Latest on Katrina hurricane relief in Congress

Discuss the recovery and aftermath of landfalling hurricanes. Please be sensitive to those that have been directly impacted. Political threads will be deleted without notice. This is the place to come together not divide.

Moderator: S2k Moderators

Message
Author
Margie

Latest on Katrina hurricane relief in Congress

#1 Postby Margie » Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:00 pm

Funding for emergency hurricane relief for Katrina, this nation's largest disaster ever, is still stalled in Congress over 100 days later (by comparison, 9/11 funding was passed in about six weeks).

Barbour, Lott, and others have been working nonstop to try to get something done before the end of the year. Here's the latest update from the Sun Herald, which I just had to post for its humor value. Note: this is just one particular bill that happened to pass first...there are other outstanding critical concerns not related to this tax break issue, mainly dealing with hurricane relief, for bankrupt school districts, county and local budgets that no longer have a tax base, replacing local and county emergency vehicles, squad cars, facilities, etc, rebuilding the Hwy 90 bridges essential to coast traffic, compensation for homeowners told by FEMA they did not have to have flood insurance, etc.

Senate OKs Katrina tax break bill

By GEOFF PENDERglpender@sunherald.com

WASHINGTON - With U.S. Sen. Trent Lott threatening to crack heads if it didn't pass, the Senate on Friday approved about $8 billion in Katrina tax breaks for businesses.

"The people in the area damaged by Hurricane Katrina cannot wait any longer," Lott shouted from his podium on the Senate floor. "I expect this to be done momentarily, this day. If it's not, there's going to be hell to pay, this day."

The bill passed by consent and now moves to the House. The version the Senate, with Lott leading negotiations, agreed to was a House plan that excludes casinos, golf courses, massage parlors, tanning salons, any places that serve or sell alcohol or, as Lott noted, "everything but whorehouses."

Lott had strongly opposed excluding casinos or any other legal businesses, but caved when it became apparent the House would never accept the bill without the exclusions. Lott said he planned to remedy the casino situation with "the next moving tax vehicle I can get a hold of."

"They're legal businesses, for God's sakes," Lott said. "(The House) ought to be ashamed. It's not good tax policy."

When asked if he thinks the White House signed off on the bill, Lott said, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

The bill is aimed at creating the "Gulf opportunity zones" President Bush promised shortly after the storm.

Lott said, "We can at least now say to some segments of the area devastated by Katrina that some help is there now."


[note: the story was update this aft with the additional GWTW quote. LMAO!]
0 likes   

Return to “Hurricane Recovery and Aftermath”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests