U.S. announces tenfold increase in tsunami aid

[RoeBear]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/12/31/national1637EST0592.DTL

So is Bush being cheap or giving away our tax money?

[uppityperson]

1. About time the USA government chipped in a decent amount

They are helping at a major catastrophe and good for them.

[asjr]

2. He has proclaimed giving money before to others.

They had better not hold their breath in Asia.

[madaboutharry]

3. The rest of the world shamed us into it.

It is so hard to be an American right now.

[Baja Margie]

25. Absolutely

Boy, they must think we are dumber than dirt.

[bpilgrim]

4. they're gonna need 10's of BILLIONS or more

and the WHOLE industrial world COMBINED can't even scrape up 1 billion, even during CHRISTMAS... PATHETIC :puke:

turn up the HEAT :bounce:

peace

[Tinoire]

6. Lol! I'm with you

and they're... off!!!!

[mark11727]

23. Wouldn't that cut into all those holiday BONUSES?

(Still trying to get over the recent article on Wall Street bonuses)

[Liberty Belle]

5. Urge Bush to ask the rich to send back their tax cuts

to pay for the aid package to tsunami victims.

[Tinoire]

7. LMAO. Love the idea but what's a few more homeless to them?

The can't even care about the hungry and homeless at their own doorstep so something tells me their "beautiful minds" won't be any more bothered by this.

:thumbsup:

[shanti]

9. but many of them

lost their tropical playground. maybe this will jar them into reality...sad, isn't it?

[Tinoire]

13. Sadly, and this is just an opinion, the ones who lost their playground

might have been the first to give since there were so many young entrepreneurs among them. It's the crusty old network of rich families running this country I'm talking about- they won't be jarred into reality until they're tossed out on the streets like the bums most of them are.

Very, very sad.

Though, on edit, expect glamorous $5000 a plate fund raisers for the victims any time now. Complete with $100,000 ball gowns and tiaras.

[pleiku52cab]

8. I wonder ??

A) - how much of that is a grant
B) - how much of that is a loan
C) - are those "generous" corporate donations tax deductible
D) - what is the expiration date on the pharmaceutical donations

[meisje]

10. Everyone should have to donate a month's paycheck!

350 mil is nothing

[CJCRANE]

11. That's more like it but...

heard Colin Powell say that this was money for long-term reconstruction.

[Patsy Stone]

14. Reconstruction = No Bid Halliburton Contracts n/t

[bikebloke]

24. Thinking the same thing

They raised the donation amount as another ruse to siphon yet more funds into Halliburton & Thieves off shore accounts. As if they care. Anyway, Baby Jaysus was takin' revenge on those heathens for not believing in him.

[Meme]

12. that´s a good thing right?

I kinda got used to hate everything Bush and co do or say, but what´s wrong with this? Heard it on the news just before midnight, couldn´t believe it at first. A tenfold increase :s I don´t understand why now, and what suddenly changed their minds, but the money is needed, so does it really matter right now?

[sushi]

16. What changed their minds

is that they were embarrassed to be called stingy. I have read, and I could be wrong, that the European Union spends more, per capita, than the US on aid. In fact, Clinton mentioned this in a speech not too long ago at a university, I think.

The other thing is that they realize that helping Muslims affected by this tsunami is one way to "win hearts and minds" of Muslims worldwide. The war in Iraq (killing people, most of them innocent) costs over $100 billion. The first offer of $35 million to help victims of this devastating earthquake was nothing. I'm very interested how much Saudi Arabia contributes!

It occurred to me that this earthquake has pushed 9/11 into the background. I wonder if * is a little annoyed at this, because to him nothing is more devastating than 9/11, and therefore nothing should be more devastating to the whole world than 9/11.

[Meme]

19. I know the 35 million was nothing

But I never expected it to be raised to 350 million so damn fast. Guess you´re right. It´s not that they suddenly care, they had to raise it. If they really did care they wouldn´t have waited for five freaking days. yeah yeah... Bush probably will be the big hero again by some people. Maybe this will win some hearts and minds of Muslims worldwide too. Probably will even... that really really sucks. But I´m glad the whole world had a chance to see how generous they were before the world called them stingy. Although I think he´ll find a way to talk his way out of that. Maybe the UN will start apologizing for calling them stingy, you´ll never know. But what matters most right now (I think) is that the money is on it´s way to were it´s most needed

And what you´re saying about 9/11.. I think you could be right!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

15. He thought no one would notice

what a putz

[RhodaGrits]

17. "Oh yeah?" says Bush, "I'll see your 57 million and raise you $293 mil"

He's giving a way 350 million in aid the way he spends money in Iraq - with no idea how he's going to come up with the actual funds but the numbers are good PR.

[Disturbed]

18. GW is notorious for...

spouting out sum for various programs then cutting that sum drasticly
or not releasing any money at all.

We have a Silverpoon Sociopath pretender of a Pres.

[sushi]

20. Didn't he promise $15 billion

to help AIDS victims in Africa? Does anyone know how much, if any, of that money has been spent on doing just that?

[NNN0LHI]

22. His minions in congress cut the aid money/Congress set to slash Africa Aid

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3055924.stm

AS US President George W Bush proclaims his commitment to Africa during this week's five-day trip, his Republicans in Congress are planning on cutting back the money allocated to his much-vaunted plans to tackle HIV/Aids and encourage development.

At the heart of the president's new focus on Africa are two initiatives for which the administration has promised a significant increase in funding.

Mr Bush has pledged $15bn to fight HIV/Aids, primarily in Africa, over the next five years, and an additional $10bn in additional foreign aid over the next three years in a new Millennium Challenge Account.

But the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee - which determines how much money will actually be spent in next year's budget - looks set to cut back that request when it meets on Thursday.

more

More smoke and mirrors like this disaster aid increase is. Only the mouth breathers fall for it any more.

Don

[Deja Q]

21. It's nice to see the increase, but given the initial reaction, there is NO

WAY that this is an act of altruism.

* got caught showing his true colors and now he only wants to recover his face.

I don't think it's going to work, he's a little bit late.

And, at this moment, it's just an announcement too.