Rep Al Green: Extend Free Housing for Evacuees til 2008

[sermon]

From Mother Teresa, credit MadMax for bring it to my attention:

[/sermon]

 

I can't speak for thumbs but I use the term "refugees" for people who fled from Katrina. The term "evacuees" strikes me as a euphemism to cover the extent of the damage and to keep people from thinking that in the US we could actually have people dislocated, possibly permanently, due to a natural disaster.

 

I think its a lose-lose situation for the government and tax-payers as to whether to provide aid or not.

Unfortunately, Katrina caused the most suffering to those who are already poor and lived in crime infested communities. Let's say if i was an engineer or a lawyer or anyone with a highly selective skill living in downtown NO, then the flood came and swept my house away, I would have no problem getting back on my feet after a few months. But most of the people that are in need of aid now, i assume they were already living in poverty before Katrina hit (no significant job skills, on welfare... etc) have nothing to rely on, and thus that makes it many times harder for them to be on their own. I will guess that the government will keep paying these people for a long time in one way or another.

The only hope is that the next generation of NO's poor will get more educated to bring in the quality jobs and services that the city needs.