If he can’t figure out yet what he would do as president yet then why in the world would one want to even consider him. By the time one is running for president one should have a pretty good idea what what is wanting to accomplish. If you don’t you are definitely not the man/woman for the job. If you know and just don’t want to admit it, which I suspect is the actual case, then there is less than zero reasons to support such a person.

Maybe the great depression that is coming will in the final analysis be a cleansing action that will reorder our society and lead to a better society and government that recognizes its limits.

The point about the obligation of higher levels of government is a good one but a bit misplaced. Certainly at the time of the actual flooding that might very well be true. But at this point the local or at least state government has the resources to deal with that portion of the situation that should be dealt with. They are just wasting it and much like the guy I commented about the entire local government also seems to be unwilling to help itself and seems to be insisting on everyone continually helping them.

Incidentally the statement about the upper levels of government assisting is in fact incorrect on one important level as it applies to New Orleans and Katrina. Many people complain about the federal government not coming to the immediate aid of the people there. That was not in fact the Federal Government’s job. If you remember all of the ads and advice about having a three day supply of food, water, medications, and etc. That is because as a general rule, and according to the master federal disaster plan, local communities and the state and local governments and the local people themselves are supposed to take care of normal reoccurring “disasters” on their own without federal aid. They are also supposed to take care of the survival of everyone for the first 72 hours in all disasters. Then the federal government is supposed to, after being officially asked by the local and state governments, come in and assist.

I agree that the federal government and fairly massive levels of assistance was needed by New York after 9/11. One has to wonder about building these buildings in that manner, and building such “wonderful targets”, but at the point of 9/12 that was water under the bridge a little like the number of people living many feet below sea level that close to the coast in the 9th ward. In both cases all the aid our nation could bring to the problem was appropriate. But I happen to disagree with the level of federal spending on “homeland security” in New York at this point. New York should on a city and state level fund their own operational expenses.

Now Certainly New York and for that mater Washington DC at major targets for another attack. We should be ready to respond to such an attack. But:

a. Any preparations we fund at a federal level for an attack on these cities should be available to anywhere in the nation which is attacked. These should like the national guard be a federal resource, and not something that the City would release and use elsewhere out of the “goodness of their heart.”

b. In general in many cases these preparations should in fact be taking place elsewhere. This is much like all of the equipment supplies and personnel needed to respond to flooding in the 9th ward should not be stores and staged at the bottom of the 9th ward.

c. The Federal Government should not be funding ongoing operations. If the local government can’t afford to do something with the proper safeguards and security then they should shut that down and not live off the federal dole. Now the planning for the use of items discussed in points a and b as the specifically apply to New York situations, and the drilling of these items is a federal issue. Normal day to day operations should not be.

By the way I have found myself in need. Yes there were those who came to my aid. “Thanks” to an accident where the other individual was uninsured I spent three years unable to work. The first year of this time period I was unable to even feed or dress myself (we won’t discuss the bathroom issues ). People came to my aid, but they also insisted that where I could I helped myself. They insisted that I make realistic and reachable plans to care for myself. Both the help I received, and also the “help” I did not, are why I now am back in the work force, and also why I am able to come here and educate you.

I love sarcasm.

That is a very uncaring thing to say, and though I agree with you in the fact that much of people’s individual success is dependent on their self-motivation and desire to do well, I also must give equal acknowledgment to the reality that their ability to succeed is tightly related to complicated socio-economic problems that I think anybody can agree will not be solved by giving up and letting them fend for themselves.

regarding the state/federal levels of aid and government, it is a basic and very important idea that when organizational and financial resources have been exhausted from the scene of a local situation, it is the obligation for higher levels of government (county, state, then federal government) to intervene and help out. I doubt that very anybody would have dismissed New York City’s call for help from higher government interaction during 9/11, 2001.

This is my last word, I wouldn’t want to fall prey to internet trolling. I suggest you to start treating others the way you yourself would like to be treated, lest the next time you find yourself in need, somebody will have the compassion to help you, if you ever need it.

The government may be there to serve the people, but part of that is not just being a nanny. If the state of Louisiana can’t deal with the problem at this point then the Federal Government SHOULD NOT take control. The people of Louisiana should kick the existing government out and get a government which can deal with the problem.

Of course I still wonder why it is that we are at all helping with the “recovery” in the 9th ward. We have spent huge amounts of money and will spend more, and for what. To build more homes in a location where it is inevitable that they will once again get flooded. Remember the pictures of the water over the roofs of the houses in this area? That water was not even actually sea level. It was not even at the level of a low tide and it was still over the roofs. That should tell you something. This is not a location we should permit people to live. Now Mississippi got hit with a hurricane and a storm surge that was in places 11 foot high. That is one thing. We talk about Katrina taking out New Orleans, but it basically missed the city. Instead the levies just gave way. And the coast is approaching New Orleans. In a few decades it will be an island. Islands which are below sea level should not be allowed to exist, and can not exist for long.

I know that I will catch it for this statement, but it is not like most of these people had jobs that required them to be in the area. Pay attention to the news, most of these people were on public aid. They could live on the public dole anywhere. Certainly resettling them in the 9th ward is a really dumb idea. It just means that in a few years, probably much less than a decade we will be spending billions more on this area and we will have another cemetery full of “hurricane victims”. Just like we at times need to say to a wino on the street, “I know you want to get some booze, but I won’t help you do it” we need to say no to these people for their own good.