Compassionate Conservatism

[Secretariat]

The Bush credo:

SEPARATE BUT EQUAL” EDUCATION: The Wall Street Journal reports that Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will ask Congress to waive a federal law that bans educational segregation for homeless children. The Bush administration is arguing, along with states like Utah and Texas, that providing schooling for evacuees – who, in this case, are likened to homeless children — will be disruptive to public school systems, so they want to have sound legal backing for creating separate educational facilities for the 372,000 schoolchildren displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The State of Mississippi is opposed to waiving the Act because they argue the law helps evacuees enroll in schools without red tape. [WSJ, “Schooling Evacuees Provokes Debate,” 9/14/05]

REFUSAL TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH CARE: The Wall Street Journal notes that Medicaid, “the federal-state health program for the poor[,] has emerged as the main way to provide medical coverage for many evacuees.” “To me, each day that passes without us knowing … exactly what the Medicaid relief package is going to include is adversely affecting not only our state … but other states who are getting our evacuees,” said J. Ruth Kennedy, deputy director of Louisiana’s Medicaid program, which provided health care to one-quarter of the state’s population before the hurricane. But the Journal reports that the “White House appears cool to any expansion” of Medicaid for Katrina survivors, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was “not convinced” it was needed. [WSJ, “Katrina Lays Bare Medicaid Dispute,” 9/14/05]

LOWER WAGES FOR HURRICANE RECOVERY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS: On September 8, 2005, President Bush suspended application of the Davis-Bacon Act, a federal law governing workers’ pay on federal contracts in the Hurricane Katrina-damaged areas. According to the Washington Post, the Act “sets a minimum pay scale for workers on federal contracts by requiring contractors to pay the prevailing or average pay in the region. Suspension of the act will allow contractors to pay lower wages.” Congressman George Miller (D-CA) said, “In effect, President Bush is saying that people should be paid less than $9 an hour to rebuild their communities.” [Bush’s Order Waiving Davis-Bacon Act; Washington Post, 9/9/05]

LOWER WAGES FOR HURRICANE RECOVERY SERVICE WORKERS: The Washington Post reports, “the White House was working yesterday to suspend wage supports for service workers in the hurricane zone as it did for construction workers on federal contracts last week.” The article notes that anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist “is among those lobbying the White House to suspend wage supports for service workers in the hurricane zone.” [Washington Post, 9/14/05]

[Secretariat]

Sorry forgot this one:

New US bankruptcy laws could add to the woes of Hurricane Katrina victims as they struggle to rebuild their lives, a politician has warned. Bankruptcy Code changes which make it harder for Americans to wipe out their debts take effect in a month's time.

Democratic Senator Russ Feingold says people driven to bankruptcy by hurricane damage should not be "test cases" for the new code.

He is proposing a bill that would give them another year under the old law.
...

However, the idea is opposed by the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives' judiciary committee, James Sensenbrenner, who is responsible for deciding whether the bill will be considered in the House.

[lsbets]

Okay Sec, the man who makes judgements without having any clue what he is talking about. Let me give you (it won't matter to you, but thinking people will take it under consideration, something to ponder vis a vis the education part.

School in Texas started anywhere from the beginning to the middle of August depending on the district. Children enrolling now in Texas schools are over a month behind in the curriculum. Placing them in the same classes as the students who have been there an extra month would either 1) place the evacuee students at a severe disadvatage because they have so much work to catch up on or 2) if the studies were slowed down to accomodate the large influx of new students, would slow down the education of the students who have been in those schools for the extra 4-6 weeks.

That's why Texas supports the plan. Go ahead, slam us for supporting it, say we're not compasionate here. We have taken in without hesitation more Katrina survivors than any other state, and now we want to send them to school at an extraordinary expense to the citizens of Texas, and want to do it in a way that is fair to them and gets them the best education possible, yet you have the gall to criticize us for doing so, simply because Bush is involved with the effort. I even like how you used the phrase "seperate but equal" with all the racist notes that conjures up. You're a real piece of work.

[Secretariat]

isbets,

Thank you for talking only about one of the issues, and ignoring the needs of the Republican Governor of Mississippi's wishes in regards to the first. But if it works for Texas what does Mississippi matter?

[Tom]

There he goes again.
The results of an education do not matter to libs - only that that tons of money are spent on it.

The more money spend the better the education. It doens't matter that a kid learns nothing - he will end up on welfare anyway, so what does he need learn?

[lsbets]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

isbets,

Thank you for talking only about one of the issues, and ignoring the needs of the Republican Governor of Mississippi's wishes in regards to the first. But if it works for Texas what does Mississippi matter?

Of all the stupid things you have written, that has to top the list. Its not about the governor of MS or any other state. The question we asked in Texas, right away, is how do we educate the children displaced by the hurricane and seeking shelter in our state. Only you could make that out to seem selfish on our part.

Do you think it would be fair to the students to throw them in a classroom where they are 4-6 weeks behind?

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by lsbets

Of all the stupid things you have written, that has to top the list. Its not about the governor of MS or any other state. The question we asked in Texas, right away, is how do we educate the children displaced by the hurricane and seeking shelter in our state. Only you could make that out to seem selfish on our part.

Do you think it would be fair to the students to throw them in a classroom where they are 4-6 weeks behind?

LS, to a lib's mind it would be fair. You know...the ol' "level the playing field" mantra?. This should never be forgotten: With liberalism, the only way the field could get "level" is to bring the better eductated and the weathier down to the level of the uneducatued/undereducated and poor -- never vice versa.
In a socialist society everyone gets to equally share in everyone else's misery.

Boxcar

[Secretariat]

Amazing. I post multiple examples and no one gets past one. I'm quite proud of Texas for taking in those people. I didn't know that new schools were set up for all of them and they're ready to start. I had read Missipppi was happy integrating them into their existing schools. It's a different approach. Now, OK, how about the Medicaid, the reduced wage issue, the failure to even remotely consider the bankruptcy issue for these people I posted. Looking forward to the compassionate conservative replies.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

make it harder for Americans to wipe out their debts take effect in a month's time.

Actually, increasing the minimum payment on credit cards can only help Americans wipe out their debts faster. What am I missing?

I suppose you think it's better they continue to pay the measly current minimum payment and end up paying obscene amounts of interest over a 20-30 year period, or however long it takes to pay off the bill using the minimum payment.

[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Actually, increasing the minimum payment on credit cards can only help Americans wipe out their debts faster. What am I missing?

I suppose you think it's better they continue to pay the measly current minimum payment and end up paying obscene amounts of interest over a 20-30 year period, or however long it takes to pay off the bill using the minimum payment.

It has nothing to do with minimum payments. It has to do with the changing laws of bankruptcy in which it has become much more harder to declare bankruptcy and have the slate wiped clean. What Feingold was proposing is that the old laws of bankruptcy be in force for the hurricane victims rather than the more business friendly new ones. In other words people who have lost everything would benefit and truly be able to start over by declaring bankruptcy rather than be liable for massive expenses incurred as a result of the hurricane. Sensenbrenner said no.

Whether you agree with it or not it demonstrates a lack of sensitivity to what were previously described as "refugees", people who are essentially homeless, and have to start over from scratch.

But Sensenbrenner, like Ebenezer Scrooge, won't even consider it. Bah Humbug. Certainly, not an act of a compassionate conservative. Doesn't really reflect good Christian values as well. Hopefully, GW wil put Sensebrenner in his place, and use his born again values to aid people who have lost everything and are forced to declare bankruptcy, not to be indebted for years to come because of a lack of "compassion" for their plight.

Thank you for PA for answering though. Doesn't seem like most of the other namecalling righties want to tackle these issues.

[Turntime]

I don't see how the new bankrupcy laws will adversely effect the vast majority of Katrina victims. Insurance should cover most property damage. If you were not insured then you should have no problem filing for chapter 7. If you are unemployed as a result of Katrina, once again you should have no trouble filing for chapter 7 protection. The new laws mainly exempt people in higher income brackets from filing chapter 7 - instead they must file chapter 13, a 5 year repayment program. In LA if you earn less than $32,000 (or $60,000 if 2 people in the household work) then you most likely are eligible for a chapter 7 filing.

Bankruptcy is a way for people to erase a large debt that they can't repay and get a fresh start, not a charity for those who lost wealth due to disaster (that's what insurance is for).

Not saying that everything is hunky dory, but I can't think of any specific examples where the new bankruptcy laws will pose a problem to Katrina victims.

[Tom]

We are putting these LA sudents into Terxas schools with no exit strategy.
Have we learned nothing?

[Kreed]

LOL TOM, you're a Pistol. im still laffing.