GULF COAST RECOVERY - NO NEW TAXES

On Thursday evening the President out lined his plan and initiatives for the recovery of the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina. These programs are going to run into the billions and the first question out of the mouths of the liberal media, talking heads and even some conservatives was a concern about tax increases to pay for it. The President ruled tax increases out yesterday and instead proposed cutting government spending to cover the cost. This in itself was good news since one of the things that I have disagreed with Bush about is the rampant spending, (excluding the War on Terror), that has taken place during his administration. There have been many comparisons of this recovery program to FDR's, "New Deal, " and LBJ's , "Great Society." On the surface these comparisons can be made because each program consisted of large government spending to off set a problem that this country was trying to solve. Then as you look deeper into Bush's proposal the comparison to these two huge Democrat programs end. The New Deal was a massive program that brought about entitlements such as Social Security, Welfare and government building projects that all have been proven to actually have lengthened the duration of the Depression rather than quell it and have become a thorn in our side ever since all designed to increase dependence on the Federal Government. The Great Society was a massive welfare assistance program to give government control over the poverty stricken of the nation thus forcing continual dependence on the government. What the President is proposing first is a recovery from a natural disaster the likes of which we have never seen before, huge spending is something that ANY President would do in this situation, the difference is the approach. Second the programs proposed are not designed to increase dependency on the government but rather to actually allow the individuals effected to stand on their own feet and prosper by their own means once the recovery is complete. The programs come directly from the conservative play book of Ronald Reagan. The President stressed the importance of entrepreneurs in building businesses throughout the effected area. He also stressed home ownership as opposed to government housing and enterprise zones designed to boost the economy of what used to be impoverished areas. This is not a welfare assistance program but one that gives the individual the incentives to rebuild his/her life and then move on to be a prosperous member of society and NOT depend on the government. Sure the initial outpouring of funds to rebuild is an assistance program from the government but this is what the Federal Government was created for, to assist in an emergency and then allow the individual to go on with their life in a timely manner and by their own means once they have recovered. One of the ironic twists that has come out of all of this is that the President in proposing this conservative style rebuilding program actually has Bill Clinton raising money from his liberal buddies to help pay for it. The left has tried to blast the proposals but they are in the position of looking like fools if they attempt to derail this because so many of their constituents are effected. The President mentioned on Thursday that, "The Crescent City, " will rise again. If the programs that he has proposed are successful and the area rebuilds based on the individuals ability to control their life and not government dependency then we will truly see a new region that will far out shine the one that has been destroyed !

Ken Taylor