2 Comments:

 Unknown said...

Hi Rena! The New Orleans Times-Picayune issued a scathing editorial today regarding the speech. Did you see Gov. Blanco's disgusted look when he glossed over their plight?

Oh, and I'm jealous, you seem to be hogging all the trollish apologists for Bushco. :)

1:47 PM  

 RenaRF said...

Eastern Spirit: Regarding Katrina, I was looking for some acknowledgement of programs now that address the needs of the Gulf area residents. For example, if the Baker legislation is unacceptable, an explanation of how and why a grants program will fill the identified needs would have been appropriate. Further, an explanation of how small businesses are helped (as opposed to the plans in place for large businesses, which are fine) through reconstruction. Not talking more about rebuilding the Gulf area is like not acknowledging 9/11 during the 2002 SOTU speech - it's ridiculous. And we all know he references 9/11 every chance he gets.

Immigration policy is unacceptable to me across the board, Republican or Democrat. Guest worker programs doesn't address how the borders are made more secure and the President gave only a passing reference.

While I accept that in MY field job security is MY issue, that is not true for all of the people the President himself as well as his spokespeople (specifically McClellan) have floating the idea of "retraining". Yet the retraining issue is remarkably devoid of details. it's just - retraining. Period. No plan, so specifics, no guidance to people who might actually want to seek the benefit of retraining. Simply saying that we should be 'competitive' is NOT an economic plan. It's a talking point from a talking head with a lot of gloss and not much substance.

Finally, I have great health care. I am fortunate in that respect. While I have not seen a universal health care plan which I can endorse, I would fall off the chair if the President or anyone else in the Corporation-controlled Republican party talked about meaningful control and oversight of the insurance industry.

Eastern, pay the bill now, at least in part, or pay it in greater proportion later because rapidly rising health care costs (at a rate surpassing wage growth and inflation adjustments) are causing the middle class family to go under. Do you suggest we leave them there, that we tell them that despite the fact that they earn a middle-class wage and work hard and pay their taxes they're just out of luck?

Any other questions I didn't address? Thanks for playing.

2:50 PM  

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