Posted by
Lady Logician on Friday, October 13, 2006 6:37:17 PM
I didn't get a chance to write about this at the time it happened, but I just had to get it done. If you ever had any doubts about Tim Russert's political leanings, it was given away in this exchange from August 27. " MR. RUSSERT: So the money will get directly to the people, but when they get it they won’t be able to use it on tattoos or guns or condoms-to-go, as was evidenced with Katrina?
MR. PAULISON: I don’t have any control once we give people money. Normally, we put money—either give them a check or wire directly to their bank account. Once they get that money for, for issues the Congress has allowed us to give people money for, how they spend it is out of our control. You know, that’s an individual choice. So if they take that money, waste it on something else and don’t rebuild their home with it or don’t replace a car or don’t pay medical expenses, you know, that’s, that’s a personal decision they have to make. We simply give them the dollars they’re allowed under law, and then they should be spending it on what it’s given to them for, but we don’t have any control once we turn those dollars over to them.
MR. RUSSERT: But then the government has to house them, so how, how could that possibly be fair or responsible?
MR. PAULISON: Well, we don’t give rental assistance and also a housing, like a travel trailer or a mobile home. You get one or the other. If you get rental assistance, then you should be renting money with it, otherwise we’ll give you a travel, travel trailer or mobile home if we have the opportunity to do that.
George Stephanopolis, in an interview with Mike Brown (transcript not available online) on the same morning, tried to blame the government for the poor spending choices that recepients of Katrina relief dollars made.
Gentlemen....let me remind you of a simple fact of life in America today. Once you give someone cash, you can NOT control what the spend the money on! It is that simple and that, in a nutshell is the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans will give you a dollar and tell you to spend it wisely and if you don't spend it wisely, will expect you to live with the consequences of your choice! Democrats will give you a dollar, tell you to spend it wisely and when you don't will make excuses as to why you didn't and then demand that the government force you to spend the money on whatever they feel is an appropriate use of the money!
I'm all for accountability, and if the circumstances warrant it, I hope that charges are filed against those who fraudently took Katrina relief money. However, the idea that government can tell you what you should spend your money on is ludicrious. It is also unconstitutional!