Bush has gone totally daft...

[tracydani]

This kind of stuff happens at lower levels too. I work for the military and the highest 2 ranking civilians in my area consitantly give contracts to their own family and friends companies.

It really is sad to see how much money is wasted even at these lower levels of government, but who can blame them when the executive levels do this as a rule?

What's even sadder is that with the current drawdowns we have people losing jobs because we cannot afford to pay them due to smaller customer bases yet we can afford to buy new equipment that is not needed simply because if we do not spend the money allocated we will not get it next year.

[vidcc]

I do find it odd that there is a group of people in the USA that support wholeheartedly the idea that we should be paying to build Iraq and indeed it is anti American to question this, yet the same people believe it wrong to spend one dime on our own people.

[Everose]

I don't know about anyone else, Vidcc....but I cannot equate the two like that.

As far as spending federal tax money on rebuilding areas that were damaged/wiped out from Hurricanes? I have no problem with it if they follow their local floodplain management ordinances. This is a big 'if'.

[j2k4]

Does the term "appearance of impropriety" mean anything anymore?

I've always preferred that guilt be assigned over "actual" impropriety, myself...leave the job of determining same to a genuine investigatory effort, rather than a bunch of silly, know-nothing citizens panting over incomplete and sensationalistic media reportage.

[j2k4]

I do find it odd that there is a group of people in the USA that support wholeheartedly the idea that we should be paying to build Iraq and indeed it is anti American to question this, yet the same people believe it wrong to spend one dime on our own people.

I don't know any people like that...

[vidcc]

I don't know about anyone else, Vidcc....but I cannot equate the two like that.

As far as spending federal tax money on rebuilding areas that were damaged/wiped out from Hurricanes? I have no problem with it if they follow their local floodplain management ordinances. This is a big 'if'.

Of course there has to be accountability. Not just that the money is going where it is supposed to but also that we get value for that money. I don't believe in tax and spend, I believe in spending tax wisely. I certainly oppose the current republican mantra of borrow and spend.
I expect a proper job to be done and not just rebuild to have it destroyed by the next storm. I also believe that just because a certain amount has been set aside for the task it doesn't mean that amount has to be spent. I don't believe we should be relieving insurance companies of their liability either.

Any houses built with our tax dollars should remain the property of the government and either rented out or sold at full market value so we can recoup the money spent. I do not believe that we should build homes and hand them over as a gift.

[JPaul]

"Any houses built with our tax dollars should remain the property of the government and either rented out or sold at full market value so we can recoup the money spent. I do not believe that we should build homes and hand them over as a gift."

So you think your Government should rebuild the city, but charge the victims for their new homes.

[j2k4]

"Any houses built with our tax dollars should remain the property of the government and either rented out or sold at full market value so we can recoup the money spent. I do not believe that we should build homes and hand them over as a gift."

So you think your Government should rebuild the city, but charge the victims for their new homes.

Looks like an adequate summary to me.

I don't see the special difficulties presented by the poor displaced blacks addressed here, though...

[JPaul]

"Any houses built with our tax dollars should remain the property of the government and either rented out or sold at full market value so we can recoup the money spent. I do not believe that we should build homes and hand them over as a gift."

So you think your Government should rebuild the city, but charge the victims for their new homes.

Looks like an adequate summary to me.

I don't see the special difficulties presented by the poor displaced blacks addressed here, though...

It's not really the Government rebuilding the city, if they actually charge the people for it. They would just be the main contractor.

If that's the case then why would the federal Government be involved at all, other than to supply the initial building costs (which would effectively be loans).

Perhaps I miss the point.

Is your "foreign aid" policy similar to this. We'll send you a few million pounds worth of help .... and an invoice.

[j2k4]

It is the Federal Government as General Contractor.

The American taxpayer is merely the reluctant client, and the citizens of the afflicted area the soon-to-be long-suffering beneficiaries.

Give me a private contractor any fucking day...