It's been 3 years-get off you lazy as already!!!!<ranty>

[BlaqueKatt]

Katrina victims unwilling to look for work

I realise this is NOT typical-but enough is enough!!

"Malone says she can't drive and it's too hot outside to find work within walking distance. "Since the storm, I haven't had any energy or pep to go get a job, but when push comes to shove, I will," said Malone."

it's been three damn years what the hell are you waiting for?

one of the "evacuees" built a meth lab in the hotel with taxpayer money

"As for Malone, she says she's not seeing any drug activity at her hotel. It's too nice she says. Why would she want to leave?"

"FEMA has not been able to provide the exact totals as to how much all the meals and hotel rooms are costing taxpayers, but FEMA has said repeatedly it works with people continuously to find permanent housing, and it will not leave anyone homeless."


If these people(the lazy, unmotivated ones) are not forced into the option of being homeless-they aren't going to do anything for themselves-this makes me very angry-especially with how hard I'm looking for a job-guess if I was a victim of a natural disaster 3 years ago I wouldn't have to worry about being responsible and keeping a roof over my head.

[Giggle Goose]

Just....wow. That is too pathetic for words.

You don't need "energy and pep" to get a job--you just freakin' DO it because you have to! Well, I guess that only goes for those of us who aren't staying for free at the Quality Inn and chillin' by the pool.

I also think it's really insulting to the majority of people that lost their homes and are working hard to provide for themselves and their families in the aftermath.

[CancelMyService]

Nothing like an admittedly atypical story to serve as porn for those who love to be outraged at how "easy" the lazy poor folks have it.

[Boozy]

Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced by Katrina. Some of them are criminals. Some of them are lazy and abuse the system. Just like any other random segment of the population.

Just as many people have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, and have done remarkable things for themselves, their families, and their communities. All starting from nothing three years ago.

Those people are probably looking at me and thinking I'm lazy.

CancelMyService is right - this is "outrage porn".

[tropicsgoddess]

Katrina victims unwilling to look for work

I realise this is NOT typical-but enough is enough!!

"Malone says she can't drive and it's too hot outside to find work within walking distance. "Since the storm, I haven't had any energy or pep to go get a job, but when push comes to shove, I will," said Malone."

"As for Malone, she says she's not seeing any drug activity at her hotel. It's too nice she says. Why would she want to leave?"

I don't drive, but I take the bus and so can she or go to a library or internet cafe and look up jobs online. Maybe I can give her some energy and pep...a kick in her ass!

She doesn't want to leave because she's got a free roof over her head and is riding the gravy train for all it's worth! I just want to march up there and really rip her a new one!

[CancelMyService]

Not to single out tropicsgoddess, but that just proved my point. That story was singularly designed to get the "OMG LOOK AT THAT LAZY POOR PERSON" reaction, especially if you follow the link to the whole story.

It's not to say the person being talked about *isn't* lazy, but the story is written in such a way to not only make that the focus but to make sure the reader is OUTRAGED about it. It's just as easy to assume that living in a hotel is probably a much better situation than where she was pre-Katrina. Who's to know? The story certainly doesn't seem interested in any of those details.

This just pushes a button with me since it features several of my pet peeves all rolled into one: shoddy reporting, demonizing the poor, and manufacturing outrage.

[daleduke17]

So, it isn't right to be upset that there are people leeching off of the government (and taxpayers) three years after a disaster? The lady in the article admits to not having the "pep" to get a job. Did the federal government drop the ball? Maybe. Did the people in NOLA come across as whiny entitlement whores? Oh hell yes. Not all of them, I will agree. It's the ones like in the original article that sour the public's perception of the victims. Like BlaqueKatt said, it has been three years already. The government needs to cut her off and say "figure it out".

But, I guess I am just another person sucked in by the "outrage porn".

And people wonder why I don't think the USA should have government run healthcare. This article is a good indicator of it.

[Boozy]

And people wonder why I don't think the USA should have government run healthcare. This article is a good indicator of it.

I'm sorry - what?

Do you think people are going to go for lots of unnecessary surgery and medical procedures just because they're free?

Canada has had universal health care for decades and I've never heard of such a thing.

[daleduke17]

I'm sorry - what?

Do you think people are going to go for lots of unnecessary surgery and medical procedures just because they're free?

Canada has had universal health care for decades and I've never heard of such a thing.

Yes. Yes I do.

Would Canadians still be living in government supplied hotel rooms and trailers three years after a natural disaster came through?

[anriana]

Yes. Yes I do.

Would Canadians still be living in government supplied hotel rooms and trailers three years after a natural disaster came through?

Please provide examples of the unnecessary surgery and medical procedures people would start getting.

I can see why someone would rather sit around a hotel room eating bon bons than getting a job. (not saying I agree, just saying I can see the appeal of laziness) Outside of Munchesen's (spelling?) I can't see why someone would want unneeded medical attention. I mean seriously, who actually likes going to the doctor?

[Rapscallion]

The word 'unnecessary' is loaded, since what do you consider 'necessary'?

I have to ask, because even though the public perception of the UK's NHS is that it's overburdened by many, many patients, if your doctor is sympathetic then you can get breast augmentation or reduction surgery for free on the grounds that you're going to suffer psychological harm.

There are also hypochondriacs who really, really want things to be wrong with them.

I'm not on either side on this, since I haven't really looked into it barring newspaper headlines, but I have to point out that it depends on where you draw the line.

Rapscallion

[Slytovhand]

I'm sorry - what?

Do you think people are going to go for lots of unnecessary surgery and medical procedures just because they're free?

Canada has had universal health care for decades and I've never heard of such a thing.

I'm sorry - what???

Do you think that people are going to......

Yeah - we've had 'free' health care for a few decades, and we don't have those issues either (although, I wouldn't use the term 'universal'... elective surgery is elective surgery, and so doesn't get covered by our Medicare).

As for -

Would Canadians still be living in government supplied hotel rooms and trailers three years after a natural disaster came through?

in Australia... not sure - let's go see what's happening up in Cairns or Darwin which gets hit by cyclones every year...

Yes - there will always be people who will try to rip of the system - it won't matter where you go for that.

By the same token - do you have a public housing system in place? So that it needn't be in a hotel??


Slyt

[daleduke17]

By the same token - do you have a public housing system in place? So that it needn't be in a hotel??

Slyt

Yep, we sure do have a public housing system here. Why should people work for a living when the government gives so much to people?

- housing (section 8/public housing)
- food (FS/WIC*)
- transportation (subsidized bus transportation for elderly, disabled, and other qualified people)
- schooling (school vouchers)

Why shouldn't people be expected to work for something? That's what seems to be happening to a lot of the stories you hear out of NOLA. Do you hear similar stories from areas hit by tornadoes (like Moore, OK in 1999 or Greensburg, KS in 2007)? Heck, Greensburg (and areas after it) were having problems getting stuff from FEMA since so much was still tied up in NOLA.

* - WIC is a whole different story. It is set up the way foodstamps should be, IMO.

[Slytovhand]

Yep, we sure do have a public housing system here. Why should people work for a living when the government gives so much to people?

- housing (section 8/public housing)
- food (FS/WIC*)
- transportation (subsidized bus transportation for elderly, disabled, and other qualified people)
- schooling (school vouchers)

Why shouldn't people be expected to work for something? That's what seems to be happening to a lot of the stories you hear out of NOLA. Do you hear similar stories from areas hit by tornadoes (like Moore, OK in 1999 or Greensburg, KS in 2007)? Heck, Greensburg (and areas after it) were having problems getting stuff from FEMA since so much was still tied up in NOLA.

* - WIC is a whole different story. It is set up the way foodstamps should be, IMO.

"WIC"?? - pls explain..

And no, I wouldn't hear about the other tornadoes... wrong country I presume you mean that you haven't over there, and this has been thrown up as a once off?

We've got similar subsidisation (though school is free here anyway...), and I agree that for some of those people on welfare ought to do something for it... but that would be for the chronically unemployed... not the disability pensions etc.

I was going to do up a fratch or CS post on a report in the paper a couple of months ago.


This guy had been on the public housing list for X number of years (maybe 4?? - Not sure). He had been shown through a house a couple of suburbs away, and turned it down because he saw a drug addict shooting up nearby, and didn't want his kids to have to live in that sort of an area... so he got pushed to the end of the queue.

Additionally, he and his partner and 2(?) kids were already living in a 2/3 bedroom place and paying rent there (I'm not sure how much, but about the same as mine).

It was about the public housing queues being too long and how bad it was, but my thought on reading that was "Well - if you can afford to turn it down, then you don't really need it then - do you??" What's it going to say for the next person who does take it?

(on the side - I have a friend who works for Housing, and she's had 'clients' turn down accomodation because they didn't like the paint colour... back of the line for you, sunshine!)


Slyt

[daleduke17]

WIC is "Women, Infants, Children" program in Illinois (and maybe other states). Checks are given out to qualified people who sign up every so often. Checks are valid for about a month (don't quote me on that number as I've seen a number of different lengths) and cover only certain items:

- juice 46oz container or 11.5/12oz concentrate (Juicy Juice is a popular brand among WIC households)
- Cereal 12oz box (nothing sugary or with marshmallows - Cheerios is VERY popular)
- 1lb cheese (no flavorings such as peppers, smoke, etc. No IWS* or cheesefood)
- Tuna (the little cans)
- 1 Gallon Milk (white only, nothing "flavored")
- Vegetables (usually only carrots)
- 1lb beans
- Formula (Similac usually, based on needs of baby)
- 1 doz. eggs (large eggs only)
- Peanut Butter
* - that may have changed since I worked at a grocery store

Those are the big items on WIC. Each check will say what is applicable to that check and the active dates. You HAVE to get those items and those items only. The state is very picky on this, as are the stores. If foodstamps was set up like this, a lot of the problems of fs abuse would go away (another rant for another thread). You're only eligible if you are pregnant and up until the baby is so old (I forget the age, it might be 3 y/o).

Hope that helps explain WIC. Also, here is a link for the IDHS WIC agency:
http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=33886