty that ''no money in the package would go to community park projects'' [MSNBC COUNTDOWN,Feb.11,2009].
Thats garbage Keith and you shouda known that others would be on the [and yours] case about it. Enter the United States Mayors Main Street Recovery Report,which will see state city mayors reaping tens of billions in the stim package as the portion of a block grant already passed by the House for direct city economic assistance. The city of Austin ,Texas,which appears alphabetically [by -state] in the report sends the following request,to wit:
''886,000 $ for 36-hole disc golf course''
''Disc'',pertaining to Frisbee.
''Its evironmentally and financially sustainable '' sayeth the Austin Mayors chief spokesmouth ,John Hmcir to the Wall St. Journal.
A big mouth and a flashy suit still make for a big mouth Keith. [any problems with this Howard and you send this specimen to me. The above is my actual name]. Do your homework the next time and you can go to placing real people on your ''Worst Persons''list,which should have included,[but did not],the al Qaedans who video-beheaded a Polish man in Pakistan ,the arsonists who set the devastating Australian fires,or the parents of ''Baby P''in London,England,who broke this babies spine and amputated several of the childs fingers in a gruesome torture fest.
www.usmayors.org The 2009 Main Street Recovery Report [pdf].
www.house.gov The United States House of Representatives H.R. E1 w/Senate Amendment: The 2009 National Recovery and Reinvestment Act [aka ''The Stimulus Package''] sponsors Frank,Obey,Rangell,Bonier,et al.
lee, you forgot the number one reason the Stimulus Package is repugnent to the GOP party of hate. It gives tax breaks and stimulus checks to the middle-class and that is a mortal sin as far as the Republicans are concerned.
This specious nonsense is all you can say to Lee Holmes's devastating post?! LOL, suspicions confirmed...
Howard-
Thank you. Loved the article. I left New Orleans, after 5 wonderful years, when Katrina hit. I would like nothing more than to see NOLA get a chunk of the stimulus.
One small quibble: "Krewes", not "Crewes".
Lets put things in prospective! A state gov. that is now over 1bil in the red and has to "give" 27mil to the owner of the "Saints " just to try and keep an NFL team in a city that no longer can support one.! The sick part is that they have set as a priority how to come up with the money to pay him. Wonder how many homes $27 mil. would build.
That's a little bit simplistic. The question is would the investment in the Stadium produce a profit for the City or not. If it doesn't then it's a bad idea. I'll bet it doesn't though. If it did why would the owners want the city's Money when they could do the investing without sharing the profits.
The $27mil. is not for a stadium or upgrade. It is "PAYMENT" to the owner in a contract that is pre-Katrina. If they do not pay him, he can move the team without penalty in 2010. In other words, its free money to him for keeping the team there up to now......again to my origanal point.
Re. Gregg quiting:: The Republicans should be worried about 2010 (and 2012) but not because of the census, rather because of the elections and the public recognizing them for what they are. Lets call a spade a spade. It should be obvious to everyone that Gregg gave in to strong pressure exerted by the Republican Party, the same kind of aggressive pressure that became apparent as being put on the three Republican Senators who voted for the stimulus package. It would be naive to think that Gregg wasn't aware of the stimulus plan before or that he wasn't now being pressured to back the Republican position, which is simply to fault and block all Obama efforts, to be obstructionists and to stop any Obama success that would be creditable to the Democrats. Hopefully the people will recognize it for what it is and that it represents a Republican total disregard for the best interests of the country and the American people. Again, as they have consistently and arrogantly done over the last eight years the Republicans now demonstrate their total focus on their own agenda without any regard for the cost to the rest of us. Hopefully Obama will now recognize that the Republicans are incapable of any real bipartisanship or even any responsible and conscientious behavior. Disgusting!
Senator Gregg is a class act. while he has discussed the Stimulus package and could do his part of the job of initiating it, he had come to the conclusion that he didn't want to be involved. He said he believed that President Obama would benefit the Nation as president. One can only wonder how he can stand to be in the same room with the Southern Republican senators who goal it is to assure the Failure of our financial system.
Senator Greg had lobbied Harry reid for a position in the Obama white House and has now backed out citing differences on the Stimulus package. While i like greg a lot, I wonder what he didn't know about the package. Maybe he just wanted out and this was an easy way to do it. Anyway, I still like him
Katrina was my first glimpse of a hurricane. What came after still has me incredulous. Over 500 million was released to the stae of Louisiana for the rebuilding of houses. To date, NOT ONE house has been buit. The costs for the 'Katrina: cottages are out of this world, 135$ per square foot. That is what happens when there is corruuption in government. There are numerous layers of "mamagement built into the cost. Unless the Obama Team can break thru the corrtion in LA, nothing can or will be done. This is truly a black mark on the U.S. Five and a half years later and the entire area is caugh tup in governemt corruption
Don't you know that the cost is Bush's fault. He made the hurricane hit their and had his hencemen sneak into the city and blow up the dikes so he could displace the whole city and make himself look bad. In New Orleans you need not look past democrats Nagin(mayor) and Blanco(governor) for the failures after Katrina. The Governor must okay any federal intervention and use of the national guard, she did not. Nagin had hundreds of school buses available to move people out and they ended up flooded under water. Bush made them do it. He and Cheney!!! They do everything anywhere in the world that is bad. It is their fault. Just remember once the feds responded with Blanco's approval they evacuated 30,000 people in a very sort period of time off of rooftops etc... What happened to the dems plan - see the Super Dome for details. No facilities, no water, no food, no nothing. Bush must of telepathically made Blance and Nagin move people there. D--- that Bush!!
In case you did't get dough's logic, it's this. Since President Bush didn't actually cause the storm to devastate New Orleans, he has no responsibily to help them. i applaude Dough for his correct analysis. bush did nothing because he wasn't obligated. On the other hand, since he did recieve bribes from the ultra-wealthy he was obligated to give them a tax cut that has caused us more than a trillion buck and counting. A trillion? Isn't that 1/2 of the deficit he left?
135 a sq foot? WHERE!!! Perhaps you are unfamiliar with real estate prices in NOLA, but anything decent will run you around 200 a sq ft.
135 a sq foot, in NOLA? That is a damn steal. Perhaps you aren't aware of the property values in NOLA, but anything decent will run you at least 200 a sq foot.
135 a sq foot, in NOLA? That is a damn steal. Perhaps you aren't aware of the property values in NOLA, but anything decent will run you at least 200 a sq foot.
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