Emergency housing

[RoConroy@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/15/2005 3:40:35 PM Central Standard Time, 
shunter at u.arizona.edu writes:
I wasn't going to respond to this--one of the self-disciplines Bucky had
that I don't was to steer clear of political issues for the most part--but
I have to say that no one lives anywhere in the world that is free of
risk.  Surely the parents of "those children of Pakistan" must have known
they were living in a major earthquake zone.  Where I am, we're going to
make the citizens of New Orleans look very wise indeed when the water
supply goes... and I'm not sure I want to read your screed about my
"crocodile tears" when it happens, either.  As for the woman in New
Orleans, I hope she does get her home back, and that it's an autonomous
flood-earthquake-hurricane-resistant geodesic dwelling on a pontoon
foundation with anchor line-feeds.

Gandhi once said that an eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind,
and I think by analogy that the I-can-fend-for-myself-so-screw-you
attitude will leave us all ultra-dependent... and you are *not* going to
like the entities you'll have to rely on.
         The crocodile lady's house was totally demolished, but her brand new 
cadilac looked just fine.  As for your "autonomous 
flood-earthquake-hurricane-resistant geodesic dwelling on a pontoon with anchor feed lines", that is a 
joke, right?  Why park a boat in the middle of New Orleans, and have to pay 
taxes, when they could anchor it in the Mississippi River?  But then I guess the 
estimate of $200 billion for initial hurricane, with 1,000,000 people being 
displaced, would come out to be about $200,000 per person, which would probably 
almost pay for your pie in the sky solution.
      I think the posting you are referring too was of the Houston dome 
people who came from the Super Dome.   Taken as a whole, those people acted 
irresponsibly.  First, for the most part, in not leaving New Orleans when it was 
declared manditory to do so, second for turning down accommidations provided for 
by the government in the form of 3 luxury liners at a government cost of 
$230,000,000 for 6 months, and therefore throwing a burden on the city of Houston 
and it's Astro Dome.  As for rebuilding, let them rebuild where ever they 
please, just make sure that it isn't at the cost of someone else, and put others at 
risk due to their negligence, plus put more future cost on the tax payer.  
    As for Pakistani children being responsible for the actions of their 
parents, I think that makes as much sense as anything else you have said.
     As for helping people, it is the people's own responsiblity to take care 
of themselves, and when they have done everything they can, then to get help 
where and when necessary.  In this case, help was the responsiblity of the 
mayor of New Orleans to evacuate the people unable to do so on their own, a task 
in which he failed, and blamed others.  Remember, he was their elected 
official, and his election doesn't seem to have been based on his ability to manage a 
city.  Although he did buy a new house in Houston and evacuate his family in 
rapid order.     The next order of business would be for the state to provide 
National Guard resources, which were in short supply, and generally located 
outside of the city due to jurisdictional disputes.  It is only lastly that the 
U.S. government should be involved in helping to repair the infrastructure, 
and when everyone else fails, to provide security.  And according to the law, 
this can only be done at the request of the local governments, which was slow in 
coming.
       For the government to provide housing to the specifications of the 
refugees seems a little beyond the pale.  Safe housing, in the form of luxury 
liner berthings was provided and refused.  Give me a break.
      Bob