So Where's Disaster Relief Money for the US?

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I disagree as well (well maybe not with the applauding 1000 buck part). Just trying to make a point with some carefully placed sarcasm.
 
You know what Jeff is right. It seams that whenever the us has a hardship or problem in that manner everyone steps on us. But if they are in need guess what all of us americans donate and then when we are in need of help they turn their backs makes you wonder where your tax dollars are truely going. Especially the money thats going into the middle east for what. You would think we would pull out of there and tell them to clean up the mess they made themselves. and we need to start worring about our home country. The economy is turning to crap and the president doesnt want to do anything about it. I am only 24 and have seen the us go up and the back down and its hitting us hard now. especially those gas pumop prices. We need to take care of ourselves and tell the others to do the same. That is just my opinion had to vent. Just dont think its fair here in az.
 
One thing that separates us from the third world countries that were effected by the tsunami is that we have insurance. The insurance companies will pay out billions to cover losses. Because of this, we won't need handouts from other countries. Like others said, we will take care of our own, as we have been for a long time.
 
Well, just got off the phone with my parents. The house my dad designed/built 20 years ago is gone, reduced to a pile of rubble. They can see the roof on my grandparent's house, and that's about it. My aunt who stayed in New Orleans had flooding in her garage and her 6month old Audi A8 is ruined, but the upstairs is okay, and she's only missing a few shingles (2 story house, bottom story is just a basement) Another aunt with a 3rd story apt. in the French Quarter said some of her hanging plants are gone, but she had pulled all the furniture on the deck inside...I don't know why she left the plants. They haven't been to my other aunt and uncle's house yet, but seeing as how it's only about 10blocks from the ocean, if it's still there they will have major flooding problems. And my aunt and uncle's house in Baton Rouge, where everyone is staying, is in perfect shape with only a few limbs down in the front yard.



I didn't mean to start a whole big thing on this, I was just wondering if the news channels weren't reporting that we've received aid from other countries. I just know the US is usually first to give away money when something disasterous happens, and unless there's some Japanese diplomats reading this forums, I don't think we're going to see any offers for help.



Oh, and for those of you who think that the US is so wealthy, you have OBVIOUSLY NEVER been to New Orleans.
 
Nelson...insurance and FEMA won't be rebuilding many of these homes (look at the gulf coast of MS to see what has yet to be rebuilt from the last major hurricane). Insurance companies will pay out, but they won't be covering a significant portion of these victim's losses.



No, the world doesn't care about what happens here. They all feared their own demise with regards to 9/11, but the true color of our global neighbors shines through in our time of crisis. Screw 'em. They care only about themselves. Remember how they dumped on the US in the hours following teh tsunami.



President Bush sent just under $1 billion in aid. The citizens of this country donated almost 3 times that.



Nearly $4b went to them in the span of 2 months following the disaster. And that was out of a total of $6.5 billion total aid from around the world.



Yeah, we're the suckers.

 
I thought the Haliburton War in Iraq was supposed to guarantee us lower fuel prices. If it isn't working, then we need to pull our troops out and come home (and put them to work on the hurricane damage).



Why are we spending trillions of dollars rebuilding Iraq (and they don't appreciate it)? We should be spending these dollars here at home rebuilding our own infrastructure and drilling in ANWAR.
 
yeah... but New Orleans is not the US. And the US is not New Orleans.



And if until now you don't think that the US is so wealthy, believe me it IS wealthy that the money's pouring out in Iraq and other countries and it's all over the space and the moon... and Mars....



my prayers for those affected...

 
DiveTrac -- my main point was that most of the folks will be reimbursed for a majority of their losses. That wasn't true of the tsunami victims. These folks may choose not to rebuild in the same area, but at least they have some money to move some place else and start over again. If they do rebuild, they should consider building their houses like Jeff's aunt has, with the garage being the first floor.



I agree with Jeff, New Orleans is not a wealthy city. It has more than its fare share of poverty, and this definitely won't help. During my last visit, we had a typical spring storm and the streets began to flood quickly. I cannot imagine what it is like right now there. Probably similar to Venice, but on a much grander scale. It is really sad. :(



I drove the stretch of road dozens of times between Ft Walton Beach and New Orleans. Those little towns along the caost are beautiful and I can see the attraction to those that live there. However, with that beauty, you get the drawback of risking everything.
 
Gavin, as a military member myself, I think it is extremely disrespectful to all the military members that have died to refer to our current conflict as the "Halliburton War". In the current world situation, there is nothing that will guarantee low gas prices.
 
Nelson, I have no disrespect for our troops. I support them 100%. What I don't support is that Halliburton and many other companies are making out like bandits profitting from the war in Iraq.



I voted for Bush, but we all know that he was itching so bad to get in Iraq to get Saddam for his daddy. The administration lied (ask Colin Powell) about WMD.



Meanwhile, the US economy is crumbling. Citizens are paying double for gas what they paid a year ago, and oil companies are making record profits.



I am offended that you think I do not support our troops who are putting their lives on the line every minute of every day.
 
Gavin - A buddy/coworker of mine left today for his third tour in Iraq. He did so willingly. His uniform doesn't say Halliburton, but rather USAF. He has volunteered for each and every tour and is proud to do so. He and the rest of us don't go over there because we want to keep your oil prices low... actually; we could care less how much you pay for gas. What we do care about is that we continue to fight the radical insurgents over there as opposed to them resurrecting the fight that they started over here.



If you would talk to the troops that are on the ground over there you will see that the Iraqi people DO want us there and a HUGE majority of the insurgents are just that, outsiders from other countries that want a shot at the "Great Satan". If you watch the mainstream media you may hear that the Iraqis don't want us there. I will choose to believe the troops that are there with them for a year and not some "journalist" that only comes out of their hotel long enough for a photo op.



As for Halliburton... Once again... you need to lay off of the mainstream media. If Chaney hadn't had a history you never would have heard of that company. Of course if the media keeps saying it the negative connotation just goes along with it.... sort of like Big Tobacco, Assault Weapon and Watergate (Which is actually a really NICE hotel if you can get past the stigma).



Back to the point at hand... there are more than enough military folks who are ready and willing to assist with the hurricane relief.. and they're not going to save the oil refineries, they are going to help the people.

 
Gentlemen,



Not to disrespect anyone's opinion on this matter, but the main focus here should be to help in anyway that we can. We should take care of our own first (I know, I know...we the US Gov't is always willing help others more so than home) and concentrate on the rebuilding stage. Now is the time to reach out to our fellow man and have compassion...not worry about dollars. All will come in good time.



WP'06
 
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Thanks Dindo Perlas. We may not need the help but please try to understand that we are a frustrated people. Seems like no matter what we do that most countries will only offer criticism. When they get a chance to materially help us in a disaster willl they offer?



Makes you wonder what shape we could be in if we focused ALL of our charitable relief internally to solve some of our most pressing problems before jumping to the aid of others.
 
Spend the money we send to other countries and apply that to the national debt. Forget those other places.





Tom
 
Venezuela has offered help AND oil- good thing we didn't take the advice of "God's diplomat" Pat Robertson and assassinate their president.:huh:
 
From the article Bill V linked:



Islamic extremists rejoiced in America's misfortune, giving the storm a military rank and declaring in Internet chatter that "Private" Katrina had joined the global jihad, or holy war. With "God's help," they declared, oil prices would hit $100 a barrel this year.



Sorry to politicize this thread, but I am already hearing the "God caused this..." rhetoric and am sick of it!



TJR
 
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/weather/index.ssf?/base/international-14/1125509342105090.xml&storylist=hurricane



Aside from the Swiss...there is no financial support...not even from our friends the Brits.



The Venezuela commentary is apparently tongue-in-cheek from what I have seen.



"Oh, we sympathize with you." That's all fine and dandy, but how's about a little cash for my brother's house that washed away (figuratively speaking). He's among the thousands dead and his family is homeless now.



 
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