Why Does FEMA Have Lessons to Learn
…but the people in harm’s way do not? ABC World News tonight had interviews with ‘desperate’ people on line for supplies in Miami. A young mother who needed milk for her baby. A quick mention that Jeb Bush had said folks in a storm’s path had some responsibility to prepare, but then back to “so many elderly live in Florida and they can’t…” An elderly lady whose insulin had no ice to keep it cool. A woman with a bad leg trapped on the 14th floor of her condo tower because the elevators were out. On and on.
HELLO, PEOPLE. You knew for DAYS this was heading right at you. “Desperate“?? When it’s only been TWO DAYS? Why ARE you out of gas, when you know there is none, the power’s out and they can’t pump? Driving around visiting and checking storm damage, no doubt and NOW it’s FEMA’S fault? Why DO YOU NOT have canned/boxed/powdered dry milk and bottles of water for your child ~ the child whose life YOU are RESPONSIBLE for? This is FEMA’s fault? Why didn’t you have a couple bags of ice in styrofoam knowing insulin had to stay cool, or enough supplies laid in when the condo tower elevators worked?
All of you watched what happened after Katrina. Poverty and age are no excuse for laziness, ignorance and the complete abdication of any sense of personal responsibilty for your own disaster preparation. Your being a dumbass is not FEMA’s fault.
UPDATE: The irony in this statement is just too frickin’ delicious to pass up. Mind you, this is a woman in a five hour gas line only 3 days after the storm.
“This is like the Third World,” said Claudia Shaw, who spent several hours in a gas line. “We live in a state where we suffer from these storms every year. Where is the planning?“
Obviously not her responsibility. The lights are on but nobody’s home.
Humanity...or the Lack Thereof | Mr. Bingley | 
October 26, 2005 6:40 pm
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This shit really chaps my hide, like people that were defending looters for being “desperate” one friggin’ day after Katrina – they *had* to loot because it had gone a full eighteen hours without food. Bull honkey, folks.
I live in earthquake country and when that shit hits, we are going to get NO warning. NONE. I have to be ready for that NOW. I have canned food, bottled water enough to last me for a week if I need it. The thing is, I know that a lot of numbskulls here, despite having information on being prepared at their disposal EVERYWHERE are still going to whine and moan when Uncle Sam doesn’t come in and save the day after the fruits (or more appropriately, lack thereof) of their irresponsibility hit the fan.
God I’m so glad I moved out of Miami.
Here’s what I did, here in Winter Park: I made extra ice cubes and filled a bottle of water and stuck it in the fridge as well the day before. I had food supplies already, sufficient for me and my cat. I’ve had plenty of matches and candles since last year, as well as sterno and a couple of oil lamps. I brought my furniture inside. I don’t have a car, so gas isn’t a problem. I sat and watched the track of the thing on tv — it didn’t change at all so I had no illusions that it was suddenly going to swing away and hit Jamaica or something.
Miami is a lot like New Orleans, though thanks to the Cuban and Jewish population it’s in a lot better shape. But there is a large “underclass” of people who just won’t fucking work, and they sit on their asses in front of their roach-riddled projects or half-assed trailer homes, beer on one hand, joint in the other, sixth-time-pregnant girlfriend next to them, bitching and whining about how they’re “owed” a living. These people aren’t poor — they’re lazy and stupid. Real poor people, like refugees from Central America and Cuba, know to lay up supplies and take care of themselves because the idea of sitting with hand outstretched and waiting for the Man to give them something is alien to them — where they come from the Man usually doles out things like decrees, demands for money and goods, and bullets.
I hate people sometimes.
Oh, I forgot to add: sadly a large number of this underclass are black or Hispanic, but not all of them — plenty of them are sour-faced Anglos who moved down to Miami because they’ve been run out of every other part of the US.
Let The Blames Begin
Why is the media hyping people being pissed at the government because they didn’t have water or ice one day after the hurricane? It seems my neighbor is not the only one couldn’t be bothered to do the bare minimum…
I never saw a FEMA official last year or this year – nor did I expect to. The local power company got my power back on yesterday, and we managed fine in the meantime. (Cape Coral area.)
I’m glad Kathy!
I wish I could find something to disagree with you about Andrea…but I can’t.
Anglos only account for 20% of the population of Dade. I don’t know how that breaks down by religion percentage-wise. Or what percentage of each laid up supplies.
THS, you expressed exactly what I’ve been thinking the last few days. I don’t understand why some didn’t just simply turn on their faucets and fill their tubs… though I’ve heard that they don’t have a problem with the water. They started whining the NEXT DAY. Chances are they got an advance on their food stamps to prepare (FL did that last year) One woman whined that she didn’t have time to prepare since she was a single mother with a job. Ummm, I had that problem and I managed. And then they got 2-3 extra days to prepare. Everyone in FL should know to have 72 hours worth of supplies. If they don’t, then they’re just stupid, and stupid gets no sympathy from me.