tidbits

1. The holocaust survivors funding issue: I do not understand what this is all about. Why should they get special funding? Do they have special needs?
I do not mean to sound cruel, but this seems to be a wholly emotional issue. They want money and the government feels bad saying no to them because they survived the holocaust. The general public supports the survivors because we feel bad for them.

But on what basis do they deserve or require this money? Many get funding from other sources anyway. Why should they be different from any old person who has no source of income and needs funding? Maybe they should be talking about increasing the pensioners funding and old age stipends. Why do they deserve special funding? Do they have special needs? therapies or medicines that they still need that regular elderly people do not need?

I see no reason, unless someone can explain it to me, why these survivors deserve this extra special funding.

2. For the first time, a member of Olmert's coalition government went too visit the ruins of Homesh and visit with the "squatters" (for lack of a better word) who have settled themselves in the ruins with the intent of eventually rebuilding the village.

MK Amaslem, a member of the Shas party, went with MK Uri Ariel (from the National Union party), to visit Homesh. Amaslem said at the site that he says in these people dedication and persistence and that will lead to positive results [of rebuilding Homesh].

I can't wait to see how upset Olmert gets at Shas for this event.

3. Major General Yitzchak Gershon, head of Pikud Ha'Oref (Home Front Command) today said that there is no total solution for protection from Kassam rockets.

Hey, Gershon, how about at least a partial solution? So far no building have been fortified, despite the promises of the Prime Minister. It was just announced that schools will open despite their not having been fortified, contrary to the promises of Ehud Olmert. Hospitals have not yet been fortified. etc.

Today a day care center was hit by a Kassam (it was empty at the time).

How about a partial solution? After that we can worry about a total solution.

4. Still no word on any progress on the retrieval of Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit (or any of the older MIA's). Actually, now that I think of it, we have not heard anything about any of them for a while. Hopefully quiet contacts, and progress, are being made. But I doubt it.

5. The investigation into Olmert's corruption is going to break soon. It is back in the news, with various involved people making statements about how serious the case really is. They say there will be announcements in the near future as to how to proceed, regarding formally opening an investigation into Olmert or not. If they do it spells trouble for Olmert, because that means that they will have found out incriminating evidence against him. Once they open a formal investigation, there is no going back.