XXXXX Them to Hell! New Katrina Video

[xoxoxoBruce]

I wasn’t privy to the filmed briefing for the administration or the information the feds have available.
I only have the weather channel, the media and the internet. However, I knew the Gulf coast was in deep shit several days before Katrina hit.
If I knew, why didn’t the people that lived there know? Why were they waiting for the governments, state and federal to tell them? A shitload of people did leave before Katrina hit, I know some of them. Did they sneak out like the Baltimore Colts, in the middle of the night, without telling their neighbors?

We already know politicians are scum.
We already knew Bush is a lying bastard or the stupidest schmuck on the face of the Earth. I’ll go with the former.
This story simply confirms what we already knew, but to his longtime supporters, it won’t matter.

But I still don't know what the point of this information is, beyond "SEE?!?!? BUSH IS TEH EVILZ!!"

To reaffirm that “We The People” have to get off our collective asses and hold their feet to the fire. All of them, every “public servant”, whether elected, appointed or hired. And if they don’t respond, throw them out. It’s as much our fault as it is their’s.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I wasn’t privy to the filmed briefing for the administration or the information the feds have available.
I only have the weather channel, the media and the internet. However, I knew the Gulf coast was in deep shit several days before Katrina hit.
If I knew, why didn’t the people that lived there know? Why were they waiting for the governments, state and federal to tell them? A shitload of people did leave before Katrina hit, I know some of them. Did they sneak out like the Baltimore Colts, in the middle of the night, without telling their neighbors?

We already know politicians are scum.
We already knew Bush is a lying bastard or the stupidest schmuck on the face of the Earth. I’ll go with the former.
This story simply confirms what we already knew, but to his longtime supporters, it won’t matter.


To reaffirm that “We The People” have to get off our collective asses and hold their feet to the fire. All of them, every “public servant”, whether elected, appointed or hired. And if they don’t respond, throw them out. It’s as much our fault as it is their’s.

You forget one very important thing, Bruce. Low income people who were just making it paycheck to paycheck. Katrina had the audacity to strike at the end of the month. A lot of low income people didn't have the money for a tank full of gas to get the hell out of Dodge or the price of a bus ticket. And where were they supposed to go? Where would they stay once they got there? Sure, if you had a car and the money for a tank of gas and friends somewhere willing to take you in, it was a no brainer. The people who ended up in the Superdome were the elderly, the handicapped, the sick, and the children - the people most in need of assistance and the precisely the people who did not get it.

Yes, every politician's feet should now be blackened over the flame of our national outrage. "Shudda planned," is a response lacking in understanding of the realities of life among the lower income members of our society.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The people that ended up in the Superdome are poster children, a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of people that didn't leave. People up where Buster lives just had to ride in out the best way they could but those along the coast were foolish to think they could beat that storm.
New Orleans was very, very lucky it didn't get a direct hit..... it would have been devastated by Katrina, before it flooded.

And where were they supposed to go?

Nowhere.....they were supposed to die. It's God's will.

[keryx]

Originally Posted by marichiko

"Shudda planned," is a response lacking in understanding of the realities of life among the lower income members of our society.

Having been a member of the lower income society, I disagree.

I planned, saved, and went without a lot of the niceties I now enjoy. Granted, I was only supporting myself on the $7800.00 ($650.00/month) I made, but I was able to buy food, pay rent, electric, water, and phone bills, and still keep enough stashed for an emergency, all without a dime of public assistance. Certainly if I had children it would have been a little different, but the people I knew that had children that were in a comparable income bracket to me got A LOT of public aid, that set those who had children on the same footing as those of us without.

Reality is that you should never live beyond your means, keep a reserve because life can be unpredictable, and don't whine about the choices you make or the priorities you set.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but I have little sympathy for those in our society that make bad choices and then expect the rest of us to fix it for them.

I've made bad choices (I doubt there's anyone on this planet that hasn't), suffered the consequences, and worked hard to set my life straight.


Oh, and as far as the problems with the levees in NOLA go, the most likely candidates to report problems with the levees may perhaps have been those who were supposed to be doing maintenance on them. On the scenes kind of people. The Army Corps of Enginneers. They did report that the levees weren't strong enough to hold back a category 3. But nothing was done because of problems at the state and local levels (ie, payoffs to the right people.) This has been a LA problem long before W was president.

$650.00/month, eh? How long ago? How old were you? Why were you working a job that paid so little? Did you have medical expenses? Did you have family that you could call on in case of an emergency? What made you mend your evil ways and become a productive member of society?

Please give your budget and circumstances at the time.

If you were in college, it SO does NOT count.

If you had a SINGLE family member to turn to, it SO does NOT count.

If you were under 25 and living with a gang of your friends, it SO does NOT count.

If you tell me that within the past 5 years, you were working a job, came from a low income family, had little or no education, did not have a single benefactor or anyone you could turn to, yet still pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, please tell all.

Here's a sample budget for someone living today in my low priced community:

studio apartment rent $350.00
utilities $ 50.00
food $160.00
bus pass $ 50.00
laundry $ 30.00
personal care $ 15.00
cleaning supplies $ 15.00
clothing $ 10.00
____________________________________
Total $680.00

That's not a dime for anything else left over. That's the meanest most frugal, rock bottom budget possible. Please explain to me how and where you accomplished this on $30 LESS in terms of today's dollar.

So the victims of Katrina deserved their fate, eh? You deserve to be one of THEM if that's how you think.

I used to live on $200.00/month. BFD.

[keryx]

Originally Posted by marichiko

$650.00/month, eh? How long ago? How old were you? Why were you working a job that paid so little? Did you have medical expenses? Did you have family that you could call on in case of an emergency? What made you mend your evil ways and become a productive member of society?

I used to live on $200.00/month. BFD.

The year was 2002. So only 4 years ago. I was 33. Actually I made most of that in 4 months out of the year doing taxes January through April, so it really averaged 650/month over the whole year. The rest of the year I worked temp jobs for something to do. No medical expenses. I have fairly good health. No family. No parents to fall back on. Wasn't in college, or living with friends. I shouldn't be mistaken as a productive member of society, as my lifestyle was my choice.

This year I made about 3x what I made then, mostly to support my disabled husband. We still don't live extravagantly. I was always able to make MORE I guess, because I had a decent education and I went to college (no degree, though.) I just chose not to.

Oh I've discovered that you can live on $0 per month, too. At that time I was living in a shelter and receiving food stamp benefits. Not a lifestyle that I would recommend. Didn't I mention that I've made bad choices too?

In the world contest of who's had it worse, I'd be disqualified before the first round. I've had too many breaks and too much luck in my life, and I'm hardly complaining, just offering a comparison.

Originally Posted by keryx

The year was 2002. So only 4 years ago. I was 33. Actually I made most of that in 4 months out of the year doing taxes January through April, so it really averaged 650/month over the whole year. The rest of the year I worked temp jobs for something to do. No medical expenses. I have fairly good health. No family. No parents to fall back on. Wasn't in college, or living with friends. I shouldn't be mistaken as a productive member of society, as my lifestyle was my choice.

The rest of the year I worked temp jobs for something to do. No medical expenses

I rest my case. You lived on more than $650.00/month.

And, yes, Wolf, in my area its possible to find a little studio apartment for $350.00. I have a small, two bedroom cottage for $550.00.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Actually I made most of that in 4 months out of the year doing taxes January through April, so it really averaged 650/month over the whole year. The rest of the year I worked temp jobs for something to do.

I rest my case. You lived on more than $650.00/month.

What are you resting your case on?