Buzzards Over Roadkill

President Bush has announced that the administration will oppose Rep. Richard Baker's bill to help rebuild flooded homes in Louisiana. Needless to say, the people of New Orleans are disappointed.

Officials in Washington must have no idea of people down here are going through. Tens of thousands of homeowners face the possibility of forclosure on their homes and a ruinous credit rating for the simple mistake of believing the government when it said that the levees were built to a category 3 level. The weren't.

Donald Powell stated yesterday on the Garland Robinette Show that the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) is sufficient. The administration repeatedly said that they want the recovery to locally driven. I agree with that in principle. What they don't realize is the the "Baker Bill", as it has become known, is a local Congressman from Baton Rouge and is supported my most residents. Furthermore, the money will go directly to the homeowners, not a bunch of pols to be used to fund pork. But that is exactly what the CDBG will do.

I don't know how familiar readers of this blog are with the way government operates in Baton Rouge, but if you've ever seen Buzzards feeding on road kill, that is exactly what our legislators will be when given billions in grants from the federal government to be dispursed as they see fit.