Think of it as a "tsunami tax"

The sight of all that cash for tsunami relief has apparently made UN weenie Jan "Stingy" Egeland a tad nervous because he's not getting enough of it. So - UN chief warns of 'megadisaster'. Ruh Oh! I think I saw the movie, but tell us more, Jan!

The UN's disaster chief has outlined a 10-year plan of investment to avert a natural disaster that could be 100 times worse than the Asian tsunami.

Jan Egeland proposed diverting 10% of what is currently spent on emergency relief to tackle disaster prevention.

Visions of sugar plums danced in his head, but he has the technique down pat.

First you set up the marks:

He told a conference in Kobe, Japan, that action needed to be taken to prevent a "megadisaster in a megacity".

If that happened, the casualty rate could be 100 times worse than that of December's tsunami, he warned.

Then you baffle them:

He added: "We have a momentum of understanding, and we have to use that as much as we can to get institutions going and get funds, not only for relief but also for early warning, for prevention and development."
...
Mr. Egeland urged the 3,000 delegates to adopt a "proposed framework of action".

Then you go for the con:

"I would propose that over the next 10 years, a minimum of 10% of the large sums now spent on emergency relief by all nations should be earmarked for disaster reduction," he said.

He said there needed to be better city planning, more development and investment in poorer areas.

And I'm sure the UN will be glad to collect and disburse the dough just like they did in the Iraqi "Oil for Food" program. The UN kleptocrats are on money like flies on cowflops.

Oh, by the way, the swell 3,000 attendee conference where Jan passed this gas? Check out Disaster talks agree action plan. Not really:

A UN conference has adopted an action plan to reduce casualties and damage caused by natural disaster, following the recent Indian Ocean tsunami.
...
But the five-day forum failed to set specific targets or deadlines from implementing the plan.
...
After marathon talks, delegates agreed on the text of a declaration that was then approved at the end of the conference on Saturday.

"It is vital to give high priority to disaster risk reduction in national policy, consistent with [governments' ] capacities and resources available," the declaration said.

Sheesh! "Marthon talks" or marathon drinking in the local watering holes? They could have tossed me a few McKinleys and I would have written it for them and saved all the travel expenses. Of course, expense account padding is a vital function of all UN activities, so I'm not expecting any phone calls.

"We believe it is critically important that the Hyogo Framework for Action be translated into concrete action at all levels," the document - named after Hyogo Prefecture - said.

How come the Japanese get stuck with all the winners? First Kyoto, now Hyogo.

The forum also agreed to put the UN in charges of building a tsunami alert system for the Indian Ocean to be operational in up to 18 months.

The plan urges nations to share satellite-based weather forecasting data, draw up hazard maps and work out disaster-response strategies over the next 10 years.

File this one under "Duh," but the UN will be glad to coordinate. For a fee.