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Career refugees need tough love
Waterbury Republican-American ^ | June 13, 2008 | Editoral

Posted on 06/13/2008 12:20:24 PM PDT by Graybeard58

The flood of tear-jerk stories about the displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors continues to wash across America. Save for the occasional report of refugees defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the narrative has been pretty consistent: The victims continue to be victimized by (fill in the blank, usually President Bush because everything is his fault).

Well, a Biloxi, Miss., television station last week asked the question that's been our minds for some time: "What are people who receive FEMA assistance doing to help themselves?" Not much.

A reporter interviewed refugees from Greater New Orleans who have been living in Biloxi hotels, at taxpayers' expense, since their eviction, at taxpayers' expense, from taxpayer-provided trailers. She found most Katrinites lounging around pools or on the beach waiting for their next taxpayer-financed meal (FEMA gives them three squares a day) when they should have been working. One woman complained about being stuck in her free hotel room where she had the air conditioning set at 60. It's too hot to look for work, she whined. "Since the storm, I haven't had any energy or pep to go get a job." Katrina blew in on Aug. 29, 2005.

A few blocks away, a hotel was spending $5,000, not provided by taxpayers, to fix damage caused by unemployed-by-choice Katrinites who ran a meth lab out of their free room.

Americans are caring and generous to a fault. They have great admiration for the hundreds of thousands of Katrina victims who demonstrated their indomitable spirit by rebuilding their homes, cities and lives, even though it means they likely will be victimized again by the next Category 4 hurricane.

But Americans' compassion has limits. Nearly three years out, FEMA continues to put roofs over the heads of 216,554 households in Mississippi alone, at a cost, as of May 30, of $857 million. And Louisiana's numbers dwarf Mississippi's. These freeloaders long ago ceased to be victims, but they will continue to be the government's willing wards as long as FEMA pays their room and board, no questions asked. It's long past time to put the "temporary" back in "temporary housing."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
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1 posted on 06/13/2008 12:22:09 PM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: warsaw44; Grizzled Bear; Tunehead54; G.Love; nothingnew; dcwusmc; Responsibility2nd; Bob; PzLdr; ...

Ping to a Republican-American Editorial.

If you want on or off this list, let me know.


2 posted on 06/13/2008 12:23:00 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (McCain, my penultimate choice in the primary and only choice in the general)
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To: Graybeard58
They're doing the same thing they were doing before the flood, but now they have Katrina to blame for their own worthlessness.
3 posted on 06/13/2008 12:24:19 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Never insult an alligator until you have crossed the river.)
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To: Graybeard58; monkapotamus; dead; All

I don’t know Looter Guy is doing quite well for himself LOL!


4 posted on 06/13/2008 12:28:17 PM PDT by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

And this is exactly the kind of reason that the more you can take the gubmint out of the welfare business, the better off society is.

The Apostle Paul says, “he who won’t work, shouldn’t eat”. I have great compassion for people who genuinely need help but the government isn’t capable of providing either compassion or true help—they just give handouts to cheats and liars who abuse Americans’ trust.


5 posted on 06/13/2008 12:30:27 PM PDT by Arkansas Toothpick
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To: Graybeard58

I find this neither amazing or unexpected. When the teat finally runs dry they will be on every news channel, crying about the cruelty of George Bush and the evil republicans for making them (gasp) work to earn a living. I really believe they think that society “owes” them.

Its freeloaders like these mentioned that make honest people wonder why they work so hard just for GovCo. to snatch it away and hand it to the favored few.


6 posted on 06/13/2008 12:31:11 PM PDT by Horusra (Conservative > Republican)
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To: Graybeard58

I go By the Waterbury Republican Newspapers Headquarters a Few Times a Week and I am Really proud of that One Newspaper in Connecticut That gets it right !!!


7 posted on 06/13/2008 12:33:09 PM PDT by ballplayer
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To: Graybeard58

No pride and a lifestyle provided to them via others working and paying taxes. The US was built on people with pride, to ashamed to take, so they worked very hard to not have stigma attached to them as a ‘drain on society.’

Liberalism, starting with LBJ’s War on Poverty, coupled with unchecked breeding and immigration, take the stigma away from not wanting to survive by one’s own efforts....the full effect of this is hand-out promising (and delivering) politicians that espouse Robin Hood for the ‘Hood...and build up a political power base by using tax money to fund people that refuse to work.

(See Barack Obama, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Maxine Waters, Ted Kennedy, Barbara Lee)


8 posted on 06/13/2008 12:33:38 PM PDT by wac3rd (LIBS GONE WILD)
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To: Graybeard58

I want on this List Thank You


9 posted on 06/13/2008 12:33:47 PM PDT by ballplayer
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To: Graybeard58
My supply of sympathy ran out in December 2006 when I read about one guy, mid-30's, who was living in a FEMA paid airport hotel room near JFK and spending his days watching TV and playing video games.

The idea that thousands of jobs were available just a bus ride or subway ride away and hundreds were available within walking distance just never crossed his mind in all those months.

10 posted on 06/13/2008 12:34:02 PM PDT by Vigilanteman ((Are there any men left in Washington? Or are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud))
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To: Graybeard58
The victims continue to be victimized by (fill in the blank, usually President Bush because everything is his fault).

LOL...the editors have a sense of humor.

11 posted on 06/13/2008 12:34:49 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
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To: Graybeard58
re: One woman complained about being stuck in her free hotel room where she had the air conditioning set at 60. It's too hot to look for work, she whined. “Since the storm, I haven't had any energy or pep to go get a job.”

I know Obama wouldn't expect this “victim” to actually go out and look for work, but I wonder if he will expect her to turn her thermostat down.

12 posted on 06/13/2008 12:36:00 PM PDT by Nevadan
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To: Graybeard58

I go By the Waterbury Republican Newspapers Headquarters a Few Times a Week and I am Really proud of that One Newspaper in Connecticut That gets it right !!!


13 posted on 06/13/2008 12:36:08 PM PDT by ballplayer
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To: ballplayer

You have been added.


14 posted on 06/13/2008 12:37:59 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (McCain, my penultimate choice in the primary and only choice in the general)
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To: Graybeard58

These same people are complaining because it is taking to long to get NOLA back to the way it was. Yet the employers can’t find enough people to do the work.


15 posted on 06/13/2008 12:44:21 PM PDT by CSM (Hey if a small tax increase didn't work, a bigger tax increase should not work even BETTER!)
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To: CSM

These Career Refugees have nothing on the Palstinians.


16 posted on 06/13/2008 1:04:25 PM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: Nevadan
but I wonder if he will expect her to turn her thermostat down.

If it's set on 60, it's probably already down as far as it will go.

17 posted on 06/13/2008 1:17:51 PM PDT by HIDEK6
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To: HIDEK6
Thanks. What I meant to say was I wonder if Obama will expect her to turn her thermostat UP.
18 posted on 06/13/2008 1:21:15 PM PDT by Nevadan
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To: Graybeard58

Most were welfare-dependents before the hurricane, and they’re welfare-dependents now. This is news? If FEMA cuts them off, they’ll just go back on state or county aid.


19 posted on 06/13/2008 1:37:38 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Drill! Drill!! Drill!!!)
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To: Graybeard58
Americans are caring and generous to a fault.

This kind of a statement always disgusts me, and there are sooo many things wrong with it... for one, it doesn't speak for me and many others like me.

"Generosity" means that someone willingly, voluntarily, temporarily, helps out another person in need.

Chronic welfare dependents are existing on money stolen (via taxes) from people who stand on their own feet and provide for themselves. We weren't asked to provide the money for welfare voluntarily... the money is forced from us (via taxes). Taxes are never voluntary.

But welfare dependents (and politicians) don't give a rat's @$$ where the money comes from, as long as it keeps on coming.

20 posted on 06/13/2008 1:50:35 PM PDT by pbmaltzman
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