Extremely Sad But True - American People vs. Rebuilding Haiti

[curious3069]

So do you work for a private organization or the government???

Not trying to be nosey, just trying to understand what kind of team you'd be sending in...

 

[wvjules]

So do you work for a private organization or the government???

Not trying to be nosey, just trying to understand what kind of team you'd be sending in...

the government

We do nothing effeciently! lol

 

[curious3069]

Yes, you probably do have experience with that!!!

 

[SaraJayne]

Where in my post do you infer that I PERSONALLY DID NOT DONATE? I certainly didn't say that. I did in fact donate my own money to Haiti relief. I have no problem with individuals, corporation, etc donating time and money to any organization. My problem (if you want to call it that) is our government using money that WE DON'T HAVE to donate to the relief efforts. Individuals should donate, governments should not.

 

[wdwfan16]

LOL. that's an easy question. It's a poor country that has no oil.

Here are the aid given by the U.S. according to country. Only now is it a problem. very interesting.

Israel recieved over 200 million bucks in 2007 3/4 for military aid
Egypt recieved 1,795 million 3/4 for military aid
Columbia 558 million for supposed drug abatement
Jordan 461 million to keep the peace in the middle east.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/foreign_commerce_aid/foreign_aid.html

I can't even imagine the outcry if we even thought about cutting foreign aid to Israel.

New flash but your list is not an Oil list.

 

[wdwfan16]

I agree ...where is the money coming from? and I personally don't approve of us giving to some of the ones that have and do give too..so just b/c I am saying that I don;t approve of how much we are giving to Haiti doesn't mean i approve of the others as well..

for the record I am only saying that I don't like how much we are giving not that we shouldn't...

and I do have compassion I do which is why we should teach them to fend for them selves instead of asking for handouts...I am all for helping others help themselves...

i don't expect anyone to support anything we need or want ..why should I support someone does expect it...

just to clarify here ..as I see it with us not teaching to fend for themselves (not just Haiti) we are building it up for them to expect it...

Since we don't have our house in order we cannot pick and choose, as you do above. We either cannot give to anybody, I hate to see the fall out of that, or we cannot say - too bad Haiti your earthquake timing was just poor timing. Try again in 5 years.

 

[Wall-E1]

Since when is the government the best or most efficiently equipped for anything?

We, as in where I work, are still in the beginning stages of coordinating sending a team to Haiti. We didn't get to New Orleans until atleast 3 weeks later. That is not efficient, IMO.

Exactly my point. I don't know what your work with the government is(I'm guessing you are not part of a "first responders" team), but while your team is still coordinating efforts on sending a team to Haiti, the U.S. government already has a medical ship, the USNS Comfort, sitting off the shores of Haiti, treating victims of this tragedy. Military helicopters were immediately dispatched to help provide relief. U.S. military aircraft have been airlifting daily rations of food and water to the Haitian people. Our government got their airport running right after the quake so supplies and medical aid could arrive. The government has tens of thousands of troops on the ground helping in all aspects of the relief effort. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of lives have been saved because of our government's rapid response. We are trying to get aid there as quickly as possible. I happen to take great pride in our government's relief effort to this tragedy. I do not have that " government is not equipped for anything" attitude. Remember also that their entire infrastructure has been destroyed. We can only get a limited amount of airplanes to land there daily. We, as a country, are doing the best that we can to help.

 

[Art 1]

There are no poor people in the USA. We have free food, free clothing, free meds, free medical, free housing, free education and you can have money sent to you in the mail from the government. What we have is lazy people. If you live in New Orleans and don't have a house yet it is your own fault. If I lived there I would have a new house and cars and would have done it on my own. The lowest here have it far far better than the average Haitian did before the quake.

The people of Haiti have no hope what so ever, I gave to them and will continue. I will not give to lazy people who have all kinds of options but just don't want to work.

 

[SaraJayne]

Yep, I seriously believe that's the reason. If not then the question that begs to be answered is why all of a sudden is it a problem.
Never a hoot about foriegn aid any other time? Not so much as a peep when the Tsunami aid went pouring out and we were in a deficient then. We gave hundreds of millions last year to Israel, where was the huge out cry then? So why all of a sudden there's a problem?
Economy tanked last year and Californias economy was in the crapper but we still gave a boat load of money to Pakistan, did I miss that post with the outrage?

I have problems with all the $$ funneled (sp?) to Iraq and Israel, but that's for another thread.

 

[SaraJayne]

There are no poor people in the USA. We have free food, free clothing, free meds, free medical, free housing, free education and you can have money sent to you in the mail from the government. What we have is lazy people. If you live in New Orleans and don't have a house yet it is your own fault. If I lived there I would have a new house and cars and would have done it on my own. The lowest here have it far far better than the average Haitian did before the quake.

The people of Haiti have no hope what so ever, I gave to them and will continue. I will not give to lazy people who have all kinds of options but just don't want to work.

I'm guessing you've never been to the Pine Ridge Reservation or anywhere in Appalachia, have you??

 

[SaraJayne]

Although Pine Ridge is the eighth largest reservation in the United States, it is also the poorest. Unemployment on the reservation hovers around 80%, and 49% live below the Federal poverty level.[2] Adolescent suicide is four times the national average. Many of the families have no electricity, telephone, running water, or sewer. Many families use wood stoves to heat their homes. The population on Pine Ridge has among the shortest life expectancies of any group in the Western Hemisphere: approximately 47 years for males and in the low 50s for females. The infant mortality rate is five times the United States national average. Reservation population was estimated at 15,000 in the 2000 census, but that number was raised to 28,787 by HUD, following a Colorado State University door-to-door study.[3]

Despite the lack of formal employment opportunities on Pine Ridge, there is a great deal of agricultural production taking place, yet only a small percentage of the tribe directly benefits from this. According to the USDA, in 2002 there was nearly $33 million in receipts from agricultural production on Pine Ridge, yet less than one-third of that income went to members of the tribe.[4]

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation has some commercial businesses with private operators, but most employment is provided by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Oglala Lakota College, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Indian Health Service. The tribe operates the Prairie Wind Casino, a Parks and Recreation Department, guided hunting, cattle ranching and farming.[5] The Oglala Sioux Tribe also operates the White River Visitor Center near the Badlands National Park.[6] There is one radio station, KILI-FM in Porcupine, and the largest independent Lakota-owned and operated weekly print and online color newspaper, The Lakota Country Times.

In the past, the tribe attempted a moccasin factory, a meat-processing plant, and a fishhook-snelling operation, but all of these business ventures failed.[7] The Prairie Wind Casino is an exception to the rule for businesses on the reservation. The casino began in 1994 in 3 doublewide trailers, but a new $20 million casino, hotel and restaurant was unveiled in early 2007. The casino provides 250 jobs and most are to tribal residents.[8]

From Wiki...

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

From Wiki...

 

[Art 1]

I'm guessing you've never been to the Pine Ridge Reservation or anywhere in Appalachia, have you??

No I have not. But what I understand is there is a lot of alcoholism, drugs and teenage pregnancy, that is the individuals fault that they choose to be held back by these easily preventable actions and don't take advantage of the free education that the US offers. They have all kinds of free gov't help and more than other US citizens. Also churches poor money and help into that area. They can also own and operate casino's. Other US citizens cannot.

As far as Appalachia, I grew up in the very northern end. You don't know me or my background. I was once homeless with a 3 yr old and no wife. And come for a poor background. So don't judge me with what you don't know.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

No I have not. But what I understand is there is a lot of alcoholism, drugs and teenage pregnancy, that is the individuals fault that they choose to be held back by these easily preventable actions and don't take advantage of the free education that the US offers. They have all kinds of free gov't help and more than other US citizens. Also churches poor money and help into that area. They can also own and operate casino's. Other US citizens cannot.

As far as Appalachia, I grew up in the very northern end. You don't know me or my background. I was once homeless with a 3 yr old and no wife. And come for a poor background. So don't judge me with what you don't know.

This seems to be the standard for a lot of reservations. I know one of the leaders of the Shinnecock Tribe on Long Island and he fights for better quality educations in the reservations schools. They deal with what they're given. Should they refrain from drinking and sex? Sure, but crap happens sometimes. Do you mean to tell me that there isn't teen pregnancy, alcoholism and drug use in Haiti?

 

[Disneyadore]

Actually the UK government has pledged £20m thats $32m approx, and charitable donations were at £42m ($67) on the 22nd Jan.

We win
We donated $$ 117.4533 and we are just with 16.000.000 people.
This was last week and we are still counting. The lines to donate could not cope with the amount off people calling so there is much more coming.

 

[Art 1]

This seems to be the standard for a lot of reservations. I know one of the leaders of the Shinnecock Tribe on Long Island and he fights for better quality educations in the reservations schools. They deal with what they're given. Should they refrain from drinking and sex? Sure, but crap happens sometimes. Do you mean to tell me that there isn't teen pregnancy, alcoholism and drug use in Haiti?

I'm sure there is, but there is also no hope and little to know way of advancement. In the US people choose to not advance.

How could one lose their house years ago in a storm and still be living in gov't supplies trailers with all that is offered in this country as far as education and training. Not many free libraries and free internet in Haiti like we have.

 

[SaraJayne]

No I have not. But what I understand is there is a lot of alcoholism, drugs and teenage pregnancy, that is the individuals fault that they choose to be held back by these easily preventable actions and don't take advantage of the free education that the US offers. They have all kinds of free gov't help and more than other US citizens. Also churches poor money and help into that area. They can also own and operate casino's. Other US citizens cannot.

As far as Appalachia, I grew up in the very northern end. You don't know me or my background. I was once homeless with a 3 yr old and no wife. And come for a poor background. So don't judge me with what you don't know.

I wasn't judging you, nor did I say anything about your background. I was pointing out, that regardless of what you say, there are areas in the US that are just as bad as Haiti was before the earthquake.

 

[kinntj]

I wasn't judging you, nor did I say anything about your background. I was pointing out, that regardless of what you say, there are areas in the US that are just as bad as Haiti was before the earthquake.

When it's no longer in the news and the "in" charity we'll move on back to the homeless and needy back in the states. That's the way it was with all previous disasters.

 

[wdwfan16]

I'm sure there is, but there is also no hope and little to know way of advancement. In the US people choose to not advance.

How could one lose their house years ago in a storm and still be living in gov't supplies trailers with all that is offered in this country as far as education and training. Not many free libraries and free internet in Haiti like we have.

When Katrina hit about 60% of the residents were renters. They have not home because the landlord chose not to rebuild. They could move back but that would mean they would have to buy the land from the landlord and then build their own home or they can wait for the landlord to rebuild. They chose the later because they either can't afford any home or they don't want to do the work.

 

[wdwfan16]

When it's no longer in the news and the "in" charity we'll move on back to the homeless and needy back in the states. That's the way it was with all previous disasters.

We are just about there now. The news broadcasters are leaving the island and soon it will not be on the news.