Your tax dollars being wisely spent by Katrina victims...

[mabus]

Evacuees binge on Cape: Spend fed cash on booze, strippers
By Maggie Mulvihill and Dave Wedge
Tuesday, October 18, 2005

BOURNE – Hurricane Katrina evacuees hastily handed $2,000 in federal relief money last month have been living it up on Cape Cod, blowing cash on booze and strippers, a Herald investigation has found.
Herald reporters witnessed blatant public drinking at a Falmouth strip mall by Katrina victims living at taxpayer expense at Camp Edwards on Otis Air Force Base. And strippers at Zachary's nightclub in Mashpee, a few miles from the Bourne base, report giving lap dances to several evacuees.

``They were tipping me $5 a pop,'' said a Zachary's dancer named Angel. ``I told them I felt bad taking their money. But I still took it.''
Another dancer said a large group from the military base was in Zachary's recently and she gave lap dances to several of the victims.
``Some spend good money, but others don't,'' she said.
An assistant club manager, who gave his name only as Michael, acknowledged yesterday that the strip joint is popular with people from Camp Edwards.
``It's no different for someone who lives at Camp Edwards or is stationed at Camp Edwards. As long as they have the proper ID they can go in,'' he said.
On Oct. 5, the Herald observed a virtual parade of evacuees from a bus stop in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Falmouth to nearby liquor stores. Some emerged and openly swilled from brown-bagged containers, while others poured booze into jugs or plastic cups and casually sipped drinks at the Wal-Mart bus stop.
The refugees have access to daily trolley service from Camp Edwards to the Falmouth Mall.
One elderly man poured a bottle of Ruble vodka into a water bottle and spent the afternoon sipping the liquor outside the Wal-Mart. Two other men were seen buying 32-ounce Coors Light cans at George's Liquors and drinking at the bus stop.
Last Tuesday, one 52-year-old evacuee, who told a reporter he was originally from Cuba, stood in the rain outside Wal-Mart for several hours drinking gin and orange juice from a thermos. The same day, a female evacuee bought ice at a supermarket and roughly $30 worth of hard liquor before being driven in a car back to Camp Edwards. Evacuees are banned from bringing booze onto the base.

One Camp Edwards source said evacuees swiped liquor off shelves at the U.S. Coast Guard store on the base and drank it in the aisles.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued more than $1.5 billion to 607,000 Katrina victims in the form of individual cash handouts of $2,000. There are no restrictions on how the money can be spent, FEMA officials said.
Gov. Mitt Romney and the Legislature approved a $25 million emergency aid package to feed and house 235 of the evacuees at Camp Edwards. As of mid-September, the Red Cross had doled out another $25,000 in debit cards for victims sent to the Bay State.
The Camp Edwards residents have been treated to Red Sox and New Orleans Saints games, Boston Duck Tours, a chowder fest, concerts, and free cell phone and Internet service, as well as cookouts sponsored by Romney and U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
Since the Sept. 8 arrival of the original 235 evacuees, a handful of unruly drunks have been taken into protective custody, according to law enforcement officials.
More than half the evacuees have left Camp Edwards for other housing, and 114 refugees remain at the encampment, which is slated for shutdown Thursday.
Falmouth police Chief David Cusolita said police cracked down on public drinking at the Wal-Mart after complaints last month but he reported no recent incidents.
Barnstable Sheriff Jim Cummings said some of the intoxicated refugees were taken into custody by state police, while others were escorted to their dorms.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=107538&format=&page=1
........................................................................................................

I Love It! I love the fact that I go out there and work my ass off and my money is thoroughly wasted, it's great..no, no, really, it is. I mean, how many people on welfare wisely spend money that's not theirs, to better themselves or their family? I work at a casino cleaning tables in South Lousiana, and I know that many of these people waste their FEMA money, because they shout out to each other that their enjoying their FEMA money - I mean, it's not that hard to figure out....
In Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas, everyone wwas terrified that all the evacuees would take all the jobs - then a suprising thing happened - they didn't! Many did, to be fair, but a whole lot more didn't bother looking for work, they just wait for the government to do everything. Businessmen have been calling up local radio stations, and telling how they braced for all kinds of people job hunting - and it never happened.

 

[amk714]

The survivors of the hurricanes are going through a lot right now. Don't blame the whole lot of them because of the actions of a few.

 

[maniactickler]

This is one of the types of reasons why i dont contribute to anything. although i am giving a donation some tax money with the federal help theyll receive down there.

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

We have a friend who's brother lives nearby and has seen people blowing their insurance checks in similarly ignorant fashion. I use the word ignorant deliberately because many simply don't know any better. This is just one part of the tragedy down there. Some of these people have no idea what to do with what they get.

While I totally agree that people shouldn't be blowing their money the way they are, I think the reason for it is twofold. One - They feel helpless about where to go and what to do. Two - They're given no counselling on how best to get things back together, either in the effected areas or elsewhere.

Some things to bear in mind while considering what they are or aren't doing...

- The check someone gets from the insurance company will cover the cost of rebuilding the house. BUT...it will not cover the cleanup of the existing property in order to prepare that lot to build on. In many cases, that will cost as much or more than the building itself.

- The checks people are getting from FEMA are generally too small to cover much aside from immediate living expenses and possibly buying some new clothing.

- Many of those whose homes were destroyed had no insurance at all and have nothing left.

- Some of the areas are unsafe to return to even after all this time. Many may not be safe enough to return to for a long time.

And the most important thing to keep in mind....

These are the stories that make the news. They are the shockers and attention grabbers that sell papers and get people to tune in. There are many more stories of people going back in and putting their lives back together even though it's a great struggle. The news media, and those who see and quickly spread the stories around do the people down there a disservice if this is the only story they tell. It's hard enough to get people to realize that these people still need help. Stories like this, that speak only of a fraction of those effected, harm everyone else by convincing people NOT to help. I hope that folks will bear this in mind when reading stories like that.

Ann

 

[BOFH666]

This is one of the types of reasons why i dont contribute to anything. although i am giving a donation some tax money with the federal help theyll receive down there.

Yeah, because the actions of a small number of the less than 0.05% of Katrina victims housed at that base are obviously a totally accurate guide to the actions of ALL the Katrina victims.

Of course maybe if that multi-billion dollar aid package had included some form of financial guidance (and if it did please let me know but I haven't seen that reported) for those people who may never have seen that sort of lump sum in their lives before this sort of thing might be reduced significantly. But to use this example as a reason not to donate... jebus, you remember the stink some Americans made about the lack of foreign aid (before it was known that the hold up was at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue)? In fact, here's what a certain maniac was saying on this very subject:

I think most other countries could give a rats ass about us. but their the first ones to kiss our ass when they have a disaster. sad.

Well, it appears that we foreigners care more about you crazy kids than some of your own citizens do. Never saw that one coming...

 

[amk714]

I realize that the people reported on in the story are only a small percentage of the total number of Katrina victims. In fact (and I know some will accuse me of liberal bias) when I read the article I noticed it was published by the Boston Herald, which is a conservative (editorial-wise) tabloid-style newspaper, much like the New York Post. I wouldn't use that story as a reason to not donate or say the federal government shouldn't help them. Ann and BOF have put up some good points and I agree with them.

 

[MrMacphisto]

Handing out cash to these victims is a bad idea. Giving them the supplies they need is a good idea. You simply can't trust the judgment of the average human, which is why democracy has so many problems.

 

[Mimi]

Correct me if I'm wrong.....but weren't hurricane victims given DEBIT CARDS equalling $2000, that could not be used to purchase alcohol or even tobacco? Let alone hire a stripper for a lap dance?

 

[MrMacphisto]

How would they arrange that? Normally, a debit card allows any purchase. Granted, I've heard that welfare programs now use something like this that prevents the purchase of alcohol and cigarettes.

 

[unit5610]

Meems...they mention "individual cash handouts" in the article...I don't know if that implies a debit card or if it's actual cash.
If its cash of course there were no strong attached and there will always be some people that will take advantage and blow the money foolishly...the one consolation to that (which it really isn't) is that people who do that will blow through all of it and end up worse off than before they GOT the money, which is kind of sad.
Also need to consider the source here. I'm guessing that these people getting drunk at WalMart and going to strip clubs represent a small percentage of the group and the Boston Herald, it its typical sensationalist witch-hunt manner (see amk's post above), is making it look like it's all of the Louisiana folks doing this. There have been many positive stories concerning them in Mass. and here in Rhode Island and I believe that there are many more good than bad things happening here in New England.

In other words...what Ann and amk said! 🙂

 

[sole seeker]

These are the stories that make the news. They are the shockers and attention grabbers that sell papers and get people to tune in. Ann

Amen! I'm not a big fan of the fourth estate.

 

[kirasao]

The Blame Game

In the broad spectrum of things, it was wrong for those particular evacuees to be squandering they're government-awarded funding. That's Uncle Sam's fault, not the fault of the evacuees who obviously didn't know any better, because if they did, they wouldn't have been doing it in the first place. That fact is only proven by exactly what they were wasting the money on-their own alcohol addictions. The point is, bulls belong in the rodeo, not in China shops. You can't give newly homeless people, a majority of whom have little to no formal education, a large sum of money and expect them to spend it wisely. Our government, particularly FEMA, should have been better prepared to assist these people in rebuilding their lives with more than just money. Anyway, anyone who is so inclined would have just done what I did. Don't donate money to the Katrina Fund without getting something in return. I got a fine-working, brand new HDTV from one of the looters down there, and he, in turn, became $100 richer!

 

[jim66e]

Yeah, because the actions of a small number of the less than 0.05% of Katrina victims housed at that base are obviously a totally accurate guide to the actions of ALL the Katrina victims.

Of course maybe if that multi-billion dollar aid package had included some form of financial guidance (and if it did please let me know but I haven't seen that reported) for those people who may never have seen that sort of lump sum in their lives before this sort of thing might be reduced significantly. But to use this example as a reason not to donate... jebus, you remember the stink some Americans made about the lack of foreign aid (before it was known that the hold up was at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue)? In fact, here's what a certain maniac was saying on this very subject:


Well, it appears that we foreigners care more about you crazy kids than some of your own citizens do. Never saw that one coming...

Actually, a rather concervative reading of the article would generate at least twelve people, even ignoring comments like large group and virtual parade. 12 or 235 is actually around 5% which would make your figure, which I presume you just made up, to be off by a multiplier of 100. Such hyperbole doesn't support a point at all.

 

[ViperGTS]

Ooooooooooooooookay, here we go.

I donated. not much, but I did donate while working at CompUSA. I thought my $25 went to a good cause, and about $23 of it probably did, but those last $2...damn it.

This is one of the types of reasons why i dont contribute to anything. although i am giving a donation some tax money with the federal help theyll receive down there.

Now that's unfair. As is mentioned several times in this thread, it's only a small percentage of the victims of the tragedy down there, not everyone.

- The checks people are getting from FEMA are generally too small to cover much aside from immediate living expenses and possibly buying some new clothing.

Yet there they are, spending it on anything but.

- Many of those whose homes were destroyed had no insurance at all and have nothing left.

So they take their money from the charity and blow it on booze and strippers? I don't think that would be what was on their minds if they just lost their homes.

Many did, to be fair, but a whole lot more didn't bother looking for work, they just wait for the government to do everything.

Yay for our lazy American asses.

Correct me if I'm wrong.....but weren't hurricane victims given DEBIT CARDS equalling $2000, that could not be used to purchase alcohol or even tobacco? Let alone hire a stripper for a lap dance?

The debit cards were issued with names and accounts for each person. Stop at any ATM and withdraw cash as you would on any other debit/checking card.

In the broad spectrum of things, it was wrong for those particular evacuees to be squandering they're government-awarded funding. That's Uncle Sam's fault, not the fault of the evacuees who obviously didn't know any better, because if they did, they wouldn't have been doing it in the first place. That fact is only proven by exactly what they were wasting the money on-their own alcohol addictions. The point is, bulls belong in the rodeo, not in China shops. You can't give newly homeless people, a majority of whom have little to no formal education, a large sum of money and expect them to spend it wisely. Our government, particularly FEMA, should have been better prepared to assist these people in rebuilding their lives with more than just money. Anyway, anyone who is so inclined would have just done what I did. Don't donate money to the Katrina Fund without getting something in return. I got a fine-working, brand new HDTV from one of the looters down there, and he, in turn, became $100 richer!

You're being sarcastic, right? If you are, cool. If you're not, please take off your pants and bend over so I can shove this broken glass in your rear end for being such a moron.

Please explain to us how Uncle Sam can avoid giving money to the wrong people. If 100 people are singled out because of known drug/alchohol addictions, even though it's their own damn fault for becoming addicted in the first place, what do you think is going to happen? "PRESIDENT BUSH/THE FEMA DIRECTOR/WHOEVER IS GIVING EVERYONE ELSE FREE MONEY HATES DRUG ADDICTS/ALCHOHOLICS!" Come on now.

Also, in case you don't recal, one of the first things the mayor of New Orleans said right after the hurrican made landfall and levelled the city, to paraphrase, was this: "We are the great city of New Orleans, we will stand on our own two feet and rebuild our own community with our own able hands."

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

Correct me if I'm wrong.....but weren't hurricane victims given DEBIT CARDS equalling $2000, that could not be used to purchase alcohol or even tobacco? Let alone hire a stripper for a lap dance?

In the early days of the response, the Red Cross and FEMA were both using debit cards as an initial aid distribution tool. But, they found that it wasn't practical on several levels. So, they went back to doing checks. I would imagine that one of the things was that there was no power to run the ATMs and other electronics that hadn't been destroyed. There've been a ton of adjustments to the game plan that have resulted from the little practicalities we all take for granted.

I wonder if FEMA (or any other agency) has considered setting up some seminars in the area to help people know how to handle things. It might be a good idea to get financial advisors, safety consultants and such in there to give them some idea of what to do next. At least that would give them some direction.

Ann

 

[sole seeker]

I wonder if FEMA (or any other agency) has considered setting up some seminars in the area to help people know how to handle things. It might be a good idea to get financial advisors, safety consultants and such in there to give them some idea of what to do next. At least that would give them some direction.Ann

Personally, I think this is an excellent idea. I'm sure that lack of direction is probably a big part of the problem for most of these folks.

As for the guys blowing the bucks on booze and strippers - maybe it's like Jeff Foxworthy said about his snakeskin boots, "... proof that you just can't give rednecks money!"

 

[Mimi]

Okay, I'm corrected. I hadn't ever heard the mention of actual checks or cash being handed out....only the debit cards. And several times I had heard them say something along the lines of the cards not being capable of purchasing alcohol. Apparantly I became misinformed somewhere. Disregard my first post in this thread. 🙂

With that straightened out, then, I'd side with those saying that it is only a small percentage who are actually guilty of this, and you are going to have a few bad apples in ANY situation. You can not lump all folks in the same bad light because of a few.

It was like when the news kept focusing on the looting going on in New Orleans during the flood. That's almost all we'd hear about...the looters, the looting, how to stop it, what they're taking, etc. What about the other 90% who were trying to find help for themselves and loved ones? The folks who were working themselves to the bone to help transport someone in a wheelchair to safety, the ones searching miles of buildings looking for food and supplies to take back to the crowd of people suffering in the street below, the ones opening their powerless yet still standing homes to those who needed shelter from the conditions outside until help could come? We rarely, if ever got to hear about those stories, yet they far outnumbered the looters and those trying to criminally take advantage of their situation.

I would NEVER deny assitance to a group who needed it simply because there will always be a few who take advantage of it. The majority are good hearted people who need the help. Lord knows I'd hope someone would come to my aid in a moment of need like that, and not hold back because they are afraid $1 of their $20 may go to someone who will buy a bottle of beer with it.

Mimi

 

[BOFH666]

Actually, a rather concervative reading of the article would generate at least twelve people, even ignoring comments like large group and virtual parade. 12 or 235 is actually around 5% which would make your figure, which I presume you just made up, to be off by a multiplier of 100. Such hyperbole doesn't support a point at all.

*sigh* Is a little reading comprehension too much to ask?

Yeah, because the actions of a small number of the less than 0.05% of Katrina victims housed at that base.

Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds - 607,000
Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards - 235
Total percentage of reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards - 0.038714991762767714%
0.038714991762767714% < 0.05% of all Katrina victims living at Camp Edwards.

So let's see. That's the "less than 0.05% of Katrina victims housed at that base" accounted for. Now I didn't actually bother to calculate how many people were reported as spending money in frivolous ways in this story as we have no way of knowing whether or not that's the sum total of that particular subset or simply a sample. And I took the higher figure for the population of Camp Edwards rather than the 128 reported in the original article. But for the sake of argument let's take the figure you supplied of twelve reported instances and plug it in to the calculation:

Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds - 607,000
Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards and that have been reported as spending those funds in non-essential ways - 12
Total percentage of reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards and that have been reported as spending those funds in non-essential ways - 0.0019769357495881385%

So there you have it, this article references the behaviour of 0.002% of all Katrina victims that have been issued funding by the government. I think that's the first time I've ever had to show my workings on a forum post...

 

[ViperGTS]

*sigh* Is a little reading comprehension too much to ask?



Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds - 607,000
Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards - 235
Total percentage of reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards - 0.038714991762767714%
0.038714991762767714% < 0.05% of all Katrina victims living at Camp Edwards.

So let's see. That's the "less than 0.05% of Katrina victims housed at that base" accounted for. Now I didn't actually bother to calculate how many people were reported as spending money in frivolous ways in this story as we have no way of knowing whether or not that's the sum total of that particular subset or simply a sample. And I took the higher figure for the population of Camp Edwards rather than the 128 reported in the original article. But for the sake of argument let's take the figure you supplied of twelve reported instances and plug it in to the calculation:

Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds - 607,000
Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards and that have been reported as spending those funds in non-essential ways - 12
Total percentage of reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards and that have been reported as spending those funds in non-essential ways - 0.0019769357495881385%

So there you have it, this article references the behaviour of 0.002% of all Katrina victims that have been issued funding by the government. I think that's the first time I've ever had to show my workings on a forum post...

*claps*

The pwnage is almost palpable.

 

[He-Man]

So they take their money from the charity and blow it on booze and strippers? I don't think that would be what was on their minds if they just lost their homes.

I would've thought that'd be the last thing on their minds, too(maybe it's true for the ones who evacuated, though)...but from what I've heard people were complaining about the bars in/around New Orleans being closed...

So now they're open, people are getting drunk like idiots again , and some hospitals are already having to deal with drunk driving accidents again.

 

[jim66e]

*sigh* Is a little reading comprehension too much to ask?



Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds - 607,000
Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards - 235
Total percentage of reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards - 0.038714991762767714%
0.038714991762767714% < 0.05% of all Katrina victims living at Camp Edwards.

So let's see. That's the "less than 0.05% of Katrina victims housed at that base" accounted for. Now I didn't actually bother to calculate how many people were reported as spending money in frivolous ways in this story as we have no way of knowing whether or not that's the sum total of that particular subset or simply a sample. And I took the higher figure for the population of Camp Edwards rather than the 128 reported in the original article. But for the sake of argument let's take the figure you supplied of twelve reported instances and plug it in to the calculation:

Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds - 607,000
Total reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards and that have been reported as spending those funds in non-essential ways - 12
Total percentage of reported Katrina victims that have been issued funds living at Camp Edwards and that have been reported as spending those funds in non-essential ways - 0.0019769357495881385%

So there you have it, this article references the behaviour of 0.002% of all Katrina victims that have been issued funding by the government. I think that's the first time I've ever had to show my workings on a forum post...

You are correct, I did read your post incorrectly the first time, my apologies.

 

[kirasao]

Ya got me!

You're being sarcastic, right? If you are, cool. If you're not, please take off your pants and bend over so I can shove this broken glass in your rear end for being such a moron.

Please explain to us how Uncle Sam can avoid giving money to the wrong people. If 100 people are singled out because of known drug/alchohol addictions, even though it's their own damn fault for becoming addicted in the first place, what do you think is going to happen? "PRESIDENT BUSH/THE FEMA DIRECTOR/WHOEVER IS GIVING EVERYONE ELSE FREE MONEY HATES DRUG ADDICTS/ALCHOHOLICS!" Come on now.

Also, in case you don't recal, one of the first things the mayor of New Orleans said right after the hurrican made landfall and levelled the city, to paraphrase, was this: "We are the great city of New Orleans, we will stand on our own two feet and rebuild our own community with our own able hands."

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. There's no way I could find an HDTV for that great of a price anywhere. Anyway, sometimes it isn't such a bad idea to try to bring humor to an otherwise painful situation. It helps smooth out the bumps, know what I mean?

I also wasn't in any way trying to imply that our government should be picky when deciding who gets government aid and who doesn't. All of the evacuees need it, not just a select few. It's something I can personally identify with (I don't mean being an evacuee, I mean desperately needing money.) All I'm trying to say is that there just has to be some way that Big Brother can better educate people about the importance of spending the money wisely. Once again, that's just my naive idealism running away with me.

I know New Orleans can get through this, it's just going to take a little time. I can't wait!!! Later.

 

[JoBelle]

Just for kicks, let me share something with y'all.

My house is now bare to the studs. We had mold that infested the sheetrock after Rita took a second swipe with rain that found the leaks that were yet to be repaired from Katrina. Soooooo, we ripped everything out. Roof to slab, it's bare boards. No furniture, no carpet, no tiles, no walls, nada.

So, there we sat in the middle of the sheetrock dust one evening wondering what to do. Luckily though my business was destroyed, my husband is still employed and we are living like royalty compared to most here. So, while pondering the fact that my kids are depressed and greiving, and my best friends have no homes,....well, I got the bright idea to run down to the store and buy a bottle of tequila. I don't smoke, and yet I bought cigarettes. And we made use of them very easily.

I was drunk! Drunker than I've been in years! It was gloriously decadent! IT was the only time in the last what? 7 weeks or so where I've been able to forget that everything I know has been wiped off the face of the planet.

I know I know...it's just "stuff." Yep, but it was my stuff, and my city, and my car, and my walls, and my photos, and my art, and it's sometimes very hard to live without stuff. So to those who keep telling us that it's just stuff...let's see you take a fema tent and a bottle of water and live in your yard while wearing the same clothes everyday becase you ahve no where to wash them. STUFF IT!

And I have been drunk a couple of times since!
Can ya guess why?

I know people who get rude when their favorite tv show gets bumped for a news update, or who can't get through a redlight before it changes. They need a beer to unwind after a GOOD day! Sheesh....there are some generally extreme situations, but c'mon people! It's not like these people were out begging on street corners before the storm as SOME would imply. These are hardworking people who had homes and lives and educations and families! Before the disaster you never would have questioned that they wanted a night out...but NOW...crucify them!

From those of us who lost it all and are now living with family and friends, we thank you. You've been kind...and there are thousands of children who have clothes, and diapers, and meals...and elderly folks who have walkers, and wheelchairs and nursing care, and people JUST LIKE YOU who have beds in shelters, clothes, and GASP---even a night out of the nightmare....all thanks to the kindness of strangers. And, if saying a very small number of people squandering in the same way many of you have in day to day life seems to be worth tagging charity and kindness as unwarranted, well....do what you must to get by.

Take a look at the bankruptcy rates in the United States....look at the homeless numbers, the number of folks in jail for drug crimes, the number of ...hell....look at ANYTHING wrong in the world, then ask if those morons looking for a thrill might have a damn good reason for losing their minds for a while.

I don't justify it. I say I understand it. Frankly, if I didn't have a couple of kids, I can promise you that I'd have to really fight myself against the urge if the good times were looking me in the face and I had no home...no homeTOWN, no job, no hope. IF someone dies, it usually takes more than a few weeks to get back into the swing of life again. Just imagine if your whole world died and all you had were 15 one hundred dollars bills to make it all better?

What would you do?
I'd proportion out the money to rent a low cost apartment in another state, then get a job within walking distance as I have no car, and I would use the remaining funds to pay for daycare and groceries and clothes, and medicine, and utilities, and maybe contact lenses, and...wait, not insurance to buy new glasses, so I'd have to spend a couple hundred alone to get those, and then there is the money I owe on the place I jsut left, and well, I guess I'll have to declare bankruptcy, but that's going to cost about half of my relief check. Oh hell....I'll just hope to god not to be evicted before the money comes rolling in. Hmmmm....ok. riiiiiiight.That's what renters are facing right now.

It's even more fun if you own your home.My insurance guy still hasn't made it out to my house YET! And it's been almost two months. I've received nothing from them and for those uneducated, fema won't give you money until your insurance agents come to check the property.

It's a mess. A damnable mess that people didn't make happen.

I think I'll go have a drink...I just realized that the stress is making me sound drunk anyway. I'm pretty certain my brother has a bottle of whiskey in the ktichen somewhere.

I need a tickle fight.
BAD!
Jo

BLAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[amk714]

I'm sorry to hear about the stress you're going through, JoBelle. 🙁 But thanks for saying what needed to be said and describing the situation from the survivor's point of view. I can't imagine what the people affected by these disasters are going through and if some of them get drunk to ease their suffering I don't blame them. I hope you and your neighbors get the help you need so you can pick up the pieces and go on with your lives. 🙂