Snowpocalypse

Schumer, Gillibrand Urge Obama to Declare Post-Christmas Snowstorm a National Disaster

Turns out that the Snowpocalypse was even worse than anyone thought: with the estimated bill for cleanup coming to tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are imploring President Obama to approve New York State’s Disaster Declaration request and allow the city to receive federal aid.

The December storm blanketed Read More

Brownie: FEMA Cannot Succeed

Today’s “Cities at Risk” conference, organized by Milano, The New School for Management and Urban Policy, could not have been planned more appropriately. Yesterday, President Bush named R. David Paulison to replace former FEMA director Michael Brown.

Held in the Tishman Auditorium, Mr. Brown joined James Lee Witt, (FEMA Director under Read More

Bush’s Crony Capitalism Shows G.O.P.’s True Face

Politically as well as physically, the destructive force of nature can rip away surfaces and expose layers of decay. With the floodwaters of Katrina receding, we can see beneath the veneer of modern conservatism and gaze upon its rotten center.

For in the nation’s capital, at least, that traditional philosophy of society and statecraft appears Read More

Bush’s Crony Capitalism Shows G.O.P.’s True Face

Politically as well as physically, the destructive force of nature can rip away surfaces and expose layers of decay. With the floodwaters of Katrina receding, we can see beneath the veneer of modern conservatism and gaze upon its rotten center.

For in the nation’s capital, at least, that traditional philosophy of society and statecraft appears Read More

Brown vs. Rasiej

One of the interesting down-ballot outcomes of this race was a reminder of what a low-tech slog city politics really is.

Andrew Rasiej, a tech entrepreneur who got lots of ink, not least here, for his plan for affordable wireless internet, wound up with just over 5% of the vote.

Michael Earl Brown, by Read More

Bush Vows to Uncover The Truth About Katrina

George W. Bush now promises that he will uncover the truth about the government’s lethally inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina. “What I intend to do,” he told the White House press corps after his second hurried visit to the ruins of New Orleans, “is lead an investigation to find out what went right and what Read More

Michael Brown, Poster Child

Robert George has an interesting point over on his blog about Michael Brown, the hapless FEMA chief.

You don’t have to agree with George’s take on affirmative action to appreciate his observation: Brown, he writes is “the poster child for white-boy affirmative action.”

State Dribbling Disaster Money to Close Budget

Despite all the bad budget news you’ve been reading about in recent weeks, the state does have some good news for the equally embattled city. Recently, Albany joyously noted that it will deliver $650 million in new aid to the city.

It may surprise youtoknow, however, that the moneyactually willbecoming notfromAlbany’s treasury, but from Uncle Read More