OK, this one made me shout at my television:
Bush, Clinton to Lead Tsunami Fund Raising By JENNIFER LOVENWASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush enlisted two former presidents for an ambitious private fund-raising drive for victims of the deadly tsunami on Monday, asking Americans to open their wallets to help the millions left homeless, hungry and injured.
"The devastation in the region defies comprehension," Bush said as he announced the campaign to be led by his father and Bill Clinton. "I ask every American to contribute as they are able to do so."
...
Under the new fund-raising drive, to be coordinated by the White House's USA Freedom Corps, an office that encourages volunteering, Clinton and the first President Bush will solicit donations by doing media interviews and traveling the country. They also will tap into their own networks of contacts to try to pry donations from corporations, foundations and the wealthy, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
What the hell???????
Why is this needed? The American people are stepping up to the plate. For example, donations to Catholic Charities is pouring in at a great rate. I heard that Amazon users, ALONE, have donated more money than some countries.
So why is this necessary?
Is it part of George W. Bush's larger goal of using public money to fund religious programs that address problems in the society? By "encouraging private donations", the idea of getting government out of that business is made stronger. But, it's not necessary! He's getting the government involved in private donations.
Is it part of his larger goal of setting up his brother, Jeb, to make a strong run for president?
He has tapped Jeb Bush to go overseas to "head" relief efforts. Why does he have to go over there? Sure, Florida suffered with hurricanes, but Florida and the U.S. government STILL haven't gotten things straightened out yet.
Why else would Jeb Bush write a Washington Post editorial concerning education in Florida?
This makes no sense otherwise. There is no need for the federal government to be involved in coordinating private efforts. This is another waste of money, like the Department of Homeland Security is a waste of money.
It make perfect sense for the President to react this way. In fact, I think it was a deft move. Jeb Bush is the man to send, with Colin Powell, to show people who just can't wait for another excuse to bash, that we have disasters and tragedies here too.
This is just more sanctimonious posing by the self-appointed representatives of 'intelligent, blue' America. Let's see how much money MoveOn raises this time.
Posted by: Cobb at January 3, 2005 11:00 PMIn fact, I think it was a deft move.
That's partisan.
Jeb Bush is the man to send, with Colin Powell, to show people who just can't wait for another excuse to bash, that we have disasters and tragedies here too.
The hurricanes that hit Flordia made world news. Disney World is a world wide vacation destination, especially for Europeans and Japanese. People know that we have disasters and tragedies. People in Florida also know how much FEMA hasn't helped matters much either.
Example 1: a co-worker lives in the D.C. area during the week, and goes home to Florida for extended weekends. That was until the last hurricane flooded his home. His family moved to NY temporarily. FEMA called his wife, said they had 1 hour to get to the home site, or else FEMA wouldn't be around for another 3 months. The FEMA rep. called the NY number, knew it was a NY number, and still said they had 1 hour to get to the home site.
Example 2: gov't awards an outsourcing support contract to company X, who gov't reps know under bid the contract. Company X can't live up to the contract and renegotiates the contract. The gov't gets screwed because the original support required is negotiated away. Plus, gov't X gets more money to under perform.
Two very small examples of gov't waste of money.
Sorry, I get very sensitive around this time of year concerning gov't spending. It lasts for about 1 month past April 15th.
Bill Clinton got hammered, rightly, for the AmeriCorps mess. Paying people to do "volunteer" work, isn't "volunteer" work. It's another work program.
Getting the gov't involved in coordinating private donations of money and materials, makes no sense.
The gov't can aid in using the military to get it over there, or at least some of the immediate needs, but coordinating private donations, by the gov't, is silly and money wasting.
The news is reporting local efforts. The news is letting people know how to safe guard against ripoffs. Citizens are giving.
If a P.R. campaign for the U.S. is needed, the gov't can track how much charities are getting and distributing, and then go on a P.R. campaign to let "the world" know how much we are giving.
The U.N. fool who criticized U.S. giving has already been pimp smacked in line. Getting a U.S. agency to coordinate private functions, is silly.
It's possible that I really don't know what you guys are talking about. But this is what I see.
A. Carping 'blue staters' ragging on Bush for not sending enough money, in reaction to hearing about $35 million. Keyword 'stingy' and all references to the inauguration.
B. Press not reporting that the $35 million was available immediately in drawdown accounts for aid workers in country - already coordinated from standing disaster relief planning. IE infrastructure already in place, not like 9/11 when everyone was surprised and nobody had contingency plans.
C. 10 times the amount coming from the government within pretty much in line with the casualty figures going up by that order of magnitude.
D. Bush uses the bully pulpit to encourage Americans to do what they were already doing, to send a very clear message that a Republican and a Democrat President are behind the effort, as are all Americans.
How GWBush cannot win in that situation is a dog biting not because he's hungry, but just because he likes to bite.
Posted by: Cobb at January 4, 2005 12:55 AMEvery civilized government in the world with the capability to donate aid and coordinate that aid is doing it.
But that's government money, not private money.
What the government is giving of public funds is one thing, but coordinating, say, Amazon and Catholic Charities, makes no sense.
The U.S. ain't coordinating private relief for Florida hurricane victims.
There are better ways to do P.R. Look how the U.N. rep. got pimp smacked around.
A. Carping 'blue staters' ragging on Bush for not sending enough money, in reaction to hearing about $35 million.
Those who did that, if it happened, were/are stupid. The more it became clear what was happening, the more the U.S. gov't pledged to give.
Keyword 'stingy' and all references to the inauguration.
For me, stingy came from the U.N. rep. Concerning the inauguration, some conservatives are complaining about the funding and costs as well.
B. Press not reporting that the $35 million was available immediately in drawdown accounts for aid workers in country - already coordinated from standing disaster relief planning.
From my reading, the press made that known as soon as the gov't made it known.
C. 10 times the amount coming from the government within pretty much in line with the casualty figures going up by that order of magnitude.
From my reading, quickly reported on the net, and reported during next print newspaper cycle.
D. Bush uses the bully pulpit to encourage Americans to do what they were already doing, to send a very clear message that a Republican and a Democrat President are behind the effort, as are all Americans.
That, in itself, is no problem. My problem is this:
Under the new fund-raising drive, to be coordinated by the White House's USA Freedom Corps, an office that encourages volunteering,
From what's being reported in my area, this is more than just 2 former presidents going on a campaign to get people to donate money.
If I'm wrong, I'll recant. But from what I'm hearing, I'm ticked.
Posted by: EBrown at January 4, 2005 01:12 AM
Of course it makes sense. Every civilized government in the world with the capability to donate aid and coordinate that aid is doing it. It looks foolish for the US government to spend more money on the inaugural than on the tsunami victims. Whatever Bush is doing it for he can't do enough here.
Posted by: Lester Spence at January 3, 2005 10:23 PM