Mississippians are suffering from the same woes as Louisianians as they try to pull their lives back together after Katrina.
From Ana Maria at A. M. In the Morning:
Once again, Mr. Foot-in-Mouth Diseased Insurance Commissioner of the State of Mississippi—George Dale—has implied that the majority of Americans ought to move. That’s right, George Dale thinks that the 55% of Americans whom the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency reported live within 50 miles of our nation’s gloriously beautiful coastlines should move from our homes, families, communities, places of worship, jobs, and friends . . . and that if we don’t, then—by George—we get what we deserve from the worst of Mother Nature.
Oh, George, you are such a horse’s patoot!
Hey, George! That's me and lots of other people too!
Perhaps George Dale would like to list the “safe” geographical places in our nation so that the 55% of us who live within 50 miles of our nation’s “unsafe” coastlines can immediately pack up and move to this alleged “safe place”. By the way, according to the Census Bureau, 55% of our nation’s population equals 167 million Americans. I wonder where George is anticipating us to move? Where exactly is this fictitious place where we can live outside of harm’s way?
Plus, she pitches hardballs at the insurance companies who are trying to weasel out of paying what's due to their customers. She's talking about a local politician, George Dale, the Mississippi State Insurance Commissioner, but her subject is applicable to many of us who could be next in the path of a natural (or not so natural) disaster. What chance does the ordinary citizen have when the public official whose job it is to regulate a business takes sides with the business he's supposed to regulate, against the interests of people who pay his salary?
"Where exactly is this fictitious place where we can live outside of harm’s way?"
ReplyDeleteWhere, indeed! Grandmère. Where I live, there are tornadoes that mow down everything in their path periodically. In California the earth shakes, splits and opens up to swallow people. This is followed by hot winds, fire, torrential rains and mud slides. The drought and fire problem seems to be almost everywhere this summer. Then the floods came in Texas, as we just saw. There is no “safe” place. Meanwhile, in Seaside, Florida, where the founders used some good sense and left the primary dunes in place when they built, they have taken almost a direct hit and remained relatively unscathed. Perhaps, its how we build, not where we build that is more of an answer. I don’t think anything on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, no matter how well built, could have withstood Katrina, however. I do think that much of New Orleans could have been spared with better preparedness by the Corps of Engineering and a plan in place to keep the pumps going throughout the entire storm surge.
Grandmere Mimi, I just found you via Jan (Yearning for God). Absolutely LOVE your blog! Just wondering what you are thinking of our presidential candidates...?
ReplyDeleteFor years now (ever since a tornado destroyed my house in Nashville), I have said that insurance companies are the Anti-Christ--and the Insurance Commissioner is their henchman.
ReplyDeleteIn Tennessee, which is one of the least consumer-friendly states in the union, the laws were all written to favor the insurance companies in a dispute. I suspect that Mississippi is much the same.
Which raises the question for me: When are people going to get outraged at the way we privilege big business over the little people who pay the bills? Why even have insurance if they can make it next to impossible for you to collect?!
Whew. I guess I had forgotten how much the words "Insurance Commissioner" raises my blood pressure...
Boocat, I can't tell you where the "safe" place is where we are all to huddle. There's weather everywhere in the country, so far as I know, and then there are the earthquakes.
ReplyDeleteThrow global warming into the mix and many of us will be sunk.
Allowing the destruction of the sand dunes to promote development directly on the water was a sad and stupid decision.
Katherine E., welcome. Thanks for your kind words. Come again.
As to the presidential candidates, the Republicans are easy. A rogues gallery of old and middle-aged, boring white men, who represent none of the diversity in the country. I try not to look at them, because they make me a little sick.
Guiliani is such a buffoon that you can't help noticing him, just a little. Then there's Romney's perfect hair, and then poor John McCain still cosying up to Bush.
The Democrats would take longer for me to discuss. I'm reserving judgment for now. We have 16 months to go, and they're only on the edge of my attention now, with the exception of Hillary's cleavage and the tiny sliver of breast that might have been visible. This was the talk of the TV for several days. You would hardly have known that there's a war on and that our president is trashing the Constitution.
Doxy, as our insurance premiums rise every year, we wonder sometimes if we might just consider dropping the insurance and investing the premiums and taking our chances.
Pretty soon, only the rich will be able to afford to live in our area. I thought insurance was about spreading risk.
Then, after you've paid in for years, if catastrophe strikes, you have to fight for what should be rightfully yours.
Wow! This is a long one. someone struck a nerve or several nerves.
Grandmère Mimi, I don't want to live anywhere else but New Orleans, and if the big one hits us again, I hope it takes us fast. But maybe I should get a boat and keep it in the attic, with an ax to chop out the roof. (The last place I'd go would be Mississippi.)
ReplyDeleteOrmonde, if I had only myself to consider, I'd live in New Orleans, too.
ReplyDeleteWe have the boat. All my husband has to do is loose it from the trailer, tether it on a long rope, and let it float.
Speaking of floods, I go to the Lectionary and find this:
ReplyDeletePsalm 69
Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
I noticed that, too, but in a more personal metaphorical way.
ReplyDeleteI drove thru one tornado (by accident), cleaned up after a few, then moved to CT, where our mild climate is only interrupted by occasional hurricanes & Nor'easters (hurricanes with snow and ice).
I do pay a scant of attention to da Dems, but I 'm waiting till it sifts down more, except for the occasional Edwards contribution. I think I could work for HRC, or even Obama, too.
Hey, long 'R' me.
I should add that I would vote for any of the Democratic candidates over a Republican.
ReplyDeleteWith that logic, my parents would also have to move because they live 4.5 miles from the Long Island Sound.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have loved Psalm 69 ever since high school when I landed on it during a hard time.
Caminante, where would we huddle? Who will tell us?
ReplyDelete"Caminante, where would we huddle? Who will tell us?"
ReplyDeleteIf it's either FEMA or the Department of --berk-- Homeland Security, I am headed in the opposite direction. I've always thought my Vermont mountains are pretty solid. They may be cold but they are sturdy.
How about if we all pack up our troubles in our old kit bags and head up to Vermont to your nice state built on a rock, where we will smile, smile, smile?
ReplyDelete