| 
|
Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
| Total Views: 4,939,187
|
Article: 19304
[Politics]
Date Posted:
1/25/2008
8:59:31 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 6,902
RSS: 14,156
Comments: 8
|
Mississippi Plans Katrina Grant Diversion
Author: Mike Stuckey Source: MSNBC
Title: MISSISSIPPI PLANS KATRINA GRANT DIVERSION
While thousands of Mississippians who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina remain in FEMA trailers, the state intends to spend $600 million in federal grants originally earmarked for housing on a major expansion of the state-owned port — a project that could eventually include casino and resort facilities.
Despite strong objections from housing activists and the threat of hearings from two powerful congressional Democrats, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is expected to approve the diversion of the funds on Friday. A HUD spokesman says the agency has little discretion at this point to block the switch.
Opponents of the move see it as a prime example of Mississippi’s Republican lobbyist-turned-governor, Haley Barbour, favoring rich and powerful interests over the region’s less fortunate.
“It’s just insanity, true insanity,” said Sister Martha Milner, a Catholic nun and board member of the Steps Coalition, the loudest voice on the Gulf Coast against the diversion of the funds.
Supporters see the money switch as sound economic policy that will help the port capture additional business and provide a bonanza of high-paying jobs.
| Options: [Read Full Story] [Comments Locked]
[Email to a Friend]
|
|
Community Thoughts: There are 8 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| A Promise Broken...Again | Jan 26th. at 4:07:04 am EST
|
nasionnaich (Stanchfield, Minnesota) - Email Me
I remember when, here in Minnesota, the State Legislature approved millions of dollars in PUBLIC funding so that Northwest Airlines could build a "maintenance hangar" in Duluth. Anyone who guesses that the hangar was abandoned and the money didn't have to be paid back gets the brass ring.....
Now, the tax-payers of Minnesota are footing the majority of the bill for the new Minnesota Twins baseball stadium. Yes, the Twins management is ponying up a portion of the money, and yes, they have to pay the cost-over runs due to rising material prices -- but when a PRIVATE BUSINESS is able to easily pay its employees $24 MILLION over three years it should also be able to afford to build its own place of business. The State of Minnesota will NEVER be reimbursed for the money given to the Twins management (to build the ballpark) -- and the idea that the new stadium will bring in more tax revenue is ludicrous because the area it is being built in is surrounded by warehouses; there is nowhere to "build new businesses" (and I have never understood the concept of tearing down one business to make room for another business - and expect to generate "more" revenue) .
It may generate jobs -- maybe -- but it also destroys jobs by removing the existing businesses that are "in the way".
The People of Mississippi were promised help from their ELECTED OFFICIALS, and now the help they were promised is being re-routed to help those who never requested it -- and do not need it.
Someone said that they are not responsible for the victims of Katrina not having a home to live in. Yeah, I suppose that's true... But the people who are now living a trailer because their home was destroyed by the hurricane are not at fault, either. The Federal Government, in the form of FEMA, promised to help those people rebuild their homes -- and now Mississippi has said that no, the money promised to the people is going to be used to rebuild State-owned property, instead of rebuilding homes for the people. Ok, that will help "create" jobs and all (a construction company will be hired by the state, and then people will have to be hired to do the work - maybe, or maybe the workers will be brought in from outside Mississippi) -- but what about those already living in the area? Are they to simply write off the home their family has lived in for generations just because they are "too lazy to work"?
The State of Mississippi can expand the port using tax-revenue, it doesn't need to use the FEMA money which has been ear-marked for housing. Unless y'all really believe that it's ok to rob Peter, just so y'all can pay Paul. Like someone else said, it as if a mortgage company were to say "Sure, we'll give you a loan to rebuild your house. You can't live there anymore, and you will still have to re-pay the loan, but at least the house will be rebuilt."
My bet is that if folks who share the beliefs of PaulTheStormWalker (not 'pointing fingers", just using the thinking as an example) were to lose everything in a hurricane, and the insurance companies just said "Sorry, but 'storm-surge' isn't covered in your policy" (although floods are covered - and 'storm-surge' is just one type of flood) , they would start hollering that "somebody" better step up and give them some help. I bet that "somebody" would be the Federal Government.
Too bad for them, they'll just have to not be lazy. They'll just have to deal with it on their own -- even if they have to live in a tent for ten years.
----nasionnaich
|
| And Think I Live Here On The Gulfcoast | Jan 25th. at 9:00:03 pm EST
|
Naelyan (Long Beach, Mississippi) - Email Me
This is one of the reasons I want to leave ms other then this is the most boring and nothing to do state that I live in. The only reason I'm still here is I'm taking care of my mother but one day I will leave this state.
|
| Highway Robbery! | Jan 25th. at 6:32:44 pm EST
|
bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Doing just enough, seems to be the standard norm these days. And a diversion for a resort and a casino sounds just like what it is. And while the thought of jobs and new business seems nice, you can bet that none of those now homeless will be working at them anytime soon.
In the meantime, there they sit, without the wherewithall to rebuilt, move, or train for the sop of the few jobs that might probably be offered as a token of "proof" that revitalization is indeed-"occurring.
It seems that Katrina wasn't the only disaster to strike that area. The Government was the second disaster- and of the two--the worst.
|
| More Of The Same.... | Jan 25th. at 6:05:44 pm EST
|
Sparrow (Chicago, Mississippi) - Email Me
Most of those people who are "waiting for the government to take care of them" are working class people whose insurance companies refused to help them rebuild homes that were completely destroyed. Then FEMA came, deciding who got needed water and ice (some of you may have heard of Sheriff Billy Magee) , and only making the situation worse because they did just enough for the insurance companies to say "see, you've gotten help" and move on. It's not that these are people sitting around waiting for a handout, but people who work for a living and don't have enough money to rebuild a home that they lived in for a number of years.
These people don't want "poor thing", they want the help that should have been given to them by their insurance companies. No one is making insurance companies pay up and - as usual when it comes to Mississippi - people say do just enough that we'll be able to say we did something, and then leave it at that.
We're all poor and unintelligent anyway, right?
The problem is, most Mississippians of the older generation work, but at jobs that don't pay well. Are they supposed to spend what hard-earned money they have to get a better education so that they can get these "new jobs" that will be available, or save that money so that before they die, they are finally able to build something of the life they had before Katrina.
What usually happens with all these great new jobs that come into Mississippi is that they are hired out to people from out of state.
It's easy to assume that these people who are so desperate for a little help are just lazy, let-the-government-do-it types. But come to Mississippi and actually meet some of these people face to face, talk to them and actually LISTEN to what they have to say. Then try telling them to their face that it's their fault that they still don't have homes.
Oh, and Mississippi is NOT a democrat state. Most Mississippians would be insulted to be called democrats.
Mississippi is a poor state, but they deserve just as much help as anyone else. We're not as popular as New Orleans, but we have real people suffering - and these are people whose homes were destroyed by more than just levies breaking.
|
| Trickle Down Has Never Worked | Jan 25th. at 3:10:16 pm EST
|
booley (Saint Louis, Missouri) - Email Me
After New Orleans was hit by Katrina and they tore down all the public housing, the working poor that lived there just became even poorer and homeless.
When the Tsunami hit islands like the Maldives, the government just used that as an excuse to shove people off the land so they could build resorts in their place.
The idea that if you give the wealthy money so they can make even more money, even if that means you leave hundreds of other people without an affordable place to live or an infrastructure to support them, wlll somehow trickle down and fix the problems like increased poverty it caused inthe first place is ... well it's really stupid and refuted by far too much history and poverty and in some cases, corpses.
If it did work, then the natives of Saipan and Thailand and Nigeria should be all filthy rich from the wealth trickled down from those above them.
They aren't.
Fact is, more and more natural (and unnatural) disasters are merely seen as tools to give out money to the rich at the expense of the poor who are the victims of the disaster.
It's like your house burning down and your bank saying "We'll rebuild your house. But your mortgage will go up and you can't live there anymore."
Find More info -- HERE
|
| Less Fortunate? | Jan 25th. at 1:16:16 pm EST
|
william (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - Email Me
There is nothing in our constitution that states that government should provide houseing for anyone. Frankly, government houseing only destroys whatever community it springs up in. The term "less fortunate" implies that the reason people are poor is because they just were not allowed to participate in the Americain dream. It's all a load of bull and a slap in the face to those that take reponcibility for their lives instead of waiting for the government ( I should say taxpayer) to take care of them.
|
| Let Me See... | Jan 25th. at 11:23:23 am EST
|
Paul the StormWalker (TUCKER!, Georgia) - Email Me
Mississippi is a very poor state with large unemployment rates.
Improving the port area and expanding facilities will bring in more business and more jobs - including good, steady, high paying jobs.
People will be able to work and buy homes and take care of themselves.
Democrats and liberals hate that, because people who are no longer dependent on the the Federal Government to take care of them stop looking for politicians who will take money away from successful people and start looking for politicians who support lower taxes and further expansion of business.
Keeping Mississippi poor and dependent keeps Mississippi safely Democrat.
Democrats don't care about people. They care about Government Programs and Government Control and punishing the successful.
|
| Well... | Jan 25th. at 9:09:38 am EST
|
Rowan Foxfyre (Indianapolis, Indiana) - Email Me
If that isn't a slap in the face to everyone who raised money to help those who were victimized by Katrina....
|
Disclaimer: The Witches' Voice inc does not verify the accuracy of the details stated in this listing, nor do we vouch for the value of the goods or services presented here... As with all contacts and financial dealings in cyberspace, we encourage you to use caution and wisdom in your dealings with strangers.
Political Statements: Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren's Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches' Voice, Inc. TWV is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization.
|
State/Country flags created by 3dflags.com and are used with permission
Web Site Content (including: text - graphics - html - look & feel)
Copyright 1997-2009 The Witches' Voice Inc. All rights reserved
Note: Authors & Artists retain the copyright for their work(s) on this website.
Unauthorized reproduction without prior permission is a violation of copyright laws.
Website structure, evolution and php coding by Fritz Jung on a Macintosh G5.
Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren’s Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches’ Voice, Inc. TWV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization.
Sponsorship: Visit the Witches' Voice Sponsor Page for info on how you
can help support this Community Resource. Donations ARE Tax Deductible.
The Witches' Voice carries a 501(c)(3) certificate and a Federal Tax ID.
Mail Us: The Witches' Voice Inc., P.O. Box 341018, Tampa, Florida 33694-1018 U.S.A.
| |
