So What Will Happen Now?

[Feralpeg]

Obviously, it will be some time before life will return to normal in parts of Texas. Many people lost their homes or have suffered severe damage to their homes. I assume many businesses are also badly damaged and will not reopen for some time. If that is the case, people will find themselves out of their homes and out of work. What will happen?

After Katrina, I could never understand the way things were handled. Instead of just putting people up in Fema trailers or on cruise ships where they sat around waiting for something to happen, why didn't the government offer them a job cleaning up the destruction in the area? I realize that not everyone could do the same level of physical labor, but it seems like there would be a job for most everyone. In the long run, things would have been cleaned up faster, homes rebuilt while people pulled in a paycheck. If it made sense when FDR put the same type of plan in place, why not for a disaster situation?

Not long ago, I heard on the news that many of the Fema trailers were so badly damaged from the Katrina evacuees that they had to be scraped or completely refitted. That just seems wrong. These people should be held accountable and should put some effort into rebuilding the area.

I often consider myself naive in these situations. Maybe that's the case here. I just think it would make more sense to use the resources of the people out of work to rebuild the area.

 

[akhenaten]

Obviously, it will be some time before life will return to normal in parts of Texas. Many people lost their homes or have suffered severe damage to their homes. I assume many businesses are also badly damaged and will not reopen for some time. If that is the case, people will find themselves out of their homes and out of work. What will happen?

After Katrina, I could never understand the way things were handled. Instead of just putting people up in Fema trailers or on cruise ships where they sat around waiting for something to happen, why didn't the government offer them a job cleaning up the destruction in the area? I realize that not everyone could do the same level of physical labor, but it seems like there would be a job for most everyone. In the long run, things would have been cleaned up faster, homes rebuilt while people pulled in a paycheck. If it made sense when FDR put the same type of plan in place, why not for a disaster situation?

Not long ago, I heard on the news that many of the Fema trailers were so badly damaged from the Katrina evacuees that they had to be scraped or completely refitted. That just seems wrong. These people should be held accountable and should put some effort into rebuilding the area.

I often consider myself naive in these situations. Maybe that's the case here. I just think it would make more sense to use the resources of the people out of work to rebuild the area.

That would be like the wpa .."works progress administration" , during the depression....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration

 

[C.Ann]

You know - that might not be a bad idea.. They could stay in an area they are familiar with and have jobs until their own places of employment reopened.. Of course the "pay" would have to come from taxes - and we all know how people feel about that..

That's terrible about the FEMA trailers.. Maybe the people who occupied them and ruined them should be billed by the government..

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I don't know. I do know the officials are telling people NOT to come back right now because there is no water, no electricity, no gas, and emergency services have their hands full. So many people refused to leave, and now those same folks are upset by the lack of supplies. It's a mess.

I don't know how a city the size of Houston even begins to sort through damage of this magnitude. Obviously they have to get the basics back in place first. They have to have operational gas pumps, they have to have running water and electricity. Once that happens they can start moving people back into the area from the shelters so those folks can assess the damage to their homes and businesses and start moving forward. I don't know how many homes are uninhabitable - I haven't heard any estimates yet.

I guess we'll see. Right now I think the city, state, and federal officials need to get sorted out so they aren't stumbling over each other.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I just feel for all of you down in Texas. I mean, its never a good thing when that type of a Hurricane comes through. I am sending my hope and prayers to all of those affected. I know it will take time and things may never be the same for some.

I actually was doing some "Fall Cleaning" this past weekend and have a few bags of clothes that I have not worn, does anyone know of where I could send them to for those that need them in the area of the Hurricane?

I am located in NJ

 

[disney1990]

You know - that might not be a bad idea.. They could stay in an area they are familiar with and have jobs until their own places of employment reopened.. Of course the "pay" would have to come from taxes - and we all know how people feel about that..

That's terrible about the FEMA trailers.. Maybe the people who occupied them and ruined them should be billed by the government..

Remember that they had a real problem with the FEMA trailers containing Formaldehyde. Even if somebody had returned them in perfect condition, they could not be used again. FEMA wouldn't even let them own employees enter the returned trailers. See this article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14011193/