Demanding Hurricane Irene ‘Offsets’

[marmar]

from Consortium News:



Demanding Hurricane Irene ‘Offsets’
September 6, 2011

Unlike Hurricane Katrina on George W. Bush’s watch, FEMA stayed on top of Hurricane Irene rushing help to flood-stricken Americans, from North Carolina to Vermont. But House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and right-wing Republicans are demanding spending “offsets” from other federal programs, as Michael Winship notes.

By Michael Winship


For Manhattan at least, last week was the weather week that wasn’t. But the minor earthquake and weakened Hurricane Irene served as reminders of the caprice of nature and — only a couple of weeks before the tenth anniversary of 9/11 — the knowledge that at any given moment calamity literally is just around the corner.

Both also should serve as wake-up calls to those know-nothings and kleptocrats who reject the value of government and would like it rendered down to nothingness — the helpless infant that Eric Cantor, Grover Norquist and their pals wish to see drowned in the bathtub.

I’ve never been through a major earthquake, although I’ve experienced some minor tremors, the first early on a New Year’s Day in upstate New York while I was still a teenager.

Just as you read about in animal behavior books, the dog, lying at the foot of my bed, apparently sensed something was up, jumped off and scurried out of the room mere seconds before the shaking began. Not a word of warning from her. So much for man’s best friend. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2011/09/06/demanding-hurricane-irene-offsets/

[rpannier]

1. Drown eric and grover in a bathtub

[valerief]

2. Oh, what a lovely thought!

:hug: