WASHINGTON — Conservatives and watchdog groups are mounting a ‘‘not-so-fast’’ campaign against a $50.7 billion Hurricane Sandy aid package that Northeastern governors and lawmakers hope to push through the House this week.
Their complaint is that lots of the money that lawmakers are considering will actually go toward recovery efforts for past disasters and other projects unrelated to the late-October storm.
Comments
Noby ever seems to discuss whether these "issues" actually warrant Federal assistance. They either claim they should not be in a bill about Sandy or they just list them with scorn. What we need is an honest assessment of the need for each of these expenditures. Unfortunatley, the opposition seems to be more about making long lists and expressing outrage. We need a coherent argrument for and against each item. Unfortunately, I do not see that happening in Washington these days.
This is a reckless assault and feeding frenzy on taxpayer funds as well irresponsible spending. This only adds to the huge deficits. Again and again personal responsibility is not in play. at most only low interest loans should be allowed. no freebies should be included. On 60 minutes they showed one lady who demanded taxpayers pay to rebuild her destroyed beach house and this time she wants it rebuild on stilts. The cost for the stilts alone were $250,000. She insisted on Fed and State funds for this and not her own money. What audacity!
Also another $100 Million for the absolutely FAILED "Head Start Program", which was started in 1975(!) under Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society". Funds for this program would NEVER pass on its own, so somebody throws it in as part of "Essential Sandy Relief"...Absolutely DISHONEST Senate legislation...And naturally the media criticized Republicans for opposing it (But WITHOUT telling the people WHY the GOP was opposing it).
See today's WSJ editorial "Another Sandy Relief Trick" which describes the Head Start Program. Actually it was started in 1965. Total spending on Head Start, now $180 BILLION! WSJ says "A government that cared about results would change or end head Start, but instead Congress will use the political power of disaster relief to throw more money after PROVEN bad policy.