1 But not all of that is going to people who "just won the lottery" by losing everything they own. Those numbers also include a lot of "societial" expenses. Like rent on the Astrodome (that's figured in as part of the contributions) then there's the money spend on ferrying people out of there in chartered planes, buses, trains, and boats -- renting more temporary housing, rebuilding those levees the US Army lost, paying for the diesel for generators and massive pumps to drain the city, the cost of floating USS Harry S Truman and its support ships off the coast for months, rebuilding docks, roads, bridges, pipelines (yep, even oil and gas companies are getting plenty of federal aid), dredging the Mississippi so that 40% of the country can be supplied with food and fuel, and farmers from North Dakota to Pennsylvania can get grain to overseas markets. That knocks down the lottery winnings. Now consider that many of the people lost homes that have been in their families for more than a hundred years. 200 grand doesn't come close, and they won't get much more than 10,000 in direct benefits. I don't think anyone in New Orleans won any lottery.

2 Harvey sent me over because he thought you might resemble some ogre's I have hanging by my garage door. I hope so.;-) Just wanted you to know I will be a frequent vistor. Great site.

3 Thanks, Denny, for listing the vast, incredible amount of wasting of money that government is capable of. Every single think you listed is waste. Rent on the astrodome? Yeah, we really NEED government to pay government. That's not only wasteful, that's total B.S. Chartering airplanes? Certainly no one can live without a chartered airplane. Renting housing? Oh yes, we have to have government pay for housing, or no one will have a place to stay. Tell me again why I have to pay rent when the government could just pay it for me? You do a very efficient job of helping me point out the utter absurdity and total uselessness of today's federal government, thank you. And Beebee- thanks for stopping by...I think... "Hanging by your garage?"

4 Lunatic

5 I agree Mycos, Denny is a lunatic.