An occasional compendium of items gleaned from the Gulf Coast. Crossposted at BlueHouseDiaries
The "compassionate conservatives'" plan for using the Gulf Coast as a small-government labratory took another couple body blows this week..
It's taken 17 freakin' months, but the survivors of the American Tsunami may finally be getting some TLC from the Democrats now running the House... maybe that's because Louisiana Rep. Charlie Melancon opened up a can of whupass on the party leadership this week.
Rep. Jim Clyburn is now the unofficial point man for recovery legistation, and he started off yesterday with a bill that would FINALLY waive the state & local matching requirements on federal
money. This is, on the face of it, a no-brainer, since every coastal community between the Mississippi and Mobile Bay saw its tax base sucked out to sea, ... and waiving the fees are something that has been done in every other major disaster of the past 20 years, including 9/11. But hey, IOKIYAR y'all.
Meanwhile...Rep. Barney Frank has introduced a bill to set up a $500 million building fund for low & middle income housingin both Mississippi and Louisiana.
So, yes, the Dems are finally on their way to making the GOP treatment of the Gulf Coast look downright un-American, but both look pretty lame compared to the Qatari ambassador.