Were NO blacks being ungrateful?

[joecash]

I heard a guy talking on the radio about the blacks in NO criticizing the how they were being helped by the gov't. He said they should be grateful they are getting helped at all and not criticize the people helping you. I think he has a point. Do you?

[JDErickson]

Well I did hear there was an official complaint to the Red Cross that there were not enough black RESCUERS.

Due to this the WHITE rescuers had a hard time understanding and relating to the people they were rescuing.

[Ed Miller]

[ QUOTE ]
I heard a guy talking on the radio about the blacks in NO criticizing the how they were being helped by the gov't. He said they should be grateful they are getting helped at all and not criticize the people helping you. I think he has a point. Do you?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya, he does have a point. A friend of the family used to whine all the time about not getting his social security check. "The government owes me $900 a month, and I haven't seen a check in a year and a half." Turns out the SSA got his number wrong and were sending his check to the wrong guy. But whatever, the government was just trying to help him. I said, "Stop whining, and don't bite the hand that feeds you."

Ungrateful prick.

[Ed Miller]

FEMA is a government program paid for by tax dollars just as surely as Social Security, Welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, farm subsidies, the TVA, and so forth. FEMA's job is to help people when they lose their stuff in natural disasters. If FEMA is slow to help, or fails to help, people in that situation, people have the right to be pissed off just as they would if their social security check didn't come.

If the government owes you money, it owes you money. It doesn't matter whether it's for a tax refund, for a student loan, or for disaster relief. If you don't get it, or don't get it on time, then there's a problem. If you don't think the government should pay money for that, and FEMA shouldn't exist, then perhaps the law should change. But as long as the law is what it is, and FEMA exists, then the government owes money.

Fundamentally, the opinion your radio host expressed is that poor people "deserve" their disaster relief and welfare checks less than rich people "deserve" their tax refund checks. A government promise is a government promise, no matter how poor the person it was made to.

[SheetWise]

Ed, are you taking the position that SSA is not an entitlement -- or that all help from the government is an entitlement? I can't tell.

[Ed Miller]

[ QUOTE ]
Ed, are you taking the position that SSA is not an entitlement -- or that all help from the government is an entitlement? I can't tell.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm saying that the people of New Orleans were promised that FEMA would help bail them out if the worst happened. Whether that promise was good policy or not is to be debated, but it cannot be debated that at the time Katrina hit, the government's promise was still in effect. Anyone, rich or poor, has the right to complain if the government welches on a promise.

FWIW, FEMA is distributing money relatively efficiently now as far as I can tell.

[SheetWise]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm saying that the people of New Orleans were promised that FEMA would help bail them out if the worst happened.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not familiar with that promise. Maybe it's the phrase "bail out" I'm having trouble with -- since even local police have no contractual responsibility to "help". Does FEMA really promise to "bail" people out?

[PITTM]

what are people paying taxes for if not essential lifesaving services?

rj

[Ed Miller]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm saying that the people of New Orleans were promised that FEMA would help bail them out if the worst happened.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not familiar with that promise. Maybe it's the phrase "bail out" I'm having trouble with -- since even local police have no contractual responsibility to "help". Does FEMA really promise to "bail" people out?

[/ QUOTE ]

Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000

http://www.fema.gov/library/stafact.shtm

[ QUOTE ]
§ 5121. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS {Sec. 101}

The Congress hereby finds and declares that--


because disasters often cause loss of life, human suffering, loss of income, and property loss and damage; and
because disasters often disrupt the normal functioning of governments and communities, and adversely affect individuals and families with great severity;


special measures, designed to assist the efforts of the affected States in expediting the rendering of aid, assistance, and emergency services, and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of devastated areas, are necessary.


It is the intent of the Congress, by this Act, to provide an orderly and continuing means of assistance by the Federal Government to State and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to alleviate the suffering and damage which result from such disasters by--


revising and broadening the scope of existing disaster relief programs;

encouraging the development of comprehensive disaster preparedness and assistance plans, programs, capabilities, and organizations by the States and by local governments;
achieving greater coordination and responsiveness of disaster preparedness and relief programs;
encouraging individuals, States, and local governments to protect themselves by obtaining insurance coverage to supplement or replace governmental assistance;
encouraging hazard mitigation measures to reduce losses from disasters, including development of land use and construction regulations; and
providing Federal assistance programs for both public and private losses sustained in disasters [.]
(Pub. L. 93-288, title I, § 101, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143; Nov. 23, 1988, Pub. L. 100-707, title I, § 103(a), 102 Stat. 4689.)

[/ QUOTE ]

While it's not a law, not a contract, FEMA's purpose is clearly outlined to provide assistance after disasters. To the extent that FEMA fails to do that, even poor people have a beef.

[Ed Miller]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm saying that the people of New Orleans were promised that FEMA would help bail them out if the worst happened.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not familiar with that promise. Maybe it's the phrase "bail out" I'm having trouble with -- since even local police have no contractual responsibility to "help". Does FEMA really promise to "bail" people out?

[/ QUOTE ]

Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000

http://www.fema.gov/library/stafact.shtm

[ QUOTE ]
§ 5121. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS {Sec. 101}

The Congress hereby finds and declares that--


because disasters often cause loss of life, human suffering, loss of income, and property loss and damage; and
because disasters often disrupt the normal functioning of governments and communities, and adversely affect individuals and families with great severity;


special measures, designed to assist the efforts of the affected States in expediting the rendering of aid, assistance, and emergency services, and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of devastated areas, are necessary.


It is the intent of the Congress, by this Act, to provide an orderly and continuing means of assistance by the Federal Government to State and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to alleviate the suffering and damage which result from such disasters by--


revising and broadening the scope of existing disaster relief programs;

encouraging the development of comprehensive disaster preparedness and assistance plans, programs, capabilities, and organizations by the States