| Comedian Chevy Chase, when he anchored the first | | | | miles of tunneling.It's been reported that the federal |
| Saturday Night Live faux-news desk, had a running | | | | commitment to this task has already exceeded $62 |
| joke that satirized, post-mortem, the endless medical | | | | billion. One third of that amount has already been |
| updates provided by the public relations machine of a | | | | deployed and it can fairly be said that its effects are |
| dying dictator ..."Here's a bulletin from Spain: Doctors | | | | hardly noticed. This total will be added to the federal |
| are reporting that Generalissimo Francisco Franco is | | | | deficit, of course, right along with the billions being spent |
| holding fast in his valiant fight to remain dead!"The point, | | | | to do whatever it is they currently say they're doing in |
| of course, was that neither the Spanish public nor the | | | | Iraq. If the current administration holds fast to its pledge |
| global public at the time was ever fooled by the | | | | against raising taxes, the implication is that a host of |
| propaganda of Franco's terminal condition during his | | | | cuts in other programs are inevitable.Thus, Americans |
| last days. The tweak also carried undertones that no | | | | won't have to be located along the Gulf Coast to |
| government could overcome the forces of nature, no | | | | somehow share in its devastation. Among other things, |
| matter what it announced.That brings us to the wake | | | | some interest groups are now taking a close look at |
| of Hurricane Katrina.Anyone who has been to the Gulf | | | | how funds are being utilized and allocated. Allegations |
| Coast says that the media images of the devastation | | | | of misappropriations and the like are sure to |
| there --- no matter how hard they try --- just cannot | | | | follow.Contrast this state of affairs with the recent |
| convey the scope of the disaster. Vast segments of | | | | earthquake in Pakistan. The magnitude of that disaster |
| the region have literally been blown back a couple of | | | | was similarly breathtaking. If you missed it, the Richter |
| centuries, to a time when electricity, telephones, running | | | | scale measured the quake at 7.8 and an estimated |
| water and the like were either a luxury or a futuristic | | | | 87,000 people were killed. Their government already |
| concept. Usual conveniences such as food shopping | | | | depends upon the USA for much of its additional aid. It |
| are still a major challenge to many. Some jobs may | | | | may be a while before they see anything significant to |
| have left with Katrina; like her, they may never | | | | assist in this natural tragedy.One city there will have |
| return.This doesn't look like it's going to get much better | | | | additional help. It's coming in the form of lottery |
| anytime soon, either.I thought of this while taking a | | | | winnings. A gentleman named Ishan Khan hit it big while |
| second look at the pages on the Longer Life site, all of | | | | working in the USA as a taxi driver. He nailed a $55 |
| which include the American Red Cross public service | | | | million jackpot and took his winnings up front, netting |
| ad which appeals for donations to their hurricane relief | | | | over $32 million. Mr Khan moved back to his homeland, |
| fund. The appeals are just as urgent and relevant | | | | where that amount of money can spend like $1 billion |
| today as they were when they were first posted. I | | | | and where he instantly became one of Pakistan's |
| sometimes wonder, though, if those who view them | | | | most wealthy private individuals.It's obvious to Mr Khan |
| don't get so accustomed to their presence that they | | | | that private assistance is necessary for relief efforts |
| ultimately look past them. I know the plan at the Longer | | | | there to have any immediacy. His village, Batagram, |
| Life site is to keep them in place until all needs are met, | | | | lost 4500 citizens in the 8 Oct quake and surely, a |
| which in my opinion, means the Red Cross will be a | | | | good number of those were known to him. Here's the |
| fixture on their pages for a long time to come.The | | | | Associated Press account of his response to |
| American government recently released over 100,000 | | | | date:"Just days before the earthquake, Khan was |
| pages of documents which dealt with their handling of | | | | elected district nazim, or mayor, of Batagram. After |
| the crisis. It's notable in the impression that they didn't | | | | the quake hit, he helped pull survivors from the rubble, |
| give the matter much more attention than they would | | | | and paid to get the most seriously injured to regional |
| have if the affected area was a third-world country. | | | | hospitals. He told pharmacists he would pay them later |
| Having said that, the sheer volume of funds required to | | | | for dispensing all the medicine on their shelves. The bill |
| repair and rebuild is staggering.For example, it's been | | | | came to 10 million rupees, almost $200,000."Khan has |
| cited in the Los Angeles Times that the costliest public | | | | bankrolled a program to supply roofing materials to |
| works project to date was the shift of freeways in | | | | rebuild shattered homes. He bought 150 tents, some of |
| Boston to an underground route. The price tag was | | | | which occupy land just outside his mansion with |
| $14.6 billion, the time factor was 14 years and the | | | | panoramic views of snowcapped peaks."Most |
| object of the exercise was to move just under eight | | | | important, Khan has emerged as a colorful and |
| miles of roadway into a tunnel.The Gulf Coast | | | | outspoken critic of local government corruption. |
| reclamation is going to involve much more than eight | | | | |