Our
View: Hypocritical handling of Hurricane
Katrina
In the still-festering wake of Hurricane Katrina, an enormous problem has been
laid bare. Our weak-kneed welfare-state government insists on giving handouts
to people too lazy to help themselves.
Our mistake. That’s insensitive. And it only applies to non-hurricane-caused
homelessness. Congressional Republicans are more than free to take leave of all
promises of fiscal responsibility and opposition to social insurance programs
this time.
After all, people without jobs or homes deserve help, but only when
they are in that state because of a sudden, weather-based stroke of bad luck.
The real problem is the enormous hypocrisy of the GOP congressmen. Long-standing
opposition to the “welfare state” suddenly vanishes when said opposition
is unpopular.
Almost nobody would seriously propose denying hurricane victims
some form of assistance. But the problems it is aimed at solving are the same
ones facing millions of Americans.
It is not acceptable to help the millions of homeless and jobless people who
didn’t end up there because of a storm.
From something as sudden as the
death of a sole provider to the specter of economic recession — actually,
that cannot exist in this land of eternal prosperity — people can end up
in a hard place faster than Gary Coleman.
CashCall solved his money trouble,
but it won’t get him a real job or a steady source of income, commercials
aside.
Helping people is socially acceptable in conservative circles when the problem
is sudden. God forbid the government provide aid when the problem is ongoing.
Oh, look, hundreds of thousands of people are homeless today. Come on, Mr. DeLay,
let’s go help.
While the inconsistency is irritating, particularly galling is the inefficiency
in the response. As long as the government is helping people, they should at
least try to be quick about it.
Three cruise ships, currently fractionally occupied, were rented by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency for six months, at a cost of $236 million. With a
capacity of 7,116 people, that adds up to $186 per person, per night.
Meals are
included. Perhaps FEMA should have considered Motel 6. In Houston, you could
provide, food, lodging and transportation for roughly $70 a night.
Sure, they
would be eating at Denny’s and taking the bus, but they would be in a
city. Easier to find a job there. And hey, Motel 6 will leave the light on
for you.
There are not enough hotel rooms in Houston to house everyone, but spread out
the survivors over a few major metropolitan cities, and they would be good
to go.
The best part is, friendly staff aside, motels don’t feel like home.
It’s added incentive to move on with life.
Yet despite the eternal harping of conservatives about the dangers of welfare,
they are in the midst of a massive welfare program that, if the cruise ship fiasco
is any indication, is like spending cash like a sailor on shore leave.
It’s
funny. Not funny “ha-hah,” but funny “hmm.”
It’s not immediately relevant to debate the role of government in citizens’ lives.
But it is certainly worth considering how consistent it should be.
It is all
very well and good to feel the pain of the many people left high and not-so-dry
by Katrina, but if we abandon the principles of opposition to welfare, let’s
at least do so with an eye toward responsible spending.
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