Annoying Katrina interview

[Tiggeroo]

More conveient than educating them, more convenient than requiring them to hold jobs, more convenient than providing them with social programs and structured opportunities to climb out of that life of only knowing how "to get', but not how "to earn."

Bull crap. We live in the United States. You can get an education if you want. You can start a successful business if you want. You can get counseling for free. When you go and sign up for federal assistance all of these things are offered to you. i know this for a fact. I"ve been flat broke and had nothing. My dh and I came from bad homes with no education. He went to trade school, learned hvac/r and eventually started a business, got his journeyman's license and makes very good money. While we were living on poverty income with three kids, two of them 3yo twins I went to community college on-line, saturdays, nights etc. I was able to do this for free thanks to financial aid.
Now i'm back in school getting my bachelors. Our income is higher but I also have three children who are college students. I get no aid at all. Believe me, it's very doable in our country to improve yourself and even when you've had nothing you know what the path to improvement is.
How do you think the poor people in other countries such as students I have met from Kenya know that the way out of their horrible circumstances is to come to America and go to school. They know to do this in spite of everybody in their family living in one room with no television, no shoes, etc.
Immigrants who come here with nothing make sure that by the second generation their children are getting an education.

I went to NPR's site and I"m guessing that is what I was listening to but in those short intro's there is nothing like what I heard.
And yes I believe I was listening to storycorp. I went to their site and that's the only thing that matched although those descriptions are nothing like the stories I heard.
If my home here that I love was destroyed by a storm and there would be no work for me for over a year and it would be impossible for us to rebuild for at least that long we'd move wherever we could find work and start over, even in a horrible two bedroom trailer. Then we'd plan about how someday we could go back.

 

[Aisling]

It also seems to me that if I were poor and somebody gave me a card with two thousand dollars on it, and I didn't have much education or really know where I was going to go, and all I knew was that somebody had always given me housing and food before, that I might very well spend it on a **** job,

Wow. I can imagine very many Katrina victims would be offended by that stereotype.

 

[DVCLiz]

Wow. I can imagine very many Katrina victims would be offended by that stereotype.

I'm not referring to all Katrina victims. But I don't think it's a stereotype if it's true, and the OP stated that the people she heard in her interview made references to slave auctions, so I'm assuming we're talking about the black victimes of Katrina who lived in the Ninth Ward. I don't remember any evacuees from the Garden District who were reported to have spent their money on any of the things previous posters have described.

 

[Charade]

Oh, please.

A little too melodramatic for you?

You make it sounds as if there were no life lines for them. As if they were abandoned.

Why if after over 40 years and billions and billions of dollars pumped into the "war on poverty" haven't we defeated it yet?

 

[schlepsnort]

A little too melodramatic for you?

You make it sounds as if there were no life lines for them. As if they were abandoned.

Why if after over 40 years and billions and billions of dollars pumped into the "war on poverty" haven't we defeated it yet?

Because our government and others haven't learned that just throwing money at a problem won't fix it. And that some people need to learn to pick themselves up by their boot straps and learn to help themselves and be self sufficient instead on depending on a hand out.

There is giving aid and then there is enabling.

 

[DVCLiz]

A little too melodramatic for you?

You make it sounds as if there were no life lines for them. As if they were abandoned.

Why if after over 40 years and billions and billions of dollars pumped into the "war on poverty" haven't we defeated it yet?

No, I don't think they were abandoned, but I do think a previous poster hit the nail on the head when she described how she and her husband educated themselves, etc. The key word is "want." I think she said, "Bullcrap. You can get it if you want to." And I don't think the people we are talking about want that for themselves. I don't think they appreciate that it would be better in the long run. I don't even think they have that mindset.

I don't know why we haven't won the "war on poverty." You'd think with as much time and money as we've spent, it would be a done deal. But, I remember hearing this area described as one of abject poverty, and many people were of the opinion that it had been easier to just let them ride.

Anyway, it is frustrating to see generous donations being wasted, but then again, maybe we learned that the best way to help storm victims isn't to hand them 2000 dollar debit cards.

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

Because our government and others haven't learned that just throwing money at a problem won't fix it. And that some people need to learn to pick themselves up by their boot straps and learn to help themselves and be self sufficient instead on depending on a hand out.

There is giving aid and then there is enabling.

Bravo and WELL SAID! That is the downfall of our country now...laziness.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

Personally, I didn't give one single penny to Katrina relief efforts after I heard people were using the money for things like Fendi purses and plastic surgery. Here's why:

In 1995, the town where I was living was evacuated and subsequently devistated by Hurricane Opal. In the days that followed, we were offered free ice and styrofoam coolers, but little else. I used my own money and insurance to repair my mobile home. Nobody offered to fix my home for free. Nobody gave me a $2000 credit card. Nobody paid for my temporary housing.
I know Opal wasn't as large as Katrina, but it was still a very strong storm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Opal

 

[disneyjunkie]

I'm not referring to all Katrina victims. But I don't think it's a stereotype if it's true, and the OP stated that the people she heard in her interview made references to slave auctions, so I'm assuming we're talking about the black victimes of Katrina who lived in the Ninth Ward. I don't remember any evacuees from the Garden District who were reported to have spent their money on any of the things previous posters have described.

Peope from the 9th Ward weren't the only ones wasting money.

A DISer posted that FEMA helped her family. If I'm not mistaken, they were given money as well as foodstamps. They then took a trip to WDW.

Since they had APs and had been planning the trip before the Katrina, they "needed" the trip.

 

[Aisling]

I'm not referring to all Katrina victims. But I don't think it's a stereotype if it's true, and the OP stated that the people she heard in her interview made references to slave auctions, so I'm assuming we're talking about the black victimes of Katrina who lived in the Ninth Ward.

DVCLiz,
I meant that being poor, uneducated, victimized by natural disaster, and used to being on public assistance shouldn't be used to explain why some Katrina victims would waste the money given to them. I watched those interviews, and I believe the ones who misused their emergency aid were jumping on a chance to exploit public good will because they expected more aid would be coming their way. This isn't fair to those people who continue to suffer because of legitimate need.

The "slave block" reference was over the top, IMO. It's obviously true that I didn't experience what they did, neither as a black slave nor as a Katrina victim, but I still have common sense to know that when they compare it to a slave block, they're greatly exaggerating. They never experience a slave block either, and I'd bet slaves who were beaten and torn from their children wouldn't agree that it's comparable to having family members being offered roofs over their heads during an emergency.

 

[Aisling]

A DISer posted that FEMA helped her family. If I'm not mistaken, they were given money as well as foodstamps. They then took a trip to WDW.

This makes me very angry. I keep thinking of the babies with severe diaper rash because of no pampers anywhere, the wet clothes, the heat. FEMA wasted our money on those people who went to WDW.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Oh, please.

After you---I'm sorry--it is more than just the poor black folk that got nailed by the hurricane. WE didn't let anything happen.

 

[disneyjunkie]

This makes me very angry. I keep thinking of the babies with severe diaper rash because of no pampers anywhere, the wet clothes, the heat. FEMA wasted our money on those people who went to WDW.

I just found the thread. The family didn't get money from FEMA, it was Red Cross. They had enough money saved to purchase PAP for the whole family. Instead of using that money for food...they used it for vacation then went to the Red Cross for "help"

People from all walks of live took advantage of the help they received. Of course we only hear about the 9th Ward.

 

[lucas]

I'm sure there are thousands of families that lost everything they own, their jobs, their cars, their kid's schools, their neighborhoods, etc., that are extremely grateful for the donations and help that they received.

 

[FSUGrad97]

I guess my real feeling about this whole thing is that we let this happen.

Actually, if you want to place blame about the whole Katrina situation you need not look any further than Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin. Thier ineffectual leadership and decades of corruption have made New Orleans the place it is today (and what it was prior to Katrina).

 

[DVCLiz]

Actually, if you want to place blame about the whole Katrina situation you need not look any further than Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin. Thier ineffectual leadership and decades of corruption have made New Orleans the place it is today (and what it was prior to Katrina).

I agree, I think. I have a brother who lived in Metairie and he thought very little of them. (And for the record, he didn't receive anything to take advantage of!!)

 

[C.Ann]

I'm surprised to hear this.. I've been listening to interviews of Hurricane Katrina victims all week long on the various cable channels and I've yet to hear anyone complain about what they "didn't" get.. All they have done is express their gratitude for the help they "did" get..

Don't let a few bad apples make the whole bunch look bad....

 

[schlepsnort]

I'm surprised to hear this.. I've been listening to interviews of Hurricane Katrina victims all week long on the various cable channels and I've yet to hear anyone complain about what they "didn't" get.. All they have done is express their gratitude for the help they "did" get..

Don't let a few bad apples make the whole bunch look bad....

I agree that not ALL of the victims are like what we've been reading about in the papers and hearing on the news, but unfortunately it is those people who are griping that make the news. And Nagin is not helping the situation by making it into a whole racial deal. His comments about making it a 'chocolate' community again was not very well thought out. Everyone of every race and creed were a victim to Katrina, not just in New Orleans but surrounding areas/states.

It was just made into a collosal mess by political officials and people who are vultures and take advantage of any situation they can. Not all of the victims did this but unfortunately the ones who did are the ones that make the news.

Again I really think that the gravy train should end now that it is a year later and New Orleans and other areas need to work together amongst themselves to rebuild for a better community and show the rest of em' how hard work and pride get the job done!

I wish that those who are doing the right thing the best of luck! For the ones who manipulated the horrible situation, well karma is a great thing and it will come to bite them in the beehind!

 

[lulu71]

I'm surprised to hear this.. I've been listening to interviews of Hurricane Katrina victims all week long on the various cable channels and I've yet to hear anyone complain about what they "didn't" get.. All they have done is express their gratitude for the help they "did" get..

Don't let a few bad apples make the whole bunch look bad....

Biting my tongue on this thread in general...but you are right on, C.Ann.

 

[Ms Marigny]

Biting my tongue on this thread in general...but you are right on, C.Ann.

Same here lulu71 ...
Where ya't in New Orleans? Saying hello from Mid City!