General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIn Twitter world, Alex Wagner pointed out this op-ed on FEMA, which should go viral.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/opinion/a-big-storm-requires-big-government.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=opinion&adxnnlx=1351603714-q9aABtAPY/q9KdHVLRvNoAOctober 29, 2012
A Big Storm Requires Big Government
Most Americans have never heard of the National Response Coordination Center, but theyre lucky it exists on days of lethal winds and flood tides. The center is the war room of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where officials gather to decide where rescuers should go, where drinking water should be shipped, and how to assist hospitals that have to evacuate.
Disaster coordination is one of the most vital functions of big government, which is why Mitt Romney wants to eliminate it. At a Republican primary debate last year, Mr. Romney was asked whether emergency management was a function that should be returned to the states. He not only agreed, he went further.
Absolutely, he said. Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, thats the right direction. And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, thats even better. Mr. Romney not only believes that states acting independently can handle the response to a vast East Coast storm better than Washington, but that profit-making companies can do an even better job. He said it was immoral for the federal government to do all these things if it means increasing the debt.
snip
Over the last two years, Congressional Republicans have forced a 43 percent reduction in the primary FEMA grants that pay for disaster preparedness. Representatives Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor and other House Republicans have repeatedly tried to refuse FEMAs budget requests when disasters are more expensive than predicted, or have demanded that other valuable programs be cut to pay for them. The Ryan budget, which Mr. Romney praised as an excellent piece of work, would result in severe cutbacks to the agency, as would the Republican-instigated sequester, which would cut disaster relief by 8.2 percent on top of earlier reductions. more
malaise
(269,022 posts)Fugg Rmoney! Keep that monster away from the White House - he would be a bigger disaster than Superstorm Sandy
peacebird
(14,195 posts)Lucy Goosey
(2,940 posts)K&R
onehandle
(51,122 posts)FailureToCommunicate
(14,014 posts)Skidmore
(37,364 posts)where the wealthy all live in gated communities and the ghettoes form outside the walls.
Beartracks
(12,814 posts)The Wielding Truth
(11,415 posts)MADem
(135,425 posts)FailureToCommunicate
(14,014 posts)(From the interwebs, not sure of original photo credit...)
MADem
(135,425 posts)That's very stark, that--it's quite the pic.
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)And never have to mingle among the commoners.
irisblue
(32,978 posts)and not want to bring them up with you. amazing, money can buy power, a view, it cannot buy a heart or soul..
TrollBuster9090
(5,954 posts)AndyA
(16,993 posts)Yes, because the private sector did such a bang up job in Iraq. Showers that electrocuted soldiers...no-bid contracts that cost way more than they should have...lost money...
SOMEONE is still going to have to PAY for these services. Where is the money going to come from? The states can't afford it on their own, so it ultimately comes back to the federal government, only they will pay the private sector much more to do the work.
Mitt Romney is always looking out for #1 (percent) and to hell with everyone else. I'm stunned that there are people stupid enough to vote for this man. He's a documented liar, which in my book makes him unqualified for President.
savannah43
(575 posts)The state and federal governments will collect it for the private sector. If there is a dime anywhere, Norquist's bloodsuckers will sniff it out and find a way to make it their own. The pure greed exhibited by these people is extraordinary, and I use the word "people" loosely. I wonder if they have any integrity at all.
dotymed
(5,610 posts)Not all of the super wealthy are evil. There are many who understand the need for them to pay higher tax rates, to help the less fortunate. Rmoney is a taker and not a giver. He is a bottom feeder who sees profit in disaster. He doesn't consider that most people need help and cannot afford to pay for it, especially when they have just lost everything they have.
In TN., rmoney is ahead. I know many people who believe that "he is a businessman and can turn this country around." Obama's policies have already taken us from the precipice of ruin and aimed us in a direction that will improve our economy over the next few years. Without the 1% reaping most of the money.
Regular Americans will be insured.
Yep, rmoney can ride the improvements that Obama has already set in motion. Repealing Obamacare will allow a lot of the 1%ers to profit from our personal disasters (once again) and then we will be headed in the same downhill direction that bush left us in.
How can anyone not see this?
clydefrand
(4,325 posts)then this time, make sure they check with people to see if they are republican. If so, tough shit,
and go on to the next door/
Cosmocat
(14,564 posts)1) The almighty dollar is always the primary goal. The transfer of tax payer dollars to the monied interests above all.
2) If there was an emergency and FEMA was crippled under President Obama, they would get to jump up and down and blame him for its failures.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)Twitter, FB, MySpace, e-mail, carrier pigeon. Let's get it out there.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)allan01
(1,950 posts)this is my first kick the provision in the grahm ,runion hollingsworth budget reconciliation act (under jimmy carter),that allows for prizatization of federal gvt agencies needs to be repealed. ( i dont know what section of us code that has been coddified into us law)
savannah43
(575 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)will never touch any of this .. for obvious reasons that don't need to be repeated.
Not that DU isn't big time. :> )
countryjake
(8,554 posts)Rmoney will rue the day he ever said this:
TheAmbivalante
(114 posts)The day of the Joplin MO tornado, while the President is scrambling and working to provide aid, Cantor busts a move of his own.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Monday that if Congress passes an emergency spending bill to help Missouris tornado victims, the extra money will have to be cut from somewhere else.
I've told everyone, and this offer still stands, if I ever see him on the street, I'd do the jail time just to break his beak.
GO DEMS!
DallasNE
(7,403 posts)This storm should be a real lose-lose for Romney and his past positions on both disaster relief and global warming.
colorado_ufo
(5,734 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)My town was directly hit by hurricanes Rita and Ike. We got creamed! FEMA did a good job on Ike, Rita not so much. The private sector took 6 weeks to restore power with over 100 degree heat the 1st week after Rita. The insurance companies had to be sued to pay in a high percentage of claims. After Ike, the mortgage companies were required to sign the insurance checks to make sure the home was repaired. They held the money and had to be sued to get it released to the contractors waiting to do the repairs. The. The contractors scammed the old and unwary. Privatize my ass Mitt!!!
benld74
(9,904 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)grantcart
(53,061 posts)Segami
(14,923 posts)SaveAmerica
(5,342 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)Lone_Star_Dem
(28,158 posts)It is an excellent OpEd. We should all read it and share with everyone we know.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)to which I replied, "stating a FACT is not a political agenda, and while I appreciate your attempt to marginalize the effects of the GOP budget, people claiming the moral high ground should do it while they're trying to stand on a tidal wave".
FUCK THEM
elbloggoZY27
(283 posts)I support President Obama and will vote for him on November 06, 2012.
The GOP could care less about everything.
Could you just imagine if Sandy hit with a GOP President. Never mind that thought is way to scary.
At present the GOP has done more to hurt this Country then help it.
Just ask every Federal Employee who has had their pay frozen.
The ugly part is that some Federal Employees will vote for the GOP. Oh! how sad that is.
treestar
(82,383 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,173 posts)The tree trimming crews bill every house for $1237?
Oh! Lucky you, we've rescued you from drowning! Here's
a bill for $24,339 plus crew time???
What a WACKO romney-ryan !!!!!!!!
littlemissmartypants
(22,689 posts)Cha
(297,275 posts)Thanks Skidmore!
countryjake
(8,554 posts)Aldo Leopold
(685 posts)I have a serious crush on Alex! Damn, she's sharp