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New York, 7:16 AM
Tue Nov 24
65 posts in the last 24 hours
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08/30/09
As much as I support a public option for health care, and many of the stimulus initiatives, I can understand why some folks are wary of Government-run programs. The entire Katrina/New Orleans debacle shows what happens when Government fails at every single level - the Federal response was minuscule, late and poorly managed initially. The LA State and NO City Governments were shocked SHOCKED that a city that basically rests below sea level would ever need proper evacuation procedures, methods and information processes to get the poor, elderly and ill out of their homes, hospitals and centers. The levee management boards were often corrupt, inept, and didn't coordinate with each other to maintain consistent building protocols and standards throughout the town. The US Army Corps of Engineers had failed to mandate proper levee designs and building specs, and had numerous issues with local citizens for years about the levees. Combine all that with a stunned mass media that was confused as to handle the story - more concerned about getting footage of high winds and roofs being blown off hotels than reporting about boring old leaking levees for seven hours...yeah, who's gonna care about that boring stuff when we can put Jim Cantore in another windstorm?
It was a horrible situation at every level, and I hope that classes geared toward educating a new generation of civil servants and politicians show these failures and how to prevent them in future disasters. It is a damned shame that this country is better prepared to offer disaster relief to a 3rd World country on a distant continent across the seas than to a place right off the Interstate.
08/30/09
Nepotistic appointees woefully unqualified to fill out the job they weren't doing anyway doesn't equal the way things will be when a competent gouvernment is in charge of these issues.
Look at the Netherlands: we've been keeping up dykes and levees with more than fingers for the past 70 years. Our OMG SOCIALIST! government is keeping 75% of our landmass that is under sea level dry.
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05/14/09
I lived in New Orleans, my (rental) home flooded to the roof. I stayed in the town I evacuated to (I was able to afford evacuation by not paying the bills I had due in favor of saving my life). In November 2005 I had a new job and apartment, the outpouring of generosity was huge and I had several job offers. The amount of aid that has been given to people in New Orleans is greater than any other natural disaster, and it was not the only natural disaster to affect poor people. My question is.. if these people have been getting FREE housing for nearly 4 years, why haven't they saved enough money to at least secure a rental until the "road home" money comes in?
05/14/09
05/14/09
Wouldn't it be an idea to rehouse them first and bring the Program to a natural end instead of just stopping it?
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05/12/09
So the question is, what can we do to help? Does anyone know any resources? I'm tired of this impotent rage, y'all.
05/12/09
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"For comfort and piece from Rumpled Quilts Kin
Traverse City, MI"
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