The Cost of Katrina

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The Cost of Katrina

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Sat, 01/07/2006 - 7:27pm.

I can't link to the video but, on CNN.com there's a feature on how much each state is paying to house Katrina victims. Texas alone is going to have to cough up about $550 million (this is to house, educated, etc. those who have come from New Orleans and into Texas). The city of Atlanta was in the neighborhood of $100 million.

The question was whether the federal government or state government should foot the bill. Right now, FEMA is saying the federal government is going to foot the bill for a year and then, after that, each state is on its own.

As the feature pointed out, this wouldn't be a big deal if everyone (or even the majority) were to get into the workforce.

Unfortunately, many of those displaced by Katrina did not previously and will not in the future contribute to the tax base. They are forever on Uncle Sam's payroll.

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Uncle Sam's payroll, or more

Submitted by Deep Diver on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 9:30am.

Uncle Sam's payroll, or more accurate on the workin' man's back.

The problem is there are too

Submitted by Rob Richards on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 10:40am.

The problem is there are too many backs and not enough work. What do you do when you can't find a job that will support your family? You reach a point where you take what you can get. Most of the people I know want to work, they feel terrible collecting benefits when they are able to work. There are just no good jobs for them. What do you do?

Many people may not reach the

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 3:14pm.

Many people may not reach the American Dream in their lifetime, no matter how hard they work. Is this fair? No, I don't think so. Is this life? Yes, it is.

Their children, however, will be in a better position to achieve the goals set forth by their parents.

I'm certainly not denying life is a struggle for a great deal of people and do believe, as we have discussed before, that private organizations are the best option in terms of helping each individual become a productive member of society instead of government simply offering money.

Governments should do way les

Submitted by Deep Diver on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 11:57am.

Governments should do way less for the poverty stricken, and churches should do way more. Further there should be more accountablity for those receiving the services.

That still still doesn't answ

Submitted by Rob Richards on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 1:06pm.

That still still doesn't answer the question of a lack of jobs. People want to work, but there is no meaningful employment. The "American Dream" cannot be realized at McDonald's, Wal-Mart or other minimum wage, dead-end jobs. There needs to a balanced playing field for everyone. It does no good to tell someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and then provide no opportunity.

RR, there are 761 jobs in the

Submitted by Deep Diver on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 1:46pm.

RR, there are 761 jobs in the Olympian today within 30 miles of Olympia, 353 within 5 miles of Olympia.

I know you have said that "not any job will do". That might be what they want ultimately, but if they have no job, then they can get one, any one, and work towards the one they want. Most the time when you are at the bottom of something you have to work your way back up.

This is part of what I mean by accountablility. I would be support of places that provide the kind of service that the Salvation Army does to help people help themselves.

I will agree that the Council could do more to bring jobs into Olympia. Frankly, they are better at running business out than bringing it in.

I think this is an oversimpli

Submitted by Rob Richards on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 9:52pm.

I think this is an oversimplification.

Many folks don't have vehicles to drive that far.

How does a person support a family on minimum wage with no health care? Having worked in the service industry, I've seen that employers frown on employees looking for other work. They demand allegiance, I've seen people fired soon after letting slip that they had an interview elsewhere. The chips are stacked against the worker, and it's because there are no jobs. Employers like Costco, non-union, can treat their employees any way they want (at least they pay well). Most, like our friend Wal-Mart, don't.

The Salvation Army provides beds for people to sleep in and meals to eat. I would think you would be against that (it's a magnet).

Amen TFI.

Submitted by Deep Diver on Sun, 01/08/2006 - 6:10pm.

Amen TFI.

Salvation Army provides a bed

Submitted by Deep Diver on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 5:42am.

Salvation Army provides a bed, a place to shower, and get some meals. They also have child care. But for that the indivduals have to abide by the rules and actively look for work.

Working at Walmart when you had no job is better than having no job. Then when you get your self settled in, be smart, look for another job, keep your mouth shut until you move to your new job.

I think it is simpler than maybe some want to think it is.

Abiding by the rules also mea

Submitted by Rob Richards on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 7:08am.

Abiding by the rules also means accepting Jesus as your savior. Yes, this is a prequisite to getting help from them. About a year and a half ago, an Orthodox Jewish family; man, woman, child, was turned away in the middle of the night. Sounds like a familiar story doesn't it? Except the part about the family being left out in the cold. I think these Christians are missing the point.

I think people think it's simpler because maybe they haven't been there. You work long hours for little pay, the last thing you think about when clocking out is looking for more work. Plus, most "better" jobs require some college. You can't afford that. Now what?

So in order to receive help f

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 9:05am.

So in order to receive help from the Salvation Army, one must accept Jesus as your savior? And, if one doesn't accept Christ, the Salvation Army will literally turn you away?

I'm half-tempted to conduct a first-person study on this, posing as a person in need who is not a Christian.

Rob Richards: You work long h

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 9:08am.

Rob Richards: You work long hours for little pay, the last thing you think about when clocking out is looking for more work.

The Fire: I don't think anyone is saying it's easy. It certainly is not, however, impossible.

As I mentioned before, you might not move up the social ladder within your own lifetime. Your children, however, will more than likely be in a better position.

I would be surprised that is

Submitted by Deep Diver on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 9:37am.

I would be surprised that is a REQUIREMENT.

Wow, we went from no job to college in a short time. From what I understand about what you do Rob, you help the homeless and very poverty stricken. I would think a job is the first order of business, with college and a possible CEO position in the distant future.

One thing to remember too, this is a quasi-capitialist, republic. There is no equal distribution of wealth. You get what you earn. Giving people that want help to get started over again in their life, I'm all for. But they need to work it out from there. There are all kinds of stories where this has happened. Is it easy, nope. But anything worth doing is rarely easy.

I will admit this is one exam

Submitted by Rob Richards on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 11:47am.

I will admit this is one example, and most likely not the norm. The Jewish gentleman in question was wearing a yamulke, and he and his family were turned away. I don't want to get into a battle between what I do and what the Salvation Army does, because it gets us nowhere.

TFI, I want to address what you say regarding your children moving up even if you don't. It seems that the American dream is based on the rags to riches stories that we love and have been told over and over again. I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to move up the social ladder if empowered to do so. I'm trying to highlight the sometimes unnavigable roadblocks of socio-economic conditions that keep good, intelligent people down.

Poverty is like being on the freeway, and you're in a lane that is not moving. In the lane next to yours, there are cars whizzing by at top speed and just when you think there is an opportunity for you to get in the fast lane, another car speeds by. You start getting frustrated, and after trying and trying and failing and failing you start to lose hope, and eventually might give up altogether. No one in the fast lane will stop and let you in because they are too concerned with how fast they are traveling, and it's not their problem where you are.

DD: I am not advocating for redistribution of wealth. What I am saying is that I am unwilling to accept a system that deems you second-class or not deserving of the same opportunity as everyone else, because you live in, or were born into poverty.

Ok.

Submitted by Deep Diver on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 4:30pm.

Ok.

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