Grover Norquest's Wet Dream Comes True

[NAO]

Grover Norquest, founder and leader of "Americans for Tax Reform", an extreme right-wing anti-tax group, was quoted as saying:

"I want to get government reduced down to the size where I can drown it in the bathtub"

Now, 25 years after the disastrous election of Ronald Raygun, and the beginning of the time of "Mourning in America"; after all the tax cuts and all the de-regulation and all the slashing of programs including public infrastructure programs that Grover Norquest and the Republicans have longed for, it has finally happened.

When Katrina struck New Orleans, the federal government had cut funding to agencies that should have been maintaining the infrastructure such the levees, floodgates and pumping stations that failed to protect New Orleans from the disaster.

Because of funding cuts, despite all the rhetoric about "Homeland Security" and "First Responders", when the disaster struck FEMA was woefully under-prepared and without the resources needed to respond to the emergency.

Katrina showed us that Norquest's much talked about wet dream of drowning the government - has literally come true.

[SDB1]

1. Why is the federal government......

....responsible for State Infrastructure? In california these items would be payed for through state taxes not federal taxes. Are the other 49 states different?

[Lindacooks]

2. States are different, and poor states need the federal government.

And do you know how many times the federal government has bailed out California when disaster struck?

Also, the Army Corps of Engineers, a Federal Agency, oversees these large projects involving water control:

"Corps missions include five broad areas:

Water Resources
Environment
Infrastructure
Homeland Security
Warfighting"

http://www.usace.army.mil/missions/index.html

[FARAFIELD]

3. HUH?

You are kidding right? First welcome to DU Freeper. Second of all, The Interstates are maintained by the Feds. Look if you want to shill for your side at least have your facts right. Check out the American Society of Engineers (of which i am a member) NOT a left leaning organization at all, and they will tell you that the last five years have been disasterous for american infrastructure. The feds have let things go to pot while they pay for more tax cuts and for members of congress (and the president) to fly around the country to sign a bill for terri shiavo. Sure the prez could cut short his vacation to sign that but couldnt take care of NO and the Gulf Coast, what a joke.

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Some local projects things are too big, some are of national importance

(like ports).

[Submariner]

5. Because the levees were designed, constructed and

maintained by the FEDERAL govt (the US Army Corps of Engineers) because the New Orleans port is vital to the NATIONAL economy. They are not state maintained infrastructure. The cost would much much too large for a single state government to maintain.

That is why the federal govt is responsible for that particular piece of infrastructure in that particular state.

When the big quake hits SF or LA it will be the feds that chip in.

[DBoon]

8. disasters hit multiple states and require multi-state coordination

it is in the nature of a disaster to disrupt the systems required to survive and recover.

This is why a national disaster response capability is necessary to make sure no one state ends up ruined.

When your house is burning down, it is very nice to have neighbors who will help - especially if they know you will return the favor

[pretzel4gore]

6. but norquist knows

in his centre, where ideas aren't decked out in all the finery of egotism and so on, norquist knows the entire thing is self serving crap...humanity is a collective effort, and the biggest difference between socialist and the other is that one of them must be dishonest and press its case by deceit...stealing candy from a baby while the other tries to get the damn baby to grow up.....
norquist aint a man, he's a pig

[The Traveler]

7. Excellent diagnosis

well put indeed.
:toast:

[realFedUp]

9. Osama bin Laden's wetdream also....

you have to wonder who is working with who these days.