Wal-mart better than FEMA

"While state and federal officials have come under harsh criticism for their handling of the storm's aftermath, Wal-Mart is being held up as a model for logistical efficiency and nimble disaster planning, which have allowed it to quickly deliver staples such as water, fuel and toilet paper to thousands of evacuees.

[...]

During a tearful interview on "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Aaron F. Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish in the New Orleans suburbs, told host Tim Russert that if "the American government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn't be in this crisis."

Link via Wapost.

Pork kills.

Not bacon and cholesterol, bone-headed politicians.

The American Red Cross has an annual budget of $6-12 billion dollars.

In light of this, consider the most recent "highway bill" which has become a huge pork barrel bill, with many earmarked and irrelevant recipients. It totaled $256 billion.

How much money could have gone to prevention and rescue rather than this bullshit?

The "Bridge to Nowhere", in South Carolina, connecting two towns with 2000 people each. $25 million.

$3 million to renovate a museum honoring the Packard Motor Car.

$1.6 million for a botanical garden in Missouri.

$2.75 milion to build an access road to a baseball stadium in Dayton, Ohio

$3 million that was earmarked to produce a documentary for public television on the subject of "infrastructure awareness."


Update:

Tim Cavanaugh agrees, and I didn't plan this.

Update 2:

The Heritage Foundation agrees

How Many More Must Die?

Before people realize the Federal Government is completely incapable of protecting itself and its citizens from both foreign aggression and natural disasters?

This 18 year old kid did what the Bush Administration did not.