Hi Howard,

Sorry to disappoint you....but I live in Houston....and have helped with 
the relief
effort.   While not the same set of circumstances....each has it's 
impact/toll on
humans.  I originally came from Northern Michigan and indeed have experienced
upwards to 5 days of horizontal snow, loss of power (i.e. Heat), and all 
the challenges
that brings.    The severity of the situation depends upon whether it's 
affecting you,
if you've experienced it previously yourself, or you're viewing it from 
outside and
if you were prepared.

The people in the upper midwest know/anticipate some severe winter storms and
try to prepare when the season comes.   The same holds true for those living on
the gulf coast.

But don't lose sight of the fact that part of the problems with New Orleans 
are not all
natural disaster.  For many years funds for improving the bulkheads/etc. was
diverted to other things by the locally-elected officials.   They also 
recently pulled
some of the pilings out and learned that instead of being driven to a depth 
of 20'
which was what the original design called for, I believe they were 
something like
6' short.  And the inspections that were suppose to occur amounted to a 
drive-by
viewing on the way to a nice luncheon.  And yet hind-sight/Monday morning 
quarter-
backing doesn't resolve the problem that it happened and the things that 
now need
to be addressed.

I have refugees from N.O. working down the hall from me in office space that we
opened-up to help their company continue to operate while they get things back
together.  We've held pot-luck meals, assisted them in learning about things in
the community, and tried to make them feel welcome recognizing their difficult
situation.  Many are still living in hotels with their families and have 
only recently
had the opportunity to visit back to their homes and assess the damage.

I donated to the local relief effort and helped at our church that took-in 
140 people
to house, feed and cloth them.  Remember...that by far the many of people that
were part of the N.O. relief effort were on government support.  I can go 
on as to
how it has impacted the schools, the city (which, by the way, was 
originally told
by FEMA that it would be reimbursed for it's expenses but now FEMA has come
back and said they decided to only reimburse the city 70%), so that's impacting
the services/etc..  Crime is growing, with 5 murders over the Thanksgiving 
holidays
committed by refugees in the act of a crime.  There's a major round-up going on
trying to locate some fairly large number of jail/prison inmates now here 
that came
from that area so they can be re-incarcerated, and the list goes on.

So....I think we are helping these folks and yet dealing with a lot of the 
growing
problems it has brought our region.  If you read the message carefully, it 
originally
came from a weather person in that region hit by the winter storm, simply 
pointing
out they they aren't looking for help, but coping with their 
situation....and not trying
to get $2,000 debit cards to spend at Sacs 5th Avenue, etc. (which many 
actually did!)...

So...don't assume that I've not helped out our friends to the East and am 
simply
whining while I sit on my can....


At 10:17 AM 12/20/2005 -0800, Hoxsie, Howard wrote:
>Hmmm, seems to me you still have a house to sit you in which to park
>your can, and power to send out your messages of superiority over the
>internet.  Were you swimming in sewage and toxic waste, with poisonous
>snakes crawling over you?
>
>Count your blessings, like the rest of us, and pitch in to help.  The
>whining could threaten to drown out that 50 mph wind (not quite
>hurricane force, eh?)

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