Congress has authorized something like $60 billion in aid to the Katrina victims. This rings true to our humanaritarian impulse, but, wait a second, do we really believe that those who so poorly handled the mission -- and so many others! -- will handle the clean up and start-over activities of those hit by this profound catastrophe?
In a word, No.
I'm willing to wager major dollars that the Beltway Bandits are already at the public trough, arguing that they can "help" people. Perhaps, to some extent, they can, but, no doubt, they will take a substantial cut in the process.
Why not create a one-time Katrina charitable exclusion of, say, up to $1000 per taxpayer? If 100 million donate an average of $600, that creates a pool of cash of roughly $60 billion. And direct aid organizations like the Red Cross and Salvation Army have got to be more efficient than the conflicted and dazed bureaucrats in DC, Baton Rouge, and the other state capitals. Importantly, these charities focus their efforts on helping people directly, versus the pork barrel projects that FEMA and the Bandits are no doubt cooking up right now.
Never have the words: "We're from the government, and we're here to help" sounded more ominous.
-Robert Capozzi