The Other Looters from Louisiana

Louisiana is, to use the Southern colloquialism, in a world of hurt. Battered by two hurricanes and having its largest city destroyed, it is in bad shape. The Federal Government and regular Americans have stepped up to help the Bayou State right itself again.

And what was the response from the state's Congressional delagation? How did they say "thanks" to the nation? By picking the federal pocket.

Today's Washington Post has a scathing editorial on the Louisiana delegation's attempt to use the Katrina tragedy to get more pork sent to the state. The Post is not amused:

Like looters who seize six televisions when their homes have room for only two, the Louisiana legislators are out to grab more federal cash than they could possibly spend usefully. For example, their bill demands $7 billion for rebuilding evacuation and energy supply routes, but it also demands a separate $5 billion for road building and makes no mention of the $3.1 billion already awarded to the state in the recent transportation legislation. The bill demands $50 billion in community development block grants, partly to get small businesses going, but it also demands $150 million for a small-business loan fund plus generous business tax breaks. The bill even asks for $35 million for seafood marketing and $25 million for a sugar-cane research laboratory. This is the equivalent of New York responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center by insisting upon a federally financed stadium in Brooklyn.

After what we have just seen in New Orleans, the response should be to help rebuild the city, build strong levees and restore marshland that has been gobbled up by developement. It is a bad time to be passing out federal largesse in order to enhance re-election chance.

I guess we can't expect much from a state that elected crooks like former governor Edwin Edwards.