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Should we waste money from your pocket or mine?

This is a page from the original version of Pagan Vigil. There are some formatting differences.

Originally published at www.paganvigil.com/C127135145/E1119059085


Should we waste money from your pocket or mine? - Updated


Waiting to be saved

One of the things that has been flying fast and furious through the blogosphere is some of the money that was supposed to rebuilt the New Orleans levees was diverted to Iraq.

My question is why was the Federal government the first source of funding? Government money is always going to be subject to politics.

Why has government become the lender of first and last resort in the United States?

Maybe I am being just a little pessimistic this evening. I think when we depend on government to solve our problems, we lose the ability to face those problems ourselves. Instead we sit around to be rescued.

New York City. The Chrysler Corporation. The savings and loans. All brought about by irresponsible behavior because people knew they wouldn't have to face the consequences of their actions. All paid by the American taxpayer.

People have known about the levee problems in New Orleans for thirty years. It took a hurricane in 1995 to start the FedGov money spigot, and yet there was still no push for private funding. Even after the FedGov monies slowed down, the first response was to raise local taxes.

That doesn't even allow for the fact that governments are notorious for wasting money. If it costs a dollar, you can bet that someone defined it as $1.75 on their expense form. Never spend ten dollars when sixty-eight will do just as well.

UPDATE 02Sep2005
I didn't make myself as clear as I could have, and looking at it now I see how it could be misinterpreted.

The people in New Orleans now need to be rescued. The ones who made it out still need help.

But the levee problems predate Katrina, and they predate 1995. Yet the only way the problems could be faced BEFORE it became a disaster was with Federal money and Federal sanction?

That's the part I don't agree with, and that is the part I question.

Posted: Thu - September 1, 2005 at 04:12 PMA class="pvc" HREF="http://www.paganvigil.com

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