Tuesday, November 13, 2007

That Ever Promising Bush Administration


It's easy to cite past Bush promises that crashed to the floor like Humpty Dumpty, broken to the point that all of King George's horses and all his men can't put his verbal commitments back together again. From his 2001 promise to run an honest and ethical administration came the most secretive in history.

Walking past the broken egg of promising to "fire any leakers", there lies a huge pile of yolk colored e-mails. A federal judge just ordered the White House to retain all e-mail correspondence, something the Bush administration hasn't done for four years despite being required to do so under federal law. Their defense on the status of 2003 e-mails? "They're looking into it and if there is a problem, the necessary steps will be taken to address it."

Next, one passes the fetid White House Lessons Learned report after Hurricane Katrina where no actual investigation was accomplished, at least in regard to hospital patient evacuations and deaths during their interminable wait for rescue in dead facilities. Just keep walking.

Thinking it's safe to breathe again, a deep inhale produces formaldehyde, a toxic gas. After two years of living in government provided trailers, people might expect the formaldehyde issue to be clear by now. FEMA ordered its staff not to enter unoccupied trailers for safety reasons, so how are the occupants doing? Not well, according to private tests.

Results show "95 percent of the temporary housing units provided by FEMA measured at least twice the CDC’s maximum recommended level for long-term exposure to the toxic gas. In some extreme cases, the levels were 70 times the long-term standard." What do other tests show? The federal government promised to test inhabited travel trailers and mobile homes but has not yet followed through.

So how can anyone believe the White House will come through on the e-mail issue when they've failed the health of citizens in the years after Hurricane Katrina, not just during the week of landfall? It's hard to see the citizen centered, results oriented government characterized by quality of service that George Bush promised way back when.

The President may not know it, but a fork sticks out of his back as the public wishes his term were done. While many want to wash their hands of the bad egg, what damage can a wounded unitary executive do with his remaining time in office? Hidden e-mails and toxic trailers indicate he's still capable of harm.

No comments: