MLCKAA 574 Posted June 12, 2007 For those who don't know, a ward is just like a township in most other parts of the country. Anyhow, the lower 9th Ward suffered the most destruction in New Orleans following hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the place is still royally fuxxored. People who had been there recently told me it was in terrible shape, but it was so much worse than I had expected. Block after block after block of abandoned houses. The lower 9th has had only 10% of its pre-Katrina population return. Why so few returnees? Well, it was the poorest part of the city before the storm and then everyone there lost everything they owned and got no money for it and most of their jobs ceased to exist once the storm rolled through. There's no insurance coverage for flood damage and FEMA ended direct service to the lower 9th a year ago. There were no grocery stores, no drug stores, 1 gas station, no parks, no schools, 1 restaurant (Crabby J's) and no businesses in operation. There is one fully functional hospital in the entire city and it certainly isn't in the lower 9th. No specialized medical care and no fire stations. There are no essential services there to support residency. Entire strip malls (many of them, in fact) are just sitting empty, rotting. There were TWO empty Wal-Marts! What the fck keeps Wal-Mart from making a dollar?!!? For me, the most gutwrenching part of being there was wandering through the empty neighborhoods. One block might have 12 out of 14 houses abandoned and the next block might have only 2 houses still standing. I could tell I was in the middle of a once bustling neghborhood, but it was quiet as a meadow. Like a ghost town. The last day we were there the kitchen I was working in served 354 free meals. We gutted 2 houses. I felt like a d|ck for leaving because it seemed like I'd done too little-- less than a drop in the bucket. The whole staff at the community center was volunteer and they seem like they've been run totally ragged. Its contrary to my normal poitics but, if ever there was a good reason for the gov't to step in and solve a problem for the public, this seems like it. Without a better plan a lot of people are going to lose property handed down from the first freed slaves through several generations because they're violating lawn care codes. Without a better plan this place is still going to be a wreck in 5 years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Colbert Nation 0 Posted June 13, 2007 so its much nicer than it was before the hurricane....awesome...God finally flushed the toilet... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boz/BoFan 0 Posted June 13, 2007 I live near Nawlins. That was the best thing that could have ever happened to that place. It was the murder capital of the US, an absolute sh!thole. Nobody in that neighborhood gave a damn about themselves or anyone else, money going to rebuild that place would be the largest misallocation of funds the US has ever been a part of. If you are gonna live in N.O., next to the levees, way below sea level, during Hurricane season, in Hurricane phucking ally, without flood insurance....you deserve to lose everything. Those that had it, didnt. Those people have nobody to blame but themselves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wiffleball 4,790 Posted June 13, 2007 Awful nice thing you did MCLKAA. Remember, it ain't the size of the gift you give, but the reason you gave it. And on that measure, you rock. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jerryskids 6,793 Posted June 13, 2007 If you are gonna live in N.O., next to the levees, way below sea level, during Hurricane season, in Hurricane phucking ally, without flood insurance....you deserve to lose everything. Those that had it, didnt. Those people have nobody to blame but themselves. Harsh as that is, I'm inclined to agree. Here is a tip to those from the lower 9th ward: walk a mile or two to another ward and build there. HTH. Oh, and MLCKAA, nice work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLCKAA 574 Posted June 13, 2007 I live near Nawlins. That was the best thing that could have ever happened to that place. It was the murder capital of the US, an absolute sh!thole. Nobody in that neighborhood gave a damn about themselves or anyone else, money going to rebuild that place would be the largest misallocation of funds the US has ever been a part of. If you are gonna live in N.O., next to the levees, way below sea level, during Hurricane season, in Hurricane phucking ally, without flood insurance....you deserve to lose everything. Those that had it, didnt. Those people have nobody to blame but themselves. No... "If you are gonna live in N.O., next to the levees, way below sea level, during Hurricane season, in Hurricane phucking ally, without flood insurance...then you've got a good chance to lose everything." I think that's what you meant to say. The poor don't DESERVE to lose what little they have. My God, I'm sure you're a decent guy but you sound like a jerk. You don't sound like someone who understands what its like to be dirt freaking poor or to be on the wrong end of inconceivable tragedy. What kind of person are you to wish ruination on other people, especially the poor? Its really a shame that some people have no compassion for others, but I tend to believe ignorance is the root cause of that. Whether you're spiritual or not, there's a valuable verse from the bible that bears thinking about: "Do Justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God." Don't just BE kind, but LOVE being kind. How hard is it for you to simply be kind to the poor rather than judging them? You think living where they did without some kind of safety net was their ideal plan? Good grief. These are your fellow countrymen. ETA: I would be happy to share some pictures if anyone wants to host them. Just shoot me your e-mail address. Toro? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron Paul for President 2008 0 Posted June 13, 2007 The Senate concluded hearings last week on the federal mismanagement of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and the findings were troubling. In short, the federal government wasted literally billions of dollars responding to the disaster, dollars that did little to help Katrina victims at all. The grotesque amounts of waste, mismanagement, and outright fraud involving those funds are staggering. FEMA spent millions on unusable temporary housing that did not meet FEMA’s own regulations for placement in flood zones. $2,000 debit cards were issued to nonexistent people; some cards were used for everything from tattoos to bail bonds. Emergency relief checks were issued to nearly one million bogus applicants. Some evacuees were housed in $400 per night hotel suites. The list goes on and on. These abuses were inevitable, unfortunately. They are the direct result of a top-down, centralized, bureaucratic system that wrongly assumes Washington planners always know best, that every issue and problem should be addressed at the federal level. But clearly Washington officials were in no position to know what was needed in the gulf coast in the aftermath of a hurricane. Congress reacted to Katrina in typical Washington-knows-best fashion. It immediately appropriated over $60 billion with no planning or debate, mostly to show that government was “doing something.” Political grandstanding masqueraded as compassion. As with all rapid government expenditures, the money was spent badly. Every member of Congress must have known that throwing $50 billion at FEMA, the very agency that failed so badly to prepare for Katrina, would not turn out well. All federal aid for Katrina should have been distributed as directly as possible to local communities, rather than through wasteful middlemen like FEMA and Homeland Security. Considering the demonstrated ineptitude of government at both the federal and state level in this disaster, the people affected by the hurricane and subsequent flood no doubt would have been better off if relief money simply was sent directly to them or to community organizations dedicated to clean-up and reconstruction. The best way to rebuild New Orleans is to provide entrepreneurial incentives for people and businesses willing to do the hard work involved. I voted for several bills last fall that provide some measure of tax relief for Katrina victims, but more could be done. Imagine the revitalization that would occur if Congress declared New Orleans a federal tax-free zone for 5 or 10 years. It’s not compassionate simply to throw money at a problem, especially when that money is wasted and does not help the very people who need it most. It’s not compassionate for politicians to spend money that doesn’t belong to them. It’s not compassionate to instill false hope that Washington can solve every problem and respond to every emergency. It’s certainly not compassionate to create huge deficits that hurt poor people the most through inflation, as government prints more and more money to pay its bills. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boz/BoFan 0 Posted June 13, 2007 I didnt wish tragedy on the poor, where in my statement did I say that? MANY people got out in time, evacuated the area, got their insurance in line......I know 5 people personally. "Nature has made up her mind that what cannot defend itself shall not be defended" - Ralph Waldo Emerson I guess I just take a very macro approach to everything. This is not the same thing as saying that if I were down there when this was happening that I would pass up someone drowning or in dire need of help, I would jump in or give aid in a heartbeat. But as a whole, some groups are galacticly beyond salvation, there will ALWAYS be poverty....its just as crucial to this little science experiment as the ultra rich. I see no reason, after doing my damndest to pull myself up out of the mud on a daily basis, to have an entire group of people drag me back down.....with zero excuse, living in without question the most opportunity based society on the planet. No excuses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toro 1 Posted June 13, 2007 ETA: I would be happy to share some pictures if anyone wants to host them. Just shoot me your e-mail address. Toro? uh, Flickr does that. Glad to hear everything went well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLCKAA 574 Posted June 13, 2007 uh, Flickr does that. Glad to hear everything went well. Sure, but I'm accustomed to having servants. Are you still in town? I owe you a beer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toro 1 Posted June 13, 2007 Sure, but I'm accustomed to having servants. Are you still in town? I owe you a beer. Yep, I'm here til August. Let's grab a ballgame. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JT 137 Posted June 13, 2007 I live near Nawlins. That was the best thing that could have ever happened to that place. It was the murder capital of the US, an absolute sh!thole. Nobody in that neighborhood gave a damn about themselves or anyone else, money going to rebuild that place would be the largest misallocation of funds the US has ever been a part of. If you are gonna live in N.O., next to the levees, way below sea level, during Hurricane season, in Hurricane phucking ally, without flood insurance....you deserve to lose everything. Those that had it, didnt. Those people have nobody to blame but themselves. I know that at least one major insurer (possibly Allstate? I haven't searched for links) has been sued for over $2 million for not paying claims. FEMA is reported to be behind schedule on their payments, and other insurers are working hard to find loopholes in policies to avoid paying claims. To say that all those who had their insurance in place are ok, and those who didn't 'deserve' to lose everything, is a gross oversimplification. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bert 1,128 Posted June 13, 2007 Its really a shame that some people have no compassion for others, but I tend to believe ignorance is the root cause of that. Let me share the other side of the story with you. The company I work for has locations in Belle Chase and Venice. Several weeks after Katrina when the plant supervisors were able to get to the facilities they found the Venice facility covered in 13 feet of mud and the Belle Chase facility covered in debris. Because of the piping, values and instruments the Venice facility had to be dug out by hand. The plant supervisor went by one of the FEMA trailer camps looking for workers. The pay was $10 and hour plus time and a half for more than 40 hours a week cash. Also the company would provide transportion to and from and 3 meals a day. No one from the FEMA park was willing to work and the reason.....and I quote...."That ain't enough money for that kind of work. I ain't no ditch digger." I have compassion for people that are willing to help themselves. I have loathing for those sitting on their ass waiting on a hand out. The 9th ward had a lot more of the latter from what I've seen and experienced. Props to you for doing good thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLCKAA 574 Posted June 13, 2007 Let me share the other side of the story with you. The company I work for has locations in Belle Chase and Venice. Several weeks after Katrina when the plant supervisors were able to get to the facilities they found the Venice facility covered in 13 feet of mud and the Belle Chase facility covered in debris. Because of the piping, values and instruments the Venice facility had to be dug out by hand. The plant supervisor went by one of the FEMA trailer camps looking for workers. The pay was $10 and hour plus time and a half for more than 40 hours a week cash. Also the company would provide transportion to and from and 3 meals a day. No one from the FEMA park was willing to work and the reason.....and I quote...."That ain't enough money for that kind of work. I ain't no ditch digger." I have compassion for people that are willing to help themselves. I have loathing for those sitting on their ass waiting on a hand out. The 9th ward had a lot more of the latter from what I've seen and experienced. Props to you for doing good thing. You shouldn't judge the whole area on the basis of finding some bums at one trailer park 3 weeks post-disaster. Consistently, I encountered people last week who were working hard to rebuild their lives. Dudes were working 3 jobs to support themselves, send money to displaced wives and kids and try to do some reconstruction on their own homes. I am sure that as time has passed, the loafers have been weeded out. I know that at least one major insurer (possibly Allstate? I haven't searched for links) has been sued for over $2 million for not paying claims. FEMA is reported to be behind schedule on their payments, and other insurers are working hard to find loopholes in policies to avoid paying claims. To say that all those who had their insurance in place are ok, and those who didn't 'deserve' to lose everything, is a gross oversimplification. As a property claim adjuster, I can tell you it doesn't take a loophole to deny a flood claim. The exclusion for flood damage is right there in the front of the policy in black and white. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wiffleball 4,790 Posted June 13, 2007 Let me share the other side of the story with you. The company I work for has locations in Belle Chase and Venice. Several weeks after Katrina when the plant supervisors were able to get to the facilities they found the Venice facility covered in 13 feet of mud and the Belle Chase facility covered in debris. Because of the piping, values and instruments the Venice facility had to be dug out by hand. The plant supervisor went by one of the FEMA trailer camps looking for workers. The pay was $10 and hour plus time and a half for more than 40 hours a week cash. Also the company would provide transportion to and from and 3 meals a day. No one from the FEMA park was willing to work and the reason.....and I quote...."That ain't enough money for that kind of work. I ain't no ditch digger." I have compassion for people that are willing to help themselves. I have loathing for those sitting on their ass waiting on a hand out. The 9th ward had a lot more of the latter from what I've seen and experienced. Props to you for doing good thing. Good post. How many similar stories did we hear from Astrodome? Great money to go and rebuild your own home town - and not a single taker. Says a lot. It may not be convenient or PC to talk about, but unfortunately, it's a fact of real life. Gotta remember, that a big chunk of the 9th ward has spent generations on government assistance. Now they get govt. assistance PLUS free housing until 2009, PLUS free utilities, PLUS "emergency assistance", etc... If they didn't want to work before, they damn sure aren't that motivated now. I am sure that as time has passed, the loafers have been weeded out relocated to Houston. Fixed. I am sure those that DID return to rebuild their lives are motivated, hard working people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bert 1,128 Posted June 13, 2007 I am sure that as time has passed, the loafers have been weeded out. My comments are based on more than that single incident. I agree with you but my comments speak to why the area is a ghost town. There were more people there (and are now in Houston) that wanted handouts from the government and were/are not willing to work to improve their situation. There were a lot more than "some" bums in New Orleans prior to Katrina. Don't forget this is the town that had the highest murder rate in the nation before Katrina. This is the town that had the highest rate of teen pregnance in the nation before to Katrina. I feel sorry for the people that lost everything and are doing everything they can to rebuild lives. Those are the people the govenment should be helping not the ones sitting on their asses in govenment furnished apartments in Houston. Just as you told me not to judge a whole group by the actions of a few you should not judge the whole group based on the very few that are working hard to put their lives back together. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JT 137 Posted June 13, 2007 As a property claim adjuster, I can tell you it doesn't take a loophole to deny a flood claim. The exclusion for flood damage is right there in the front of the policy in black and white. I'm an agent, and well aware of that. Problem is, as I'm sure you're aware, in determining how much damage is attributed to wind, water damage proximate to the wind damage, etc vs flood. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boz/BoFan 0 Posted June 14, 2007 I'm an agent, and well aware of that. Problem is, as I'm sure you're aware, in determining how much damage is attributed to wind, water damage proximate to the wind damage, etc vs flood. How bout if you're gonna live below sea level, by the sea, on the fulcrum of Hurricane row, get some phucking flood insurance? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toro 1 Posted June 14, 2007 How bout if you're gonna live below sea level, by the sea, on the fulcrum of Hurricane row, get some phucking flood insurance? Flood insurance? I guess all those folks down there in the lower ninth should have bought flood insurance rather than taken that third vacation!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDC 7,413 Posted June 14, 2007 Hard to know what to do about the 9th Ward. I feel bad for the people who were displaced but there's no point in rebuilding a ghetto, you know? I don't begrudge the refugees federal assistance though. In the grand scheme it doesn't cost much, and most people who were displaced are working hard to make a life. Far as asking why people didn't have flood insurance, etc. I've been to NO many times and you've never seen poverty like this. I'm talking clapboard shacks that are barely "houses" with 15-member families living in each one. These people were living paycheck to paycheck, I don't think it was so easy to load the kids into the SUV to escape and then let their flood insurance cover the damage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bert 1,128 Posted June 14, 2007 I don't begrudge the refugees federal assistance though. Living off the federal government generation after generation and being told its "ok they owe us" is what caused most of the problems in the 9th ward. most people who were displaced are working hard to make a life. If you are talking about NO in general I agree. If you are talking about the 9th ward I disagee. I've been to NO many times and you've never seen poverty like this. I'm talking clapboard shacks that are barely "houses" with 15-member families living in each one. These people were living paycheck to paycheck, But they always find the money for cartons of cigs and forties. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Filthy Fernadez 2,696 Posted June 14, 2007 Good job volunteering to help; my wife and daughter wanted to go help with some people from our church. Once I informed them that the place was the #1 murder capital leading up to Katrina and the health risks associated with that flooded area, they changed their minds and went to help at a local soup kitchen. I'm under the impression that with all the money that was thrown at that problem, if those people didn't come back and rebuild, they either cut their losses or didn't want to put forth the effort. If I feel sorry for anyone in that whole mess, it's the cities that took in the refugees; most notably, the city of Houston. Their crime rate jumped dramatically with all the refugees and I'm sure they are regretting the decision to be the main hub for these 'less fortunate' people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boz/BoFan 0 Posted June 14, 2007 Living off the federal government generation after generation and being told its "ok they owe us" is what caused most of the problems in the 9th ward. If you are talking about NO in general I agree. If you are talking about the 9th ward I disagee. But they always find the money for cartons of cigs and forties. EGGSACTLY. Its the tacit support the bleeding hearts give them that perpetuates the cycle. Poverty doesnt just find you, you have to embrace it. If your kids were showing the same kind of malaise and self destructive behavior would you have the same belittling and enabling attitude while you watch little Johny or Suzy become the worst type of person on the planet? " oh, its just his nature, he's poor, here's a free lifetime pass little johny, now go ruin your and many other peoples lives while taking money from the govt for sitting on your azz all day". The man on the top of the mountain was not put there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDC 7,413 Posted June 14, 2007 Living off the federal government generation after generation and being told its "ok they owe us" is what caused most of the problems in the 9th ward. I think this is a pretty simplistic way of looking at the problem. Yeah I'm sure there are some people who are living off the federal government down there, but a lot of it has to do with being born into huge, poverty-striken families in a city with a ton of crime and no real dominant industry. I don't know what the situation is now, but pre-Katrina the job market down there was horrible, even for people who have some kind of resume. I spent almost a year looking for a job in New Orleans and couldn't find one thing in my field that paid anywhere near a wage I'd work for. Not saying people don't live off the gov't teet, but writing off the entire 9th Ward as lazy freeloaders is pretty ignorant. We give the 9/11 widows a million a pop because they were lucky enough to have husbands die in the WTC instead of a car crash on the freeway, but people beetch and moan about a few thousand we give to poor people who lost everyting. I don't think throwing money around is the solution to all problems, but people have focked up priorities when it comes to gov't assistance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boz/BoFan 0 Posted June 14, 2007 I think this is a pretty simplistic way of looking at the problem. Yeah I'm sure there are some people who are living off the federal government down there, but a lot of it has to do with being born into huge, poverty-striken families in a city with a ton of crime and no real dominant industry. I don't know what the situation is now, but pre-Katrina the job market down there was horrible, even for people who have some kind of resume. I spent almost a year looking for a job in New Orleans and couldn't find one thing in my field that paid anywhere near a wage I'd work for. Not saying people don't live off the gov't teet, but writing off the entire 9th Ward as lazy freeloaders is pretty ignorant. We give the 9/11 widows a million a pop because they were lucky enough to have husbands die in the WTC instead of a car crash on the freeway, but people beetch and moan about a few thousand we give to poor people who lost everyting. I don't think throwing money around is the solution to all problems, but people have focked up priorities when it comes to gov't assistance. Simply amazing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDC 7,413 Posted June 14, 2007 Simply amazing. Yep. I think it's amazing that we gave $1 million a pop to the WTC widows - basically a pet rock to make the rest of us feel better after the attack - without any complaints, but people beetch about Katina refugees spending some of their $2K cards on booze and strippers after losing everything they own. I'm personally a lot more galled by the former than the latter... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
surferskin 30 Posted June 14, 2007 I spent almost a year looking for a job in New Orleans and couldn't find one thing in my field that paid anywhere near a wage I'd work for. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boz/BoFan 0 Posted June 14, 2007 Yep. I think it's amazing that we gave $1 million a pop to the WTC widows - basically a pet rock to make the rest of us feel better after the attack - without any complaints, but people beetch about Katina refugees spending some of their $2K cards on booze and strippers after losing everything they own. I'm personally a lot more galled by the former than the latter... Once again, you compare two completely different issues to pizz yourself off and hope to try and make a point. You failed on the latter, nobody buys your crap. Please stop slinging this "equivalence" garbage. As if widows of 9/11 could just turn on the weather channel and receive a warning, 5 PHUCKING DAYS IN ADVANCE, that 4 757'S were about to launch the largest attack on American soil ever so you may want to call your hubby and let him know. You really need help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Filthy Fernadez 2,696 Posted June 14, 2007 I think this is a pretty simplistic way of looking at the problem. Yeah I'm sure there are some people who are living off the federal government down there, but a lot of it has to do with being born into huge, poverty-striken families in a city with a ton of crime and no real dominant industry. I don't know what the situation is now, but pre-Katrina the job market down there was horrible, even for people who have some kind of resume. I spent almost a year looking for a job in New Orleans and couldn't find one thing in my field that paid anywhere near a wage I'd work for. Don't mean to sound brutal, but I guess you went focking hungry then! A YEAR out of work because they wouldn't pay you what you think you're worth?! Supply and demand dude. If you can't get 'what you'd work for' there then you should have packed your focking bags within a month and moved somewhere where your job skills were in demand. Ever hear of starting at the ground level and working your way up? Alot of companies won't pay squat until they know you're committed to them. That's the attitude the people are referring to; 'I ain't no ditch digger!' To which I reply 'yeah and you'll go focking hungry because you won't even get welfare/unemployment now.' I also hope you didn't have a family back then as you should have done what it took to provide for them. Whether it's delivering pizza or pumping gas, you man up and throw aside your pride. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boz/BoFan 0 Posted June 14, 2007 Don't mean to sound brutal, but I guess you went focking hungry then! A YEAR out of work because they wouldn't pay you what you think you're worth?! Supply and demand dude. If you can't get 'what you'd work for' there then you should have packed your focking bags within a month and moved somewhere where your job skills were in demand. Ever hear of starting at the ground level and working your way up? Alot of companies won't pay squat until they know you're committed to them. That's the attitude the people are referring to; 'I ain't no ditch digger!' To which I reply 'yeah and you'll go focking hungry because you won't even get welfare/unemployment now.' I also hope you didn't have a family back then as you should have done what it took to provide for them. Whether it's delivering pizza or pumping gas, you man up and throw aside your pride. Ahhh. Somebody here phucking gets it! Finally. MDC is thee weakest example of what evolution has to offer, at least most of those in poverty have some sort of mental incapacity, MDC is just a paris hilton without the money in boys clothing. Get a phucking job douche. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Filthy Fernadez 2,696 Posted June 14, 2007 Yep. I think it's amazing that we gave $1 million a pop to the WTC widows - basically a pet rock to make the rest of us feel better after the attack - without any complaints, but people beetch about Katina refugees spending some of their $2K cards on booze and strippers after losing everything they own. I'm personally a lot more galled by the former than the latter... Difference between 9/11 widows and Katrina 'victims' was that the widows got charity $$ given freely by the American people and Katrina 'victims' got tax payer $$ taken at the end of the govt. gun. BIG DIFFERENCE PAL! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bert 1,128 Posted June 14, 2007 no real dominant industry. I don't know what the situation is now, but pre-Katrina the job market down there was horrible Of all the BS in your response I'll deal with these two false statements. Economy New Orleans is the home to one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, and accounts for a major portion of the nation's refinery and production of petroleum, has a top 50 research university (in Tulane University). The city is in the top twenty of the most visited cities in the United States, and tourism is a major staple in the area's economy. I don't know what you do for a living or maybe your resume sucks balls because the NO unemployment numbers are about the same as the national average prior to Katrina. New Orleans Unemployment National unemployment Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLCKAA 574 Posted June 14, 2007 Once again, you compare two completely different issues to pizz yourself off and hope to try and make a point. You failed on the latter, nobody buys your crap. Please stop slinging this "equivalence" garbage. As if widows of 9/11 could just turn on the weather channel and receive a warning, 5 PHUCKING DAYS IN ADVANCE, that 4 757'S were about to launch the largest attack on American soil ever so you may want to call your hubby and let him know. You really need help. I don't entirely agree with MDC and I don't entirely agree with you, either. However, know that hurricane after hurricane comes through this area and there wasn't any expectation that this flooding was going to occur. On August 29 2005 the front page headline for the Times Picayune said something like "NO Escapes Major Damage." The flooding was unforeseeable. As for people ripping on the people of the 9th and St. Bernard Parish, come on. Handfulls of lowlife D-Bags always cast their scummy shadow over the good folks because they get the headlines. So NO was the murder capital of the US. Big Deal. People don't deserve to have this happen to them merely because they live in a high crime area. Criminals deserve to go to jail. An entire population doesn't deserve to be thrust into chaos just because there are criminals who live amongst them. As for living off the gov't, that argument is so passe'. You can find people living off the gov't anywhere. In poor neighborhoods you typically find more people on assistance. Again, though, its not the majority of the population living off assistance. And of those living off assistance, its not the majority doing so in lieu of working. So, people on assistance are easily in the minority and those taking advantage of assistance are further in the minority. There simply is no way to say "Fck 'em, they deserve to lose everything" unless you are the devil. I'm an agent, and well aware of that. Problem is, as I'm sure you're aware, in determining how much damage is attributed to wind, water damage proximate to the wind damage, etc vs flood. Imagine how many times I explained this to people while I was down there. I got tired of telling people my occupation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDC 7,413 Posted June 14, 2007 Ahhh. Somebody here phucking gets it! Finally. MDC is thee weakest example of what evolution has to offer, at least most of those in poverty have some sort of mental incapacity, MDC is just a paris hilton without the money in boys clothing. Get a phucking job douche. I try not to engage in a dialogue with aliases like Boz or his own alias, but for the record: I was thinking of moving to New Orleans and combed the papers and job sites, trying to find a job in one of a few fields (editorial, marketing, PR, etc.) that would pay me a comparable wage, adjusted for the cost of living (much lower down there). I looked for about a year while I was up here and found absolutely NOTHING. The entertainment industry, and a little bit of the oil industry, are it down there. If you don't work there you're shovelling frieds at Popeyes. And yeah, I know exactly what I'm worth and wouldn't take a mammoth pay cut. Of all the BS in your response I'll deal with these two false statements. Economy New Orleans is the home to one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, and accounts for a major portion of the nation's refinery and production of petroleum, has a top 50 research university (in Tulane University). The city is in the top twenty of the most visited cities in the United States, and tourism is a major staple in the area's economy. I don't know what you do for a living or maybe your resume sucks balls because the NO unemployment numbers are about the same as the national average prior to Katrina. New Orleans Unemployment National unemployment There are drilling / oil companies, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, I don't work in that field. Far as the toursim, that's just terrific if you want to be a bellhop or work in a restaurant or give Tarot readings on the riverwalk, but those jobs tend not to pay so well. As of 2005 (first stats I dug up on Citystat) the median household income in New Orleans was about $30K compared to a national average of around $46K. So there may be comparable employment rates in NO, but people make far less money and work crappier jobs. Have you ever been there? I've never seen poverty like NO in any city. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
30 Fat, Bald & Texan 5 Posted June 14, 2007 Imagine how many times I explained this to people while I was down there. I got tired of telling people my occupation. Technically all of the damage down there was caused by the wind. Something had to blow that hurricane their way. Without the wind the city wouldn't have flooded near as bad as it did. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nomad99 742 Posted June 14, 2007 Difference between 9/11 widows and Katrina 'victims' was that the widows got charity $$ given freely by the American people and Katrina 'victims' got tax payer $$ taken at the end of the govt. gun. BIG DIFFERENCE PAL! AND the spouses receiving $$ for 9/11 lost people who were PRODUCTIVE TAXPAYING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY for the most part. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLCKAA 574 Posted June 14, 2007 AND the spouses receiving $$ for 9/11 lost people who were PRODUCTIVE TAXPAYING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY for the most part. I'd rather risk showing kindness to some who aren't deserving than to ignore those who are in need altogether. Its the death of charity when you start trying to judge who "deserves" help and and who doesn't. You could find a reason to turn people down in every case if you tried hard enough. One has to simply do the right thing across the board and accept that some times you'll be aiding those who are being lazy or selfish. I tell myself that maybe what I do will influence someone else or motivate someone else (not that I do right all the time, of course). Maybe I should just delete this thread. It wasn't intended to open debate about which poor people deserve to be struck by disaster and which ones don't. Technically all of the damage down there was caused by the wind. Something had to blow that hurricane their way. Without the wind the city wouldn't have flooded near as bad as it did. Nice try, but the standard policy stipulates that it covers DIRECT physical loss and then also excludes specific perils. Flood waters are not the direct result of wind. They're the indirect result of wind. Trust me, I'm not saying that your reasoning is irrational or stupid. Just telling you this is an an industrywide notion regarding damages. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rusty Syringes 478 Posted June 14, 2007 I live near Nawlins. That was the best thing that could have ever happened to that place. It was the murder capital of the US, an absolute sh!thole. Nobody in that neighborhood gave a damn about themselves or anyone else, money going to rebuild that place would be the largest misallocation of funds the US has ever been a part of. If you are gonna live in N.O., next to the levees, way below sea level, during Hurricane season, in Hurricane phucking ally, without flood insurance....you deserve to lose everything. Those that had it, didnt. Those people have nobody to blame but themselves. Yes, and now all those lovely folks live in Houstor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nomad99 742 Posted June 14, 2007 I'd rather risk showing kindness to some who aren't deserving than to ignore those who are in need altogether. Its the death of charity when you start trying to judge who "deserves" help and and who doesn't. You could find a reason to turn people down in every case if you tried hard enough. One has to simply do the right thing across the board and accept that some times you'll be aiding those who are being lazy or selfish. I tell myself that maybe what I do will influence someone else or motivate someone else (not that I do right all the time, of course). Maybe I should just delete this thread. It wasn't intended to open debate about which poor people deserve to be struck by disaster and which ones don't. I would not suggest not helping those in need....on the contrary...I'm all for it. My post was directed to MDC's remark "I think it's amazing that we gave $1 million a pop to the WTC widows - basically a pet rock to make the rest of us feel better after the attack - without any complaints, but people beetch about Katina refugees spending some of their $2K cards on booze and strippers after losing everything they own. I'm personally a lot more galled by the former than the latter..." Many differing opinions here but I align with the thought that if you spend $$ given to you to buy food & clothing on liquor, lottery & cigs.........than you are not really IN NEED OF THE $$ IN THE FIRST PLACE. I align with the thought that if you ARE OFFERED A JOB to you to buy food & clothing & help get you back on your feet(especially a cash job that you pay no taxes on).........than you are not really IN NEED OF THE $$ IN THE FIRST PLACE. We wasted 100's of millions of dollars on "Charity" for people who did not deserve it that could have gone to those that do. Not everyone who received assistance took undu advantage of it & for them I am sorry & truly wish them the best. The area they lived in had a reputation....a bad one........a reputation that for the most part they lived up to after the hurricane Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ArnieBragg 1 Posted June 15, 2007 I'd be interested in getting an update from Alimony Tony Share this post Link to post Share on other sites