GOP '08 Candidate Tancredo to Katrina Victims: Drop Dead

This post, written by Terry Keleher, originally appeared on RaceWire

Longshot GOP presidential candidate Tom Tancredo (R-Col.) called for an end to federal funding for New Orleans recovery efforts and accused the government of runaway spending on Hurricane Katrina.

Tancredo said Friday it is ""time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station," citing the government figure of $114 billion spent on Gulf Coast storm relief. "Enough is enough," he said, aiming to cut future recovery funding requests to New Orleans.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco called the statement "an insult to Americans in need." According to the Associated Press, Blanco and other state officials noted that the $114 billion Tancredo referred to was allocated among five states for hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Blanco said much of Louisiana's share was for short-term emergency needs such as relocation assistance, housing, levee repair and removal efforts.

Claiming that funds have been misspent or wasted, Tancredo said Louisiana officials couldn't be trusted with federal money. "The mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end."