Posts by Sara Annie

63

Rescue inequality?

by Simon in

this doesn't sound right:.

hyatt guests given priority.

at one point friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the hyatt hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking superdome since last sunday.. how does this work?

Sara Annie

No, sarah annie, the poor cannot always take advantage of programs that the government claims are so available. Here in Canada, in my province, the government is cutting back, and those who work in "Employment Assistance for Disabled Persons" are instructed to exhaust every avenue to disqualify us for funding --- it is only the most persistent who will eventually receive any aid

This is part of the point I was trying (albeit not successfully) to make.

That the people who actually need the aid are being harmed by the number of people who DON'T need it, but get it too. A small case in point: When I was in college, I worked my way through school waiting tables and living as a resident assitant in the dorms. In one of my classes, we split into work groups. In speaking with two of the people in my group, I learned that they both--as 21 year old single, childless women without any disability--were receiving food stamps, subsidized housing and educational grants from the state. Dumbfounded that they would even qualify for such aid, I was equally appalled that they would seek out and accept it--when I asked them how they justified taking aid when they had no physical or situational impediment to prevent them from working, the answer from one of them was, verbatim: "If you saw someone drop a dollar on the street, wouldn't you pick it up?" Here I was, busting my butt to work my way through school and make my own future what I wanted it to be, and they were kicking back and relaxing while those of us willing and able to work had to foot the bill. I don't care if it only amounted to three cents, I wanted to demand the portion of MY tax dollars that supported their lifestyle back.

And it is the very fact that this kind of aid is available and being handed out to people who do NOT need (or arguably deserve) it that is siphoning off the dollars from those who have a legitimate claim to it.

Edited to add: I apologize for the way this thread headed down the hi-jack highway.

14

What Would YOU Have Done Differently For Hurricane Relief?

by minimus in

jw
friends

there's a lot of criticism from all sides.

what do you think should've been done?

Sara Annie

There's a lot of criticism from all sides. What do you think should've been done?

That is a REALLY tough question. Hindsight being 20/20 and all, I think we can all come up with plans that might have helped alleviate the suffering of the people who were (and still are) stranded.

But without knowing just how devastatating the aftermath of the storm actually would be, I just don't know what should have been done differently--I would proabably have mobilized the national guard, relief supply channels, etc. and had them actually standing 'on call' and ready to move out as soon as possible. I think it would have been far better for there to be mass criticism of the cost of such an effort if there had been less devastation than to not be prepared for what DID happen.

59

Vaginal Birth or Cesarean Section

by Dimples in

to all the mommy's out there...did you deliver vaginally or by c-section?.

i was fortunate enough to deliver both my children vaginally although i came close to a c-section with my son.

he was in the posterier position.

Sara Annie

Both!

Our first was a c-section--he simply refused to budge. He was a week and a half late, they dripped enough Pitocyn (sp?) into me that I felt like I was going to float away, and I STILL never even got into heavy labor. They finally did a c-section. While I was up and moving around long before I thought I would be, it was still a long recovery.

Our second was a vaginal birth, and she entered the world so quickly from the time labor began that we didn't even get the chance to use all those nifty breathing techniques we'd been practicing for months. The recovery period was much faster.

Given the choice, I'd rather have a vaginal birth--but I tell you what: The discomfort and pain surrounding the surgery with my son was hard as I recall, but I will never forget the pain that accompanied my daughter's birth. Turns out it was worth it, but dang...

63

Rescue inequality?

by Simon in

this doesn't sound right:.

hyatt guests given priority.

at one point friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the hyatt hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking superdome since last sunday.. how does this work?

Sara Annie

SA, from the point of view of one who's been both "average or below," it does suck. This isn't a ridiculous blanket assertion.

Well, sure. No one said it was fun not to have as much money as you want, but the resources to change one's plight are available for the taking. It is our responsibility to make our own fate in this world.

63

Rescue inequality?

by Simon in

this doesn't sound right:.

hyatt guests given priority.

at one point friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the hyatt hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking superdome since last sunday.. how does this work?

Sara Annie

If you are well off, everything is rosey. If you fall on hard times there is not much of a safety net.Again, another ridiculous blanket assertion.

People who fall on "hard times" in this country (either by their own choosing or through circumstances beyond their control) have an almost ridiculous amount of aid available to them. Americans (and non-Americans for that matter in many cases) can and do receive state aid that pays for their housing, medical care, daycare, food and educational costs. There are unemployment & disability programs available when people are in need. Many of the poorest people in this country enjoy a standard of living that is unheard of by the poor in many other nations.

In many ways, I think the net is too wide. As an American, I see the poverty problem as self perpetuating in that there is often no impetus to take advantage of the opportunities that are available in spades to improve your life--why work any harder (or at all) if someone else will foot the bill to make sure that you've got a roof over your head and a meal on your table? The attitude seems to be that while it may not be the best of all possible worlds, it sure beats working for it. The lives and plights people who legitimately need and benefit from the enormous amounts of aid available are often overshadowed by those who have made the same aid their 'career'.

Edited to add: But I should also mention that I have a very hard time denying or limiting such aid to people who are caring for children (or dependent adults). Regardless of the choices or circumstances of the caregivers, I can't see making those who they care for suffer more for them.

63

Rescue inequality?

by Simon in

this doesn't sound right:.

hyatt guests given priority.

at one point friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the hyatt hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking superdome since last sunday.. how does this work?

Sara Annie

America is probably a great place to be well-off ... but it sucks to be average or below.

A ridiculous blanket assertion based on the narrow 3,000 mile away view of the events surrounding an unprecedented crisis.

Statements like the above detract from the more lucid points one is trying to make.

16

History repeats itself (re current events)

by Leolaia in

the tragic disaster new orleans is now experiencing is not exactly unprecedented in our nation's history.

there are some lessons to be learned about what happened in 1927 in the great mississippi flood.

here is what the wikipedia states about this event:.

Sara Annie

Really interesting post, thanks!

14

Kanye West Speaks the Truth

by bisous in

excerpts from nbcs red cross telethon - kanye shows courage in speaking out on what is on many of our minds.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/entertainment/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-5/1125714844131042.xml&storylist=entertainment.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/rtgam.20050902.wtelethon0902/bnstory/entertainment/

Sara Annie

Rings of truth to me, my dear. Does this represent a caring leader? Compare mr. bush to Mayor Giuliani during our last national crisis... hmmmm... Your definition of caring and mine are obviously far apart.

Did I say I thought he was 'caring'? Did I say I even supported him? I simply refused to declare one man's opinion as 'truth'.

I absolutely respect your right to assert your own views. But I would also assert my own right not to have mine misconstrued: If you're going to attack my views, at least be sure of what they are, "dear".

26

The race card has officially been played in New Orleans

by Texas Apostate in

well i knew it was only a matter of time, but the "play the race card" has begun.

never mind that the incompetant mayor of new orleans is black.

it's not his fault.

Sara Annie

Sara Annie:Do you work for FEMA?

No, I simply don't believe in assigning the most nefarious of motives without a little critical thought. To blindly state "This is ALL about race and poverty" while ignoring the realities of the situation is not only bad form, it's illogical. I will agree that there is definitely a racial component to the delay in relief to those who are stranded in New Orleans. But I just will not concede that the blame for this lies solely on the shoulders of the Feds.

It is interesting you should ask,though. My husband does post disaster structural evaulation with a volunteer group of other professionals. On Tuesday night, the FEMA contact he's worked with over the years was on our phone by 11 PM telling him to be ready to head out to the gulf coast at any time. Over the last few days, there have been numerous emails flying about the scope of the damage and the timeline for the work they'll do (they evaluate post-disaster structural integrity and decide which structures must be razed, which are habitable, which need rebuilding, etc). In the past, when he's gone to areas that have suffered tornadic, earthquake or hurricane activity he has generally been gone for about 2 weeks. This time, due to the sheer size of the affected area and the fact that a major metropolitan area is involved, it is likely that he will be gone for three months doing just the first 'shift' of the work that needs to be done. This, more than anything else, has helped me get my head around just how gigantic the destruction from this even is. And given the enormity of the destruction, I think it's unfair to assume that the task of bringing relief to those affected by it would be any less daunting.

26

The race card has officially been played in New Orleans

by Texas Apostate in

well i knew it was only a matter of time, but the "play the race card" has begun.

never mind that the incompetant mayor of new orleans is black.

it's not his fault.

Sara Annie

Of course race and poverty had everything to do with it. Why else would it take us 5 fricking days to get there.

I guess that would depend on what you mean by "us". I am willing to agree that the federal government has dropped ball to some extent, but first let's get a few things straight:

1. The evacuation was 5 days ago. But the levy broke, and the majority of the damage to New Orleans was done, just THREE days ago, on Tuesday. In fact, until the levy gave way, all the news coverage on was extolling the luck of the city and how it had dodged the bullet.

2. The evacuation plan was designed and instituted by the local and state authoritites. Local and State level action plans are always the first line of defense when a disaster strikes. The local authorities who sent the poorest people with the least resources into the Superdome without any plan for caring for those people in the days leading up to and directly after the storm bear a great portion of the blame here. There was no stockpile of provisions to care for the number of people that took refuge there. If we're going to talk about who dropped the ball, we should start THERE before deciding that the feds are to solely blame.

3. The conditions in and around the city of New Orleans have been such that swift, decisive, and effective action simply weren't immediately possible. The lack of any air traffic control measures, impassable/flooded roads, the destroyed infrastructure of the State of LA--these are all factors that have been major contributors to the chaos surrounding the relief effort.

4. This situation, and the actual scope of the damage in New Orleans, is of such a magnitude that we have NEVER had to deal with anything close to it in modern history. FEMA and Homeland Security are bureaucratic agencies, and actually moving and distributing supplies and personnel to disseminate them in such dire circumstances is hardly an operation that can be designed and deployed in a few hours.

5. Some of the blame for the delay must lay squarely on the shoulders of the very people who need to be helped. The people housed in these evacuation centers are the poorest, least educated citizens of New Orleans. Even under the best of conditions, violence would still likely have broken out instigated by the same portion of society that practiced it in the now flooded neighborhoods they hailed from. When, early on, the press, aid workers and medical pesonnel were attacked by the very people they were trying to help, they had no choice but to wait for reinforcements to bring some order before going back in. As always, a small minority of jackasses makes the majority suffer for their actions.

Now, all that said, were the feds slower to act than they should have been? Maybe. But the logistics involved and the factors to consider are so giagantic that I simply cannot buy that this is 'all about race'.