Haiti Needs Our Help

Hello Bloggers! Sadly, death and misery often inflict mankind's poorest. Remember the tsunami. The recent earthquake in Haiti is no different. Living in California I am no stranger to earth movement, but from what I've seen on the news I think they have it pretty bad. Once again we need to help. We should all give something, no matter how small the donation.

I am sending what I can afford to the Red Cross today, and I hope everybody out there does the same. Ignore the religious idiots and selfish distractions like Pat Roberston who try to turn natural disasters into 'wrath of God' fantasies or judgements on mankind. They are the scum of the earth. No, the right thing to do is to try and help our fellow man. That is what is important.

Please visit the International Red Cross online donation page today, and give whatever you can to help those who are suffering in Haiti. The world is getting more and more desperate. People are suffering all over due to poverty and natural disasters. Still, as long as we have the ability to give, we should. It's part of who we are. It's about our humanity. May God Bless the People of Haiti and help them find some comfort.

Our prayers are with you - Michael

Political Rant: Bush's and the Republican's Outrageous Waste!

Good Morning Bloggers - I know I seem pretty negative sometimes pointing out all the horrible waste and injustice, but since the corporate media is not responsible in that area I believe it's a role that bloggers must play.

So, in the area of waste, I would like to point out the wonderful article posted by Think Progress this morning that lists just a few of the large financial screw-ups of the Bush Administration and the Republicans. Do you really want to vote for McCain and risk another eight years of this nightmare?

A Small Snapshot of the Bush Administration's Legacy of WASTE! according to a few Reputable Sources

- $700 billion minimum - Yesterday, President Bush announced his $700 billion plan to buy out troubled financial institutions. As proposed Bush's plan places no restrictions on the administration other than requiring semiannual reports to Congress. Incredibly, Bush and Paulson propose outsourcing much of the work to their Wall Street buddies. It needs to be adjusted to protect against Bush and his gang of thieves.

-$142 million wasted on reconstruction projects that were either terminated or canceled. [Special Inspector General for Iraq, 07-28-08]

-“Significant” amount of U.S. funds for Iraq funneled to Sunni and Shiite militias. [GAO Comptroller, 03-11-08]

-$180 million payed to construction company Bechtel for projects it never finished. [Federal audit, 07-25-07]

-$5.1 billion in expenses for Iraq reconstruction charged without documentation. [Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction report, 03-19-07]

-$10 billion in spending on Iraq reconstruction was wasteful or poorly tracked. [GAO, 02-15-07]

-Halliburton overcharged the government $100 million for one day’s work in 2004. [Project on Government Oversight, 10-08-04]

KATRINA

-Millions wasted on four no-bid contracts, including paying $20 million for an unusable camp for evacuees. [Homeland Security Department Inspector General, 09-10-08]

-$2.4 billion in contracts doled out by FEMA that guaranteed profits for big companies. [Center for Public Integrity investigation, 06-25-07]

-An estimated $2 billion in fraud and waste — nearly 11 percent of the $19 billion spent by FEMA on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as of mid-June. [New York Times tally, 06-27-06]

-“Widespread” waste and mismanagement on millions for Katrina recovery, including at least $3 million for 4,000 beds that were never used. [GAO, 03-16-06]

DEFENSE CONTRACTS

-A $50 million Air Force contract awarded to a company with close ties to senior Air Force officers, in a process “fraught with improper influence, irregular procedures, glaring conflicts of interest.” [Project on Government Oversight, 04-18-08]

-$1.7 billion in excessive fees and waste paid by the Pentagon to the Interior Department to manage federal lands. [Defense Department and Interior Department Inspectors General audit, 12-25-06]

-$1 trillion unaccounted for by the Pentagon, including 56 airplanes, 32 tanks, and 36 Javelin missile command launch-units. [GAO, 05-18-03]

(To read their article, visit http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/21/bush-legacy-taxpayer-funds/)

So, for all you Republicans who like to claim that Democrats tax and spend, and mostly spend, then I challenge you to provide a list of government waste that can out do the one provided here. Can you? I doubt it. It is clear that George Bush and his Republican supporters have wasted billions and possibly trillions on projects that in the end hurt the American people.

I can't believe it when I read that list - and to think it's only a small percentage of the waste. If Democrats had done damage even close to this I suspect the Republicans would have found a way to destroy the party or ignited a civil war. It's inexcusable incompetence. It's beyond corruption - it's stupidity and negligence to the point of immorality.

I suggest that you Republicans who are continuing to support your party take a long hard look at the damages, and rethink your absurd loyalty. Just ask yourself, why should you trust your Republican leadership? I wouldn't trust my Democratic ones if they had done the same. You need to see them for who they are: incompetent, immoral, corrupt, deceitful, thieves.

Monday's Political Rant # 1 - Michael