Who Ya' Gonna' Believe?

The current conservative republican president GW, or your own lyin' eyes? Found this story yesterday about FEMA vs. The New Orleans Aquarium that is almost too funny (and very sad/infuriating as well). This post almost wrote itself -

I'm sure you've heard the conservative republican mantra, "it's government that is the problem". Or maybe Reagan 's 'funny. ha ha' words of fear, "Hi, I'm from the government and I'm here to help you". (Personally, the words that scare me are "Hi, I'm from private industry with a fat, no-bid government and I'm here to help" - who are they here to help, eh?)

Due to the loss of electric power after hurricane Katrina, the employees of the New Orleans Aquarium returned to find their tanks holding thousands of dead fish. Tourism is a mainstay of New Orleans' economy and of course the aquarium wanted to be back up and running ASAP as they're apparently a big tourist draw. FEMA offered over $600,000 to replace their dead stock. There was a catch, of course: GW's FEMA is a stickler for red tape and endless bureaucratic delays. Before FEMA could issue the grant, the aquarium employees managed to restock their tanks and reopen the aquarium, mostly by going out personally and catching the various types of fish they would exhibit. Other aquariums helped out with donations as well. The aquarium then presented their total bill for the restocking, $99,766, to FEMA who then refused to reimburse. The reason they refused? FEMA said the replacement fish had to come from private vendors, apparently the staff catching their own fish was a big 'no-no'. The cost from the private vendors? $616,000. That means that GW's FEMA would only reimburse if the total amount included $516,234 of pork to the private contractors who, of course, do everything faster & cheaper. According to the article, the case has been appealed and may wind up in federal court.

The moral? When someone who asks for your vote insists that government is always the problem and never the solution, believe them, they are a self-fulfilling prophecy, elect them at your peril.

Who/what is the US government again, exactly? I refer you to a quaint piece of parchment, allegedly revered by 'patriotic' Americans, a something called the Declaration of Independence. I believe the first three words of that 'quaint document' are "We, the people". There's your government, folks. I also remember another quote along the lines of "a republic, if you can keep it".