Most people by now have heard that the House has not voted on the $60 billion bill passed by the Senate to provide further relief to victims of hurricane Sandy. If you live in the New York City area, it is impossible to have missed it. We hear that the lack of a vote is disgusting, unprecedented and heartless. So here is a question on this topic:
What percentage of the $60 billion covered by the bill goes to actual victims of the storm?
From the news reports, you would think that the answer is 100%. But the reality is something different. Less than half of the total actually goes to the people who suffered at the hands of Sandy. Nearly half is for infrastructure, you know, the roads, tunnels, railroads, power lines and the like that got hit by the storm. But the vast bulk of that portion of the bill goes towards building new structures that get sold as more storm-resistant. These are not the cost of repair; they are the cost of improvement. And then there are the billions that have been included to pay for all manner of things that have absolutely nothing to do with Sandy. Many items in this last category are not even in the Northeast. They are just a compilation of pork that got thrown into the bill because the Senate knew that this was a bill that had to be passed.
We live in a country that spends too much. Let me rephrase that we spend way, way, way too much. If various senators think that they can throw an extra ten billion or so into a spending bill and then scream when the House refuses to pass it, they ought to think again. Sure, the media will portray this as an attack on the poor victims of Sandy. It is not. Indeed, the House may crumble in the face of the media onslaught. I hope not. Maybe next time, the people who claim to care will actually do what is right rather than trying to steer some additional pork towards their friends.
What percentage of the $60 billion covered by the bill goes to actual victims of the storm?
From the news reports, you would think that the answer is 100%. But the reality is something different. Less than half of the total actually goes to the people who suffered at the hands of Sandy. Nearly half is for infrastructure, you know, the roads, tunnels, railroads, power lines and the like that got hit by the storm. But the vast bulk of that portion of the bill goes towards building new structures that get sold as more storm-resistant. These are not the cost of repair; they are the cost of improvement. And then there are the billions that have been included to pay for all manner of things that have absolutely nothing to do with Sandy. Many items in this last category are not even in the Northeast. They are just a compilation of pork that got thrown into the bill because the Senate knew that this was a bill that had to be passed.
We live in a country that spends too much. Let me rephrase that we spend way, way, way too much. If various senators think that they can throw an extra ten billion or so into a spending bill and then scream when the House refuses to pass it, they ought to think again. Sure, the media will portray this as an attack on the poor victims of Sandy. It is not. Indeed, the House may crumble in the face of the media onslaught. I hope not. Maybe next time, the people who claim to care will actually do what is right rather than trying to steer some additional pork towards their friends.
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