Blog Roundup
Public Policy and Katrina
by Congressman John Conyers | The Daily Kos
"The devastation along the Gulf Coast caused by Katrina and the ripple effects throughout the entire nation are tragic beyond description. What we are witnessing in Louisiana and Mississippi is the truism that when disaster strikes, the gap between rich and poor becomes a chasm.
In today's lagging economy, far too many hardworking Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, just barely getting by. In that tenuous financial condition, many families are only one tragedy away from being devastated by debt. Many of the families who have now lost their homes, livelihoods, and personal possessions will soon be contacted by credit collection agencies demanding the next minimum payment on a credit card.
Unfortunately, the bankruptcy bill recently passed by Congress makes matters far worse for these families. Before the new bankruptcy law was passed, the law recognized that almost all -- if not all -- of these families are hopelessly in debt and that no useful purpose is served by forcing them to remain at the mercy of the credit card companies."
A Million Here, A Million There
Mark Schmitt | The Decembrist
"In a great example of what the distributed, decentralized processing power of the internet is good for, a number of bloggers have teamed up to take President Bush at his word and demonstrate that the costs of Gulf Coast reconstruction can be paid for by cutting "pork" from the federal budget. "Porkbusters," created by Glenn Reynolds and N.Z. Bear of Truth Laid Bear, is an admirable effort, much along the lines of Josh's efforts on the DeLay Rule, Social Security, and now the Gulf Coast Wage Cut."
by Congressman John Conyers | The Daily Kos
"The devastation along the Gulf Coast caused by Katrina and the ripple effects throughout the entire nation are tragic beyond description. What we are witnessing in Louisiana and Mississippi is the truism that when disaster strikes, the gap between rich and poor becomes a chasm.
In today's lagging economy, far too many hardworking Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, just barely getting by. In that tenuous financial condition, many families are only one tragedy away from being devastated by debt. Many of the families who have now lost their homes, livelihoods, and personal possessions will soon be contacted by credit collection agencies demanding the next minimum payment on a credit card.
Unfortunately, the bankruptcy bill recently passed by Congress makes matters far worse for these families. Before the new bankruptcy law was passed, the law recognized that almost all -- if not all -- of these families are hopelessly in debt and that no useful purpose is served by forcing them to remain at the mercy of the credit card companies."
A Million Here, A Million There
Mark Schmitt | The Decembrist
"In a great example of what the distributed, decentralized processing power of the internet is good for, a number of bloggers have teamed up to take President Bush at his word and demonstrate that the costs of Gulf Coast reconstruction can be paid for by cutting "pork" from the federal budget. "Porkbusters," created by Glenn Reynolds and N.Z. Bear of Truth Laid Bear, is an admirable effort, much along the lines of Josh's efforts on the DeLay Rule, Social Security, and now the Gulf Coast Wage Cut."
posted by Noel at
11:59 AM
