Will People Be Less Apt to Help With the Rebuilding after the LA Fires

[longboard55]

The disinformation campaign is not helping anyone. Really sad to see

 

[easyas123]

think the fact that coverage of this has substantially featured celebrities who've lost their homes probably has a lot of people shrugging and saying, well, they'll get through it just fine. I feel most for regular working people who will probably take decades to recover, if ever. Because of the nature of housing prices in CA this has impacted a lot of regular folk who only managed to reside in the homes they lost because it has been passed down in their family from the days when the community they lived in was affordable to average working class folk. Even with coverage and settlement from the insurance company they won't be getting money to replace what they had, particularly with predatory developers salivating on the sidelines just like in Hawaii. Many of these people are likely to suddenly have unstable housing situations for many years.

the neighborhood in Altadena/Pasadena was far less wealthy. There were also whole apartment buildings, schools, churches and businesses that were lost. Those that need help will get it if you are inclined to donate/volunteer in the effort. You are not just giving money to the wealthy.

Excellent & very valid points.

 

[citruscurtis]

Taylor Swift donated $10,000,000. Travis Kelce $1,000,000.

Strange ... the good news is that if he wins the Superbowl...he can along with other teammates donate their Superbowl contract clause

 

[MICKIMINI]

I don't agree with this. It seems certain people, no matter which way they lean, celebrate tragedies when they occur in the lives of the wealthy. When Luigi Mangione murdered the CEO, he was a hero to many on both sides of the aisle.

I say respectfully, the murderer should not be mentioned by name.

 

[Pink Partridge]

I say respectfully, the murderer should not be mentioned by name.

I appreciate that advice and went back to edit my post.

 

[Minnie1222]

Strange ... the good news is that if he wins the Superbowl...he can along with other teammates donate their Superbowl contract clause

What does this mean?

 

[IMMkXLVI]

Tragedy happens, not always on such a massive scale as this but somewhere on this planet at any given moment, tragedy is unfolding. At what point are the ultra-wealthy (by "ultra" I am considering those with 50+ million) free from the implied obligations imposed upon them by those that aren't millionaires? At what point are those people able to not be philanthropic without earning the publics scorn? Even in the case of MacKenzie Scott, if she continues to donate at the rate she has been, there will come a time where she will not have much left to donate. I applaud those that do but I don't begrudge those that don't.

 

[MICKIMINI]

As a former home designer and builder (amongst other trades), it will take an incredible amount of time to sort everything out before a permit gets pulled.

My guess is, many people will move out of the area (even out of state) once they settle their insurance claims. Their initial thoughts of moving back and rebuilding alongside neighbors will probably never happen. No one will want to live in a hotel for years (we survived 6 months). They will put their tiny house lots on the market and I suspect they will be gobbled up by wealthy speculators to resell down the road as individual or multiple lots for bigger homes.

Many people were living in homes from the 1950's and 1960's that were passed down and were probably not insured even close to what it will cost to rebuild. A house a parent or grandparent paid 100K for will likely cost 10x that to rebuild.

We built in NH (not a bustling metropolis) in 2023 and had to wait for just about everything like kitchen cabinets, counters etc not to mention waiting for the mud on the sheetrock to dry, workers to show up and the like. We were losing our minds. Last I saw, there are 10,000+ buildings that need to be built? Cleaning the polluted lots, removing and reworking public utilities, architectural drawings, permits and all the money that just goes into infrastructure before concrete is poured...impossible unless you have unlimited funds. I think it will be decades before neighborhoods are completed, sadly.

My long winded conclusion is, if you want to donate, find a trusted charity like Salvation Army that will help victims with their immediate needs like a hotel, food and transportation for now. I fear that money donated now for rebuilding will end up lining someone's pockets as it will be so long before they can even start. IMO, if you want to donate more, wait until the rebuilding actually begins and then research charities who are trusted to use those funds wisely and not on a CEO's salary.

Peace and Love.

 

[brockash]

Facebook and Reddit is so full of hatred towards "rich" people. I have read so many posts and seen a handful of memes of people almost celebrating the loss/damage of property. Even Mandy Moore faced backlash for sharing a GoFundMe for her family members.

I don't think people understand that many of the victims are not super wealthy. People absolutely do need help right now.

I wonder if people will be less inclined to donate towards the fire victims due to this strange narrative that the rich should be fending for themselves.

It's really just a sad state of human decency that we seem to be in. Such a lack of empathy for other humans...it's really sickening. Certainly no one needs to donate to anything they don't want to or can't etc., however that is a far stretch from what some are doing/saying. And then you have those taking advantage of the tragedy and attempting to loot from others...it's such a disgrace.

 

[tvguy]

And now another concern, accepting ANY help can jeopardize getting assistance from FEMA. https://www.fema.gov/node/if-i-rece...9e7nBEBGZ3F6pm7roc_aem_nMBGUS5fW3IaiB_LFKNqxw

 

[citruscurtis]

What does this mean?

1. I was trying to think of other people culture equations ... strange that it's a public announcement and how it should influence us

2. Professional sports contracts have many clauses to earn the total sum.. unless guaranteed ...so each Superbowl participant will receive money not in their daily budget

 

[citruscurtis]

Inside edition TV... irresponsible journalism today .. what were they thinking

 

[tvguy]

As a former home designer and builder (amongst other trades), it will take an incredible amount of time to sort everything out before a permit gets pulled.

My guess is, many people will move out of the area (even out of state) once they settle their insurance claims. Their initial thoughts of moving back and rebuilding alongside neighbors will probably never happen. No one will want to live in a hotel for years (we survived 6 months). They will put their tiny house lots on the market and I suspect they will be gobbled up by wealthy speculators to resell down the road as individual or multiple lots for bigger homes.

Many people were living in homes from the 1950's and 1960's that were passed down and were probably not insured even close to what it will cost to rebuild. A house a parent or grandparent paid 100K for will likely cost 10x that to rebuild.

We built in NH (not a bustling metropolis) in 2023 and had to wait for just about everything like kitchen cabinets, counters etc not to mention waiting for the mud on the sheetrock to dry, workers to show up and the like. We were losing our minds. Last I saw, there are 10,000+ buildings that need to be built? Cleaning the polluted lots, removing and reworking public utilities, architectural drawings, permits and all the money that just goes into infrastructure before concrete is poured...impossible unless you have unlimited funds. I think it will be decades before neighborhoods are completed, sadly.

My long winded conclusion is, if you want to donate, find a trusted charity like Salvation Army that will help victims with their immediate needs like a hotel, food and transportation for now. I fear that money donated now for rebuilding will end up lining someone's pockets as it will be so long before they can even start. IMO, if you want to donate more, wait until the rebuilding actually begins and then research charities who are trusted to use those funds wisely and not on a CEO's salary.

Peace and Love.

The Town of Paradise (in Northern California). was wiped off the map in 2018 by a wildfire. I saw and interview with the Mayor over the weekend. They HOPE to have infrastructure repairs done in another 2 years, so 9 YEARS after the fire. He said the realistic timeline for complete restoration of the town, is still 20 YEARS away.

 

[citruscurtis]

.... and the Detroit Oregon fire

 

[VandVsmama]

Well, the average home in Los Angeles County sold for $989,000 in November. $662,000 is the average in the county I live in 400 miles away. And it is $205,000 in Toledo, Ohio. So a million dollars in regards to housing in Los Angeles County doesn't go very far. But I have been scolded on these boards when I questioned whether an individual making $150,000 a year was middle class when I consider half that amount to be near the top of middle class bracket. I guess in the case of Los Angeles, $150,000 may not be as rich as i think.

When you look at some of the data, it's eye opening. For example, according to https://planning.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/housing_2024-income-limits-costs.pdf, "lower income" in Los Angeles county for a family of 4 would be an annual household income of $110k.

$110k/year for a family of 4 doesn't go very far in LA.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

All I know is this.
When hurricanes destroyed several states, California answered the call.
When floods and tornados destroyed several states, California answered the call.

Given the disinformation campaign and the snotty attitude shown towards California, next time those other states need help, California might just say why should we help those that did not help us? Many Californians are house wealthy. But they are also house poor. When a condemned 1600 sf house on 1/5 acre goes for 1.5 million, being a millionaire doesn't necessarily mean you're running around eating steak and lobster at the finest restaurants and globe trotting in 5 star hotels all over the place. It usually means you have quite a bit of equity in your home but otherwise your life is about the same as others.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

All I know is this.
When hurricanes destroyed several states, California answered the call.
When floods and tornados destroyed several states, California answered the call.

Given the disinformation campaign and the snotty attitude shown towards California, next time those other states need help, California might just say why should we help those that did not help us?

I think you're talking about two different things.

Individual people donating or not donating or providing their own aid in some way vs states and/or countries that give aid. States or government agencies nor countries are not going to just say "we don't help California because well we think it's a place" And many organizations don't do this behavior either. Individual people however may and individual people, including those in CA, may choose not to donate or help out to citizens of other states.

FWIW though I rarely hear about organizations or public services from CA coming out to my area to help out in big disasters. I don't really care, I don't think it's their responsibility any more than any other state but I'm just giving my experience. Most recently with winter storm blair 8 snowplow drivers from Wisconsin came down to my area to help dig out places. It's a bit of a reach to make a statement that "California answered the call"..I mean maybe selectively but that would almost prove your point just in the opposite way you hoped.

 

[MICKIMINI]

The Town of Paradise (in Northern California). was wiped off the map in 2018 by a wildfire. I saw and interview with the Mayor over the weekend. They HOPE to have infrastructure repairs done in another 2 years, so 9 YEARS after the fire. He said the realistic timeline for complete restoration of the town, is still 20 YEARS away.

Twenty years is totally believable. I know you are in CA and your background facilitates deep knowledge of the challenges with rebuilding in your state. I am sorry you and your family and friends have to go through this again and again.

Knowing what it takes to build just one home in a place like NH I could envision that 20 years while watching the coverage. Those without the means or even people in the 40's and 50's probably can't or won't wait around until retirement. What about young families? They certainly need to grow deep roots for their kids. Now. It is all so sad.

I hope 49 state governor's put out a lifeline to those who may consider relocating to different parts of the country. I certainly invite those who want to live in a scenic, quiet, lower cost area to consider New Hampshire. We are friendly and I suspect an insurance payout will go much further here.

Peace and Love.

 

[barkley]

But the reality is, the vast majority of the relief money is coming from the Government, both state and federal..

And now another concern, accepting ANY help can jeopardize getting assistance from FEMA. https://www.fema.gov/node/if-i-rece...9e7nBEBGZ3F6pm7roc_aem_nMBGUS5fW3IaiB_LFKNqxw

this is where is will be SO difficult for people and sadly-very disheartening. I don't know to what extent the laws/policies have changed but back in the 90's and 2000's there were times i had to administer public individual's requests for california's emergency assistance funds (in one instance it was homeowners and renters impacted by flooding/in another due to earthquakes). people assumed they could immediately get help from the red cross and certain other groups but they were told they first had to exhaust eligibility to government funds. our process was MUCH faster than fema's but it was literally a penny or two on the dollar to replace 'immediate items of need' (literally telling someone to replace their bed/mattress/box for $17 ). temporary housing was VERY limited and when I just googled it I learned it's still only 15 days/$85 per day for a family of 4 (tell me where you can find a motel for that if there ARE motels available???). fema took so much longer. it was horrific.

The Town of Paradise (in Northern California). was wiped off the map in 2018 by a wildfire. I saw and interview with the Mayor over the weekend. They HOPE to have infrastructure repairs done in another 2 years, so 9 YEARS after the fire. He said the realistic timeline for complete restoration of the town, is still 20 YEARS away.

and HOW LONG will the fires burn???? if there are any old landfills/repurposed old buildings with old onsite dumps and such in the impacted areas they may find themselves in the same situation a nearby town to us is in-

a fire devastated the town in August 2023 and is TECHNICALLY STILL BURNING due to a 100 year old landfill discovered to be still burning/smoldering underground. at this point the department of ecology and health services are trying to determine how to let it be extinguished to prevent further soil and ground water contamination (they are already dealing with it due to older homes and asbestos). reconstruction/repair is at a standstill in some neighborhoods.

 

[Pink Partridge]

a fire devastated the town in August 2023 and is TECHNICALLY STILL BURNING due to a 100 year old landfill discovered to be still burning/smoldering underground.....

Have you ever read anything about Centralia, Pennsylvania? It was featured in National Geographic.