There is, in my opinion, a real scam going on here in the Northeast (SE Penna, West Jersey and South Jersey) and I'd suspect in lots of other areas in the country. Specifically, FEMA has been called on to recompense people who have personal items lost in the recent hurricanes and floods, most often, food and/clothing. Not housing here in this area.
On the news here in the Delaware Valley there are all kinds of people asking that the government REPLACE food that has been lost or damaged. U should hear the list of foodstuffs that people claim they have lost. Not ONE THOUGHT or CONVERSATION seen on the television on the part of many of these free-loaders that a modest food/clothing replacement is needed JUST until the next paycheck or food stamp allotment comes in, but a full replacement of ALL THE FOOD IN THE PANTRY. Claims for lobster, steaks, even a damn a wine cellar--notice, that there is NO claim for lost vegetables or staples--just expensive stuff.
And the government agency , in what laughingly is called "service and expediency", makes NO attempt to verify the accuracy of the claims. Ka-ching, Ka-ching-- Let the cash register ring and everyone else picks up for people who don't have a pot to pee in much less a window to toss it out of--and NOT BECAUSE the pot and window were lost in the floods. There NEVER was a pot or window to start with.
The government didn't learn ONE DAMN thing from the "Katrina" experience. I was in South MS after Katrina and I saw a lot of the funds distributed went for jewelry, cars, big screen tv's--all while bitching and moaning that the temporary federal housing was NOT suitable enough.
When the hell has it become the government's responsibility (i.e. we taxpayers) to FULLY INSURE losses from these kinds of events.
Why not get the government and the rest of the citizenry to to pay for vacations lost due to rain, snow, missed flights. What the hell, everything else seems fair game in this terribly lost society.
Recent runs on the system due to recent floods
I read an interesting book recently about the Federalist Papers. The original Federalist papers are tough to read - old English is difficult to understand. But the author, Glenn Beck, selected some of the papers and wrote them in contemporary English. The point of mentioning this book is that the Federalist Papers give insight into what the Founding Fathers believed was needed in a citizenry under the new Constitution (which did away with the early Confederacy in this country). The Founding Fathers believe that "the people" were a check on government just like the judiciary is a check on the legislature and the President with his veto power is a check on the legislature. The writers of the Federalist Papers (Thomas Jefferson, John Jay and James Madison) believed in the people and our Constitution reflects the belief that "the people" would do the right thing.
The real tragedy in line with what you note in the role of government helping people through disasters is the role of the Federal government and the states. The Founding Fathers would never have imagined that local government would ever be dependent on the Federal government for support or resources. This was a role for the states - not the Federal government. Yet, in so many regards local government is in neutral until and unless something comes out of the Congress. Take for example, the stimulus money that was used nation-wide for rebuilding schools, roads, buildings and so forth. This came out shortly after Obama was elected.
It was Reagan (of recent memory) who reminded us that "the states came before the federal government." In reminding us of that what he was saying is that there is a role for each level but as originally conceived by the Founding Fathers the role of the Federal government was to be much less than what has become reality over the years. While one can argue the merits of what the various levels of government do vs what they should do the reality is that people interacting directly with the Federal government was never conceived of by our Founding Fathers. Rather, the interaction of "the people" was seen as most appropriate with their local and/or state government. My how far we have veered from what was the original concept of government in this country.
I believe in the following axiom: "big schools do not mean better education" and "big government does not mean better government." By big government we are talking about multi-layering of bureaucratic institutions that are costly, in many cases redundant, and reflective of priorities that may seem noble but operated in an ineffective manner.
How tragic. "The people" can well be said to be "our own worst enemy..." Where is it written that there is something for nothing? We "the people" should know better. Those who make ends meet by paying their monthly bills know that to be true. The consequences for failure end up by a jail sentence. But in this day and age we seem all about distributing money generously and without many checks and controls. We truly are our own worst enemy. And we will all pay for that foolishness - eventually.
Great post.
everysooften
west Michigan