Hurricane Aid Question

[TreeStandBowHunter]

While driving home from work today, I started thinking about the Aid money that poured into New Orleans. I don't know for sure but I know millions upon millions of dollars have went to the victims of Hurricane Katrina particulary(sp) New Orleans. But my question is, which victims?

Can someone tell me that EVERY SINGLE victim seen money reach them? I am not the smartest man on the block but I highly doubt it. Who decides who get's what? I know when we think of New Oreans (well, when I do), I think of thugs, bums and homeless people and of course the poor. But the fact is, there are wealthy people as well as middle class people that live there as well. Did they see any money or did it only go to the poor who in most cases are poor because either they have/or countinue to make bad decisions or are just to lazy and wait on handouts.

So I guess what I am asking is, did the aid(money) go to everybody fair and square or only the helpless

[slugshooter]

Re: Hurricane Aid Question

I'm not sure I can answer that one Mike, not really sure anyone can. When I think of money being sent for disaster relief, I think of it more in terms of what is being spent to supply services to the victims, not just blank checks being handed out. Some people use what is given them for things they need, and some don't. There was a letter to the editor in paper here recently of someone who works in a retial outlet complaining that people were showing up with those pre-paid Visa cards and buying crap with it... TV's, DVD's, CD's etc. etc. etc.....not exactly buying things that are necessities....I read a report online about MRE's showing up on eBay being sold, the majority of the new listings are coming from gulf coast areas where MRE's have been given out for free, and people are turning around selling them, another red flag is the fact that they say "US Government Property. Resale Prohibited." The sad part is that there are too many people concerned with themselves to care about anyone else. If you weren't gonna use the pre-paid care for yourself, I am sure there are plenty that could and would, for every MRE being sold on eBay, there is someone that could have used that to survive.

Unfortunately, there is no way to police these things, it only serves to bring to light the human nature of too many people in this world.

[horst]

Re: Hurricane Aid Question

I gotta agree with slugshooter on that.I look at it more in terms of going for food,water, temporary housing, clean up, rebuilding, etc...On this one the recovery efforts along musta run up a fortune.Honestly the way they went through the money the first few weeks Im not sure theres a lot left to divide up among anyone

[Guest Andrea]

Re: Hurricane Aid Question

Well, you would THINK that the way it's supposed to work is that the money collected would first go towards restoring government and emergency services such as restoring hospitals, the police departments, fire depts., telephone services, etc.

Then those people who are displaced right now are having to fill out a TON of paperwork for FEMA to go through and determine how much each person lost. And then they are also going to have to determine who had insurance and who didn't. The wealthy would more than likely have had insurance.

But who knows..............sounds like a BIG FAT headache to me.

[wtnhunt]

Re: Hurricane Aid Question

Kind of have to agree with sluggo here. Everyone in need should have received the same unless they declined it. Highly doubt however that they did.

[ParrotHead]

Re: Hurricane Aid Question

It solely depends on "who" you gave it to. When giving to the Red Cross or some other disaster relief fund, you are not giving it directly to someone but rather entrusting it to an organization that will distribute it fairly.

That's why if you're giving, only give to an organization that's established itself.

[Reloader]

Re: Hurricane Aid Question

While I was down there the Red Cross and FEMA were both doing financial assistance. You had to show proof of residency in a significantly affected area and then they would register you for the prepaid Visa. That info was sent to a central location for processing to prevent you from applying at several locations to get extra checks. Then when the card came to the location you aplied for it you had to pick it up in person.

Unfortunately, what I saw was that many of the people that were in the shelter were getting the money and going to the casinos down the street with it. The people that were leaving the shelter with the checks bought food clothing and such and then got it all packed up at the shelter just before they moved out to new jobs in such places as the Oil fields in Texas(great pay and awesome benifits, too bad I couldn't accept the jobas it was being offered priority to displaced individuals and families).

As far as wher to give in the future I aould sugest finding a local Disaster response team that is going to be working there and help pay their way down there. My team had to pitch in $100 bucks each to help pay for transportation and our church picked up the remainder partly through peoples donations and partly from their missions budget. Without donations from people who wanted to help in the form of money and daycare the trip would not have been possible.