NYT: Cost of Recovery Surges, as Do Bids to Join in Effort

Cost of Recovery Surges, as Do Bids to Join in Effort
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
and CARL HULSE
Published: September 9, 2005


WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 - With Congress primed to spend billions of dollars on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, lawmakers and industry groups are lining up to bring home their share of the cascade of money for rebuilding and relief.

White House officials and Congressional budget experts now assume that federal costs for the hurricane will shoot past $100 billion, which itself is more than twice the entire annual federal budget for domestic security. Congress on Thursday approved $51.8 billion in spending, bringing the total so far to more than $62 billion.

The demand for money comes from many directions. Louisiana lawmakers plan to push for billions of dollars to upgrade the levees around New Orleans, rebuild highways, lure back business and shore up the city's sinking foundation. The devastated areas of Mississippi and Alabama will need similar infusions of cash.

Communities will want compensation for taking in evacuees. And there will be future costs of health care, debris removal, temporary housing, clothing, vehicle replacement. Farmers from the Midwest, meanwhile, are beginning to press for emergency relief as a result of their difficulties in shipping grain through the Port of New Orleans....

***

House Democrats complained that they were prevented Thursday from offering a proposal to sever the Federal Emergency Management Agency from the Department of Homeland Security and making other changes before turning over so much to the agency, which has come under withering fire for its storm response. Republicans said they did not want to impede the aid by getting caught up in a legislative fight, and they said Democrats would have opportunities later to offer the FEMA changes....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/09/national/nationalspecial/09costs.html?hp&ex=1126238400&en=189484d8d39d148b&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Which Bush crony is gonna get the purse strings this time?

Mr. Sessions called on President Bush to appoint a person with significant business experience to oversee the spending.

Ewww, and it just gets worse

The emergency spending plan also drew scrutiny from some lawmakers who contended that it raised the risk of fraud by increasing the spending limit on about 250,000 credit cards issued to government workers from $15,000 to $250,000. "

But Delay says poppy-cock.

in the print edition, with big headline, upper right.

AS bush's pals and Chaney's pals continue to get contracts, budgets
skyrocket.

What a surprise.

What I want to know is when is the trial? If they can prosecute Enron surely they can prosecute the Bush administration for influence peddling and other outrageous acts that have been going on.