Hey, I never said I expect big government to save our butts. But building basic infrastructure required to protect a major city should come even before military upkeep. And yes, before the Big Dig, too (no argument there). Shafting the Army Corps of Engineers in this case was the wrong thing to do. I'm more of a libertarian than a liberal, and don't like to see my tax money spent period. But since I already paid my taxes, I'd like to see our government do work rather than make excuses. Building appropriate levees to save a major metropolis is hardly a socialist handout.