Top Conservative Group Urges House To Vote Against Hurricane Sandy Relief en-us Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 -0500 Sat, 15 Mar 2014 13:30:14 -0400 Brett LoGiurato johnqpublic Mon, 07 Jan 2013 05:26:29 -0500 Ending federal subsidies for flood insurance is not a bad idea, especially with global warming hazards growing. But most of Florida, coastal regions and much flood prone property in these congressmen's states would become unaffordable. A discussion on this topic would be great. But you can't renege on current commitments. And somehow I dont think these Congressmen are looking for a rational discussion on the flood insurance. It's a knee-jerk, anti-tax, hate the blue states effort ibsteve2u Sun, 06 Jan 2013 05:53:58 -0500 I'd note, by the way, that the effort might yield some new science. Wouldn't be sporting of them to set about building their generator and satellite ground station using any government-financed technology. Bit of a handicap, that, since the British and the American governments the...nannies...of the electronic revolution. ibsteve2u Sun, 06 Jan 2013 05:34:56 -0500 Those "Club for Growth" folks really need dropped on an island somewhere - after the Navy and Air Force are told to ignore them 'cuz the U.S. of A. isn't in the business of rescuing such. Oh, and they can take all of their dollar bills with 'em. Then we can watch 'em from atop via satellite (got some really tight resolution stuff these days) and see how long they last. Should make a really good "reality" show - and since they don't want to BE Americans - they only want to play with themselves, in fact - it would be nirvana for them. I even know the place: Bouvet Island. It already has an internet country code, so anybody in the world (who cared) could send 'em email at Assuming they could make a generator and a satellite ground station to point to and say "We built that!". obamaphone malarkey Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:46:51 -0500 You lost me at Obama phone, since that myth has been completely and totally debunked. foolish Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:45:07 -0500 Every single spot in this country is just as susceptible to natural disasters like the once-in-a-century Sandy. If you're not in a hurricane-prone area, I'm willing to bet you are at risk for at least one, if not more, of the following: Floods. Earthquakes. Tornadoes. Fires. Drought (which of course also increases the possibility of fires). Blizzards. Tsunamis. Landslides. Volcanoes. And more. There is nowhere to build a house that Mother Nature can't destroy on a whim. John Mack Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:04:37 -0500 Growth in GNP can merely mean more money going to the top elite. It can indicate nothing about benefit to the average citizen. This is clearest in "growing" undeveloped countries and to a lesser, but alarming, in the USA. But economists then use GNP to calculate an "average income," which is based on the questionable premise that the money earned from a growing GDP is widely distributed. OldBlindDog Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:06:32 -0500 No, sir. The intial outrage was over spending federal money on people who chose to live "below sea level" and are "animals" and "deserve to drown." I remember it well, seeing as how it was aimed at my home. bdbr Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:58:40 -0500 There was outrage over Katrina relief - but the outrage was about the LACK of relief (and how slow it was), not about whether the government should do that. <a href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" ></a> <a href="" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" ></a> fredlled Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:45:57 -0500 No one likes having Swamp Castle burn Dow, fall over and sink into the swamp. billy bob Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:31:40 -0500 Oh yes, let the private insurance company's take care of it, within 1 year all of Americans home would be classified as being in a flood zone OldBlindDog Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:30:13 -0500 Actually, there was a fair amount of outrage over Katrina relief. sharonsj Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:11:17 -0500 Nor is it the government's job to provide fabulous tax breaks to Goldman Sachs, the Disney Corp, NASCAR, vulture capitalists, hedge fund managers, and the oil companies. They do not need my money. And I didn't hear the Repubs call for that largesse to be offset by spending cuts. Gary Anderson Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:01:56 -0500 The club for growth is corrupt. And they are located in NYC! They funded the ill fated Bachmann. They are off the ledge. john1066 Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:58:37 -0500 And your point? You have ignored the little issues I have brought up with "The Club for Growth is RIGHT" little plan. Guess what? No man is an island. If the community one lives in is destroyed odds are very high most everyone is destroyed. Oh do you think you are one of the ultra rich who can just take the loss and fly away? Bodine Web Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:49:56 -0500 With rhetoric like that, you could make a killing in the insurance game. And don't worry about paying out on your policies if a disaster does hit, the government will be guilted into paying your obligations. john1066 Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:46:47 -0500 I hope that was satirical. If not it was one of the more frightening things I have read today. Liz Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:46:32 -0500 The most depressing thing about capitalism is that ...the middle class can be destroyed here in the United States. Corporations will just move overseas to do the same thing in other countries. It will go well for everyone for a while, as the middle class is able to buy things they want and support themselves, but corporations will keep pushing for lower pay checks, which will frustrate workers, and eventually the same cycle will happen, leaving, say, the Chinese just as frustrated as we are. This will probably continue to happen as long as there are poor nations that aspire to not be poor. Corporations want to pay no taxes and want to pay their workers as little as humanly possible. That's great for them, and it's okay when only a few corporations do it. But it's bad for society when a lot of corporations are doing it and there aren't as many avenues for upward mobility. Society cannot sustain itself under those terms. Not everyone can be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Liz Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:40:54 -0500 Not good. If we start abandoning states, the minute one of the 'rich' states is hit by a hurricane and can't afford to repair, people are just going to move. And they're going to keep moving into other states, which is going to cause crowding problems, which will cause more frustration and more violence and more depletion of resources, and on and on. The US really is melting down. Sad to watch this happening in my lifetime. I didn't think this was how the country would be when I came of age. I don't know what people talk about when they talk about how great this country is/was. john1066 Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:31:19 -0500 "YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. " - interesting idea. Are you repaired to harvest the seeds you are planting? The hit to the economy the storm has already had. The next hit to the economy the next storm will cause. So please tell us all how prefect you are. How special you are. Tell us how you know all disasters that can hit where you live and lets see how many people / companies around you are as well prepared as you are. Let's then see how many stores etc will not be around you any more and for how long. Lets see how well you survive with very little around you if a disaster hits your area. fredlled Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:24:20 -0500 Shoulda bought you're own fire trick instead of being a taker. Man, that Galt Gulch valley is sounding good. Oh, no worries, we'll help you pack. fredlled Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:22:39 -0500 Helping people is for girly man. Real men know its all a struggle to get to the top of the heap over everyone else. If that means being a psychotic with schizophrenic outlook, so be it! At east they're a real man. kona Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:16:46 -0500 So obvious that your house is not on a rock. Your brain though, IS a rock. fredlled Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:12:04 -0500 Space! Earth is two dangerous so time to put people's in orbits! andygayton Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:10:01 -0500 wonder how this idea sits when the gulf states get flooded in the next hurricane? from the vacuum of ideas screams chaos. time to be for something, GOP. fredlled Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:07:31 -0500 I don't want to be an empire. I want to be a republic. fredlled Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:05:40 -0500 Stoopid Raegan signing in Obama phone legislation, making the phone companies use their own profits to fund them. What was he thinking?!,! kona Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:04:43 -0500 Why are you so surprised? Their candidate for President said that he does not give a shit about 47% of the people America. These 47% live in the Blue States. Some jackasses want to live in the "Best Country in the World" (just look at those National Parks and freeways) but don't want to pay for it. They just whine endlessly about "welfare" and "socialism" but when they can get a freebie from the government, they are at the front of the line. The Red States (except Texas) take from the government more than they pay in taxes. And they talk like that? Freaking disgusting. fredlled Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:04:23 -0500 Exactly! Life is all about survival of the fittest and man-eat-wolf morality. If your a true christiain you know it's all about getting ahead over everyone else and not allowing the week to drag down human potential by helping them to get by. Every man is an island, with a castle that first fell down caught fire and sank into the swamp. bdbr Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:02:06 -0500 Apparently the outrage only applies to blue states. you are the ass Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:58:39 -0500 We already have an agency to provide for the needy fool. It is called Federal Emergency Management Association, FEMA! Why the hell should we start dolling out more at every disaster for Democrat Pork. Where the hell is your beloved Obama and FEMA TURD! We all heard how Katrina was George Bush's fault. I hope they dont pass it and where the hell is the media on this when FEMA is no where to be found? WHERE IS FEMA? WHERE IS OBAMA? my.comment Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:57:24 -0500 i'd love to see the hissyfits you wrote for the off-the-books wars idiot son engaged in.... oh, but that disproves your whine... GonzoVeritas Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:57:13 -0500 The uber rich should be careful what they ask for. Putting the economy out of balance and destroying the middle class will lead to poverty for all. It can also lead to virulent disease, and even revolution. Relatively speaking, the French Revolution was not that long ago and that didn't work out well for the upper classes. GonzoVeritas Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:53:58 -0500 Another point is that New York is a net contributor to other states. They pay in more to the federal government than they take out. If any state deserves their fair share of help from these United States, it is New York and the thousands upon thousands of hard working blue collar families that were devastated by this rare storm. Matt L Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:45:50 -0500 So by your thought process .... We shouldn't live in areas that are prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, snow storms, volcanoes, or any other act of nature. Ummm where are 300 Million Americans supposed to live? Especially given the areas that are prone to much of the "acts of nature" you describe as poor decision making. factchecker Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:40:07 -0500 Blows my mind how every other year when florida/louisiana gets wrecked by a hurricane or a tornado tears through the midwest, areas where these natural disasters are supposed to occur, people want to help them out and the government does so by providing aid. But when a hurricane, the worst hurricane in 100 years hits an area like NJ/NY where these sorts of weather events are very rare and highly unpredictable, people want to say “screw them, they don’t deserve help”. News flash: the people devastated by this storm in ny/nj aren’t all rich fat cat wall street bankers; neighborhoods like the rockaways, breezy point and staten island are blue collar areas flush with families that need help. factchecker Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:30:52 -0500 yeah....because areas like the rockaways, breezy point and staten island are just full of fat cat multimillionaire bankers and aren't blue collar working communities. you're stupid kona Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:30:40 -0500 Next time your house is on fire, don't bother calling the fire department. Just form a bucket brigade with your 1% kin (that's a laugh, although if they are dentists, they probably won't come). Go out and buy a grenade launcher and several machine guns, because you shouldn't depend on the police to come when you get mugged or your house gets robbed. Don't ever let me catch you at the public library. Next time you take your kids to the Smithsonian, insist on paying $1000 each even though the entrance fee is free to regular Americans. Your post is the most inane one I have seen for a long time. Ron J Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:26:26 -0500 Federal government is not providing anything for FREE. WE PAY TAXES and can expect certain services that an individual cannot afford on their own. Next time someone in your family has cancer and they get treatment, at least thank the tax payers and the government. NIH subsidizes a whole lot of research even at private firms for the greater good of the society. Such asinine comment. Car is a luxury item and not a necessity You need housing and food to survive. Why have societies and countries if we can't help people in need? What is Federal government's job? Just military stuff? DaMan Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:26:20 -0500 Funny how the republican NJ governor was against big government... Against FEMA... Now he wants help from big government? Steve L. Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:25:57 -0500 Oh, I see. It's the government's job to take $20bb more from the NY economy than it returns every year? Don't take that money, Mr. Conservative, and make us the FIRST example of the government not providing disaster relief. I call b.s.... this is just blue state vs. red state. BTW - I'm a Republican. ASLS Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:24:58 -0500 For every dollar the state of New Jersey gives the federal government they get 77 cents back, the worst ratio in the US. The news does not adequately cover the amount of damage done to the shore and the aid that is desperately needed. Your statement is naive at best and certainly idiotic. The best service you can ever provide the United States is to move to Europe. ag Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:23:15 -0500 The repubs still want to shovel tons of money at the extremely wasteful military and corporate welfare for the rich. Spare me the obvious fiction that cons care about spending or debt. They just dont want money to be spent on the average american citizen. CheckMates Korlatoltft Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:17:36 -0500 Bravo. It is not the Federal Government's job to provide you with insurance, food, shelter, heath care, Obama phone and a billion other things. Why don't you get upset that the Federal government does not provide you with a free car too? A free house? A free tooth brush? It is simply not their mandate. It does not mean they don't care about you (which they don't). You don't get upset with your dentist for not responding for your call when your house is on fire. It is not his job. ag Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:15:28 -0500 You have to excuse conservative LOSERS. Their belief system doesnt allow them to deal with losing in a mature way so they are gonna pretend they still control things like this. john1066 Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:15:11 -0500 That is exactly what the far right wing wants. Everyone for themselves. Well the ultra rich want the laws and regulations to favor them but otherwise everyone else can go pound sand. It's called social Darwinism. They use the cover of "responsible economics" to do it. This is what one gets with the starve the beast. Cut taxes to the point where the government cannot really operate and then focus on cutting everything that helps the lower / middle class. It's also a great way to get people into the streets. It's also a great way to get civil unrest. We have already seen this trick done before and it got us WWII. There is no need to go down that path again. All this so a very few people can get even more money and power. But people are waking up to it. UQ Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:10:53 -0500 Someone bought the website. They made their own decision about the price. Government did not mandate them to buy it for 200 Million USD. People often jump to the conclusion that anyone opposed to government helping someone don't want anyone helped. There is a difference. When the help comes voluntarily, from individuals or institutions, it is perfectly welcome. In fact it is expected. When government starts giving out help, it is at someone else's expense. The funds that government gets don't come via voluntary means. They should only be used for truly 'common' expenses. If you went to a restaurant, you ate meals worth $5 and your friend ate worth $15, it is not fair that you have to pay $10. You may not mind doing it, but it won't last long. Mark Thompson Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:04:05 -0500 We taxpayers should not have to pay for the folly of Americans who choose to live in areas that are flooded from time to time. You want to take that risk then you foot the bill for your poor decision making. This country is too broke to reward bad decisions! "The Wise Man built his house upon the rock!" The honest and consistent answer Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:59:53 -0500 Is that they should bail out no one...but every special interest from WS to homeowners in high risk of catastrophy areas to wind and solar companies don't want that to happen. People are hypocrites. Every single on of you. The ultimate bill for fleecing of the Treasury for selfish bailouts is going to come due soon enough and all of us will suffer. Doesn't matter how noble or self-righteous you think you are. Debt kills empires...we are no exception. kramh Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:59:41 -0500 This is just the first part of a bill full of pork. This area has some of the highest amounts of wealth and includes Wall Street. They continue to receive about 90 billion a month indirectly in aid from the Federal Reserve. They should not get any more, period. Tyler is here Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:57:48 -0500 Good. One third for this bill is rubbish pork expenses for other government pet projects. Get a good bill and it will get passed. That website had value Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:57:29 -0500 And it wasn't paid for with taxpayer money. Don't worry...we are moving towards the Statism that China will be a slave soon enough, if you aren't already. You trade your economic and social liberties for government "guarantees". "Guarantees" from a broke government with a corrupt lie of a financial system and a fake economy. Great. You traded SOMETHING for nothing. My, you aren't very smart, are you? The Club for Growth is RIGHT Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:54:37 -0500 1) This bill is laden with Democratic Party corrupt patronage PORK. 2) The Federal Government basically insures that people will never do take steps to reduce the cost of tragedies like this (like build weak buildings in a hurricane area). Hence, the taxpayer is on the hook for foolish actions. I've donated to charities to help these people because I feel for them but turning the Fed Gov into a charity is a mistake and foolish. The Democrats will never stop spending wastefully. It is how they hold their power. The upside is eventually the credit card is going to run out and those of us who prepared will prosper while the rest of you suckfish suffer and ultimately die, poor and miserable. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. I know, life is not FAIR and I am a meany. Grow up and take responsibility you pathetic people! djrichard Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:53:00 -0500 Does this mean congress should get out of the business of bailing out wallstreet too? Or does a different principle apply for that kind of insurance? Aqua Buddha Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:50:55 -0500 Year after year all the easter and southern cities that should have superior building standards from decades of weather related damage HAVE DONE NOTHING! Insurers just keep increasing everybody rates to pay for these fools that live on the beaches and build match stick houses! If Florida I looked at new High rise condo that had a monthly insurance cost that was 50% higher than the mortgage. American have to stop paying for other STUPID peoples choices! Cancel the Aid because there is another storm coming and like New Orleans it will hit and wipe out there cities again and again. Lee Hsieh Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:48:03 -0500 Love it! Every man for himself... at this rate when do I expect to see people dieing of disease and hunger on the streets. On one hand, some s**tty website is valued at 200 million to 1 billion and on the other hand, people who had their homes destroyed receive ZERO HELP! Am i in opposite world? Greg Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:41:45 -0500 Not sure, but if they are ALREADY in the flood insurance business, they need to make good on existing policies.