Katrina on PBS

[Vally Farm]

I'm not wanting to get anybody worked up, but I'm listening to a lot of people on the TV saying that you and I should be quicker about building them a new dam,but make it a cat. 5 dam, and where is the new house for them to live in. Tragidy what happened, but why should uou and I be responsible? They chose to live below sea level in a hurricane zone. Not a single person from that area came to help me out when I needed back surgery and the tractor engine blew. I was tought that was what insurance was for. If I choose to live on top of Mount Everest why should I expect sombody else to pay for my chapstick and longjohns? Mike

 

[Anonymous-0]

Mike, I agree completely. My house burned down and no one came running to build me a new one. They should move the hell out of there and to higher ground. If this happened to me one time, I would throw what I had left or could find On a wagon and head north. If I had a wagon, if not I would just head north. Instead of whineing about someone ought to help them, they should do like me and get off there a$$ and get to work. It is a tragedy but we can't be expected to rebuild that mess that is sure to happen again someday. The Red Cross wouldn't even rent me a motel room after the fire. So if they wouldn't help me what is different there? I lost everything in that fire except for the most important stuff. The old lady and kids. That was in 2000 and I still don't have a new house. Living in a 14 x 70 trailer. I figure I will get one when I get to it. Unless you would like to come running and build me one. Sorry about the rant, but I don't owe them anything, and ain't expecting nothing from them.

 

[Midwest redneck]

One of the dumbest things the government did was promise to rebuild the area, How stupid is that. Live below see level next to the ocean.....Super dumb.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The ones that did as little as walk out of that city got some help. Those that stayed and cryed for help are still crying. Well,they can keep on crying.

 

[Oldmax]

Bravo I think the most of the people in the worst hit districts were on welfare of course they are going to want someone to build them a new home "So they can trash it in a couple of years" . What they need to do is get off there a@S and go to work then they can build them one . Like everyone else has to do . They wouldn't work the job I worked for 30 years to build & pay for mine . I worked for company as a service tech my job was to repair water & sewer systems . Yes I had to go down on sewer lift stations and work on them .

 

[Anonymous-0]

The media is NOT going to let this die, because they will do anything to undercut this administration.
If you think it is bad now, wait until next year, with the election campaigning in full swing.
This trash is one of the nnalert most loyal base, and they will be portrayed as 'victims' and 'helpless' until the end of time.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Here in Ottawa Ontario Canada,this weekend the RV Canada location here is advertising 31 ft RV's made for the Katrina releive. They say they are no longer needed there and are being sold off at reduced prices.I guess someone tried to jump on the bandwagon and make a fortune at others misfortune.

 

[steve n carol]

In the past I did live in Lousy Anna. I have seen firsthand how people lived below sea/river level. I didn't understand why then, and today, I still don't understand why. I have seen the people and their lifestyle in those below sea/river level areas too. I am not impressed.

When Katrina did what hurricanes have been doing all their lives, My teenage kids were upset and concerned, and wanted to 'rebuild' the area and coulcn't understand my lack of concern. They do today.

Jesus mentioned about building on sand. I thought that was enough for most of us.

Now I have never been to Nebraska, is there much sand up (north) there?...sl

 

[john in la]

Well it is hard for me NOT to get worked up when ever you guys bring up this topic. The reason is you do not know the facts. I know you can only go by what you hear on TV so it is not really your fault. So I guess I really get upset that the media reports ratings news rather than factual news.

FACTS
A lot of us live above sea level and were still damaged by the storm.

Mississippi got more money from the feds after the storm but everyone looks at Louisiana and they are all above sea level in Mississippi.

Ride around the area and you will see many signs about insurance payouts. One says.......
I got blow## by Katrina; And screw## by my insurance. (Replace ## with ed so I can get past the filters) We have two insurance policies here. One is for wind and rain; and the other is for flood. Now if the flood is wind driven rather than just rising water who pays. I recon you can not answer that cause the courts have not done it yet.

For a long time the government could not decide what the rules will be now. What is the new building codes. Can we rebuild here are do we need to move. NO ONE KNOWS.

The area where I live (50 miles north of town and above sea level) is booming in new construction with all the people that have decided to leave the city but want to stay close enough they can commute to work.

WE could talk about how race has a factor in what you hear on TV but I might get in trouble for that with Kim. Wish I could because this is the biggest topic of the discussion and the biggest reason for all the things you hear on TV. Please do not lump the working class that pays for their own stuff and really does not want help from you with this class.

This whole problem was created by the government; mostly the corps of engineers so let them fix their own problems. In fact most of the money you hear about is for public works projects not given out to individuals to build a house.

The natural defense we have from storms and to build land ABOVE sea level was taken from us many years ago by putting levees on the Mississippi river and dumping sediment off the continental shelf. THANKS CORPS.

So you ask; should they rebuild N.O. That is a hard question. Most likely no but what are they going to do about that major deep water port then. Almost all the grain you guys in Iowa and ILL grow comes through this port.

There is a lot more to the subject but I will end here.
I do not live below sea level; and have replaced my roof so I am fine now. Thought about moving but am putting that on the back burner for now.
My parents and one sister lived in a suburb of New Orleans. My sister did not get flooded but she is selling 2 of her rental houses and has just bought a house in Houston so she is moving. My parents lost everything. And I mean everything except the cloths on their back. They are now living in my sisters 3rd rental house. They may also move to Houston with my sister but have not decided yet what to do. They are both 77 so they find no reason to leave. Their thinking is they will be dead before another major storm hits anyway.

So we are all doing well now. Thanks for asking.

 

[K_In_Sequoia]

Of course Kentucky (in the last year I could find noted, 2004 { http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/266.html }) took the same amount of money from the feds as Louisiana did per dollar paid in taxes. $1.45 back for every dollar you guys paid in federal taxes. Sounds like a sweet deal to me. Our friend from N.J. has every right to complain though... they were dead last, getting only 55¢ back on their hard earned taxes. I'm sure you'll call your Senators and Reps and make sure they even the playing field for all of us George. Thanks, we appreciate that.

 

[Bret4207]

My heart goes out to the hardworking La. folks who got hurt in the storm or the aftermath. I could care less for the porch sitters who are waiting for handouts or cheating the system. Still, they knew the risks and took them. No one is going to bail me out if I get 60" of snow and my barn collapses. The La. gov't took levee $$ and spent it else where, or so the news says. It's always someone else's fault it seems. Mississippi got hit too, but there's darn little whining coming form there.

I'd send John $$, but I wouldn't channel through Nagan or The Gov. down there.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I don't dought that one bit, but I haven't and don't expect to get any charity or handouts for any reason. I have made it all my life on my own abilities and will continue to do so. I also have no problem with folks recieving a little help, but lots of folks take advantage of others misfortune. As for sitting and complaining about no money or help get up and get r done. Had I just sit around whining about my house burning and waited for help, I would still be sitting over there in the rubble. I paid almost 30,000 bucks in various taxes last year and recieved exactly nothing for it. I couldn't even get the water line to my house. After paying the water company, which is owned by the city., it cost me an additional 3000 bucks to run a line from the 600 dollar meter to my house. Maybe I should quit working and start waiting for hand outs. Maybe then I could get something for all my taxes I have paid in the past. When I logged my farm 4 years ago the government took 30% of that right of the top(Timber Tax they called it) What is this for? Why does the Gov't and foriegn countries and deadbeats that won't work think that they should steal my money, and I should be happy about it. That doesn't include income tax on the rest of it and sales tax when I spend it. I am for equal treatment of everyone, when do you think that will begin? You can bet that if a hurricane wipes me out, unless it kills me I will rebuild and survive without any federal money what so ever. The only help they ever offered me was a low interest loan. If I can't afford the principal it doesn't matter how low the interest is.

 

[john in la]

Thanks Bret for your kind words.

Let me assure you that most people down here (La. and Miss) do not need or want your $$. We just want to be treated fairly and given what we have bought and paid for. If I buy insurance and you are willing to take my money for years; then when something happens I want a settlement; not some excuses about that is not covered.

We know our risk just like people in Fla. and you and your 60" of snow. We choose to take them because this is where we were born and raised.

The problem is we have Many Many porch sitters that live on hand outs and they have been draging this area down for years. They still feel we owe them something from years ago. Look at what happened to Houston's crime rate just after the storm when they were relocated. These people have also found their way into our goverment so it is a total mess.

While I am NOT a tree hugger at all; I feel the Corps has messed this one up big time. The lake that broke threw the levee during the storm is only 12 ft deep. If the Corps were to divert the Mississippi river into it the sedament would fill it in a year or two; and their would be no need to worry about a flood from that area again. Our area is going down hill big time from putting levees on the Mississippi. Our swamp plants and trees are dieing from salt water intrusion which allows for land errosion. We love our area but sooner or later people are going to get tired of throwing millions of dollars at a fix to try and fight nature.

Like I said before; If people knew the true facts; were willing to face them as fact; quit worring about the few that want to save a paticular water way or lake; and let nature rule we would be a lot better off. We could still have our city below sea level because of the new buffer zone that would be built. Heck death valley is below sea level!!!!!!!!!!!!!!