Posted on 08/31/2007 4:40:18 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3
When Sidney was flooded about 15 years ago, FEMA offered us low-interest loans to repair our houses. I figured why bother. Pay for it out of my savings. It would cost me the same either way, and I wouldn't have to pay interest.
However, it would be interesting to know how many taxpayer dollars have been specifically spent in NOLA. And then do the math. I bet the answer would still be disgusting.
New York and Washington, DC got 44 Billion after 911. Compare the scale of destruction and the number of American citizens affected. Some of you folks need to look up a few facts before posting stupidity.
“Only” $133,333.00 per person in that case.
And the place is still third-world, still only 60% repopulated (gotta wonder how much is being spent and was spent by the city, state, and federal governments in out-of-state cities that took in refugees), and still susceptible to all of the risks implicit for any built-up region below sea level.
On the other hand, New Orleans has exceeded all expectations in one area - the crime rate is up substantially (impressive especially considering how bad NOLA was before). The cities that took in “refugees” are also enjoying more rapes, murders, shootings, gang violence, drug dealing, squatters, vandalism, and theft. God bless the welfare state and pass the federal tax dollars!
According to FEMA's own figures, The Los Angeles earthquake got 15.5 billion in federal assistance back in 1994. You or not trustworthy.
You're right. That's it.
And have been completely amazed at the lack of progress. There’s still junk everywhere that’s never been cleaned up. Still trash up in the trees. How can people live like this?
Oh sure the French Quarter has been cleaned up. But only because it’s a huge tourist trap. And it wasn’t damaged that badly in the storm.
But the rest of the area damaged by the storm is still largely a mess.
“450,000 people in pre-Katrina New Orleans. $114,000,000,000 divided by 450,000 = $253,300 per person.”
“The federal government suggests it has allocated more than $114 billion to the Gulf Coast recovery - but they often fail to mention this $114 billion was distributed among FIVE STATES - ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, TEXAS and FLORIDA - IN THE AFTERMATH OF THREE DISASTERS, including HURRICANES KATRINA,RITA,WILMA. Of this, it is estimated that federal commitments to Louisiana are roughly $60 billion.”
“If you believe Blanko’s numbers of *only* 60 billion that went directly to LA, that’s only $133,333.00 per resident. Still, our house cost less than that.”
“A substantial portion of this assistance was directed to emergency assistance and meeting short-term needs arising from the hurricanes, such as relocation assistance, emergency housing, immediate levee repair, and debris removal efforts, LEAVING LESS THAN 26 BILLION FOR ACTUAL”BRICKS AND STICKS REBUILDING OF PREMANENT INFRASTRUCTURE. Of this, we have forced enough federally-required paperwork through the eye of the needle to get nearly $7 billion spent on permanent construction projects, including more than 3 BILLION THAT HAS BEEN PAID DIRECTLY TO LOUISIANA HOMEOWNERS.(Note: The payment was to Louisiana homeowners, not just New Orleans homeowners, Hurricane Rita came on shore on September 24 2005 at the Texas/Louisiana border as a category 3 and caused significant damage there as well)
Related Facts About New Orleans and Katrina:
80% of the city of New Orleans evacuated prior to Katrina.(Pre-Katrina Population approx.484,674)
A recent study by Tulane University notes that 51% of New Orleans is at or above sea level, with the more densely populated areas generally on higher ground. The mean (average) elevation of the city is currently between one and two feet below sea level, with some portions of the city as high as 16 feet (5 m) and others as low as 10 feet (3 m) below sea level.
Although the Hurricane’s eye passed east of the city, the city’s federal flood protection system failed resulting in the worst civil engineering disaster in American history FLOODWALLS, CALLED “LEVEES” CONSTRUCTED BY THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FAILED BELOW DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS and 80% OF THE CITY FLOODED.(The Army Corps of Engineers has admitted that a “design failure” on their part was the cause of the collapse. http://www.nola.com/frontpage/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1144306231230500.xml)
“New York and Washington, DC got 44 Billion after 911. Compare the scale of destruction and the number of American citizens affected. Some of you folks need to look up a few facts before posting stupidity.”
“According to FEMA’s own figures, The Los Angeles earthquake got 15.5 billion in federal assistance back in 1994.”
Thanks for your posts Uncle Sham!
He also represents a disturbing trend these days on this forum where seemingly intelligent Americans feel like this nation has disposable cities. Tancredo is a first class jerk for saying what he has said. His kool-aide might be tasty to some. So was Hitler's.
Do you think they choose to live this way? This nation has gone on with their own little lives where everything is in it's place and nothing is too far out of line for the past two years. Many in New Orleans, the Mississippi and Alabama gulf coast, and SW Louisiana and Texas have been living in a twilight zone of non-assistance from a government that has robbed them blind over the coarse of their entire working lives. Two years and counting. I would bet that most of the smarty pants posting insults on these threads wouldn't last two weeks before going crazy dealing with the insanity. All of these huge figures being bandied about is a joke. The help is not getting to the streets where it is needed. The local, state, and FEDERAL governments have failed miserably the very people they are there to serve and protect. This should be a huge wake-up call to all American citizens. Your government is nothing more than a facade.
Hunter/Tancredo or Tancredo/Hunter would be impossible to beat for 8 years.
But you know it doesn’t work like that. Once the ‘big guys’ and bureaucracy take off the top, little to nothing gets to the citizens. People would have gotten that much if there had been one office doing nothing but writing checks and mailing them. Instead, every office, and hand, that handles the money gets paid; and there are a lot of people between those dollars and the citizens.
I know if I had gotten $200+ thousands I would have used it to get the hell out of Louisiana for good! So would many others!
Instead, giving LA the $$ is like a lawyer winning you a huge settlement. He gets you 100 grand, charges 70 grand- you net 30, if you’re lucky.
Also remember that here in Louisiana nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING gets done unless-and until- those connected to politicians get a cut, or the contract.
It’s the Federal controls that are holding up recovery in LA, because they are making it difficult for the LA system to work as it always has. And rightfully so.
More Tancredos, less RHINOS
” Disposable cities.”
That’s the whole point here.
IS New Orleans disposable?
What makes a city disposable to the collective American mind?
Should guidelines be established?
One major disaster per city/town- worth — amount of dollars, after which the city/town is disposable? A time frame included?
What would be gone then? Cities hit multiple times by hurricanes that don’t meet the guidelines? Towns hit by tornadoes, floods,earthquakes?
I’m not arguing the reasoning behind the thinking that N.O. is disposable. A large part of it is, IMO. The country does not need the neighborhoods back to have the Port and the tourist areas and the oil industry. That’s pretty obvious. And the geology of LA re. future hurricanes dooming it to more destruction is also a fact.
I understand why so many think. N.O. is disposable. I’m trying to understand if it’s just N.O, or will the thinking apply to other places and other disasters.
That's not possible.
Blanco's side is the only one given by every MSM outlet.
Do you watch NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS? Do you read any of the mainstream newspapers? Listen to National Public Radio? They - the MSM - give the dem side and ONLY the dem side.
Why reprint it here?
Tancredo's comments are enough.
Really, there's no conservative that hasn't heard endless liberal excuses about NO. Thanks for posting the Tancredo comments, but you don't need to give "equal time" to the people who have 99.9% of media time given to them... and "passes" to boot. We've heard Blanco's bullsh-t. We "get" the liberal side. We've heard it and heard it and heard it.
It's all we hear.
It would be a better post without Governor Blanco's excuses.
I am very well aware how the MSM operates. My point to posting Blanco’s side was not in what she said, but the fact that she responded. Immediately. Simply because the MSM will not ask or print a Republican response to its left leaning articles is no excuse for Republicans not responding.
Perhaps I have missed a post on FR where a Republican has issued a press release countering and calling out the Dems lying criticism of Bush, Gonzales, the Dems Craig/Barney Frank hypocrisy, the endless bashing of Republicans, perhaps they spoke or have written about the HSU incident....but I doubt it.
Our side needs to speak out, defend themselves, regardless of the fact the MSM will not print it.
Other than the illegal immigration issue, I see nothing on any of their websites, no press releases in response to the endless bashing by Dems, but you can bet Pelosi, Schumer, Dingy Harry, every Dem right down to the state level will do just that, and those press releases are posted on FR....Why can’t we grow a backbone and do likewise.
Enough to define him as an idiot. If only HIS view of this was posted, many on this forum might be duped into believing he was smart. Be thankfull that opposing views like mine are allowed so you can see him for the idiot he is.
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