CNN reporting that people arent coming to MA

[Alicnwondrln]

as they dont wanna. People already had food clothes, books, tons of programs set up here at otis air force base. FEMA told the state no one wants to come here. I find this very surprising.

[beattyfamily]

I just posted on this on the other thread.

I'm surprised and pretty bummed. I was glad that we were helping out.

Now the hundreds of volunteers and supplies must be sent away.

It's too bad.

[Alicnwondrln]

there was also something on channel 4 this am
it is to bad so many resources and people are there are help

[phorsenuf]

I just saw that on the news. There are supposed to be 500 coming here to New Hampshire and so far that hasn't changed. I hope they do come because there are so many who want to help.

[Nancy]

Don't you think it's just because they don't want to be moved again? Some have even refused being moved to the cruise ships. They want to stay in one place now so people can find them (family and friends)

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

Lots of people are here in Illinois, so I know it can't be a climate thing. It must be the food here.

As for the cruise ships, I heard they don't want to be near water right now. Who knows? All we can do right now is offer what we can.

[nliedel]

Probably because it is so far from home. People are very tied to the places they are from and know. It's scary to pull up stakes and move so far, they do not know for how long, maybe forever. I would be hesitant in the same situation, not that a hurricane is likely to hit Michigan but you get my point.

[mainewmn]

:firefight :firefight Hhhh… sorry maybe I’m just a bit touchy today but here is my rant. These people have very little choice left they live among thousands of others with little to none privacy limited resources, etc. That will mean that the housing and job market will be strained also. They are being offered help in other locations and I think that if I was in their position I would gladly accept any assistance I could get. Yes its MA not LA but guess what no one will shackle them to there and make them stay remainder of their lives there. Doing this at this time would help them get back on their feet, and relocate to wherever they choose when things are better. Sorry just seems like some of the survivors are a bit ungrateful. Now before I get flamed for my thoughts on this let me make it clear that I said SOME not all! Let the flaming begin. :firefight

[Alicnwondrln]

:firefight :firefight Hhhh… sorry maybe I’m just a bit touchy today but here is my rant. These people have very little choice left they live among thousands of others with little to none privacy limited resources, etc. That will mean that the housing and job market will be strained also. They are being offered help in other locations and I think that if I was in their position I would gladly accept any assistance I could get. Yes its MA not LA but guess what no one will shackle them to there and make them stay remainder of their lives there. Doing this at this time would help them get back on their feet, and relocate to wherever they choose when things are better. Sorry just seems like some of the survivors are a bit ungrateful. Now before I get flamed for my thoughts on this let me make it clear that I said SOME not all! Let the flaming begin. :firefight

i agree with you in a way
the southern states can only take so many people and provide so many jobs
poeple are gonna have to move up norht for awhile to get help
its not the best situation but they may in the end have no choice
it was reported yesterday that the schillings have taken in a family i think of 9 for a year paying for the lodging and helping them get settled

[Crankyshank]

I understand that they are stressed out, over tired, hungry, and just plain exhausted. I can only imagine how much they want to plop down and just not move and function on total auto pilot. Perfectly understandable - they have been traumatized.

I just don't understand how they choose living in a stadium in TX over an air force base with more showers, better living facilities, and over all better opportunity for their children's education and better chance of finding a job. They can certainly move back once they get an all clear but that's going to be months away.

[peachgirl]

Sorry just seems like some of the survivors are a bit ungrateful.

I don't think it has anything to do with being ungrateful. Because you don't want what someone offers doesn't mean you don't appreciate the offer. These people are still Americans and they do have rights.

I'm sure a lot of it is the fear of the unknown. For instance, those who were sent to Camp Gruber here in Oklahoma are under a 9am-6pm curfew. They can't leave the base and have to follow the curfew on base. I don't know if they have the same rules in place at other locations, but it seems to me that along with losing everything they own, these people are losing a lot of their personal freedom as well.

Btw, I think most, if not all of the states accepting large numbers of evacuees are being declared in a state of emergency in order to qualify for federal assistance. I know Oklahoma and Missouri are.

[LoraJ]

I don't know if they want to go anywhere until they find their families. They probably don't know where half of their relatives are and all of this moving around makes it worse.

[Divamomto3]

I understand the frustration and all the points everyone has made.
However, I can't imagine that if there was a disaster in Connecticut and I was airlifted to a sports complex in a neighboring state like NY, would I want to then be moved to Louisiana. Many of them have not found their family yet and why would they want to be in an unfamiliar place which will make it difficult, if not impossible, to find their families, friends, and neighbors. These people aren't cattle. They're American Citizens and they are free to go wherever they WANT to go.

[WebmasterAlex]

I understand the frustration and all the points everyone has made.
However, I can't imagine that if there was a disaster in Connecticut and I was airlifted to a sports complex in a neighboring state like NY, would I want to then be moved to Louisiana. Many of them have not found their family yet and why would they want to be in an unfamiliar place which will make it difficult, if not impossible, to find their families, friends, and neighbors. These people aren't cattle. They're American Citizens and they are free to go wherever they WANT to go.

It's kind of a weird blurry line. They are citizens and they have an absolute right to go whereever they want. THey could walk out of the astrodome right now, catch a bus and go anywhere. I don't think anyone is saying they are being held hostage. The problem is they want the government to support them. Texas can't take care of everyone so people do need to be moved. I just hope they can use more carrot than stick

[peachgirl]

Texas can't take care of everyone so people do need to be moved.

A little thinking ahead might have helped the situation just a bit.

[va32h]

MSNBC showed an interview with three men who somehow ended up at a shelter in Washington DC. All three of them looked absolutley exhausted and confused about their situation.

One man was a pharmacist who was asked to stay in the city during the Hurricane because of his job. He had no idea where his wife was, or how he was going to find her. He did get one phone message from her saying that she was okay.

Another man worried about his job - how soon could he get back to his job, what if he lost his job while he was stuck in DC. Now, while we all realize that wherever this man worked is probably no longer in business, the first thing on his mind was getting back to NO, getting back to his life.

None of them knew how they were going to get back - when told by the reporter that it would be three months before people would be allowed back in the city, one of the men said he'd go back anyway, before three months.

They all commented about the difficulty in living in a group shelter, where you are told when you can come and go, have very little personal freedom or privacy - and that it was frankly quite scary to live in a place that is visibly patrolled by armed soliders.

Is there a grand plan in place? When people are shipped off to different states is there a plan to send them back to New Orleans, if and when they want to return?

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to get sent off to some far away state, with no idea what is going to happen to you, how long you will be there, or if you will ever find your way home again.

[palmtreegirl]

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to get sent off to some far away state, with no idea what is going to happen to you, how long you will be there, or if you will ever find your way home again.

::yes::

[Alicnwondrln]

mitt is on tv now talking about this
fema called them last night saying people dont wanna move outta shelters and they wont force them to


the number of people who wanna leave has been over estimated and that many are refusing to leave

the are giving them debit cards with 2000 on them and that many plan on leaving shelters with it and go to family or friends or use the money for whatever they need

[lovetheparks]

I think we also need to understand that we don't really know what these people are being told. Maybe they think it's just moving from one stadium to another in that case maybe they think - why bother? I also agree with the lost family memebers theory - I would want to stay put until I knew where my family was.

[mom2alix]

I think there is also a case to be made that many are in shock and not really able to make those kind of decisions yet. For goodness sakes, they have just lost everything and many have endured horrible conditions as well. Some have watched family members die before their eyes or are desperately trying to locate missing loved ones.

I think some people here are being VERY judgmental. Keep in mind these people are in shelters not watching cable news and getting tons of info on the internet. They are very likely dazed and in denial, not simply being ungrateful and difficult. They're not spoiled children, but people who have survived a horrible ordeal. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment.

Keep in mind too that some of these people owned property and had jobs. They probably need time to find out what they need to do with their insurance companies and whether their employers might have jobs for them somewhere. If they have to start over somewhere else, I'm sure they want to go where they have the best chance of success.

[Deb in IA]

I think there is also a major distrust of the government at this point, including anything relocation efforts.