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