Are we headed to the 2nd Wave of the Katrina Disaster?

[Roachman]

I heard this on the radio (KPFK in LA) and so can't post a link, but apparently the most needy who were helped (as soon as Bush go around to ordering their help) are now on their way out of their temporary residences, and into where, i don't know.

They said the Astro-Dome is on the verge of being closed, with everyone being released.

FEMA gave help to some to stay in hotels, but it was only for two weeks, which are just about over.

Now that the news is moving on to Judge John Roberts, and how the recovery is finally going well, and now that black people are displaced across the country ("in a way we haven't seen since slavery" as they put it on the radio) in a way that will certainly keep their individual plights off national news, it seems we are headed to the second -- and for most people, much more permanent -- wave of tragedy, where help is not going to be there when asked for, because this wave will be much more individual, personal, and silent...

[Boomer]

1. Two weeks, eh?

From what I've heard from friends in Louisiana and Mississippi, they haven't even started their two weeks of FEMA help, much less finished them.

[Horse with no Name]

2. They are displaced, homeless and jobless

That will make it really easy for them to not be able to return to NO. Instead, they have them spread all over the country.
I will say it again...instead of giving churches and FEMA the money to take care of these people, why didn't they just give the money to the people?
I figured it out. For every resident in New Orleans...they would have received $12,000.
Instead...that money is lining the pockets of crooks.
A family of 4 could have made do nicely with $48k.
This really sucks.

[patcox2]

3. Watch out for unintended consequences

If you give the people who stayed behind in a hurricane $12,000 each, you can guarantee that next time there's a hurricane, not only will many more people choose not to evacuate, you would likely have thousands rushing in to the area to try out the "Hurricane lottery." I know full well most of these people did not choose not to evacuatye, but again, provide people with a financial incentive to stay behind, and many will.

[kestrel91316]

4. You would prefer they be homeless??

I believe they are getting housing vouchers good for 6 months, not any such NONSENSE as $12,000 cash. They are NOT being handed huge sums of cash.

[patcox2]

5. That does not logically follow from what I said.

Its a deceitful and malicious mischaracterization. You should resist the impulse to assume moral delinquency in the speaker just because of your emotional response to what is said. I did not say they should not be given housing assistance, I said they should not be given a large lump sum in cash.

The practical impact of human nature should not be ignored in this or any other situation. A riot started in the astrodome when the rumor spread they were getting $2,000 check cards, remember. That was a dumb way to handle that situation as well.

[Roachman]

6. But you have to admit

You are making assumptions about the stupidity of human nature.

Would you risk your life because you might get 12,000 out of it?

If not, you should not assume enough others would that we should risk harm for thsoe who are needy.

[MsTryska]

7. if i'm making $7 an hour, if that?

hell yes.



remember to soemone from a middle class lifestyle, 12K might not be that much.


to soemone who may barely make that in an entire year - it's an incentive.

[patcox2]

16. I am not making assumption, I know people would do it.

You are asking me to believe in some fairy tale conception of human nature.

People kill themselves daily for less than $12,000. Women sell their youth, their dignity, they take the risk of disease, on the streets every day for a ocuple of bucks. Men and women get cancer because they like the nicotine buzz.

"It won't happen to me" is one of the most common fallacies humans are prone to believing.

[sandnsea]

13. He didn't say that

He said the entire population of New Orleans, evacuated or not. There'd be more reason to go if you knew you were going to receive a very generous check at the evacuation center.

[sandnsea]

12. You're exactly right

Extrapolate it for the entire Gulf, if you don't mind. I did that with the Carnival cruiseline too, $32,000 PER PERSON for six months. I'd take in an entire family for $32,000 for 6 months.

[Fla Dem]

8. Divide and Conquer...Divide and silence.

With evacuees spread far and wide, no good photo opportunities of them waiting to get relief, of group protests, of over burdened agencies. Divide and conquer has always been a a strategic action.

On the other hand, I want to see people moved out of the Astrodome, but agree with people who are calling for evacuees to be sheltered as close to home as possible, so they have something to cling to, so they have people around them who suffered too and can share in their grief, who understands the emotions they are going through. Are they scattering the Alabama and Mississippi homeless throughout the 50 states?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Enough defeatist capitulationist talk! This story won't die.

Stop this nauseating defeatist capitulationist talk!

The right way to view this is that the story of the disaster is being spread throughout the nation. Every media outlet, TV station and newspaper will find a human interest story from one or another of these people. This gives the story legs. This story will not die.

The Republicans and Bush can nix temporarily an investigation in the senate, but Floodgate (and Plamegate) will not go away. The American people are angry and will get answers.

Bush and his cronies can run but they can't hide.

[Roachman]

20. I'd agree with you six years ago...

But right now, we need to be realistic so we can foresee what's likely to occur.

These people we are up against are not stupid. They control the vast majority of the media, and they only lose that control only so much. We saw how much they lost it the first week of the hurricane, but they are back to tightenting their grip.
To say this is not to capitulate but to be realistic about the power of our foe. We have a party that represents 1 to 10% of the population and wins elections. That should be impossible, but clearly they have powers beyond our understanding (to quote Skeletor).

[Fla Dem]

21. Explain capitulationist and how it relates to my comment.and what was

nauseating and defeatist about what I said. geeez get a grip.

[ewagner]

10. True.

It appears that the catastrophe is being diluted by spreading it across the country....

If the evacuees are separated from each other, they can't communicate or organize and will simply become a local problem to deal with when the vouchers run out.

I don't like this

Not at all.

[Bridget Burke]

11. Should the evacuees be put in concentration camps?

That's a way to keep them together. Do you think that all of them are weak, helpless folks? Quite a few of them can probably write & even know enough to dial a phone.

The big shelters in Houston will close eventually, but the people are not just being "let go".

The placement process has slowed down because not enough basic furniture can be found for their apartments, and quarters for several hundred special needs evacuees have been difficult to find, said Frank Michel, spokesman for Mayor Bill White.

And unlike some of the evacuees who already have moved on from the shelters, some of those remaining were poor before Katrina struck and lack the wherewithal to help pay for establishing new households, Michel said Wednesday.

www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3354689

I do feel for evacuees in more remote areas. Houston is close to NOLA & many Houstonians have roots in Louisiana. And the large number of evacuees here will help communication & organization.

[mod mom]

14. They are trying to instigate riots so they can institute martial law!

[WilliamPitt]

15. We haven't even gotten started

Hundreds of thousands of displaced, unemployed people.

The largest port in the country closed, affecting petroleum and agriculture distribution.

Spike in oil prices, affecting agriculture, trucking, fast food, and oh by the way, if you have oil heat, prepare to pay $900 a month this winter.

[tavalon]

17. It's been forty years

It's time for us to rise up again with our black brothers and sisters for civil rights, human rights and against these immoral wars. It is time for us to take this country back and given that the blacks, both poor and rich have never been taken in by the crap spewed by the Republicans (while so many whites, both poor and rich, were oh so gullible) it's clear that they should be our leaders. They're smarter than us (on average. Just a generalization. Not meant to be absolute. YMMV, etc. etc.).

[bobbieinok]

18. amen ....... where do we sign up?????

[tavalon]

19. Many banners to choose from

A.N.S.W.E.R. if you can stomach them. PDA, DFA, DU, Veterans for Peace, Cindy Sheehan's group, Code Pink.

But whatever, get thee to DC on September 24th. It is the exclamation point on the statement of the end of this administration.

[Igel]

22. There are an awful lot of Louisiana plates on the vehicles

in my apt. complex's parking lot. Many more than a few weeks ago. Mostly SUVs.

"For rent" signs are also down.

Haven't seen the people yet, though.