I think this stinks...

[snappy]

Jefferson is up for reelection in fall 2006, Nagin and the city council on Feb 4 and March 4, 2006.

 

[septbride2002]

He sounds like a real winner.

 

[bsnyder]

There does seem to plenty of it around...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/stories/DN-katfirefighters_14met.ART0.North.Edition2.1397577a.html

How does this relate to entitlement mentality?

 

[3for Me]

As Mike said in an earlier post, this is the state that we have lived in for years. This congressman is known in my circle as "Dollar Bill" (Bill Jefferson). And yes, he is always the very first to play the race card.

And everyone wonders why we have insufficient levees, no evacuation plan for impoverished people (his constituents I might add) etc, etc,.

I have lived in LA my whole life, and I can honestly say that this is of absolutely no surprise to me whatsover.

This issue is too big for us to take on by ourselves - we will be called racists, etc... I am telling you even when we try to effect change that will help EVERYONE - so please fellow Americans - let your congressmen and senators know that these are the types of people who will be making decisions with YOUR tax dollars...help us...write, call, do whatever it takes...otherwise, this is the gentleman who will spend your money rebuilding our (once) great city.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

How does this relate to entitlement mentality?

It doesn't. Just another cheap shot.

 

[chobie]

It doesn't. Just another cheap shot.

This, on the other hand, was not a cheap shot?

He was just on TV last week playing a full deck of race cards...

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Jefferson is up for reelection in fall 2006, Nagin and the city council on Feb 4 and March 4, 2006.

Just out of curiosity, have any provisions been made if the city is NOT habitable by then? I think I heard this mentioned once before about the upcoming elections but not what would be done.

Would Nagin's and the council's terms be extended, or would evacuees vote absentee? And how could anyone effectively campaign for a local election with the voters spread across several states?

 

[bsnyder]

Just out of curiosity, have any provisions been made if the city is NOT habitable by then? I think I heard this mentioned once before about the upcoming elections but not what would be done.

Would Nagin's and the council's terms be extended, or would evacuees vote absentee? And how could anyone effectively campaign for a local election with the voters spread across several states?

The states of LA, MS and AL will have to decide these issues. I've heard speculation about various scenarios, but I don't think anyone will officially address those questions yet. They've got more pressing issues.

This, on the other hand, was not a cheap shot?


Quote:
He was just on TV last week playing a full deck of race cards...

This, whether you agree it's true or not, at least pertains to the subject of the thread. The other is unrelated. Maybe she's making a case for general government/elected offiicial beauracratic bungling, but claiming it's entitlement mentality doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

 

[chobie]

The states of LA, MS and AL will have to decide these issues. I've heard speculation about various scenarios, but I don't think anyone will officially address those questions yet. They've got more pressing issues.



This, whether you agree it's true or not, at least pertains to the subject of the thread. The other is unrelated. Maybe she's making a case for general government/elected offiicial beauracratic bungling, but claiming it's entitlement mentality doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

I think putting firefighters, who volunteered to help the victims, on a chartered flight to make the President look good at a rally exemplifies the entitilement mentality.

And the race card remarks are cheap shots regardless of the context.

 

[bsnyder]

I think putting firefighters, who volunteered to help the victims, on a chartered flight to make the President look good at a rally exemplifies the entitilement mentality.

And the race card remarks are cheap shots regardless of the context.

What part of the article submits proof of that claim?

And do you think the use of the race card is a cheap shot?

 

[Tigger_Magic]

I think putting firefighters, who volunteered to help the victims, on a chartered flight to make the President look good at a rally exemplifies the entitilement mentality.

The firefighters were coming "to pass out pamphlets, write reports and help hurricane victims sign up for federal assistance." To me that doesn't seem like a mission critical task that would require the specific skills and abilities of these two firefighters. Being asked to attend a presidential appearance, regardless of who the President is at the time, should be considered an honor. I can understand, though, how some would like to use it as an attempt to disparage the current Administration.

And the race card remarks are cheap shots regardless of the context.

I'm not sure about the exact cost involved, however, given what I've read about this particular representative, the statement is quite accurate. The claims of racism in the aftermath of Katrina are nothing more than political grandstanding and pot-stirring.

 

[chobie]

What part of the article submits proof of that claim?

And do you think the use of the race card is a cheap shot?

I think racism still exists in this country, so the shrill cries of "race card" everytime the issue of possible racism comes up does seem like a cheap shot to me. I don't think there is a "race card" , I just think that is a cheap shot used to prevent people from discussing the exisitence of racism.

 

[chobie]

The firefighters were coming "to pass out pamphlets, write reports and help hurricane victims sign up for federal assistance." To me that doesn't seem like a mission critical task that would require the specific skills and abilities of these two firefighters. Being asked to attend a presidential appearance, regardless of who the President is at the time, should be considered an honor. I can understand, though, how some would like to use it as an attempt to disparage the current Administration. I'm not sure about the exact cost involved, however, given what I've read about this particular representative, the statement is quite accurate. The claims of racism in the aftermath of Katrina are nothing more than political grandstanding and pot-stirring.

No Katrina volunteers, no matter how trivial the help they can offer will be, should be flown to a Presidential appearance. How are they helping vicitms by standing behind the President? There will be plenty of time to "honor" the volunteers later, right now there is still a lot of work to do.

 

[bsnyder]

I think racism still exists in this country, so the shrill cries of "race card" everytime the issue of possible racism comes up does seem like a cheap shot to me. I don't think there is a "race card" , I just think that is a cheap shot used to prevent people from discussing the exisitence of racism.

What about the shrill cries of "racism" when they are not warranted? Or do you not think that ever happens?

Let me ask you a hypothetical. The other night on CNN they had a special called Lessons Learned. They were interviewing one of the officials who had participated in the Hurricane Pam simulation and other hurricane prepardness drills. She said they had never factored in the possibility of violence and looting in their planning. What do you think would have been the result if any government official had raised that possibility, before the storm?

 

[cats7494]

Nice to know he had his priorities straight

 

[bsnyder]

Nice to know he had his priorities straight

Perhaps he did have his priorities straight. I wonder what was in the "box the size of a small refrigerator" that he removed from his home.

Feds raided home of Nigerian official
They reportedly sought records on dealings of Rep. Jefferson
Saturday, August 27, 2005
By Bruce Alpert and Bill Walsh
Washington bureau
WASHINGTON -- On the same day that federal agents executed search warrants on the New Orleans and Washington, D.C., homes of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, the FBI also raided the Maryland residence of Nigeria's vice president, seeking evidence of possible payments to officials in that African nation.

A State Department official confirmed the Aug. 3 search of the Potomac, Md., home of Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his wife, Jennifer. The agency referred all questions about the raid to the Justice Department, which declined to comment.

{A source familiar with the investigation said subpoenas show agents were looking for records showing whether Jefferson, D-New Orleans, paid, offered to pay or authorized payments to officials in the government of Nigeria or Ghana.

The subpoenas, described to The Times-Picayune, seek documents related to Jefferson's dealings with Abubakar and the vice president of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama. Jefferson returned from a five-day visit to Ghana in mid-July, about three weeks before the FBI raided his homes.

The subpoenas focus in part on a telecommunications deal Jefferson was trying to engineer in Nigeria over the past year, according to documents and those familiar with details of the investigation.

Jefferson spokeswoman Melanie Roussell said the eight-term congressman would continue to decline comment on the federal probe. He has only said that he is cooperating with federal investigators.

It's not clear how Vice President Abubakar or his wife, a doctoral student at American University in Washington, might be connected to the telecommunications deal. A staffer at the Washington-based AIDS foundation set up by Jennifer Abubakar said the couple are in Nigeria. Efforts to reach them and the vice president of Ghana for comment were unsuccessful.

Jefferson's attorney, Mike Fawer, has said he believes the FBI had been conducting a sting operation against his client. Quoting anonymous law enforcement sources, The Washington Post reported that the operation had been in the works for a year and was investigating whether Jefferson pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars from business deals. The Post reported that agents found a large amount of cash in Jefferson's freezer.

Experts said that the U.S. Justice Department has been increasingly focused in recent years on prosecuting cases under the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars corporations or their agents from paying, offering to pay or authorizing payment of money or anything of value to further their business interests abroad.

Sources familiar with the telecommunications deal said that Jefferson was attempting to smooth the way for iGate Corp., a small Kentucky company, to introduce its high-speed broadband technology to Nigeria's fast-growing telecommunications market.

Stinkier and stinkier!

 

[sgtdisney]

Perhaps he did have his priorities straight. I wonder what was in the "box the size of a small refrigerator" that he removed from his home.



Stinkier and stinkier!

Yes, the whole thing is pretty rank. I guess the reports of excessive corruption in New Orleans aren't unwarranted.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

No Katrina volunteers, no matter how trivial the help they can offer will be, should be flown to a Presidential appearance. How are they helping vicitms by standing behind the President? There will be plenty of time to "honor" the volunteers later, right now there is still a lot of work to do.

Right... gotta get those all important pamphlets passed out and those reports written. Now that is real help.

 

[DawnCt1]

He should be in jail.

8 terms???? What's wrong with those people?

He may end up in jail. The FBI has been investigating him.

 

[DawnCt1]

Perhaps he did have his priorities straight. I wonder what was in the "box the size of a small refrigerator" that he removed from his home.



Stinkier and stinkier!

Cash in the freezer! Cool!