America: the empty promise maker
Scott Bannon
November 26, 2005
From our beginnings, white man speaks with forked tongue.
Just 10 days ago I wrote about an attempt by Congress to steal $125 million dollars of health care funds from September 11th Ground-Zero workers. Today, it's reported that F.E.M.A. is sitting on over half of the $62 billion dollars that was pledged to the Katrina recovery/rebuilding efforts--and it appears that the White House wants some of the funds returned and others to be moved to different projects.
Now, I'm no expert in public relations nor government affairs, but these actions and their timing speaks volumes on the characters of our leadership to me.
When the press is listening, and the cameras are on Americans get sweet slogans and forceful pledges to do what's right. After September 11th, the public wanted Bin Laden (dead or alive) and ample aid (beyond the record high public charitable contributions) provided to the victims. We the people wanted we the people taken care of.
And from a mountain of debris with bullhorn in hand our President promised to do just that.
Four years later Bin Laden still leads his terrorist network and with the cameras focused elsewhere, they try to take back some of the funding.
After Katrina struck and Americans everywhere saw that our federal government was still not prepared for a large scale disaster (or attack) in any way, and on many levels did more harm than good for victims our President once again spoke from 'on scene', pledging to do and spend "whatever it takes" to aid victims and rebuild the region. It was what we the people wanted.
Three months later and with the cameras focused elsewhere, once again our leadership intends to break their promise and cut funding to the rebuilding efforts.
Katrina did teach us many lessons about ourselves and our government today. One that seems to get very little 'buzz' in the media is that it takes being publicly shamed to motivate our current leaders. Not until Americans of all walks of life, from coast to coast screamed out in frustration was the incompetent F.E.M.A. director pulled 'out of the way' of recovery/relief efforts, and not until poll numbers dropped to an all-time low for President Bush did we get a firm (at the moment) pledge from Washington D.C. to provide real assistance to the region's rebuilding. It was what we the people wanted.
And once again, as with the health care funding for September 11th workers, when the press, cameras and public attention are focused elsewhere--the promises are broken.
Just 10 days ago I wrote about an attempt by Congress to steal $125 million dollars of health care funds from September 11th Ground-Zero workers. Today, it's reported that F.E.M.A. is sitting on over half of the $62 billion dollars that was pledged to the Katrina recovery/rebuilding efforts--and it appears that the White House wants some of the funds returned and others to be moved to different projects.
Now, I'm no expert in public relations nor government affairs, but these actions and their timing speaks volumes on the characters of our leadership to me.
When the press is listening, and the cameras are on Americans get sweet slogans and forceful pledges to do what's right. After September 11th, the public wanted Bin Laden (dead or alive) and ample aid (beyond the record high public charitable contributions) provided to the victims. We the people wanted we the people taken care of.
And from a mountain of debris with bullhorn in hand our President promised to do just that.
Four years later Bin Laden still leads his terrorist network and with the cameras focused elsewhere, they try to take back some of the funding.
After Katrina struck and Americans everywhere saw that our federal government was still not prepared for a large scale disaster (or attack) in any way, and on many levels did more harm than good for victims our President once again spoke from 'on scene', pledging to do and spend "whatever it takes" to aid victims and rebuild the region. It was what we the people wanted.
Three months later and with the cameras focused elsewhere, once again our leadership intends to break their promise and cut funding to the rebuilding efforts.
Katrina did teach us many lessons about ourselves and our government today. One that seems to get very little 'buzz' in the media is that it takes being publicly shamed to motivate our current leaders. Not until Americans of all walks of life, from coast to coast screamed out in frustration was the incompetent F.E.M.A. director pulled 'out of the way' of recovery/relief efforts, and not until poll numbers dropped to an all-time low for President Bush did we get a firm (at the moment) pledge from Washington D.C. to provide real assistance to the region's rebuilding. It was what we the people wanted.
And once again, as with the health care funding for September 11th workers, when the press, cameras and public attention are focused elsewhere--the promises are broken.
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