After Katrina, Skylab Would Have Proven Beneficial

On paper, Skylab looked like a piece of cake. Once in orbit, however, an emergency Apollo mission would be needed to salvage the languishing craft.
To make a along story short, Skylab 2 was a rousing success, followed by three subsequently successful missions, and was then unceremoniously dropped in favor of the Shuttle.
Like all things to have come from NASA, when Congress deems it necessary to cut funds, what is old usually goes out the window in favor of the next big thing.
Skylab was a simple device, worked exceptionally well and had an almost perfect success rate.
If the United States currently had such a small space station in geo-stationary orbit above the continent, we could monitor disaster areas (of which we seem to have MANY) and help better prepare rescuers and emergency services; In essence, save lives.

To help offset the operating costs of such a station, it could also be used as a research base for private researchers, weather companies or wealthy Space enthusiasts, for that matter.

A permanent presence in orbit is not just a "fun idea" it would have real uses if it were small, simple and placed in a specific location.