Some Good Things George W Bush Has Done Domestically

I have been a SL member for quite a while but have never felt quite as compelled to post as I feel now.

Despite what Jesse Jackson and Minister Fahraakan (possible misspelling for one of the most racist political/religious figures in the US) would like you to believe, the government did not cause the levy's to break in order to displace many people living in New Orleans....yet GWB took blame for the response of the government. He also made a point to replace the head of FEMA (the TRUE person responsible for the delayed response).

These are acts of a leader, one that should be recgonized for his great leadership ability.

There have been two disasters that GWB has presided over..and he has stepped up to the plate each time.

I will always remember GWB talking to the rescue workers in MYC after 9/11
and
I will always remember GWB hugging the young Aferican American girl after Katrina.

God Bless America!

January 2001 Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, as head of FEMA. Allbaugh has no previous experience in disaster management.

April 2001 Budget Director Mitch Daniels announces the Bush administration's goal of privatizing much of FEMA's work. In May, Allbaugh confirms that FEMA will be downsized: "Many are concerned that federal disaster assistance may have evolved into both an oversized entitlement program...." he said. "Expectations of when the federal government should be involved and the degree of involvement may have ballooned beyond what is an appropriate level."

Pre 9/11 2001 FEMA designates the "three likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country": a hurricane in New Orleans, a massive earthquake in San Francisco, and a terrorist attack in New York City.

December 2002 After less than two years at FEMA, Allbaugh announces he is leaving to start up a consulting firm that advises companies seeking to do business in Iraq. He is succeeded by his deputy, Michael Brown, who, like Allbaugh, has no previous experience in disaster management.

March 2003 FEMA is downgraded from a cabinet level position and folded into the Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is refocused on fighting acts of terrorism.


May 2003 Under its new organization chart within DHS, FEMA's preparation and planning functions are reassigned to a new Office of Preparedness and Response. FEMA will henceforth focus only on response and recovery.

Summer 2004 FEMA denies Louisiana's pre-disaster mitigation funding requests. Says Jefferson Parish flood zone manager Tom Rodrigue: "You would think we would get maximum consideration....This is what the grant program called for. We were more than qualified for it."

June 2004 The Army Corps of Engineers budget for levee construction in New Orleans is slashed. Jefferson Parish emergency management chiefs Walter Maestri comments: "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay."

June 2005 Funding for the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cut by a record $71.2 million. One of the hardest-hit areas is the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, which was created after the May 1995 flood to improve drainage in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes.

So you truely believe that a tax break that benifits 1% of Americans is fair. I mean come on shelly. Come on

For one thing, he cut taxes a LOT. I know a lot of people (including my parents) who are quite stoked about this - especially the elimination of the death tax (inheretance tax) - and really think GWB is doing a great job.

Because people will get to keep more of their income, they will work harder, making this country more productive.

He's tried to privatize the system but kinda met with a lot of resistance from people who don't understand that our government cannot continue to pay people not to work.

Finally, he has reformed medicare and medicaid so that you can't just run to the emergency room everytime you cut your finger.

Just my opinion.

Are you familiar with politics, business, or a hybrid of the two?

Has anyone ever been "let go" from your place of business?

Apparently not.

Leaders and politicians (most successful ones anyway) rarely just hang someone out to dry in the manner you are implying. GWB knows Mike Brown did a crap job...so he have him a b.s. "Thank you" and moved on.

Get out of dreamland. This is just how things are done in these arenas.

The government exists to provide national defense, uniform standardizations, and various other tasks vital for the day-to-day operation of a modern society. Its not there to be a social safety net.

What the President is doing is cutting some of that fat that has been allowed to build and make us a stronger, more nimble enterprise.

I think people tend to forget W has done a lot domestically to help out this nation.

For one thing, he cut taxes a LOT. I know a lot of people (including my parents) who are quite stoked about this - especially the elimination of the death tax (inheretance tax) - and really think GWB is doing a great job. I'm also digging it because it means that when the time comes, I'll have to give the government less of my parent's hard earned assets.

Also, he is trying to reform social security so that everybody leeching off of it doesn't crash the nation. He's tried to privatize the system but kinda met with a lot of resistance from people who don't understand that our government cannot continue to pay people not to work. Its YOUR retirement, so you should have to save for it. My two cents, at least.

Finally, he has reformed medicare and medicaid so that you can't just run to the emergency room everytime you cut your finger. Medicaid is especially bad because those people don't pay any insurance premiums..medicare is slightly less worse because people have paid into it through FICA over the years... but they still are taking out more than they put in.

W is moving the country in the right direction.. people have to realize that nothing is free. If you want something in life, you have to work for it. There is no free lunch. Stop eating mine.

Your parents are "stoked" because they're selfish and possibly stupid. My family has received substantial tax cuts but are troubled by the growing disparity between the rich and poor and a government that is spending well beyond its means. Tax-and-spend liberals have been replaced by debt-and-spend conservatives.

This is a false statement. I am keeping more of my money and am working no harder.

This is a non sequitur.

I have some of the best health insurance money can buy, a PPO that allows me to visit the best doctors in the City. Even then, I have co-pays, deductables, and percentage fees that can drive the cost of a serious treatment as high as US$3000 a year for a family. I can't imagine how hard it is for those with average incomes, let alone being one of the 75 million people in the U.S. with no health-care coverage at all.

Your stereotypical right-wing viewpoints smack of weak follow-the-leader punditry and lack the kind of deep thought our country needs to solve its many problems.

~Ulrika~

Kendra, this is the second time you've implied that I'm a neo-conservative. In fact, I'm just a middle of the road American who wants justice. Please stop implying that I'm an extremist.

Excuse me Ulrika, but you're not an American and wouldn't understand these things, no offense.

Afterall, you just recently encouraged people to key SUVs.

Someone who would encourage people to do something so un-American obviously doesn't understand our culture.

I wasn't implying. I think you're views are out of step with mainstream America. Sorry.

Not so.

The American people believe what I am saying. They elected George W. Bush. I didn't elect him alone.

LOL. Anyone who encourages others to "key SUVs" is an extremist and totally not American.

Plus, given the fact Ulrika lives outside the US, makes her "un-American" by definition.

btw jamie, you seem awfully excited about your parent tax cuts and how much they are benefitting from the bush administration. i wonder what their household income is? i'm guessing it's higher than the average american family. otherwise, they wouldn't be so happy with bush's plans.

Honestly, I have no idea how much they make. Probably average, though.

Not so.

The American people believe what I am saying. They elected George W. Bush. I didn't elect him alone.

Excuse me Ulrika, but you're not an American and wouldn't understand these things, no offense.

LEECHING? Do you have the slightest idea how Social Security WORKS?

Those getting Social Security are getting the money THEY PAID INTO THE SYSTEM. Ideally, SS works as a trust fund; while it DOES have obvious problems, "leeches" are not one of them.

I live in San Francisco, knuckle head.

~Ulrika~

Not true. The first people to use social security paid nothing in, leaving the system with a deficit from day one. Its a bad program and needs to be ended.

All it does is shift the bill from one generation to the next.

With his 35% approval rating, I would say anyone who still supports this failure of a President is seriously out of the mainstream.

BTW Ulrika is quite American.

I live in San Francisco, knuckle head.

~Ulrika~