I wasn't saying to blame Bush, I was simply pointing out that this is FEMA, not welfare, and that Bush is the one that appointed the head of FEMA, and nothing more than that. The point being that Lowing is blaming liberals for this utter gaffe in the way the money is being given out.CaptainSpaulding71 wrote:
not side stepping the argument. when i read your response it sounded to me like 'blame bush'. i agree with you that money should be spent on displaced people but the way it was handled was pathetic. instead of blank check, they should have issued something akin to food stamps that can be used for food, diapers, hotel rooms, etc. instead, they had $2000 credit card without any oversight. i'm not sure whether this was a republican or democrat gaff.Agent_Dung_Bomb wrote:
Don't side step the argument. I totally agree that NO's government didn't do what they could have, but that isn't what Lowing was ranting about. He's ranting about the money being paid to these people. Also, even if NO's government had done more to evacuate people, that still wouldn't change the fact that they were displaced and this money would still be spent.CaptainSpaulding71 wrote:
FEMA was at fault for sure (slow to respond)
but mayor Ray 'chocolate' Naggin and that pathetic Governor screwed the pooch way worse. How many school busses were sitting in their yards that could have been used to get people out of the city? Naggin did not mobilize them. I'd argue that the Democrat controlled infrastructure at the local level should have done way way more since they were on the ground and essentially first responders in this. Instead, the governor was cowering under a desk. did she mobilize the national guard to ensure an orderly evacuation?
don't put this all on the republicans, please.
we can also take a step back and look at why socially these people acted the way they did. that's actually a more interesting thread. why do people who are given hand outs all their lives behave in such a way that they cannot take care of themselves? is it lack of opportunity? i am unsure of this since there are many stories of poor inner city youth growing up and starting businesses, running companies, becoming successful as PART of society. Actually i would argue that those who are not integrating into society are the problem. I would argue that they themselves are the ones keeping them 'down' and holding them back. The social leaders (Jesse 'rainbow' Jackson and Al Sharpton) make money off of these people's suffering and are basically saying it's ok to do nothing - you are owed this because of 400 years of slavery. This kind of talk is counter productive because it just divides the nation. at the core, people want to have families and succeed. However, the 'guilt' mentality that Sharpton/Jackson and many progressives from the 60s are pushing is really just holding them back from these aspirations. i don't see that as a solution. Rather, i would like to see more job training, less hand-outs but more hand-ups (work for the $$$ even if it is public works), fixing the breakdown of the nuclear family, work with civic leaders to get progress instead of division going, etc.
As to the rest of your post, I totally agree. These services are meant to be a helping hand to get people back on their feet, and help them on their way to self sufficiency. The system (primarily welfare) is very broken and needs to be revamped, as there are too many people that see these handouts as a way of life. The way people live. There are children raised in households where several generations have lived on government assistance, and that's just the way you do it. That needs to stop.
I also fully agree that just giving these people cash or pre-paid credit cards, that did not limit their spending to essentials like food and housing, was a poor way to dispurse the aid.
