Dear Mr. President

Yesterday was the first time that your No.2- Mr. Cheney visited the catastrophic area after the hurricane Katrina has hit the gulf coast states for more than two weeks.

Now the death toll is expected to hit 10,000 people. Most are blacks and poor. This is not about race and social status. Of course. But I cannot help but believe that if those unfortunate victims were whites or rich, the treatment or the response might be faster.

America prides herself as the most advanced country in the world. The Republican always blow their own horn as the party of the American protector with the strong National Security trademark. However, Katrina has bared the truth in front of the American and the whole world by revealing the fail system of the government to protect the citizen from the natural disaster like Katrina. Let alone the promise that your macho party will save us and our country from the future terrorism.

You are always out of touch of the reality. You went on the National TV and praised the former FEMA director that he did a heck of a job. Then after your ears were bombarded with all complains from both aisles, you said the FEMA’s response was unacceptable. You never admit any mistakes. Your administration and the Republican in the Congress are calling anyone who criticizing your inefficient response to this tragedy as a bipartisan hack or the opportunist.

Of course, it’s not your fault. You appointed someone who had no experience of managing emergency to head FEMA. Your former FEMA director- Michael D. Brown was a former commission of the International Arabian Horse Association. His credential is a joke. He lies about everything from his school to work experiences. This is why when this tragedy happened, he did not know how to respond or make any decisions.

All of your A team staff, including you were on vacations even though you were warned that Katrina was not a joke but it’s real and likely to destroy the Gulf States. Your Chief of Staff- Andy Card was in Maine, Dick Cheney was in Wyoming and Condoleezza Rice was shopping shoes in Manhattan. No one could make any decisions. No one could be reached because everyone was so busy with their personal pleasure.

You said no one expected the New Orleans levees to give way when Katrina hit. But the catastrophe has been predicted a long time ago with all sophisticated computer model. Instead of putting more money to enhance the security in the gulf coast area when you were asked, you cut the budget from 496 million to 166.5 million.

The government has no money to spend on crucial projects because you have spent most of it in the war that you have created. With non-sense anti-terrorism policy, tax money is wasted in some states like Wyoming that has a very slim chance of being attacked by the terrorists.

Moreover, with your generous tax cut, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The federal government, state government and the local government budget are cut. As a result, those essential projects like enhancing the levees are cut as well.

With you and your Republican friends are taking control of the federal government, all pork are distributed to all powerful politicians. You never say enough is enough because the government is broke. You allow them to divert that money to build bridges and tunnels that go nowhere. Money is not used in the most efficient way. The more important project budget will be cut if they do not serve their constituents.

Right now 55 countries are offering help. Today the developing country like Mexico sends the troop to help the American. Sri Lankra which is still suffering from Tsunami is offering help as well. It never happens before in history.

It’s time to re-evaluate your leadership Mr.President.

Tae Athikomvittaya