"Hurricane relief not government's responsibility" (IN secretary of state)

[bloom]

As crazy as this sounds - I think this is going to be the Republican meme - coming from Rove, Bush or whomever. It's a government of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations. Forget about the citizens - they are supposed to take care of themselves and each other.

Rokita says burden should fall on neighbors, churches
By Audrie Garrison | Indiana Daily Student | Friday, October 07, 2005


American reaction to Hurricane Katrina might have cost the country the dream of ever achieving a contained federal government, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita said Wednesday night.

"It absolutely amazed me how quick we were to say that the government was responsible for that hurricane," Rokita told attendees of a program presented by the IU Republican Women. "If we continue to think that way, pretty soon we will be living in a country that looks not unlike the former USSR."

Rokita, a republican, who holds one of the highest elected offices in the state and is treasurer of the National Association of Secretaries of State, gave his speech Wednesday night in the Indiana Memorial Union as part of the IU Republican Women lecture series titled, "Something to Talk About." During the lecture, he spoke about election reform, economic development and Hurricane Katrina.

The responsibility of reconstruction after the hurricane, he said in a post-lecture interview, should have been placed upon the shoulders of citizens, churches and neighbors. Rokita criticized American reliance on the federal government after the disaster, saying this increased the scope and role of federal government, hindering America's chances of ever containing it....

http://www.idsnews.com/subsite/story.php?id=31626

Mitch Daniels - Bush's former head of the White House Office of Management and Budget is now the governor of Indiana - Rokita must be his stooge...

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/budget/jan-june01/daniels_2-28.html

http://www.salon.com/politics/col/spinsanity/2002/02/12/daniels/

http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/03/05/06_daniels.html

[stillcool]

1. Like Indiana knows about hurricanes?

and he's too late...we already know the feds don't do shit for hurricane relief.

[bloom]

4. It reminds me of Limbaugh trying to convince people all these years

that people in need should not be helped - at least not by the government. They were getting people ready for this - the redefinition of government.

I still find it hard to believe that there are people who accept this. Like a disaster happens and then people start collecting money, etc. instead of there being an agency in place.

Esp. with things that could happen to anybody in one form or another.

We could get a couple of F4 tornadoes that would do quite a bit of damage to Indianapolis for instance.

[DefenseLawyer]

2. Brilliant

Between that and the Family Research Council's "Pro Cancer" position this week, the right wing has really hit a PR home run.

[bloom]

6. The amazing thing

is people go along with this.

This doesn't even seem strange or evil or anything.

[shraby]

3. Someone should check and see what Indiana

does about tornadoes.

[Cha]

5. Fuck that! We pay taxes

to our government ..we work to give them a salary and they work for us when we need it.

The weasles only want to send the money down the drain in Iraq. And that is why I think we should GET OUT..because it's an endless cesspool of US TAX $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

[bloom]

8. I think this may be the central issue

that Democrats are going to need to address and get people to understand.

The basic, fundamental role that citizens have a right to expect from the government.

[sandnsea]

7. That's why FEMA failed

and corporations were let in with their donations. and churches were at the forefront; to prove government is incompetent so people will be ready to privatize to the corporations and churches. And the more the anti-government propaganda can be spread, which is pretty easy in the south, the easier it will be to do away with another government agency.

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. Oh sure , but when tornados and floods hit Indiana

bring it on!

They sure didn't have a problem pouring on the aid when Florida gets hit.

[bloom]

10. I think he's saying the government isn't responsible

for any of it - domestic problems of any sort.

Republicans are going to need to be called on this.

[shifting_sands]

11. Not Responsible

Perhaps he is right, perhaps disaster relief is not the government's responsibility. Perhaps it belongs to the State, each State. Not just disaster relief either, but education, social services, caring for their sick and elderly and poor. And the states could pick up the tab on their own health care (think of the insurances companies moving into the states to get a piece of the action) So I agree less government. All the taxes we spend on salaries for Congress (plus their retirement and benefits package) could be returned to the states, as well as Homeland Security Taxes, Education Taxes, we won't need a bloated FBI or CIA (each state will have their own.) we will vote on how much tax money we want to send for defense from each state, the Pentagon can be downsized, oh and the Justice Department, and each state will have their own Supreme Court so we won't need the Supreme Court in Washington, nor their aides, nor their body guards, nor their cars, or vacations. We won't need Air Force 1 or 2. Taxes for Social programs needs to be returned. Can't see the need for the Secretary of State, or their staff. Let's just do away with the Federal Government and let the States run themselves. When the crooks and thieves are gone and we have better monitoring control over our own states, I cannot imagine we wouldn't have tons more money in our coffers.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi freedomabovefortune!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Delphinus]

16. I like your idea!

Let's dump the Fed Gov. States would be much better off.

[bloom]

17. I think this is supposedly what Rokita/Daniels/Bush, etc. are saying.

Let the states do everything.

One problem with that is having the states be responsible for everything would lead to even more separation of wealth and power.

I can't figure out exactly what the Republicans are thinking here. It's like they are saying they want more State control instead of Federal control - but what they are doing is only to take away benefits - not give control. They take more power for themselves and yet supposedly people are supposed to keep voting for them because they are for States rights. It doesn't add up.

[highplainsdem]

13. What did Rokita say when Indiana got FEMA assistance this year for

winter storms and flooding?

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=16026

http://www.fema.gov/news/eventnews.fema?id=3963


He was elected in 2002 -- somehow I doubt he objected to FEMA assistance given to Indiana for 2002-2004, too (and I'm sure some federal assistance would have been given then as well, though I just checked the info for 2005).

He's just another hypocritical Repuke, trying to appeal to the selfishness of other hypocritical Repukes...

[SoCalDem]

14. How odd that Florida does not know this..At least 2 or 3 times a year,

they willingly accept federal money and loads of assistance due to hurricanes..and have been doing it for DECADES..as have other gulf coast and eastern seaboard states.. I guess it's reserved for states with republican governors only, eh?? Well when Indiana has a tornado, I guess MY tax dollars won't be needed to help clean up afterwards..

[berni_mccoy]

18. But EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN PAKISTAN IS!

Amazing how we neglect our own for FIVE DAYS and yet can send troops and aid WITHIN 24 HOURS to the other side of the world.

[bloom]

19. It's also interesting

how fast other places can state what the death toll is.