Yesterday, when Bush said spirit of America is "neighbor helping neighbor"

[AP]

Did anyone else think he was trying to say, "don't look tot he state or federal government to help you too much" with the damage caused by Charlie.

All the state and federal employees who could help are deployed in Iraq, right?

Anyway, this is an ownership society. You bought your house. Nature broke it. I don't see where the government comes in to the equation.

Well, I'm sure when the builders start working, the favorites of the state politicians might get some taxpayer dollars to make repairs that don't meet government standards, so that when Hurrican Xavier blows in, Gradma Millie gets blown away if she didn't get blown away by Charlie. Furthermore, who has time to inspect these reparis? FL has cut taxes so much, they probably can't afford to hire people to enforce anything as mundane as housing codes.

Maybe we should get our neighbors to inspect or homes and enforce the building code. And instead of paying taxes, perhaps we should just give money to our neighbors and ask them to look after us. Definitely, please send the neighbors to Iraq. I don't want to go there.

[soothsayer]

1. well, shrub is sending $16B for the estimated $11B of damage. Jeb

can keep the change, I guess. Advance payment for Nov?

[AP]

2. Jeb can give all 16 billion to the developers, so long as Bush is telling

us to rely on our neighbors for help.

[Junkdrawer]

6. Yeah, and they sent 87 billion to Iraq. Say, does Baghdad have...

electricity yet? Wonder where that money went?

[soothsayer]

9. Don't forget, he IS sending $50 THOUSAND to Cuba. cheap prick. n/t

[readmylips]

3. Wasn't FEMA broke after 911, Hurricanes, Floods.etc...

after all tragedies since little bush took office?

Also, after hurricane Andrews the home insurance companies were at the brink of bankruptcy. They were forced to raise rates and cut back on coverage. Their water damaged policy was diminished to keep homeowners from what they can claim. An act of nature is not really covered when the homeowner can't prove that he/she did not take steps to protect his/her home. A hurricane is coming and I picked up my house and moved it up north...Up north? That's tornado ally. Mr. you did not protect your house. It's a win-win for the insurance companies.

[Sydnie]

4. Rewriting Poppas' speeches is about all

"Neighbor helping neighbor" sounds like "1000 points of light" to me.

[AP]

7. 1000 pts of light was same thing. Don't look to the government to referee

the marketplace or guarantee a level playing field, or educate your kids.

Look to the kidness of rich strangers instead.

It's the same thing.

[GreenArrow]

5. Neighbor Based Charity

it's an adjunct to Faith Based Charity.

[Must_B_Free]

8. He meant "Helping ourselves to our neighbor's resources"

[skygazer]

10. He's been saying that for a while

And it irritates me every time. It's his way of making lack of funding for social programs sound all touchy-feely instead of focusing on the seniors, poor people and children who can no longer get the services they desperately need.

Neighbor helping neighbor sounds great - but it doesn't work. Look at the way homeless shelters get a glut of volunteers to feed people turkey dinners every Thanksgiving but they struggle to keep operating for the rest of the year. If Bush hadn't trashed the economy, maybe fewer people would need that help but it still couldn't be administered on a "neighbor helping neighbor" basis. Give me a break.

[AP]

11. Usually the story of homesless shelters is neighbors don't want them in...

...their neighborhoods.

Nieghbors NIMBY'ing neighbors.