That Great Sucking Sound

The Wall Street Journal looks at the federal spending on disaster relief down New Orleans way:

Within 10 days of Hurricane Katrina's slamming of the Gulf Coast, President Bush and Congress rushed with rare speed to provide an unprecedented $62.3 billion in disaster aid -- twice the annual budget of the entire Homeland Security Department. White House budget director Joshua Bolten predicted the money would last only "a few weeks."

Six weeks later, the government has spent or signed contracts totaling $16.2 billion, about a quarter of the money. […]

Despite FEMA's unspent balance, the White House and Congress already are considering a third emergency appropriations bill of about $20 billion.

Comments

[Jeff P.]

The word "Rushed," when used in in conjunction with the phrase "within TEN days," does not compute.

[Isaac Bartram]

After Hurricane Wilma expect the sucking sound to get louder and louder.....

[John]

This is one of those heads I win tails you loose situations for the government. If you go down there and throw money at the problem, the money inevietably gets wasted and stolen and you are the subject of grandstanding jackasses in Congress conducting oversight hearings. If you do it right and take your time and make sure the money is spent properly, then you get accused of not spending the money quickly enough. I don't see a problem with the aid being spent slowly. I thought it was too much aid to begin with, but I would rather be careful and not waste it then just go down there and start throwing money around.

One other point. I am sure the same people who threw a fit about Bush suspending the Davis Bacon Act are now going to have a fit that the money isn't being spent quickly enough. If you think the spending is slow now, subject contractors to the arcane and indeciferable Davis Bacon regulations and see how slow it is then. Had Davis Bacon not been suspended as some wanted, there would be a lot less money spent than even now.

[Larry A]

The word "Rushed," when used in in conjunction with the phrase "within TEN days," does not compute.

Correct. The phrase "within ten days," when used in conjunction with the word "government," rates the word "miracle."

[dave]

It will all be so worth it next year when another hurricane blows it all away.

[dave]

It will all be so worth it next year when another hurricane blows it all away.

[MP]

Correct. The phrase "within ten days," when used in conjunction with the word "government," rates the word "miracle."

I'd say appeasement. It should take a hell of a lot longer than 10 days to approve 62 BILLION dollars worth of giveaways.