Hurricane Predictions Off By Wide Margin
Over the past year there were predictions about how bad hurricanes were going to get (example). That we should expect more and stronger hurricanes. One problem though, so far this hurricane season is one of the least active in decades. So what happened? Lots. Storms were starved for fuel after ingesting masses of dry Saharan dust and air over the ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 27, 2006 13:45
Overdue Rental Car? Or Lucky to be Alive? PNW Floods
In case you missed the 7/24 news reports last week, the Pacific Northwest got slammed by the “Pineapple Express,” a series of relatively warm major storms that blasted Oregon, Washington, and BC*. These storms gave torrential downpours of rain, rather than the seasonally expected snow, causing massive flooding. But imagine you were just a tourist, trapped behind floodwaters. Are you ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 18, 2006 03:21
The Hurricane Katrina Goldmine
This article from the Cato Institute paints a very depressing image of President Bush's bail out for New Orleans and the areas affected by hurricane Katrina. Calling President Bush, Franklin Delano Bush, based on this seems inaccurate in timing only given that President Bush has expanded spending at a rate that would have left Republicans sputtering in rage if ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 24, 2006 16:35
‘Breathtaking’ Waste and Fraud in Hurricane Aid
Today's New York Times fronts a story entitled "'Breathtaking' Waste and Fraud in Hurricane Aid." Among the many superlatives associated with Hurricane Katrina can now be added this one: it produced one of the most extraordinary displays of scams, schemes and stupefying bureaucratic bungles in modern history, costing taxpayers up to $2 billion. A hotel owner in Sugar Land, Tex., ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on June 27, 2006 10:01
Humane Society Of The United States: Under Investigation
This is not your grandmother's "Humane Society". Those of us closely involved in dog sport have been long aware that the Humane Society of the United States is nothing more than an activist animal rights movement that has "appropriated" the identity of a long established and respected animal welfare organization. It is endlessly frustrating to hear their representatives quoted by media ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on April 21, 2006 22:47
Louisiana Hiring Brownie?
A Louisiana parish is interviewing Michael "Brownie" Brown for work as a consultant to help "get things moving again," USA Today reports. The leaders of a Louisiana parish devastated by Hurricane Katrina may bring in hired help from an unlikely source — heavily criticized former FEMA director Michael Brown. Brown, who resigned two weeks after Katrina hit Aug. 29 and has ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on April 12, 2006 11:01
Hurricane Relief Money Went to Strippers, Booze and Tatoos
From the Smoking Gun comes this story about how FEMA distributed ATM cards were "abused". Here is a list of items that were bought, .45 calibre pistol--$1,300 Gentlemen's club--$1,200 Diamond engagement ring--$1,100 Gambling--$1,000 Bail Bond--$1,000 Traffic tickets--$700 Tatoo--$450 Massage Parlor--$400 Alcoholic beverages--$200 Condoms--$150 Now I know that most people are going to be upset or even "outraged" that people would buy things like this. However, if you are a ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on February 14, 2006 13:03
Pentagon Backs Dual Leaders in Domestic Crises
The Pentagon's top homeland defense official told the Senate yesterday that one of the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina is that active duty and National Guard forces should have separate commanders during crisis situations. A single military commander should not lead both active-duty and National Guard forces during a domestic crisis, a senior Defense Department official said Thursday. Paul McHale, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on February 10, 2006 05:14
Medals Authorized for Soldiers Participating in Hurricane Relief
Service members who participated in relief operations for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have been authorized to wear the Humanitarian Service Medal and/or the Armed Forces Service Medal. Storm-relief medals authorized (Army Times) The Joint Staff has authorized the award of the Humanitarian Service Medal and Armed Forces Service Medal to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and members of the Coast Guard â ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on December 10, 2005 13:15
Hurricanes Leave Half Million Unemployed
Nearly half a million Americans have filed unemployment claims related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, according to Labor Department reports. Job Losses From Hurricanes Up to 478,000 (AP) Another 40,000 Americans filed claims for unemployment benefits last week due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, pushing the total who have lost jobs because of the storms to 478,000. The Labor Department reported Thursday ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 20, 2005 13:30
