Remember Katrina?

[LeftOfTheMiddle]

I worked in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Alexandia, Orange, Beaumont and all the little towns in between. It was horrible for everyone involved but I am incensed when I hear the political football get thrown around on this one. Considering the scope of the storm and the magnitude of the pre-existing political, social, financial and cultural factors of the once murder capital of the USA I think people did an awesome job and the outpouring of all types of assistance was probably record breaking. To try to make some political points via biased and erroneous reporting of a primarily racial disater is disgusting.
Sorry but I don't think the government is required to go out and buy anyone a home if they lose one. Stop paying your insurance and wait for a fire to destroy your home---see what happens.

First, I acknowledge that my assumption about you was wrong. My apologies.

See, these are two problems that I have with people likeyourself:
(1) You acknowledge inequality and then toss it aside. Now you are implying that people just "stopped paying their insurance". They couldn't afford the insurance. Furthermore, we are not talking about one person who lost their home in a fire. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of Americans at one time, displaced from their homes because of a natural disaster that was not in anyone's control.
(2) The first place you go is to say that we are somehow diminishing or downplaying the amazing work that people did to help the victims of the storm. I have never done that, nor have I "used" the catastrophe that was Katrina to make some political point.

How republican of you to place blame on the poor/ those who were victims of a storm because you and the government offered them some assistance and they didn't bounce back the way you thought they should.

 

[CA95380]

I worked in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Alexandia, Orange, Beaumont and all the little towns in between. It was horrible for everyone involved but I am incensed when I hear the political football get thrown around on this one. Considering the scope of the storm and the magnitude of the pre-existing political, social, financial and cultural factors of the once murder capital of the USA I think people did an awesome job and the outpouring of all types of assistance was probably record breaking. To try to make some political points via biased and erroneous reporting of a primarily racial disater is disgusting.
Sorry but I don't think the government is required to go out and buy anyone a home if they lose one. Stop paying your insurance and wait for a fire to destroy your home---see what happens.

I didn't say they are entitled to a "home". What I said (or if I didn't say) was it was a crime to leave anyone without food, water, and a decent place to be evacuated to. The horror in the Superdome ... should be etched in all of our minds forever. There were thousands that were low income to the very poor that were left to fend for themselves. THAT my friend is UN-AMERICAN ... I don't give a big rats ass what color you/they may be.

As far as you helping ... my sincere gratitude goes to you and all of the other's that helped. It just seems to me that ... yes ... starting with the Mayor of New Orleans (at the time) screwed up big time! The state officals should have stepped in and kicked his ass!

 

[dilloduck]

First, I acknowledge that my assumption about you was wrong. My apologies.

See, these are two problems that I have with people likeyourself:
(1) You acknowledge inequality and then toss it aside. Now you are implying that people just "stopped paying their insurance". They couldn't afford the insurance. Furthermore, we are not talking about one person who lost their home in a fire. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of Americans at one time, displaced from their homes because of a natural disaster that was not in anyone's control.
(2) The first place you go is to say that we are somehow diminishing or downplaying the amazing work that people did to help the victims of the storm. I have never done that, nor have I "used" the catastrophe that was Katrina to make some political point.

How republican of you to place blame on the poor/ those who were victims of a storm because you and the government offered them some assistance and they didn't bounce back the way you thought they should.

no---I'm implying that the government just doesn't hand out homes if you lose one. Indeed thousands living in NO were ALREADY IN public housing before the storm. Should you automatically just get a house because you happened to be in the area when it hit ? ( and don't think people didn't try )

How they bounce back is up to them. I could give a shit. Some did and some didn't. Shit happens but it sure wasn't because they were neglected.
I've seen it happen after tornados floods and ice storms too.
The posters prior to you and the democrats at their convention were AGAIN trying to lay all this shit at the feet of Bush for PURELY political and racial reasons.
It's pure garbage.

 

[CA95380]

no---I'm implying that the government just doesn't hand out homes if you lose one. Indeed thousands living in NO were ALREADY IN public housing before the storm. Should you automatically just get a house because you happened to be in the area when it hit ? ( and don't think people didn't try )

How they bounce back is up to them. I could give a shit. Some did and some didn't. Shit happens but it sure wasn't because they were neglected.
I've seen it happen after tornados floods and ice storms too.
The posters prior to you and the democrats at their convention were AGAIN trying to lay all this shit at the feet of Bush for PURELY political and racial reasons.
It's pure garbage.

I wasn't there. You were dillo. So I guess you know better than I. All I saw was what was on the news. And it horrified me to see my fellow Americans - blue, green, black, brown, white, pink whatever their color .... being treated as they were. You can say whatever you want about the Democrats .... I am not a fan of "handouts" if you have not noticed ... for those that do not need them. Those people needed them, and did not get them, for days. Until that General (whoever he was) took over and got some action.

Now ... since that happened the stories of women getting "boob jobs" with FEMA money need to have their asses kicked too! They obviously did not "need the help"!

Boy howdy! Got to edit and add this one!
GOP considers delaying convention - Washington Post - MSNBC.com

We sure would not want the hurricane to mess with the Republican Convention.

 

[Jon]

Okay, you must never have traveled to N.O. That city is like no other in the US. It's old world beauty mixed in with a slow creepy air of danger and mystery-- Put together with a crumbling elegance and the freedom of serious debauchery. And of course, it is a cultural epi-center. Really if New Orleans disappeared it would be a horrible tragedy!

I've been to N.O. a couple of times. It's a nice place. But what's the point of rebuilding a city below sea level when it's already been wiped out by mother nature twice? Take a fucking hint, build somewhere else.

 

[LeftOfTheMiddle]

I've been to N.O. a couple of times. It's a nice place. But what's the point of rebuilding a city below sea level when it's already been wiped out by mother nature twice? Take a fucking hint, build somewhere else.

That's a stupid point. If that's the idea, then why bother with California-earthquakes, the plain states-tornadoes, the gulf coast-hurricanes, the mid west-flooding, and the numerous states in our country that experience wild fires every single year? Where would you suppose we put the tens of millions of people who live in all of those locations.

Lets do each other a favor and only make rational arguments!

 

[Jon]

That's a stupid point. If that's the idea, then why bother with California-earthquakes, the plain states-tornadoes, the gulf coast-hurricanes, the mid west-flooding, and the numerous states in our country that experience wild fires every single year? Where would you suppose we put the tens of millions of people who live in all of those locations.

Lets do each other a favor and only make rational arguments!

I don't recall any of those places being completely decimated by natural disasters.

 

[LeftOfTheMiddle]

I don't recall any of those places being completely decimated by natural disasters.

Neither was New Orleans. There are many parts of the city that are thriving and operating as if the hurricane never happened. While the devastation was terrible and affected large segments of the population, it was only in certain areas. So, again, your point is not valid.

 

[Jon]

Neither was New Orleans. There are many parts of the city that are thriving and operating as if the hurricane never happened. While the devastation was terrible and affected large segments of the population, it was only in certain areas. So, again, your point is not valid.

It is valid. If you don't want to get blown away by hurricanes, don't live in an area that has hurricanes. It's not rocket science, it's common sense.

 

[dilloduck]

I wasn't there. You were dillo. So I guess you know better than I. All I saw was what was on the news. And it horrified me to see my fellow Americans - blue, green, black, brown, white, pink whatever their color .... being treated as they were. You can say whatever you want about the Democrats .... I am not a fan of "handouts" if you have not noticed ... for those that do not need them. Those people needed them, and did not get them, for days. Until that General (whoever he was) took over and got some action.

Now ... since that happened the stories of women getting "boob jobs" with FEMA money need to have their asses kicked too! They obviously did not "need the help"!

Boy howdy! Got to edit and add this one!
GOP considers delaying convention - Washington Post - MSNBC.com

We sure would not want the hurricane to mess with the Republican Convention.

You bet it sucked for those people--there is NO denying the suffering many are still gonig through. Just leave this shit out of politics if you want them to improve. Pointing fingers helps none of them.

as for the convention ? damned if they do and damned if they don't. I say have it and let the dems do their little " look at those elitest holding a convention in a distaster" bit. If someone cant' see through that shit they are too stupid to be voting anyway.

 

[CA95380]

Well ..... when I see those homes in small cities that are hit with tornado's ... with stoves being tossed like toys, tractors moved like matchbox cars, babies ending up in trees, crops, and cows flying, in the midwest .... I would call that pretty much decimated by mother nature aka natural disaster. "Farmers" seem to be able to deal with it easier, maybe not emotionally ... but at least physically.

The difference between that very small town in Kansas or Oklahoma that has nothing left standing after the storm ... is just as big of a problem, to them, as a large city such as New Orleans .... with a smaller population.

Large cities seem to have more poverty (run down homes, crime, looters) especially in the poor part of town .... it just seems to work that way. The small towns seem to rebound better faster because they do have insurance (most of them). When you see people dying on a freeway and it takes days to remove the body .... or a body floating in water being ignored ... that just ain't right! At least that is what I saw - you may have seen something different.

 

[CA95380]

as for the convention ? damned if they do and damned if they don't. I say have it and let the dems do their little " look at those elitest holding a convention in a distaster" bit. If someone cant' see through that shit they are too stupid to be voting anyway.

I will give you this one. I do see what you mean. But a large part of the problem is this damn "party division" .... it fits both ways.

 

[jreeves]

Gustav Hitting Jamaica - News |WJTV - News Channel 12 - Jackson, MS

I that Bush and McCain have a better plan if Gustav hits New Orleans than they did before!

Well, Mccain has no authority to do anything for New Orleans, other than a vote in the Senate. New Orleans will be fine this time around, New Orleans has a great Governor overseeing the state now.

 

[dilloduck]

Well ..... when I see those homes in small cities that are hit with tornado's ... with stoves being tossed like toys, tractors moved like matchbox cars, babies ending up in trees, crops, and cows flying, in the midwest .... I would call that pretty much decimated by mother nature aka natural disaster. "Farmers" seem to be able to deal with it easier, maybe not emotionally ... but at least physically.

The difference between that very small town in Kansas or Oklahoma that has nothing left standing after the storm ... is just as big of a problem, to them, as a large city such as New Orleans .... with a smaller population.

Large cities seem to have more poverty (run down homes, crime, looters) especially in the poor part of town .... it just seems to work that way. The small towns seem to rebound better faster because they do have insurance (most of them). When you see people dying on a freeway and it takes days to remove the body .... or a body floating in water being ignored ... that just ain't right! At least that is what I saw - you may have seen something different.

You bet ! There is a huge difference in a disaster response and about a million different variables. That's why it is called a disaster ! Please don't expect that paying your taxes will save you.
In an ongoing disaster the first responders LEAVE the dead and spend what precious little time they have rescuing others so they don't end up the same way. Sorry they couldn't make a disaster look nice for you.

 

[CA95380]

Well, Mccain has no authority to do anything for New Orleans, other than a vote in the Senate. New Orleans will be fine this time around, New Orleans has a great Governor overseeing the state now.

Thank God LA has a new Governor. How about the mayor of New Orleans? I am asking .... I don't know who it is.

 

[CA95380]

You bet ! There is a huge difference in a disaster response and about a million different variables. That's why it is called a disaster ! Please don't expect that paying your taxes will save you.
In an ongoing disaster the first responders LEAVE the dead and spend what precious little time they have rescuing others so they don't end up the same way. Sorry they couldn't make a disaster look nice for you.

You are hopeless ... I give up. I thought we were discussing this as adults, I guess not.

 

[dilloduck]

You are hopeless ... I give up. I thought we were discussing this as adults, I guess not.

yes--I am hopeless against turning human disasters into political fodder. Sorry for the snotty remark but this is a prime example of what happens to people when they expect someone else to be responsible for them !! You can get killed. Blame comes from the ones who want to make sure someone is there to rescue them the next time or in the case of a politician it's a disgusting way to get a job.

 

[CA95380]

yes--I am hopeless against turning human disasters into political fodder. Sorry for the snotty remark but this is a prime example of what happens to people when they expect someone else to be responsible for them !! You can get killed. Blame comes from the ones who want to make sure someone is there to rescue them the next time or in the case of a politician it's a disgusting way to get a job.

lol .... like my husband says ... I don't know when to shut up!

I am going to add one thing .... what if you were one of those people that had no money to leave New Orleans when you were warned? Or when the water started rising in the only home you had? I am sure there were a lot of them that were in that position .. at least that or they sure were good actors and actresses. /shrug

 

[jreeves]

Thank God LA has a new Governor. How about the mayor of New Orleans? I am asking .... I don't know who it is.

Nope the same Mayor but he doesn't have the same impact as the Governor does....

 

[Ravi]

The thing is, most of these people were not required to have flood insurance because the federal government said the levees would stop any flood. There is a moral obligation in here...if the fed says it will protect you and fails, it needs to pony up.