With all the things that have come out about the government and its handling of Hurricane Katrina, I thought I had reached the limits for being appalled. I guess I don't know George W. Bush as well as I thought.
The Washington Post reported yesterday that in the weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit, foreign countries offered $854 million in assistance. Of that, the White House accepted and spent about $40 million. Most of the rest was uncollected. Some countries, frustrated at the President's lack of response, withdrew their offers and redirected the money to private charities such as the Red Cross.
I vividly remember the whining that came out of Washington about how much the hurricane recovery was going to cost. It is unconscionable that government officials would complain about recovery costs and then leave $800 million in free money on the table. $800 million is more than has been spent on levee reconstruction costs so far. It is more than has been paid out to citizens in New Orleans for home reconstruction under the Road Home program.
If the federal government is going to ignore that kind of money someone needs to give a damn good reason why. It is outrageous that 100,000 people on the Gulf Coast still live in temporary trailers almost 2 years after Katrina, and the White House thinks it is too good to scoop up $800 million lying around in the street.
It is simply astonishing. I don't know what else to say.