Biggest ghost town I've ever seen

[HappyAnika]

But we talk and wonder and speculate and question - because we ask; how can a government with so much power not do anything for its own people in its own back yard?

Many, many people in America ask this same question and are ashamed of the government for what happened. I think the answer may have something to do with the fact that sometimes when America tries to help other people in other parts of the world, it is not done so selflessly, i.e. there is something to be gained. What would be gained from helping the victims of Katrina and restoring the city of New Orleans is apparently not a priority to the government.

[Mr. Bloom]

Disclaimer too: I recognize that Katrina was devastating and the human toll was immense. I don't want to minimize that and I too am not trying to be offensive...I've really struggled with whether to response on this or not, and my response is to American expectations in general and not specifically New Orleans or the neighborhood that Beth describes... but here goes...

Keep in mind that America spends $1.3 trillion (about 60% of the budget) on domestic programs like Social Security, Welfare, Unemployment, Medicare, and Medicaid...programs that benefit a good portion of those that were devastated and displaced by the hurricane. Only $22 billion (about 1% of the budget) went to foreign affairs.

American foreign aid is only given to further American interests...let's not fool ourselves. But there's nothing wrong with that, because it still helps someone.

American domestic aid has evolved from a helping program to a program of dependence. I think that the disaster in New Orleans underscores a very basic problem in America and that is that we have created a generation of citizens who are dependent on the government for everything.

Years ago, one of the major news agencies did a profile of the Japanese response following a terrible earthquake in Kobe Japan. Their focus was on the response of the people in Kobe which was:
- we're OK...let's get it fixed...let's move on

Following a disaster in America, we tend to take the approach of:
- poor pitiful me...what are you going to do to fix my problems

So, what does this mean to me? Well, if you take 60% of the taxes that I've paid in the last five years, it exceeds what I've paid for housing, cars, etc....and while I will be a beneficiary of Social Security someday, I will only receive a very small portion of what I've paid in. I want to help, but I assure you that if I was giving the money away directly rather than through taxes, I would do it much differently.

Another Disclaimer: I am fiscally conservative, socially moderate and I don't listen to blow hards (like Rush Limbaugh) on the radio or TV.