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What amazes me is how little money is allocated to FEMA and Homeland Security in the current Federal budget. Certainly, there must be some actuary that has submitted reasonable analyses of a disaster of this magnitude. Believing this, one must assume that the Feds are aware of such numbers and would budget appropriately; however, the current budget for FEMA can only be described as dismal and inadequate at best. Rather than eliminate our international aid programs that IMHO return far more than is invested and ultimately prove to be wise investments, perhaps a more realistic and practical budget should be formulated.
How about reducing the budget of the Defense agency (17%, $402B) to begin with? Here's a good one: the current budget for the continuing devlopment of the V22 (Osprey) is $360 million dollars. Does anyone know how many of these wonder birds are flying since it first took flight in 1989? not to mention any number of pricey "pet" projects that receive funding. How about taking a hard look at NASA? This agencies performance has been less than stellar, and it's budget is $16 billion this year; almost enough to rebuild New Orleans, assuming the current estimates are high.
Trim the fat off the damn budget. The American people deserve better and should demand so.
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"The gift of liberty is like that of a horse, handsome, strong, and high-spirited. In some it arouses a wish to ride; in many others, on the contrary, it increases the desire to walk."
-- Massimo d'Azeglio
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