Government can do the job...

[William Thornton]

...and this report of post 911 economic recovery funding is a good example. 303 Georgia companies received small bus. loans, part of a many-billion terror recovery appropriation, post 911 deal. Sounds good. 911 had an economic impact. So where do the loans go?

In GA to:

- daycare center in ATL area ("the $1.3 million loan [I] got was "not for disaster relief. It didn't have anything to do with the disaster.")
- several liquor stores
- a vet ([the vet] "explained that travel suddenly declined as people stayed close to their homes. That affected the fees he got from boarding pets and from performing other services - shots, nail clipping and the like - that people tend to have done to their pets while they are being boarded.") Yeah, federal money for pet nail clipping? Over a million $$ for that?

It's inherent in the system. A ton of money taken from one crowd, filtered through a bunch of hands and given to another crowd. One can only imagine what will happen after Katrina.

This was an AP story in Athens Online, Athens Banner-Herald. You've got to register but the story may be available elsewhere.

[mlovell]

, from my local newspaper, plus

in my town -- and there's also a list of stories about this in various Texas newspapers, most with local illustrations. Clipping pets' toenails vs the doughnut shops -- I know where I'd want MY money to go!

Sounds like one of those Democrat giveaways people are always complaining about, doesn't it? (Remind me -- who was in charge of the govt post-9/11?)

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

[Dave Roberts]

I keep waiting to see Halliburton trucks in the NO recovery efforts. Any sign of them yet?

[mlovell]

Halliburton's there -- via its subsidiary

is all over the web.