I agree with Michael--heed all warnings!
I live in the High Sierrasof Northeastern California. Last year (and typically) at this time itwas all about snow, ice, and more snow.
At 5000 ft elevation, outprecip is mainly in the form of snow, about 11 inches per year. Sofar this Dec we have received over 10 inches of rain. We had 12 inches of snow last week, but yesterday's LOW was 36 degrees (F), andLAST NIGHT'S LOW was 40.
It has been predicted that the next seriesof storms will dump up to 15 inches of rain over the next few days. The local Susanville river is expected to reach flood stage at 4pm.Knowing the condition of the levee system in Northern CaliforniaSacramento valley, I expect those folks are in for a terrible time.
And growing up in California, my experience has been that this kind ofwet, warm winter forshadows earthquakes. Poor Surely (my epileptic golden retriever) has finally settled down some. Maybe because we didfinally have a couple of small earthquakes in the last day. Maybe because she finally managed to snag a candy cane off of the Christmastree. Who knows?
As for my house, I am picking Daughter #2 at the airport in the am,and hunkering down for the rest of this year. This will be the lasttime to be together for awhile, as she goes back to college, andlittle brother is moving after the 1st.
Hoping we can use the time to distribute a bunch of family stuff, as my long awaited road trip, is once again gnawing at my brain, and my van and trailer stare at me everyday with a pleading look as if too say "when?"
A blessed end of year, and New Beginning to all,
Peace,
Jude
December 28, 2005
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Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 02:07:30 -0500
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The Problem The cost of already-promised public sector retiree health care benefits is going to become visible in 2006. This isn't a prediction; it's a fact.
The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASP, of course) is set to require governments to reveal the current cost of future benefit promises in the same way that corporations have had to do since 1994. The result is liable to be years of labor turmoil.
Here's the problem: many if not most government units around the country have promised their workers lifetime healthcare coverage. However, almost none of them have put aside any money to pay for the cost of this benefit. According to a NY Times story today, which is the source for many of the facts in this post, only 38% of companies with over 200 employees offer any sort of retiree benefits and only 9% pay any of the cost of purchasing Medicare supplements.
New York City and New York State, by contrast, both have promised to pay the full cost of Medicare supplements for their retirees. Where the money is going to come from is TBD. It's easy to see how we got into this mess: a dollar in extra salary is very visible. It either has to be paid for by increased taxes or it adds to a government deficit (except when there are surpluses). A dollar PROMISED to buy a future benefit " up until 2006 " has been invisible. So when negotiations get tough, it is easier for politicians or beleaguered school boards to promise two dollars in future benefits than pay an extra dollar in current salary. Union negotiators know the value of these future benefits to their members; they accept the tradeoff.
As an example, the New York Transit Authority is spending an estimated $165 million annually to provide current health care benefits for retired workers. This is the number that gets reported and gets subtracted from Transit Authority revenue each year in calculating the bottom line. The true current cost of health care benefits promised for the future may be as high as $1.6 billion each year. A scary thing is that no one is even sure what this number is since accounting for it is not required. Whatever this number is, however, the Transit Authority will have to report it by the end of 2006.
Corporations used to make unaccounted-for promises like this, too. Corporate chieftains at airlines and car makers were no less short-term in their thinking than politicians. Why hurt reported earnings on your watch if you can defer the pain until your successor's successor is in the corner office?
After the change in accounting rules, the temptation was reduced but the piper still had to be paid. Airlines went bankrupt and shifted some of their pension liabilities to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation. GM and Ford may still collapse under the weight of their retiree health care costs.
Now cities, towns, states, school districts and public colleges will all have to report the current cost of future benefits not only for new promises made but for all the promises made in the past. They will even have to account for the cost of catching up on past promises which haven't been funded. Ouch. In some cases, it will become clear that there is no way that taxes or fees can be raised high enough to cover past profligacy.
Some say: Don't worry; this is just an accounting change. It doesn't affect current cash flow.
That's like saying that finding out that you're going to run over a cliff in the next five minutes doesn't matter because you're not falling yet.
The first practical effect will be higher interest rates for those with the worst problems. Interest rates DO affect cash flow. Business may decide not to locate in places where taxes clearly have to be raised a lot; home buyers will start to prefer jurisdictions which have been fiscally responsible. That means that revenues will be impacted in the areas that need the revenues most to meet their future obligations.
Once we get through the pain, this will turn out to be a healthy accounting change (this is a prediction but you won't know whether I was right or wrong for years to come). With phony accounting, administrators who hid future costs looked like they were doing a better job than those who were prudent. The incentives were backwards. Corporations have been improved by the accounting change of a decade ago. Government will be improved by this change, too.
But here's some of the pain we'll feel in the meantime:
- some municipal bankruptcies;
- some sort of national bailout;
- increased threats of public sector strikes since politicians lose the ability to hide unfunded promises AND have to find savings to pay for the old promises;
- Increased pressure on heath care delivery since Medicare relies on the fact that its low reimbursements are subsidized by those who pay higher rates which some will no longer be able to do;
- tension between taxpayers (programmers and auto workers, for example) whose salaries are restrained by global competition and the government workers they pay whose jobs cannot so readily be outsourced.
I promise to post some suggested solutions before the New Year and not end the year on this depressing note.
December 26, 2005 in Current Affairs Permalink Comments TrackBack Tag with del.icio.us Incoming links Blogroll Books Podcasts Search blog Subscribe Email this post
from MWM
directly through Yahoo.com
A Significant Change In The Wobble Of The Spin Axis Is Definitely Under Way
A shift in the phase of Chandler's Wobble is most apparant, which will
shorten the seven year Chandler's Wobble this time around. As well, a
large acceleration in the shift of the average location of the SpinAxis
is now "apparant".
Be advised that a solar wind will hit the Earth during the next 48
hours in the midst of rising solar activity, an incease of sunspots
yesterday to 90, and the formation of a Quadruple Whammy -
Perigee,Perihelion, New Moon, and the alignment of planets sufficient to cause
major solar storms and sudden ionic impacts on the Earth through to
about the middle of January.Already we can see significant shape shifting
activity in the Earthnow this week increasing, focused currently most
strongly from the MidAtlantic through the Western coasts of the Americas.
YES, THIS IS A STRONG HEADS UP.
Major quakes could occur in any ofthe usual and historical zones -
in fact they are more probable duringthe next week then at any time during the previous year.
Settle in somewhere cozy and warm, avoid travel, but be ready to flee
from coastal zones or major earthquake destruction at the drop of a hat.
Best of luck for the New Year and for all of 2006. You are going to
need it. Change will be profound.
MWM
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
Visit your group "earthchange-bulletins" on the web.
From MWM direct through Yahoo.com
The previous message was not strong enough. Read it. Watch carefullyand be prepared. Dynamic Flux of change is apparant in the Earth, Sun,and Solar System.
Some things are about to happen even to those inNorth America.
All trip wires and alert systems should be extravigilent and we should all take them seriously enough to be able torespond appropriately.
Nobody appears to have exact handles on exacttimimg and location, but this is definitely an extraordinary window ofstress and probable reactions which will be larger than usual.
MWM
This is typical Sorcha hyperventilation
mwm
At 03:03 AM 12/27/2005, you wrote:
Note: Don't miss the quake info...IMPORTANT!!
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index862.htm>
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index862.htm
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index615.htm
Sorcha Faal’s Books Available Now In English!
Picking up the Pieces: Practical Guide for Surviving Economic Crashes, Internal Unrest and Military Suppression
By: Sorcha Faal “In the span of less than 3 months gasoline prices will rise 500%. The prices of both food and shelter rise over 300%. (<http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index713.htm
December 14, 2005
North American Plate Factures Reported As Major US Hydro Electric Dam Fails and Oklahoma Meer’s Fault Zone Begins Outgassing
By: Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Russian Subscribers
Reports from the United States are showing the unremitting pressures upon the North American Plate have accelerated and have just today resulted in the collapsing of a Major Hydro Electric Dam, and as we can read as reported by the Associated Press News Service in their article titled "
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13405549.htm
Dam fails in southeast Missouri; situation called 'very dangerous' and which says:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13405549.htm
"The Upper Taum Sauk Lake Dam failed this morning, causing large amounts of water to move rapidly downstream and creating what officials called a "very dangerous situation."
The break occurred at 6:24 a.m. at the dam in Reynolds County, about 120 miles southwest of St. Louis. A family of five was rescued, and one person was missing, Reynolds County Sheriff's dispatcher Ginger Bell said. But she said authorities have not yet been able to get to nearby Johnson Shut-Ins State Park.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13405549.htm
A National Weather Service bulletin warned that the water would move rapidly downstream along the Black River, creating a "dangerous and life-threatening situation." Residents of Lesterville and elsewhere downstream from the dam were urged to move quickly to higher ground."
To the size of this Hydro Electric Dam we can read about as described by the United States National Academy of Engineering, and which says, http://www.engineergirl.org/nae/cwe/egmain.nsf/(weblinks)/ESER-5K5LLV?opendocument
"The Taum Sauk Hydroelectric Storage Plant was engineered to take power from other sources during part of the day and supply energy during other hours. The facility is made of four parts: a 55-acre reservoir at the top of a mountain, a 7000-foot-long tunnel, a powerhouse with two reversible pump-turbine units, and a lower reservoir formed by a dam.
http://www.engineergirl.org/nae/cwe/egmain.nsf/(weblinks)/ESER-5K5LLV?opendocument
The plant produces 350 megawatts by releasing water through the plant into a 400-acre lower lake. Then, at night, the water is pumped back into the upper pool. The process is directed by remote control in St. Louis, 120 miles away."
This dam is also reported by the United States Government to be in full compliance with their laws and was not due for
http://www.prfamerica.org/DamsSubject2Relicensing.html
re-licensing until the year 2010.
So prestigious to the Americans was this Hydro Electric Project that they had recently been noted for a prestigious award, and as we can read as reported by the Ameren Energy Services Company September 26, 2005 news release titled "
http://www.ameren.com/AboutUs/adc_newsfull.asp?NewsSeqID=431>
International Group Declares AmerenUE's Taum Sauk Plant an Engineering "Milestone"-AmerenUE Donates $1,000 to Local School" and which says:
http://www.ameren.com/AboutUs/adc_newsfull.asp?NewsSeqID=431
“The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) today presented AmerenUE’s Taum Sauk pumped-storage hydroelectric plant its prestigious “Milestone in Electrical Engineering and Computing” award.
http://www.ameren.com/AboutUs/adc_newsfull.asp?NewsSeqID=431
At a special ceremony at the Taum Sauk Plant in Reynolds County, Mo., AmerenUE also announced a gift of $1,000 to Lesterville R-4 School. The school serves the area surrounding the plant. The IEEE award acknowledges Taum Sauk for its many technological and engineering “firsts,” including:
http://www.ameren.com/AboutUs/adc_newsfull.asp?NewsSeqID=431
• being the largest pumped-storage plant in North America when it came on- line in 1963
• its high-capacity turbine generators
• its ability to be operated by “remote control” from St. Louis, Mo.
—more than 90 miles away.
http://www.ameren.com/AboutUs/adc_newsfull.asp?NewsSeqID=431
The Taum Sauk plant includes four primary features: the upper reservoir atop Proffit Mountain, a 7,000-foot-long shaft and tunnel, a power house with two reversible pump turbine units and a lower reservoir formed by a dam across the East Fork of the Black River.”
Though initial reporting by American Propaganda News Sources quickly blamed the collapse of this dam on a ‘heavy amount of rainfall’ in the area, that was quickly dispelled by International Media Sources as weather reports showed only a small amount of rain had fallen in the region, and as we can read as reported by Britain’s Guardian Unlimited News Service in their article titled "
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5478956,00.html
Person Missing After Missouri Dam Fails" and which says:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5478956,00.html
"Pedigo said rain was not a factor in the break. The region received only about one-tenth of an inch of rain overnight, he said."
According to Russian Scientific reports on this event the cause of this dams failure was due to the Magnitude 1.9 Earthquake that occurred in Matthews, Missouri yesterday, and which was located approximately 205 kilometers (128 miles) away. The shallow depth of this Earthquake, coupled with it opening a new fault line in this region contributed to the sudden collapse of this dam these reports further state.
The collapse of this dam also coincides with reports from the near Meer’s Fault Zone Region in Oklahoma where a major outgassing event is currently taking place, and as we can read as reported by the Enid News and Eagle News Service in their article titled "
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
Mysterious Kingfisher-area gas geysers leave officials puzzled" and which says:
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
“Mysterious unrefined natural gas leaks erupting in rural Kingfisher County in recent days continue to have officials puzzled as to their cause. "We originally thought a pipeline had exploded," said Matt Skinner, Oklahoma Corporation Commission public information manager. "We had the pressure to zero pressure, and the leaks seemed to get bigger. So that's not it." Skinner had said at a press conference Monday geologists and hydrologists are beginning to study underground maps of the area to find an explanation. "We've ruled out the probables, and now we're into the unprobables," he said. "We've never seen one like this before, one that covers such a large area. It's another animal."
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
Skinner
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
said the leak was unusual because of its size and that it was "moving with no explanation."
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
Russian Scientists have long noted that one of the first areas of the North American Continent that will begin to experience the mid-continent splitting of the North American Plate would in fact be the near Meer’s Fault Zone Region, and which has further been confirmed by United States Scientists, and as we can read from one of the United States reports on this Region titled "Evaluation of Potential Aseismic Creep Along the Ouachita Frontal Fault Zone, Southeastern Oklahoma
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
" and which says:
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
“This fault is the westernmost of a series of thrust faults within the Paleozoic southern Ouachita fold and thrust belt (Figure 2). The orientation and location of the Choctaw fault are favorable to re-activation in the present-day stress field observed in the mid-continent. Based on our initial field reconnaissance, we cannot rule out the possibility of aseismic tectonic creep on the fault, as suggested by previous workers. In the town of Atoka, the fault traverses a small, linear hill upon which there is an alignment of historic damage to cultural features (e.g., sidewalks, curbs, pipelines, rock walls) from left-lateral ground movement. On the basis of about 140 mm of left-lateral offset of a sidewalk (dated October 27, 1914), we estimate a rate of left-lateral offset of about 1 to 2 mm/yr. In a qualitative sense, this rate seems reasonable given the degree of deformation observed in houses and other cultural features along this alignment i. Early workers concluded that the damage is not related to downslope movement, freeze-thaw processes or dissolution collapse, and instead is due to faulting in the absence of earthquakes (i.e., aseismic creep).”
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
To these events we have likewise reported on many times, including our November 26th report titled "United States Prepares For ‘Catastrophic Event’ As US Justice Department Orders New Crackdown on Journalists and Dissenting American Citizens",
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_347005144?keyword=topstory
and wherein we had evidenced the growing numbers of ‘Booming’ earthquakes in North America, and which are associated with Massive Plate Fracturing, and as we reported:
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:4mLHJvCnGQsJ:erp-web.er.usgs.gov/reports/annsum/vol46/ceu/03hqgr0030.pdf+meers+fault+zone&hl=en
As reported by the Post and Courier News Service in their November 20th article titled "Quake surprises Summerville [South Carolina]" and which says, "The boom
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:4mLHJvCnGQsJ:erp-web.er.usgs.gov/reports/annsum/vol46/ceu/03hqgr0030.pdf+meers+fault+zone&hl=en
heard across much of Summerville, and the vibration that followed, was actually a little earthquake, the second this year in the area, according to Pete Jenkins, director of the Earthquake Center at Charleston Southern University. The quake, which struck about 3 p.m. Saturday, raised eyebrows and worried children, but caused no damage. The U.S. Geological Survey took note of the event but did not report its magnitude as of late Saturday."
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:4mLHJvCnGQsJ:erp-web.er.usgs.gov/reports/annsum/vol46/ceu/03hqgr0030.pdf+meers+fault+zone&hl=en
As reported by the KOMO TV News Service in their November 23rd article titled "4.1 Quake Rattles Bellingham Area" and which says, "A small earthquake shook the area around Deming in Whatcom County Wednesday. There were no initial reports of any injuries or property damage. In the first half hour after the quake, 25 people reported feeling it, describing the shaking as moderate. Some people who called the media reported hearing a loud boom
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:4mLHJvCnGQsJ:erp-web.er.usgs.gov/reports/annsum/vol46/ceu/03hqgr0030.pdf+meers+fault+zone&hl=en
before the quake."
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index854.htm
As reported by the Associated Press News Service in their November 23rd article titled "Tiny earthquake shakes St. Louis region" and which says,
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index854.htm
"No major damage was reported after a minor earthquake shook the St. Louis region. The tiny quake [2.5 magnitude], centered 10 miles southeast of St. Louis, struck around 11 p.m. Tuesday in East St. Louis, Ill., said Waverly Person, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center in Denver."
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=53591§ion=localnews
As reported by the Thunder Bay Chronicle News Service in their November 25th article titled "Big bang shakes up Dryden area" and which says, "What seismologists are calling a “small” 1.5 magnitude earthquake, also reported that the couple heard a deafening bang, like a sonic boom
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=53591§ion=localnews
or explosion."
http://www.komotv.com/news/story_m.asp?ID=40419
Not just to the increasing frequency of these earthquakes upon the North American Plate, but also to the ‘Boom’ noises being reported that are accompanying them are most significant according to these reports as these ‘booms'
http://www.komotv.com/news/story_m.asp?ID=40419
are the indicators of earthquakes of massive plate fracturing, and not associated with normal earthquake movements.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13242754.htm
More concerning are the reports from the United States New Madrid Fault Zone Region where these ‘Booms’ are being heard without an accompanying earthquake, and as we can read as reported by the KTVO TV News Service in their ‘sanitized’ November 25th article titled "Explanation found for mysterious boom" and which says,
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13242754.htm
"The mystery surrounding a loud, explosion-like noise that had much of Northeast Missouri talking Tuesday afternoon is now solved. It was apparently a sonic boom, an explosive sound caused by the shock wave preceding an aircraft traveling at or above the speed of sound."
http://www.chroniclejournal.com/thunderbay/publish/article_2032.php
These reports further state that the only modern day comparison to the earthquake events occurring within the North American Plate today are those of this past years 9.3 magnitude Sumatra earthquake catastrophe, and of which we can read, <http://www.chroniclejournal.com/thunderbay/publish/article_2032.php
"This was no small earthquake. It ruptured the planet along 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) of fault. Scientists estimate the Indian plate slipped 33 to 50 feet (10 to 15 meters) under the Burma microplate. The fault shook for at least eight minutes. A typical large earthquake lasts 30 seconds or so. Earth's very gravity balance was altered, and the North Pole shifted by an inch."
http://www.chroniclejournal.com/thunderbay/publish/article_2032.php>Not being reported to the American people are how rare in fact these earthquake ‘booms’ are, and as we can read as reported by the United States Terra Research Instituted in their report titled “Mystery of 'The Earthquake Boom’: a real earthquake" and which says, http://www.chroniclejournal.com/thunderbay/publish/article_2032.php
“Earthquake Boom is a very loud, deep sounding explosion, which emanates from the earth. If directly above emanation, directional determination may be difficult as sound is not from a distinct direction as it is from a wide area of earth’s surface. It is a higher frequency audio form of the traditional shaking earthquake even though current seismographs cannot ‘see’ or ‘record’ them.
http://www.ktvotv3.com/Global/story.asp?S=4032889&nav=1LFs
Scalar devices are able to clearly ‘see’ these events along with the rest of the earthquake ‘family’ of earth-generated events such as the ‘silent’ or ‘slow’ earthquake. Another relative to the ‘family’ is the earth ‘lurch’ and a ‘fast version of slow’ earthquake – these yet to be discovered by mainstream science. These loud explosions have been witnessed by many over the years. They also accompany traditional earthquakes as these are part of the mix of seismic activity
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8670264/
City residents of Spokane, Washington in the summer of 2001 experienced a classic series of explosions (earthquake booms) and earthquakes in a flurry of shallow earthquake swarms. Seismologists were unable to record these booming events on seismographs.”
http://www.terraresearch.net/articles/earthquakeboom_article1_file.html
And since that report these earthquake ‘Booms’ have continued, and as we can read as reported by New Jersey’s Daily Record News Service in their article titled "Earthquake jolts northeast Morris: Reports of loud boom from 2.1 temblor
http://www.terraresearch.net/articles/earthquakeboom_article1_file.html
and which says:
http://www.terraresearch.net/articles/earthquakeboom_article1_file.html
"The loud boom came first. Then, the house shook. Shortly after 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Nancy Wood jumped from her chair inside the living room of her Lakeview Drive home in Kinnelon's small Lake Reality community. "Did the furnace explode?" she wondered. "Or did somebody slam the garage door really hard?" Shortly afterward, she felt a tiny jolt, like a little wiggle, she said. It was an aftershock. "As soon as I went out and asked my husband, 'Did someone slam the garage door?' we looked at each other and said, 'Oh, no,'" Wood said. The boom was exactly what they feared: an earthquake."
http://www.terraresearch.net/articles/earthquakeboom_article1_file.html
Unlike other Regions of the World where the signs for a greater catastrophic earthquake to come are always heeded, by both citizens and governments alike, in the Untied States there is no evidence that their citizens are preparing. Even more concerning about them is that with their Darwinian Mindsets, and where everything is ‘broken into pieces
http://www.terraresearch.net/articles/earthquakeboom_article1_file.html
the do not even see the full meanings of the signs they are being given.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051210/NEWS01/512100324/1005
This cannot be said though about the animals in their Nation, and who when ‘knowing’ of the dangers to come protect themselves, and which they are doing in the United States today, and as we can read as reported by the Associated Press News Service in their article titled "Scientists Say Global Warming Causing Migration In Yosemite
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051210/NEWS01/512100324/1005
and which says:
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051210/NEWS01/512100324/1005
"Scientists studying Yosemite National Park's wildlife say the effects of global warming may be forcing several animal species to move to higher altitudes. A team of scientists from U-C Berkeley were retracing a recorded account of the park's mammals, birds and reptiles catalogued about 90 years ago when they made the discovery."
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051210/NEWS01/512100324/1005
But not to the reasons of ‘Global Warming’ are the animals of the American Western Coastlines seeking higher ground, but rather for the event that we can read as described by seismologists in the United States, and as reported by the United Press International News Service in their article titled "Giant tsunami could hit U.S. West Coast
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051210/NEWS01/512100324/1005"
and which says:
http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/article/kvml/1134490246
"Seismologists are warning the U.S. West Coast could be hit by a catastrophic tsunami, with waves as high as 100 feet or more.
More than a million people in California live in areas that might be affected by a tsunami, and another million visit the state`s beaches on a typical summer day, according to a California Seismic Safety Commission study, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1068743.php/Giant_tsunami_could_hit_U.S._West_Coast>There have been 80 tsunamis in California during the past 150 years, and geological records show previous waves reached heights of 60 feet or more. The indications are simple, said Lucy Jones, scientist-in-charge for the U.S. Geological Survey in Southern California -- a long earthquake after which the water recedes. Jones says beachgoers seeing the water recede should run far inland and stay away from the beach for at least 12 hours, since tsunamis are actually a series of waves that can last for hours.
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1068743.php/Giant_tsunami_could_hit_U.S._West_Coast>'You need to know that if you have a five-minute earthquake, there will be a tsunami,' Jones told the Times. 'That`s inevitable.... The really terror scenario is that it`s a summer day and there`s a million people on the beach."
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1068743.php/Giant_tsunami_could_hit_U.S._West_Coast>© December 14, 2005, EU and US all rights reserved.
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1068743.php/Giant_tsunami_could_hit_U.S._West_Coast> [Ed. Note: The United States government actively seeks to find, and silence, any and all opinions about the United States except those coming from authorized government and/or affiliated sources, of which we are not one. No interviews are granted and very little personal information is given about our contributors to protect their safety.]
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Best Wishes, Michael Wells Mandeville,The Hills of Arizona USA at mwman@earthlink.net
Master Website Index is at: http://www.michaelmandeville.com
Something Seemingly Not Quite Right With the Sun
by Mitch Battros - ECTV
Today's sunspot count is at 90; there coming from several (six) sunspotregions; and we are just coming out of a geomagnetic storm.
However, the recent extended SOHO "bakeout", and recent GOES (x-ray flux) satellites which read solar flares have been blank or dormant.
On the heels of what would appear to be below average solar readings, a sudden geomagnetic storm appears.
Within the 48 to 72 hour window consistent with the Equation, we have a blackout in Quebec, Canada leaving some 70,000 homes and businesses without power. Hydro Quebec said the blackout hit the Monteregie agricultural region southwest ofMontreal at about 6:40 a.m. Initial reports claim high winds were blamed for crippling the local hydro electrical grid, "although officials weren't able to find any broken equipment."
I've seen this before; This is to say when "officials can't find a reason", and in many cases have later been related to solar activity.
Then when have a volcanic eruption today in Guatemala, sending rivers of lava down its slopes and a huge cloud of ash and smoke into the sky.
About 25,000 local residents were put on alert. Also, various "freakstorms" have been reported from droughts to snow storms. I am currently on the road (wouldn't you know it) and unable to do a detailed report which includes direct contact with the NASA/NOAA spaceweather center.
All I can say for now is; reports and events just don'tquite feel right. In other words..something's up.Solar X-Ray Flux (flat line):
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_5m.html
Kp Index (geomagnetic storm):http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/kp_3d.html
GOES (magnetic flux): http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/mag_3d.html
DEVELOPING.....
_________________________
Solar Rain
by Mitch Battros
It all started with a simple equation.Equation:Sunspots => Solar Flares => Magnetic Field Shift => Shifting Ocean andJet Stream Currents => Extreme Weather and Human Disruption (mitchbattros)and led to 'Solar Rain'1)
Table of Contents:http://www.earthchangestv.net/Table_of_Contents.htm2)
Endorsements: http://www.earthchangestv.net/Solar_Rain.htm3) Order:https://www.earthchangestv.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=28
December 27, 2005
From: "luckypig" on www.groups.yahoo.com/group/themultidimensionalnewsportal
Subject: //: Companies will get federal windfalls to keep drug plans for retirees
of course Big Pharma will make money ...
here is just more proof of squeezing out that extra dollar profit from the old and the poor ....
----- Original Message ----- :
Monday, December 26, 2005 8:35 AM
Subject: Companies will get federal windfalls to keep drug plans for retirees
MSNBC.com
Companies will get federal windfalls to keep drug plans for retirees
By Michael Wagner
Triangle Business Journal
Updated: 7:00 p.m. ET Dec. 25, 2005
RALEIGH - Once the new Medicare prescription drug program goes live Jan. 1, some Triangle employers will receive a federal, tax-free windfall - in most cases worth millions - for doing absolutely nothing.
The largest local payment will go to the State Health Plan, which has applied for an estimated $63 million. The payment is a subsidy the federal government will pay in exchange for an organization maintaining its own drug program and not relying on Medicare. Among private employers, Duke University could receive as much as $1.8 million, GlaxoSmithKline $3.3 million, and IBM $6.6 million based on their number of Medicare-eligible retirees and the estimated $660 average annual payment per retiree.
Some employers may opt to drop their retiree drug benefits altogether, in which case they would not receive a subsidy payment. It's not clear yet how many will go that route, but the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will release more detailed information in January.
The subsidy is meant to give employers an incentive not to drop their existing drug coverage and foist their retirees onto the backs of federal taxpayers. It's the only way to make the program work, says Michelle Kitchman Strollo, a senior analyst with the Washington, D.C.-based Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit health policy group.
"There was concern in Washington that within this law that there was nothing to keep employers from just terminating their benefits outright," Strollo says. "The thought was in order to keep the law within the $399 billion estimated price tag, it would have to rely on those people who currently have employer-based benefits."
But like everything, that, too, has a price: An estimated $71 billion in tax-free subsidies is projected to be paid to employers over the next 10 years. According to a recent survey by the Kaiser Foundation, 79 percent of employers said they have no intention of dropping their drug coverage in the first year. But among those keeping their coverage and taking the subsidy, 50 percent said they expect they'll drop the benefit by 2010.
Mike Morfe, a vice president of the benefits firm Aon Consulting, says part of the reason for the hesitation is that employers like to maintain control over the design and function of their benefits programs. "For a lot of employers, that's very important," he says. "They like to know it's working well and treating their retirees right."
That the subsidy is tax-free is attractive for many employers, he says. It can translate a payment of $600 or $700 per employee into a bottom-line value of as much as $1,000. Still, over time, many employers may find that the subsidy no longer outweighs the savings from eliminating drug coverage from their retiree benefits.
As startup kinks get worked out, employers might become more comfortable with sending their retirees out into the Medicare wild.
"This (subsidy) is like trying to keep the Titanic afloat by sending out one row boat," says Jon Oberlander, an expert in Medicare and a professor of public health policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "You may have stopped it in the short run, but over the long run there's no doubt that people are going to drop their retiree health benefits."
Employers will have two options with the Medicare drug program, which is called Part D. One is to enter a so-called wrap-around plan in which Medicare is designated as the primary payer, and then whatever is not covered is picked up by the employer's drug plan.
The other is for employers to create a custom drug plan in which Medicare and the employer's benefits are all rolled into the same plan. Retirees present one card at the pharmacy counter, and the drug plan coordinates everything with Medicare directly.
"Once (companies) understand what the other options are, and have some proof that they work, they may say, 'We'll switch,'" Morfe says.
But for now, that doesn't appear to be happening, says Carla Obiol, deputy commissioner of the Seniors' Health Insurance and Information Program, a division of the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
The SHIIP, for short, is the state's primary call center for people who have questions about Medicare. While they've been overwhelmed with ringing phones the last few weeks, so far, Obiol says, few callers have said their drug coverage is being canceled.
"The concern that employers would drop people is not happening now," she says. "The big fear is that that could change over time. The subsidy could just be a Band-Aid." http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10606134/
Cooperate
I cooperate in a spirit of oneness for the benefit of all.
We are all interconnected by the infinite source that is the spirit of God.
We are united in Spirit and one with the power of God.
With a loving and tender heart, I join with my brothers and sisters,
With humility, I know that we do nothing of ourselves alone.
"Finally, all of you,
Inspired by this message?
Send a friend a spiritual lift. E-mail this message to a friend.
I have, if you dig, this statement on tape, in the archives. But it comes up again and again, so I thought I'd repost it ....
The White House cabal:
October 25, 2005
By Lawrence B. Wilkerson,
served as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell from 2002 to 2005.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-wilkerson25oct25,0,7455395.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions
IN PRESIDENT BUSH'S first term, some of the most important decisions about U.S. national security — including vital decisions about postwar Iraq — were made by a secretive, little-known cabal. It was made up of a very small group of people led by Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
When I first discussed this group in a speech last week at the New America Foundation in Washington, my comments caused a significant stir because I had been chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell between 2002 and 2005.
But it's absolutely true. I believe that the decisions of this cabal were sometimes made with the full and witting support of the president and sometimes with something less. More often than not, then-national security advisor Condoleezza Rice was simply steamrolled by this cabal. I
ts insular and secret workings were efficient and swift — not unlike the decision-making one would associate more with a dictatorship than a democracy. This furtive process was camouflaged neatly by the dysfunction and inefficiency of the formal decision-making process, where decisions, if they were reached at all, had to wend their way through the bureaucracy, with its dissenters, obstructionists and "guardians of the turf."
But the secret process was ultimately a failure. It produced a series of disastrous decisions and virtually ensured that the agencies charged with implementing them would not or could not execute them well.
I watched these dual decision-making processes operate for four years at the State Department. As chief of staff for 27 months, I had a door adjoining the secretary of State's office. I read virtually every document he read. I read the intelligence briefings and spoke daily with people from all across government.
I knew that what I was observing was not what Congress intended when it passed the 1947 National Security Act. The law created the National Security Council — consisting of the president, vice president and the secretaries of State and Defense — to make sure the nation's vital national security decisions were thoroughly vetted. The NSC has often been expanded, depending on the president in office, to include the CIA director, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Treasury secretary and others, and it has accumulated a staff of sometimes more than 100 people.
But many of the most crucial decisions from 2001 to 2005 were not made within the traditional NSC process.
Scholars and knowledgeable critics of the U.S. decision-making process may rightly say, so what? Haven't all of our presidents in the last half-century failed to conform to the usual process at one time or another? Isn't it the president's prerogative to make decisions with whomever he pleases? Moreover, can he not ignore whomever he pleases? Why should we care that President Bush gave over much of the critical decision-making to his vice president and his secretary of Defense?
Both as a former academic and as a person who has been in the ring with the bull, I believe that there are two reasons we should care. First, such departures from the process have in the past led us into a host of disasters, including the last years of the Vietnam War, the national embarrassment of Watergate (and the first resignation of a president in our history), the Iran-Contra scandal and now the ruinous foreign policy of George W. Bush.
But a second and far more important reason is that the nature of both governance and crisis has changed in the modern age.
From managing the environment to securing sufficient energy resources, from dealing with trafficking in human beings to performing peacekeeping missions abroad, governing is vastly more complicated than ever before in human history.
Further, the crises the U.S. government confronts today are so multifaceted, so complex, so fast-breaking — and almost always with such incredible potential for regional and global ripple effects — that to depart from the systematic decision-making process laid out in the 1947 statute invites disaster.
Discounting the professional experience available within the federal bureaucracy — and ignoring entirely the inevitable but often frustrating dissent that often arises therein — makes for quick and painless decisions. But when government agencies are confronted with decisions in which they did not participate and with which they frequently disagree, their implementation of those decisions is fractured, uncoordinated and inefficient. This is particularly the case if the bureaucracies called upon to execute the decisions are in strong competition with one another over scarce money, talented people, "turf" or power.
It takes firm leadership to preside over the bureaucracy. But it also takes a willingness to listen to dissenting opinions. It requires leaders who can analyze, synthesize, ponder and decide. The administration's performance during its first four years would have been even worse without Powell's damage control. At least once a week, it seemed, Powell trooped over to the Oval Office and cleaned all the dog poop off the carpet. He held a youthful, inexperienced president's hand. He told him everything would be all right because he, the secretary of State, would fix it. And he did — everything from a serious crisis with China when a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft was struck by a Chinese F-8 fighter jet in April 2001, to the secretary's constant reassurances to European leaders following the bitter breach in relations over the Iraq war. It wasn't enough, of course, but it helped.
Today, we have a president whose approval rating is 38% and a vice president who speaks only to Rush Limbaugh and assembled military forces. We have a secretary of Defense presiding over the death-by-a-thousand-cuts of our overstretched armed forces (no surprise to ignored dissenters such as former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki or former Army Secretary Thomas White).
It's a disaster. Given the choice, I'd choose a frustrating bureaucracy over an efficient cabal every time.
I realize that this is a l-o-o-o-o-n-g post. I think it's worth reading the WHOLE thing. This is NOT mainstream media. This is people telling it like it is. It fits neatly with the previous post about the need for chaos ... To my brothers and sisters hit by Katrina, and all those who went and worked with them, and especially to those children who remained confused by the complete lack of coordination, I print this out ...
http://risingfromruin.msnbc.com/2005/12/your_tax_dollar_1.html
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. --
The storm that left this region drowning in debt and need also inundated it with some infamous examples of government spending. From oak-lined Waveland Avenue to the quaint cottages of St. Charles Street in Bay St. Louis, the Katrina-wrought equivalents of the proverbial $600 toilet seat, courtesy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are everywhere to be seen. Behold:
- Rooftop after rooftop covered with blue plastic sheeting at an average cost to taxpayers somewhere north of $2,500 a pop.
- Dozens of temporary classrooms provided for nearly $90,000 apiece by an out-of-state contractor in a deal that a Mississippi firm says it offered to match for just over half that price. Tack on tens of thousands of dollars more in additional costs for each unit.
- Thousands of shiny new travel trailers provided at an average cost of nearly $14,000, but often requiring thousands of more dollars each in site preparation and being delivered through programs castigated repeatedly by lawmakers as inefficient and wasteful.
- And unseen, to the east, floats the most infamous example of all, a cruise ship whose occupants at latest count included 23 Hancock County families, housed in a deal where the tab is currently running as high as $1,000 a day for a family of four.
In a Spartan office atop Bay St. Louis makeshift City Hall, Mayor Eddie Favre can only roll his eyes at how some of Uncle Sam's money has been spent while his town desperately pleads for state and federal help to meet an operating budget left staggeringly short of revenue after the Aug. 29 hurricane.
The cost of it is unbelievable, Favre says of the trailers, tarps and cruise ships. The alternative to that, I don't know, but that's quite a bit of money.
A number of lawmakers and watchdog groups have called for probes of some of the FEMA spending. Final cost won't be known for a while, but information from FEMA itself and other sources reveal some of the particulars.
No blues over this paycheck
The tarps covering Hancock County homes are part of FEMA's Operation Blue Roof, 99 percent complete in Mississippi, according to a recent release from the agency, with 48,000 of the temporary roofs installed. Nationwide, according to news accounts, the government paid contractors $2,500 on average for the labor to cover each roof, often no more than a 90-minute job, generally 10 times or more what a homeowner would be charged by a private contractor. The government provided the plastic sheeting and the FEMA contractors were allowed to charge the government millions of dollars more for administrative fees and additional materials.
A textbook case of big profits?
The 60-plus temporary classrooms came to Waveland and Bay St. Louis schools as part of a controversial no-bid FEMA contract for hundreds of such buildings throughout Mississippi.
The federal government paid an Alaskan firm $40 million, or nearly $90,000 per unit, to provide what are essentially commercial-grade double-wide mobile homes in a deal that is now the subject of a lawsuit and government probes.
Critics charge that the Alaskan firm's political connections are what really won it the contract at the expense of a Mississippi company, Adams Hardware and Home Center, which offered to provide the same buildings for $24 million, or about $53,000 each.
The amount of dollars that was charged by that Alaska corporation was outrageous, Adams Hardware owner Kent Adams told MSNBC.com. Adams said his Yazoo City firm is now suing the contract winner for unfair business practices.
The cost of the classrooms doesn't end with the contract to supply and deliver them. FEMA says site preparation and utility hookups push the price to $117,000 for each trailer.
A North Bay Elementary School student runs among portable classrooms paid for by FEMA.
Housing with a costly hitch
It's not yet possible to say what the final bill will be for FEMA's travel trailer program. Nearly 30,000 trailers have been placed in Mississippi, about 8,000 of those in Hancock County. While FEMA has said it's spending about $14,000 per trailer, and many are placed on individual private lots, some news media accounts have detailed cases where the cost to prepare large park sites has approached $40,000 per trailer. And an angry Bay St. Louis Rep. Gene Taylor recently brought to light a single trailer bone yard where hundreds of unused trailers were awaiting repairs or being scavenged for spare parts. Those factors and what it will ultimately cost to dismantle the temporary parks, repossess the trailers and dispose of them will add significantly to the bottom line for the program.
No carnival for taxpayers
But it's unlikely to compare with the crown jewel of Katrina spending: a contract with Carnival Cruise Lines to provide housing aboard three cruise ships at a cost of up to $236 million. Figures provided to MSNBC.com on Wednesday peg the current per-person cost for the lodging at $244 a day. At that rate, it would cost more than $175,000 for a family of four to stay on one of the ships for the full six months of the contract, far above the price of the average home in the area.
75 COMMENTS
hmmmm - we took Lowe's and Home Depot tarps to friends with homes damaged by Hurricane Rita and helped get the tarps in place - all for less than $100/tarp on Saturday afternoon, we asked FEMA for tarps for other houses in the neighborhood, but were told tarps were scheduled for distribution on Tuesday and to come back then, even though we could plainly see the tarps sitting behind the officials' tables
--- what a crock
makes me sick to think that the representatives I sent to Washington have no more sense than this; I will vote differently next time but will still bet nothing changes sick at my stomach
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 2:22:19 PM)
Once again, another story about Hancock county. When are we going to see more stories about Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River and other south MS counties? This is not meant to take away from the problems in Hancock county, it is only meant to expand this coverage to include other counties in Mississippi heavily affected
Mary, Jackson County
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 2:40:23 PM)
I think it is borderline criminal what is going on with the money that has been given to contractors related to the hurricane Katrina clean-up. Can't anyone stop them? Has our government become so askew that this is what it has come to? $2500.00 tarps that cost less than $100? It is embarassing and downright despicable, not to mention wasteful. I do not have any voting rights in that state however feel as though this is a crime against all taxpayers.
Tyce Austin, Austin, TX
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 2:43:17 PM)
Although the need was great and immediate, expediency and relatively unrestricted and loosely regulated government spending by remote control always did and always will equal to plain old WASTE. And in spite of all the aforementioned, here it is nearly 4 months later and the tragedy really is, there are hundreds if not thousands of people desperately waiting still for trailers that just sit empty in holding areas all over South Mississippi.
South Mississppi
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 2:51:18 PM)
I honestly don't think voting differently will help; our government is so corrupt that one candidate is no better than the next. Talk about a scam - and who issues these contracts for such outrageous amounts?! It makes me sick to my stomach. Where else but in America??????Stacey, Indiana
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:01:43 PM)
At a time when Louisiana's people are pooling together their resources to help each other only to have it's own government give contracts to out of state bidders for three and four times the cost is criminal. Not only should someone look into this but quite a bit of firing should be going on. Oops, I forgot...They were elected by the very people they are screwing! My, my, my....
Karen Wheaton, Spring, TX
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:03:46 PM)
Typical Washington politics and ineptness. Government has never attracted the best and the brightest. The best leaders and managers work for the private sector. That is why this overspending does not surprise me. Vote Democrat or Republican, it won't change a thing.
Luis, Houston, TX
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:08:20 PM)
I've been waiting for help from FEMA for four months.I know the materials would be cheaper at Home Depot, but in reality, it might be a little harder to get that price when you say "I need 1.5 million of them."
Michael Smith, New Orleans - formerly
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:10:18 PM)
why do we blame our goverment, its the people there that is costing the taxpayers. If your not from here you have no idea how lazy these people are. I for one am tired of hearing "those poor people. Ive gave money an ive been there an seen these people sitting an complaining, but doing nothing to help. We as a nation have gave an gave to hear them complain. Help out people.
John
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:15:55 PM)
As another example of FEMA waste, my husband met with 8 FEMA inspectors all at once when our FEMA camper was being set up (4 months after the hurricane left us homeless). Clearly, it didn't take 8 people to check that situation out-- about 6-7 of them did nothing but remark on the nice house on our relative's property where we were placing the camper and what a shame it was that it suffered so much damage in the storm.
Fed up, Pass Chrisitan, Miss
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:37:37 PM)
My significant other took a group of Vietnamese workers (45 of them) to Moss Point, Mississippi as a subcontractor to install blue roofs under a supposedly FEMA-approved contractor from Pensacola, Florida. What a fiasco - the program is a sham. Work was not available as promised, and the contractor pocketed most of the money made. The workers walked away with next to nothing, as did my significant other. This program benefits no one but the contractors. You wouldn't believe the tricks that are pulled in order to withhold payment from the workers. I was and remain thoroughly disgusted.
Must remain anonymous
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:38:10 PM)
I have a friend here is Washington State who is going to the south for the month of January to do work for a roofing company who is promising more than $15,000 for a month of work doing FEMA work.
Su O'neill, Bellingham, WA
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:47:58 PM)
Why can't people just get along. I was raised in Virginia and was taught to help others and expect nothing in return. I have always told the people I help just to help someone else in need. It sure makes it easier. You have to be pertty low to scalp tarps. I now live in Texas and the spirit of helping is alive and well. Others take note.
Glenn Purvis Del Rio, TX
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:49:19 PM)
That's why politicians are known to be low life's.
I would trust a car salesman over a politician or a lawyer any time, as we know almost all politicians are lawyers. This bunch are selling this country for few dollars to the highest bidder foregn or domestic.
Shame on them.
Monterey california
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:51:17 PM)
I can not believe the exorbiting costs of these items. Where is the watch dog committee? Also, NBC should be doing fleecing of America on TV. Bring this travesty to the attention of the American people, so they may get in touch with their representatives and complain.
Sandy Frost
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 3:56:30 PM)
"W" wouldn't recognize a competant face if he saw one, especially when he shaves.
Steve
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 4:01:32 PM)
Our Government is an absolute joke. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We need to dump all representation and start over. Unfortunately, until we change the system, more of the same bad spending of our money!!!!! Pork, and self-serving interests of our politicians are absolutely shameful. Our elected representatives should be ashamed of themselves. I think it is about time to put the people's interests who elected you first instead of your own. It starts at the White House and moves down to all levels of government.
Ed Rosenthal
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 4:14:43 PM)
This makes me want to cry when I think of my tax dollars being wasted on these greedy unscrupulous robbers!! Especially since I can barely pay my mortgage on a VERY modest home of less than $100,000. This is so unfeeling of our government employees to participate in this at my expense and at the expense of millions of others like me!!!!!
@Senida M. Merritt
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 4:27:43 PM)
Tis ridiculous to know that there is hundreds of trailers sitting on a lot in Purvis, Mississippi while people are still living in tents on the Gulf Coast in 32 degree weather. Federal stupidity and contractors have milked the tax payers of billions of dollars, when all this could have been done much more resonably. It angers me to know end that organizations such as FEMA are handed hundreds of millions of dollars and then it is squandered away instead of being use to accomplish the same outcome at a much cheaper rate. I also know of people in the area of my hometown of Columbia MS, just 80 miles north of the Gulf Coast that have FEMA trailers sitting in their yards that are not being used for housing.....
What a waste and people on the coast are still waiting for housing
Mad as heck, Columbia, MS
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 4:31:52 PM)
CAN'T "WE THE PEOPLE" AUDIT THE GOVERMENT JUST LIKE THEY AUDIT US IF SOMETHING SEEMS FOUL! BECAUSE THIS WHOLE THING SMELLS OF ROTTING FISH, AND ITS A SHAME THAT WE HAVE TO RELY ON POLITICIANS TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT EFFECT AN ENTIRE REGION. THEY SHOULD LET THE "WE THE PEOPLE" VOTE ON DECISIONS THAT EFFECT OUR POCKETS OR MAYBE REGULAR COMMONERS SHOULD MAKE THE FINANCAIL DECISIONS FOR OUR GOVERNMENT BECAUSE "WE THE PEOPLE" LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD!
CHRIS, HOLLYWOOD, FL
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 4:45:59 PM)
Here is an idea.... Let's watch what we spend.... I wish I could get away with spending like the government!! If anybody tried to, they would ge locked up in prison and then a mental hospital!
Dave, Houston, TX
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 4:50:21 PM)
I was a firefighter deployed to assist with the disaster. I worked the Blue Roof Operation with the US Army Corp of Engineers. We worked in Louisiana, however the same protocol for the mission were followed everywhere.
Basically, the entire mission was to keep water out of the living space. It frustrates me to see the above comment as this person is obviously bashing the goverment blindly, without knowing the entire story.
Some people did not meet the requirements of the tarps. I felt heartbroken to turn someone down for a FEMA tarp, but understood why. I helped as much as I could and only wish I could do more.
The entire Blue Roof Mission was very good. I will tell you now that everything was documented and all tarps being put on were audited. We inspected the tarps and precisely measured how much tarp was put on. We made sure the contracters were paid for the work they did, not what they said they did. All in all, it was a very thought out process, and the government spend only what they had to spend. Kudos FEMA and the Corp!
It truly saddens me to see people complain about things like this. Over and over again I heard "Where is FEMA?"...
"Why isnt FEMA helping me?".
But the same people saying this had Blue Roofs and didnt realize FEMA helped them. Its a pity.
Frustrated
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 4:52:52 PM)
It's clear many suppliers should be jailed rather than paid. Unfortunately, the crooks within government will protect the crooks outside government. There is a crying need to clean up massive government corruption in this country. Are there no honest people running our governments ??
Tony R, Albany, NY
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 5:48:34 PM)
Who can we vote for? Both of the major parties are full of crooks who buy votes by playing to special interests which are often at odds with the good of the public as a whole. I voted for a third party during the last election cycle but unless many more Americans give up on the Democrat/Republican crooks nothing will substaitively change. The Democrats blame the Republicans and vice versa. When the Democrats were in charge the Republicans made fun of wasteful spending but now that the Republicans have power they are spending even more.
Doug, Sanford, NC (Sent Dec 22, 2005 6:01:01 PM)
Why has no one explored the "coincidence" that one of the contractors that is overcharging the US taxpayer is the Shaw Group whose CEO contributed money heavily to and politcal muscle into Blanco's campaign for governor? This story needs be told. Calling Chris Matthews!
Russell Jones, New Orleans, LA
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 6:12:58 PM)
This is really unbelievable, but somehow it doesn't surprise me. I understand that in emergency situations things need to be done quickly and there is not time to "bid things out," but this is crazy! This is a golden opportunity for our elected officials (local, state and national). Our govt. officials need to prepare/plan ahead and have disaster plans in order. I mean there should already be some contracts in place to provide emergency housing/schools/tarps etc., after an emergency of this order. It may not be a perfect plan, but the more preparation and the more in place prior to a disaster will speed recovery efforts as well as help keep costs in check.
Please those in charge in D.C. - remember the lesson of Katrina (and Rita and Wilma) and think ahead. GET ON THE BALL! Something of this magnitude may eventually happen again, lets not be caught unprepared.
Peter L., Waveland, MS
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 6:29:02 PM)
Mary,Ya'll have channel 13. They sure act like Hancock County is the stepchild there. MSNBC has "adopted" sort of, Bay St. Louis and Waveland. Can't we have anything. Have you been to Bay/Waveland? There is hardly anything left here. We are for sure, Ground Zero! The national news for months played nothing but New Orleans and Biloxi.
THANKS MSNBC FOR GIVING US A VOICE!!!!!
Marybeth Arnold Denney, Waveland, Mississippi
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 7:18:52 PM)
Hello, We need to know the truth no mater how much hurts our politicains need to go from Washington down to local the mind set is out of touch with all tax payers they keep letting the rich get richer and our backs just raise taxes cut the most important programs they speed thier time of a culture of corruption everyone nothing has changed just getting worst
i may seem hard to believe open up your ears and eyes we cannot live with a goverment like this they cannot agree on doing the right decision they have their on personnel agenda and the tax payers is not not their agenda waste waste they are GREADDY people self centered no integrity none they want to rewrite the constution to benfit their GREED
WE the peolpe voted them in NOW it's time to vote them all out clean all the houses out
We were once the strong nation now all nations will kill americans burn our flags spit on our soliders and We hace a corruption in all goverment agenices it's sick sad we must turn our nation in the right dirrection to serve the people not just the rich no one ever gets fired what ever they do or do not do the crooines they hire only their friends so nothing ever changes
Please American get out and VOTE that is one right they din't take away yet some people thing one crook is just as bad as the one in office now so what vote the bad apples out and if the new ones bad vote him or her out WE NEED to vote and make America the nation it was one time put term limits back they are not meant to be
life time jobs that is our problem
the corruption just read the paper and tv news we are in very big trouble and we have no protection no one to turn their all on the take and the Alaska oil deal what a joke they think we our stupid and they can do what ever they want and we cannot do anything about it think again VOTE THEM OUT
we need a change $2,000 to put a tarp on the roof with all the local people out of work and some outfit from Alaska comes down they spend crazy and raise our taxes business as usual.
And they wanted to impeach Mr Clinton that joke cost hundreds of million and we get nothing higher taxes to pay their royal style lifestyle Please God Bless America.
Larry jbretz3@comcast.net
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 7:41:17 PM)
it's enough to make you sick...almost not proud to be an American...waste SUCKS!!!!! why does this go on and on? ..don't matter whitch party...it seems to be the same ..and that is truley SAD!!!
andy,ms
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 8:25:35 PM)
'Yer doin' a heck of a job Brownie, er, I mean Chertoff'
Jef Ballard Portage, Michigan
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 9:18:16 PM)
A $100 tarp, reality. A no bid contract with FEMA, priceless.
Jim Miller, Huntington, WV
(Sent Dec 22, 2005 11:59:43 PM)
Never thought I'd see my insurance company, State Farm, this slow. They finally sent someone to look at my damage three days ago (almost four months after the storm). Maybe they only had one adjuster to go around to their clients in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Two and a half weeks ago, someone finally called from their district office wanting to know about my damage, and I told him. I also added that the cost to make repairs may increase, because I was waiting for my roof to leak more and cause my ceiling to collapse. He said they were waiting on an estimate from me, which my wife had carried to them two months previous. Took another two weeks to get someone from them to come look at my house.
If I was this late in paying my premiums, my insurance would be cancelled.
Then to top it all off, their estimate was 25% of what mine was. Of course, they did say that if it cost more, then they would pay another $2500, but I first had to let them know about it, get someone to do the work with my paying for the repairs, and then they would reimburse me. I'll be looking for a new insurance company after 20+ years with State Farm.
Roger Wood, Picayune, Mississippi
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 1:01:59 AM)
Holy Crap they have BLUE MONEY down there?
Frank, Appleton, WI
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 1:23:06 AM)
Please, Please, The people in the gulf area was not prepared for this kind of thing and if they are not why should the government be.
would you be I don't think so.
We all look at the past there is no way of predicting what the weather is going to do or how bad a hurricane or any other storm is going to be until after the damage is done.
I myself feel the government needs to do what ever they can to help all of the people no matter what it takes or where. Who knows it may be you the next time around.
As to cost the government is spending. Go price RV trailors. 14,000. is not bad at all and FEMA did not have many sitting around before this last Hurricane season. We all need to do as much as we can instead of sitting around complaining what are government is doing.
John, Idaho
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 1:50:33 AM)
To Mary in Jackson County:The title of this feature is "Rising from Ruin: TWO towns rebuild after Katrina" Two towns...BSL and Waveland...Hancock County...get it?
Joel F. Von Raspe, Los Angeles, CA
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 1:52:16 AM)
What are you people complaining for? You voted this pathetic bunch in! Did you really think the republicans cared about you? How could they, when you have one of the biggest crooks in charge! (Chaney)
remember Halliburton?
Gary Canton, Mich
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 2:41:54 AM)
If the writer of this story was in the bussiness of swaying your opinion...I'd say most bought it hook, line and sinker. Waste spending sucks...making conclusions on half truths and incomplete facts is worse. Of course, we do live in a society where we make voting decisions based on the best TV ads.
WE (THE WORKING CLASS) LET THE MEGA WEALTHY RUN OUR GOVERNMENT, OUR LIVES AND OUR MINDS.
Before you blog...research. Overpriced classroom for childhood education=good. Not providing proper education to the children of New Orleans for the past fifty years=bad. This region has always been in your pocket America...and there are hundreds more just like it across the country. Most of you just didn't feel it until your SUV fuel cost doubled. Shut up, research, act, repeat.
Armadeus Davidson
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 3:16:10 AM)
Welcome to america land of the not so free and home of the waste full. i have never bin to the affected areas of catrina to see if the people there are truly lazy but i do know how goverment contractors like to work they wanna do as little as possible complain the loudest and get paid lots fo money..
why well because there goverment workers.
personaly i like it back in the mideaval ages were if the politacol leaders screwed up. he got his head choppped off and some one else put in his place. whish we could do that now i am sure that would get the lazy of there ass and the accountabilty back to were it needs to be. cause the first person to say "not my job " or " i dont know" BANG head chopped off. just my thoughts ~shrug~
Christobe Seattle WA
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 4:14:13 AM)
The same people now complaining elected the fool! try to discuss the situation and the dyed in the wool Republicans just refuse to see what stares them in the face!
Louis Snyder
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 5:06:21 AM)
I am not going to sit here and defend FEMA, but the comments I have read on this website are ridiculuous. The "crooks" in the Government. Are you kidding!! For those of you not here, you don't understand what is happening. It is hard to find housing, workers, supplies, materials (sheet rock and tarps), and the traffic is horrible. The cornerstone of the local economy was New Orleans...population reduced by 80%!!!
Home Depot, Lowes, and others could never keep up if the out of state contractors were not bringing the supplies/materials with them. That costs money. Business men and women need to make money doing something or they will do something else.
Everthing is more expensive. I don't think our Government is a bunch of thieves. I think they are overwhelmed. I think it is FEMA's senior leadership that is to blame. They continue to work in their broken system instead of asking for help. They continue to pat themselves on the back for small victories instead of facing the reality: people are living in tents and it is Christmas!
Tim Black - River Ridge, LA
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 6:49:28 AM)
This NO BID administration disgusts me! for 30,000 bucks you can buy a 14x70 foot 2 bed 2 bath mobile home. Rent an acre lot for 150.oo (3,600 for 2 years) a month and put in utilities including septic for 6,000, total? For 42,000 grand.
RIP OFF! RIP OFF RIP OFF,
I live in a mobile home that was built in Arkansas with is a whole lot closer than Alaska!
I'll be glad when this NO BID adminstration leaves in 06.
Tamara Beinlich, Joplin
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 8:01:36 AM)
I watch these trailers go by my office everyday on railroad cars and know they are needed in the South. My cubilce neighbor told me that often times natural gas lines are hooked up directly to the trailers, rather than having propane tanks. You would think someone would cost save the trailers via the excess propane tanks when natural gas line are is option.
Dennis, Cincinnati, OH
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 8:42:22 AM)
Yes, get out and vote and vote Democrat. Yes, all politicians are corrupted by the nature of the system. But, when we have all three branches of government run by one corrupt party (and when Alito is confirmed to the Supreme Court we will have that), the absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is very important that we have checks and balances to live in a Democracy. We are bordering on Totalitarian rule right now, and the response to Katrina is just the tip of the iceberg. Vote for Democrats so that we again have a shot at living in a Democracy.
Judy Creuz, State College, PA
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 8:51:48 AM)
With this type of waste in our government spending, think of the good this money could do if applied to the millions of our countrymen who in this modern, hi-tech age are homeless and without any medical insurance and are unable to afford to their prescription drugs. Go figure
J. Herndon, Nashville, Tennessee
(Sent Dec 23, 2005 8:51:53 AM)
If you want something royally screwed up-then just let our illustrious incompetent Washington officials be involved as it relates to the Katrina fiasco! They still really believe it was all a dream and will just wither away.
Bernard E.Helinski (Sent Dec 23, 2005 9:03:43 AM)
I wish the media would give continual coverage of these types of stories. It certainly would spark my interest and improve the media's ratings and maybe even result in some accountability.
Jay Paasch (Sent Dec 23, 2005 9:22:56 AM)
Wastefull spending, and we wonder why this country is so far into debt.Get rid of FEMA.To many chiefs not enough indians and to many bad decisions.
John Polidoro, Coventry, Ct. (Sent Dec 23, 2005 9:32:55 AM)
I understand that the article speaks to the "$600 toilet", but I would like to address the comments about paying $2500 per roof for work that takes no more than 90 minutes...I can only intelligently speak to "Operation Blue Roof" of all of the things mentioned in this article because my brother works for a contractor who has been hired by FEMA to do the work. I don't intend to defend my brother, but to clarify exactly what the $2500 "a pop" is paying for. It includes the sacrifices the laborers are making to do these jobs and the health risk that they have taken, and for that lone, he has earned every penny he has been paid. He voluntarily left his family to help with the blue tarp efforts in September and has only been back twice. He was immunized (twice) against a dozen things we would only expect to see in a third-world-country, yet has spent most of his days freezing cold and pretty sick. The contractor for which he works has paid most of his expenses (including housing in temporary trailers and some food) as there are very few places to stay, and in the beginning, there was no other way to get food unless it was arranged for them. To complicate the situation, there is a monumentally important thing called "supply and demand", and in the situation of the Blue Tarps, local contractors weren't available to get the jobs done in a lot of cases, so guys were "shipped in" to do the work. In addition, I think it's important to note that though it might be costing me, as a taxpayer, $2500 each roof, we need to understand that, as a homeowner, Operation Blue Tarp will allow me to actually save money in insurance premiums because the purpose is to mitigate further damage- further damage that my and your insurance company would have otherwise paid for.
D. Smith (Sent Dec 23, 2005 11:23:24 AM)
Sorry everyone but I disagree with most of you. During the 2004 hurricane season my house was at the crossroads of three: Charlie, Frances and Jeanne. My insurance company let me down. FEMA was there to assist to get repairs done which amounted to over $16,000. They were a blessing and could not thank them enough.The contractor hired by Nationwide charged $800.00 for a $40.00 tarp. Got a check from insurance that didn't even cover the roof repair. Thanks FEMA,
Winter Haven, Florida (Sent Dec 23, 2005 11:35:44 AM)
Why are we suprised people. The government rapes the public with wasteful spending EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!
Why are we suprised that contracts go to polictical supporters without bidding? Why are we suprised people??
They say that the government is for the people and by the people....maybe in fantasy land! what power do we have as citizens other than to take it???
The government breaks laws that THEY CREATE everyday....does anyone pay for it??
get real....
adam sheehan phoenix arizona (Sent Dec 23, 2005 12:16:18 PM)
HOORAY TO FEMA MR.PRESIDENT AND ALL REPUBLICAN THANKS WE HAVE THOUSAND OF PEOPLE LIVING IN TENTS, TRAILERS, AND HOTELS ALL OVER THE WORLD YOU MUST BE PROUD YOU HAVE SERVICED THIS COUNTRY NOT!!!!!
GOD IS NOT HAPPY WITH HOW COUNTLESS OF AMERICANS ARE BEING TREATED!! GET OFF OF YOUR HIGH HORSES AND DO SOMETHING QUICK!!!!
THANKS FOR NOTHING FEMA
NEW ORLEANS, LA (Sent Dec 23, 2005 7:06:44 PM)
Maybe this is why the trailers for the school cost so much: School was due to start Nov. 1st, weeks and weeks after all the other schools on the coast. The week or so before school was to start... there were only 6 trailers and one or two installers. Just so happens that a reporter who had talked with the school administrator, challenged a white house rep during a televised open mike press conference on the progress FEMA was making on the gulf coast, citing the lack of trailers one week or so before the start of school, in Hancock county. The trailers were to have been delivered and installed 2 or 3 weeks earlier. The conference was on Friday morning. Strange thing happened: On Saturday night, trailers started appearing and work crews were installing round the clock. People from Washington were calling to check on the progress of the installation.
Seems to me... someone dropped the ball when ordering or delivering the trailers, early on... and then folks worked really hard to cover up the lack of progress...which could explain the premium on the cost of the trailers. You got to deliver them overnight... it will cost more.
Mismanagement. Poor coordination. I don't know.
But don't blame Hancock County. They were calling and asking about the trailers for weeks...were told, they were being provided based on priorities that had ranked deliveries. Seems like Hancock county, ground zero, wasn't a priority until it looked like a big potential press "field day" was coming on Monday morning.
I wonder who dropped the ball? Investigate that.
I, for one, am glad that these kids finally got to go back to school.
I Anon (Sent Dec 23, 2005 7:16:33 PM)
No Shame,No Morals=Greed,Graft,Corruption=The United States Government!
Ron Hunter,Piedmont,MO (Sent Dec 23, 2005 11:04:48 PM)
George W. Bush. Everytime I see his face on television, I shake my head and ask myself, "How did this guy get to be our president."And then I say, "How did he get re-elected?'As a former business man and now a college professor, a dye-in-the-wool republican, I just can't get over the fact this guy couldn't KEEP a real job.
Look at his fruits: the country is NOT safer, the budget is now in deficit, he can't pick competent people to lead the critical areas of his administration, whether its post-war in Iraq, FEMA, nominees for the supreme court.
This simple thinking president in a world of complexity. The emperior has no clothes. The ongoling disgrace in FEMA is simply business as usual for this administration.
R. Clark, SD (Sent Dec 24, 2005 1:21:21 AM)
This is only the tip of the iceberg. George Bush and his political cronies are enriching themselves at the expense of thousands of local and regional firms that can do this business. The guy went to Harvard B-School. They don't teach doing no-bid contracts at Harvard. His presidency is just one giant shakedown of the American taxpayers so the corporate and political elite can just get richer. He ought to be impeached.
John Posey, Dallas, TX (Sent Dec 24, 2005 2:52:29 AM)
Everyone is outraged by the revelations of wasteful government spending? Contracts awarded with no bids? A Director of FEMA who's not qualified? Supreme Court nominations of people more capable of being a secretary than a judge, someone opposed to basic American freedoms? Aghast at orruption, disregard of the Constitutional law of privacy for American citizens? We get what we deserve when we elect (and re-elect) a president. Americans asked for this in November 2000 and November 2004.
George Cahelo, Knoxville, Tennessee (Sent Dec 24, 2005 7:15:51 AM)
After my first post I had to come back! I once saw 2 Habitat for Humanity homes built in 1 weekend. Cute little 2 bedrooms with a piece of land. The smiles on the faces of the new owners was priceless.
FEMA is paying $175,000 for a family of 4 to live on a cruise ship for 6 months, what a waste! Had they built homes, the people would be paying about the same as rent, and their payments would have gone back into the FEMA coffers. Oh but gee that would have let many poor people become homeowners and homeowners eventually end up part of the middle class, and we wouldn't want that!Some survivors are living in their cars 4 1/2 months after Katrina!
SHAME SHAME SHAME
When you sit down with you family for Christmas dinner think about how truly lucky you are.
Tamara Beinlich, Joplin (Sent Dec 24, 2005 7:22:20 AM)
I sincerely hope you're not a "college professor" of grammar and composition,
R. Clark of SD!This thread speaks volumes on the "entitlement mentality" that's settled into American society. Our political leaders did not bring on these natural disasters, yet they are doing their collective best to help those affected. There are many hard-working Louisianans and Mississipians trying to rebuild their lives after this disaster. Unfortunately, for every one of them, there are hundreds of Americans who believe the horn of plenty can never be empty, without ever lifting a finger on their own.Instead of incessantly whining, how about you do something about the problem? You're a businessman, right? How about bidding $250 per house on the FEMA contract for its "Blue Tarp" program? Then, when you realize it's costing you $2,000 per house because you have to move in external labor, truck in every supply and then pay for your workforce's living expenses, you can write off the $1,750 delta as a charitable contribution?
F.C. Reid, Washington, DC (Sent Dec 24, 2005 7:39:12 AM)
By experience I have learned that when the goverment is corrupted and ineficient, also its institutions are.
New York City (Sent Dec 24, 2005 12:15:27 PM)
I don't know which is worse. The government's ineptitude at handling anything anymore, or the complete lack of intelligence by ALL people in New Orleans (civilians, police, mayor...)
that decided they would live in a city that sits under sea level, let alone decide to ride out a category 3 hurricane in it. The same people sitting at the convention center with their hand out for help were standing in a welfare line a month before with their same hand out. A year from now they will still have that hand out. It is not a race issue. It is an issue of getting off your butts. Do America a favor New Orleans, bulldoze that pork barrel of a city you call home and put it up on higher ground so we don't have to hear y'all complain the next time around.
Arthur T. Jerseyville , Illinois (Sent Dec 24, 2005 12:52:34 PM)
Katrina, is going to retire a lot of people as millions????????
John PAUL (Sent Dec 24, 2005 3:06:34 PM)
I agree that help needs be handled faster. Everyone knows that any "Government" agency overspends for stuff. Of course, most people in the public complain when they don't get taken care of. I can't understand why anyone would wait around for FEMA or the Government to clean their own house. Quit being so damn lazy and provide the manpower yourselves. Let's see, you complain that you don't have a job and no one will clean up your neighborhood or homes.....DUHHHH!!!! Do it yourselves......
Ron, Los Angeles, CA. (Sent Dec 24, 2005 3:41:44 PM)
I am amazed at so many negative comments on the government response to Katrina. I wonder how many of these bloggers have done anything to help except write these negative letters. I personally have spent time in the hurricane hit areas and the people I have spoken with were very happy to get the trailers and blue tops. After reading these comments, I have noticed that the only comments that are pro FEMA happen to be from the people living in the disaster area. It is so easy for someone to sit back and listen to the liberal media and write something negative about something they have no actual first hand experience about. Before you knock FEMA, how about getting down to the disaster area and work and help the people affected and get the real scoop about how much FEMA has helped these people. Darwin White, Cleveland, TN (Sent Dec 24, 2005 6:00:44 PM)Why are people surprize and all the wasted funds? Remember we have a President that choses not to read newspapers, listen to news broadcasts, and only listen to people who agree with him. We have had do nothings in office before but at least they were informed about conditions. This President is reieniscent of Marie Antonette "Let them eat cake".Barbara McGee, Lancaster, CA (Sent Dec 24, 2005 6:48:47 PM)aaahhh yes.. We just keep wasting more and more money and people keep suffering what a shame.. I guess that what we get for putting the MOST ignorant President in history in the White House. That's a bigger shame... Joe, Ny, Ny (Sent Dec 24, 2005 8:10:21 PM)
Suckers, you get what you voted for.
mike, minneapolis (Sent Dec 24, 2005 8:52:59 PM)
Instead of putting people up on cruise ships for such expensive ammounts, they should just get home builders to come in and build them brand new homes-- it would be much cheaper.
Things are not much better in my neck of the woods (the New Orleans area). We just received walls in our downstairs that was destroyed from flooding. My landlord had no flood insurance, and I have been having to replace every item lost myself (including appliances, furniture, etc.) and did not receive a single dime from FEMA. I have had to live out of my 10x10 foot bedroom, using my bathroom as my kitchen, and have had to cook only with my microwave and crock pot (microwavable food is expensive!)
I am ALOT better off than so many others though- I have a bed (not much else) but at least a bed. This place was considered unlivable, but I have had to live here (amid the mold, stench, etc.) due to having nowhere else to go. Where is FEMA for me? And one article stated those on cruise ships get room service?? I am lucky some days when I even get to eat at all! I am appauled by the waste of our government, and if they want to help people, please have them send me something! I could certainly put a tarp on roofs (tarps around here are about 25 dollars per tarp). I am ashamed of my government right about now. When I am down and out, they spend so much on cruise ships, over priced tarps, and so much more, and all I ask for is help from them and I get nothing.
What a waste.
NewOrleansArea (Sent Dec 24, 2005 9:23:12 PM)
In response to Darwin White, of Cleveland, TN:I am not too pleased with FEMA, nor are many in my area (the New Orleans area). The Federal Government built, maintained and owned the levees that broke, but now they are not sure they want to do anything other than make them pre-katrina strength. (Some good that did us). As for FEMA-- I received not one dime-- the reasons why varies depending on which operator I get on the phone. When I applied from a motel room in Texas, they asked what damage I received. I said "I do not know- I only know that someone living two doors down from me evacuated when the water was already a few inches into the building (townhouses, all units have a first and second floor).
So I know I at least got anywhere from three to six inches of water in the house, and he said the water was still rising. What damage, I do not know, but I am sure I lost my downstairs."The operator typing up my application put on my application "no damage".
So a month into it that was figured out, so I had to fax them proof of my address (my drivers license), as well as a statement stating that I had damage. Then I called three weeks later, and found out that they had not "processed that information yet". Then I called a week later, and was told that they have to send out an inspector. Then I waited two weeks, called back again to find out that "due to their being other tenants at that address" I was not eligible for assistance. Figured out they failed to put what unit I lived in so they had several families all listed under one address, not as individual households since I rent my own townhouse, and there are four INDIVIDUAL townhouses in this building.
Then two weeks later I called back and was told "the inspectors could not find your address and therefore your application is being denied." So because they could not find me I was being denied help???
So, we are now going on four months into this, and still nothing. I am fortunate that a stranger bought me a new stove so I will soon be able to cook food, but I lost other appliances, as well as all of my furniture and..
Heck, everything in my entire kitchen, livingroom, laundry room and downstairs bathroom!! I would not have even applied for FEMA assistance had my President not gotten on TV and looked me in my eye and promised me $2000 in assistance to help me. I feel it was my fault for not having renters insurance, and my landlords fault for not having flood insurance. However, the Levees were federal property, built by, maintained by (or lack thereof), and owned by the federal government. So damage due to their breaks should be covered by the federal government.
I do not want a hand out from the government. I want a hand up, when I am in the darkest of days I have ever seen in my life.
I have nothing good to say about FEMA at this point. Maybe by next year at this time, after I have been able to rebuild my life all by myself, FEMA will finally give me some help-- a case of too little too late for me.
I am very disappointed by the government's response-- on all levels- local, state, and federal.
NewOrleansArea (Sent Dec 24, 2005 9:50:31 PM)
I worked for a sub-contractor doing hurricane clean up. Though I was originally supposed to report to work in New Orleans at the last minute I was redirected to Miami to supervise a crew there--the reason being that there was so much bureaucratic nonsence going on in NO that people and trucks were waiting for days and weeks to get checked in to work and then not necessarily being given work (we were to get paid by the cubic yard of debries hauled to the dump site).
Since many subcontractors had invested in equipment and other overhead for the purpose of this work and could not afford to sit idle for very long some of them redeployed to Dade County to clean up behind Hurricane Wilma. This work was supposed to last at least 2 months...but it was more like 2 weeks.
People who went there lost money in the effort.When we returned to NO we found that many of the work teams had left or were sitting idle because they had not been paid. This money was supposed to have been paid by FEMA to prime contractors, who in turn would pay their sub contractors.
Well either FEMA was not paying or the prime contractors were sitting on their money, though I suspect that the problem was with FEMA. Two people who had some better knowledge than I both told me that FEMA was out of money...and considering how they spent it, that is no wonder.
As far as $100 tarps versus $2,500 ones, the truth lies somewhere inbetween. The same with the trailers. Considering the time that has elapse and the logistical issues involved this whole affair could have been handled much more cost efficiently. There are individuals who have never set foot in NO or Mississipi who have lined their pockets in an obscene manner. The government signed no-bid contracts with cronie organizations and persons who were unable to respond to the needs at anywhere near the efficiency of smaller local and regional organizations.
This idea that the national gov't had to take care of everything is a crock. Had they simply focused on coordinating and funding local and regional resources this whole mess would be much further along and for a lot less money and hardship.
There are people and organizations that benefit disproportionately whenever there is some crisis that can be used as an excuse to do the no-bid thing and it is because they have cultivated their political ties regardless of the competitive substance behind them. We as Americans have a serious issue on our hands and it is time to wake up to it. The one thing they can't manipulate is a groundswell of public opinion and the power of the ballot box.
Fed Up in Austin, Texas (Sent Dec 25, 2005 12:14:23 AM)
Well first off the clean up crews and the blue roof crews that are actually doing the work are not making the $$ that is going down there. the BIG companies ECC,Phillips Jordan,Horizon,Ceres These companies are making the BIG $$ while giving the hard working crews that went to this area to help the people of the area recover receive pennies in comparison with these govt contractors. Our crew has been in NOLA since Oct 8th and while there we have recieved PAYCUTS after PAYCUTS and like many of the crews we have mortaged and borrowed LOTS of money for equipment to help and are to broke to leave while staying puts us farther in debt.
I foresee a lot of lawsuits in the future for this most disorganized mess that the Govt has created.
While Ive seen QAs who write debri tickets actually making 1500 a day while 10 man crews are lucky to make this amount has a whole. Ive seen Discrimination by the USACE in Our black drivers get worse cuts at the dumps than our White drivers.
While PnJ and ECC and Ceres make profit upwards of 20.00 a yard the crews actually collecting and cleaning and doing the work are making a lousy 6.00 a yard to load haul and clean the debris up.
Ive seen Crews actually fighting over a pile of trash here.
These blue roofs that cost 2500 well ask the actually guys putting them on they make about 200.00 per house the companies with the contracts are making the other 2300.00 in profit.
And these floating ships that cost us 200 million are being used by you guessed it Fema employees and not victims they sit at the docks with a 40% occupancy
So I ask why isnt the 55 year old in the less popular or affluent areas on these boats in the empty rooms after all we the taxpayers have paid for it.
You America has NO IDEA at just how dirty and wrong the STorm bussiness is.
WAKE UP AMERICA STOP MAKING THE RICH EVEN RICHER
cleanupcrew NOLA (Sent Dec 25, 2005 1:08:19 AM)
I've never really been witness to so-called overspending by the U.S. Gov't but recently I had an excellent opportunity to make A LOT of money working for one of the 4 no-bid prime contractors. Yes, it was a conflict of interest!!!
Once I started to trace everything down as far as the FEMA trailers being installed goes. There is no way to stop it...
Everything is put into place, as if it is habit, (overseas Iraq-Afgahni rebuilding efforts).
I ask questions, I get the same things repeated straight from a book or manual. Yes, there is definitely wasteful spending, duplications of funds, there are really 5 inspectors meeting at the same trailer, you drive by a trailer being installed and you see at least 10 green shirts standing there, 2 more doing the work, I've heard these guys get paid $22 an hour (Which is billed to the gov't 3-4 times the amount $88.00 /hr).
It's no longer toilet seats & hammers, it's in the people, which are being taxed rediculously as well because of major overtime, it's a win-win for gov't, prime, & laborer (mostly from out of state).
I would love to share details, but I would lose my anonymity. But, if the right people look, and look hard enough, and trace the steps of at least 200 random trailers from the manufacturer to the resident actually living in the trailer from beginning to finish, they would see it. For anybody defending these contractors & the gov't that hands them the money, what are your motives?
abob (Sent Dec 25, 2005 1:10:55 AM)
Y'all down south there:Remember that your states put Bush in office. The Republicans could care less about you. They're too busy golfing and hanging out with their multimillionaire contributors to be bothered with the likes of you.
Next time consider voting Democratic. They're the party that gave the first hoot about average American citizens. If Clinton were in office this never would have happened.
Bert Anderson, Nashville, Tennessee (Sent Dec 25, 2005 3:49:28 AM)
All these opinions make me forget my own ignorance.
I have the only solution which is,shut down FEMA and every federal program that wants to be everybodys daddy.Then let people do all they can for themselves before their elected congressman takes their case to the top. Then they would even bother to vote.
Dave,Maryville,Tn. (Sent Dec 25, 2005 9:37:20 AM)
It is truly amazing how the "bleeding" heart liberals point the figure at the current administration for failures in the Katrina aftermath, lamenting how much better a democrat could have handled it. Well, how well did the Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans handle the situation. I believe that gives a fair assessment. In reality, republican or democrat, no leader would have predicted this type of devastation. We have all been living with our heads buried in the sand. A megadose of reality was heaped upon the gulf coast and, ultimately, the nation. Individuals as well as the government bear the burden of recovering. It is foolish and arrogant to think that the government, alone, is responsible for everything.
Living along any coast line or any large body of water is a risky venture...
We should all consider our current situations and prepare for the future while learning upon the lessons of the past. Get over it...move on...adapt...and overcome.
Imagine life in the U.S. during the Civil War or during other times of devastation...
We can prevail but the "handout" mentality must cease. Many other Americans living throughout the United States suffer the loss of homes, loved ones, etc...every day.
The fact that so many loss so much at one time does not diminish the losses elsewhere in America by other Americans...they too must move on.
Clinton would have faired no better...in reality only the upper echelon changes politically the policies and base personnel remain the same. The practices of FEMA and other agencies remain virtually the same regardless of the administration. Clinton was fortunate he never confronted such crises in his tenure. We will never know how he would have handled it.
God Bless the People of Mississippi and Louisiana. My significant other spent 19 days deployed in the region.
Take Care and Good Luck....
KC (Sent Dec 25, 2005 10:00:17 AM)
One can only hope that despite all the greed, corruption and whatnot going on down there, that there is plenty of good going on as well. Let's praise and support the do-gooders and those who need it, and take care of the rest....
This is a battle I believe we can win!PS-I'm not one of the stereotypical 'softies' from up this way, but a transplant from the South who'd really like to tear into some of those crooks that are hurting those in need.
KA, Seattle, WA (Sent Dec 25, 2005 11:03:57 AM)
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