Okay, with Ernesto bearing down on Florida (admittedly not the storm it might've been), and the anniversary of Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast, all I can seem to get on the news tonite is what a tragedy the Katrina calamity continues to be.

Well, from my perspective this is proving truer than I care for. Let's review, shall we?

1. Anyone with an IQ greater than 70 knew well in advance that New Orleans was at great risk of a catastrophe from hurrican activity.
2. The vast majority (including the local and federal governements) chose to ignore this risk.
3. Lives and property were lost.
4. The federal government, which has absolutely no business insuring the welfare of the citizenry (see my previous posts quoting Davey Crockett, et al), sends hundreds of millions of dollars worth of aid to the region.
5. Most of the emergency funds are diverted to bureaucratic quagmires. The people who need help the most get little or none.
6. The insurance companies (a for-profit industry) determines that a significant number of damage claims are not covered and refuses to pay the bills.
7. People who do get aid decide to rebuild on location, using the same wholly inadequate construction standards or less than what was originally constructed and destroyed.
8. Half of my pay is going to taxes to replace funds that the government should never have spent in the first place.
9. Insurance companies are being pressured to pay claims. My insurance rates are going up.

and number 10: The big oil companies used the man-made disaster that was Katrina as yet another excuse to raise the cost of fuel.

And people wonder why I am fed up with hearing about the plight of all those poor folks down in the Big Easy who have nowhere to go and no hope of getting back what they once had.

I recall a time in my life about 25 years ago where I had virtually nothing. I don't remember anyone offering me any kind of aid to do anything with. I do remember doing whatever I had to in order to get another meal in my belly. I also remember leaving my wife and family to go find work somewhere so we could continue paying our bills when I lost the job I had at home. I started with nothing, and by being willing and able to do things that others couldn't or wouldn't do, I managed to move myself slowly up in the world to the point where I am now making 6 figures, have two homes, have two kids with their college educations paid for, and will some day be able to retire, assuming the remainder of what I worked long and hard for isn't swiped by the system like the other half was to pay for someone else's stupidity, again.

I saw on the news where some old codger was unwilling to leave his home when it was inevitable it would be overcome, despite being fully capable of going to safety with the rest of his family. He died, and everyone admires his fortitude. I am unimpressed. The man's stubborn, nonsensical attitude has hurt those that he claimed to have loved, and jeopardized their welfare for no good reason.


Rant mode off.

Flame mode on.

You forgot:

11. Lousiana and Mississippi's completely unreasonable unwillingness to enforce house and building codes (or have ones to begin with). They are unwilling to change this even in the face of unmitigated disaster! Pressure from Real Esate Agencies and Building Contractors gets the elected officials to back down. http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050829/NEWS/508290306

12. The indiference factor plays a big part. They knew for decades that the flood protection system was bound to fail. No initiative or money for that (of course we'll pay 100 times as much now because it's needed overnight). Nice foresight! I think those in charge must drink as often and as much as their tourists.

Sorry but no. 10 is a load of horse hockey. The industry lost a large % of it's refinery capacity for months, not to mention loss of production from the Gulf. There was one drilling platform that costs in excess of $1 billion that was completely turned upside down. While the rig is said to be recoverable it wuill take 100's of millions to refurbish it and is loss from ues for the months or yrs it takes to fix it.
While the oil industry is not blamelees statements such as yours are at the very least ignorant.

Bob Sears

What gets me is the number of people whining that the city hasn't been rebuilt yet. How long did it take to rebuild San Francisco in 1906? Or London or Berlin or Tokyo after WWII? I've seen pictures of London in the early-50s, and there was still rubble. What do people think- that a city is like microwave popcorn?

Any idea how long the debris piles have to lie there until the state can say that it is an abandoned property and a fire/health hazard to the community?

Uh, I may be wrong but there might be a no. 13: Isn't the U.S. Congress to blame when it denied funds for levee reinforcement to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when it asked for them years prior to Katrina? Gee, is Congress ever to blame for anything, though? Just a thought.

And they made record profits this year. The retirement package for IIRC Exxon's CEO was a large percentage of what that oil rig cost.

As much as I'd love to blame congress for all of it, we all (or at least those of us who paid attention) know that building on a flood plain is silly. Building UNDER the low tide mark, that's just dumb.

Bob,

You beat me to calling #10 a load of doggy-doo. The company I work for lost BILLIONS of dollars due to damaged rigs, destroyed equipment and displaced workers.

As for Exxon's profits, a large part of that is due to CONSUMER'S demand for fuel, electricity, plastic, fertilizer and everything else made from petroleum and natural gas. If you don't like the price simply use less. Back when I lived in Minnestoa there was a great bumper sticker that said, "If you are complaining about farmers STOP TALKING WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL!". It's the same with petrochemicals, if you can live without them more power to you. If you can't make that sacrifice then deal with it.

-Blast

Forgive me for this but don't forget that we live in a capitalist country, To make is big is called the American Dream. Companies are NOT in business to be charities but to make money for their shareholders. An there is not one thing wrong with that. (I don't have any stock either)

Adding more rants...here in Texas we are supposed to continue feeding, clothing, housing, educating, etc. the "evacuees" a YEAR later...what's up with that? I'm afraid this Katrina episode is a perfect example of our society's way of thinking that somehow the "government" is responsible for everything and the individual is has no personal responsibility and is always the victim...grrrrr!

Have you seen where FEMA is being sued so that they'll keep paying for these people's apartments?!
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-Blast