October 30, 2012
Let the states handle it!
A few months ago, Mitt Romney opined that having the states handle emergencies, rather than FEMA, would be a good idea! In one of the debates he repeated that turning FEMA over to the states is a good idea. An even better idea would be to privatize FEMA! Youch! Is he nuts? His comments help us understand how little the GOP believes in government.
Imagine Hurricane Sandy without an emergency plan in place to restore electricity, close down, arrange transportation and the coordination of state, local and federal plans to save lives. Don't you wonder? I sure as hell do.
As I sat on the stage at Fighting Bob Fest, listening to Bill McKibben's forecast that disaster is just "around the corner," I could not help but imagine what will happen in America when the oceans rise, Florida disappears, and the weather is so unpredictable that no one will be able to plan. July 2012, said McKibben, was the hottest month in recorded history. He warned that if the climate heats up one or two degrees, it won't matter who is in the World Series.
Look just at the recent hurricanes. Sandy: cost $20 billion; Irene, August 2011: $16 billion; Katrina: $108 billion. At this pace, we will run out of money.
I think I heard the first May Day call from Chris Matthews on Hard Ball. At first he was dismissive. What is going on out there? I am not talking about global warming and climate change! When I was a kid in Philadelphia, hurricanes happened in fall! Whoa Nelly. Chris demanded some answers and a way to tell hurricanes to get back in line. Later in the day, Matthews actually mentioned climate change as the culprit.
But not from the news people "reporting" on the disaster wouldn't mention climate change. Instead of talking about the causes of these weather patterns, they show us talking heads standing in a wind/rain storm to show rain, water, snow, more water, trees down. Could someone start taking climate change seriously?
post a letter about this blog »
Haven't you heard? Climate change is a "Liberal Term."
The anti-intellectualism and anti-science philosophy of the Republicans/TeaPartiers/Regressives is a self destructive platform.
Fifty percent of the economy is predicated on basic science research, little of which is paid for by business.
-Fredo | Little Chicago, WI | October 30, 2012
We are in the middle of the Perfect Storm where the cons are creating fear and panic as they cry for the dismantling of government and privatization of vital government services. Milton Friedman economics. Shock Doctrine scenarios. Mitt Romney as POTUS?
When did we become so desensitized to what's happening around us? We can recover from natural disasters, but could we ever recover from a democracy that would become a playground for the wealthy and powerful?
-Franz Fripplfrappl | Madison | October 31, 2012
We have ample evidence of what happens when localities handle disasters. Check out how the floods on the Mississippi River in the 20's were handled. Not well. In fact Herbert Hoover made his name organizing relief for that. Of course the lesson was lost when it came to handling the Great Depression.
You will have to forgive Republicans. They have succumbed to mass psychosis due to a black man winning the White House. This psychosis allows them to hold the view that the same government that cannot organize a two car funeral is also so effective and sinister that it could use the pretext of emergency relief to enslave the whole country, take all our guns, fly the black helicopters, and put us in concentration camps where would use food stamps and welfare checks to buy beer and big screen TVs.
And they want to run the country? Gimme a break.
-Griebnotz Doerkpfester | (Glad) I Escaped, WI. | October 31, 2012
Grieb: When Romney gets elected, get ready to serve 2 yrs as missionaries and tithe to the Romney form of governance. Even though the right does not believe in Darwinism or evolution, you can bet that we will be left to fend for ourselves. It will then be survival of the fittest a la Ryan.
-Pietr Haikuu | Hurley, Wis | October 31, 2012
Just think of the jobs Sandy will create. As the area struggles to recover, there will be opportunity for goods and services. There's work to be done and there are plenty of unemployed to do it. Why aren't politicians talking about this?
-Dana | Waunakee WI | October 31, 2012
Let's see here GD the President is a liberal Democrate. He has socialist tendencies. He has never held a job in the private sector. His big economic plan was barrowing $800 billion dollars. That combined with his other deficit spending puts us $5 trillion deeper in debt. This is a man who said George Bush's deficit spending was terrible. He has made Bush look like a Amatuer. Then there was Health Care passed on a party line vote that had no popular support then or now. Lastly leaving 2 seals on a roof calling in coordinates and laser designating a target to die with no help and no support is disgusting to say the least. It's really too bad he isn't white so I could over look all that and adore him just like you.
-SW | Waukesha WI | November 1, 2012
current
--------
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003