thanes05

Some times you have a choice in living where you want to, and other times you do not. My father, who was in the United States Air Force, got stationed at Keesler Air Force Base 10 years ago. So, my family had no choice of where we ended up. Also, the coast of MS is not overbuilt. However, you would probably not know this considering the fact you have probably never been here. When an insurance company tells you insurance is not needed, due to the fact that you are not in a flood zone, what would do? Would you take the flood insurance, which cost over 500 a month, or would pass on it? They are telling you it is a pointless venture. You tell me what you would do. Also, the average income in MS is around 25,000. So, flood insurance would cost you around 6,000 dollars a year. If your making only 25,000 dollars, is it worth it to pay for flood insurance when your not in a flood zone? You tell me what you would do. And, I would also like to hear why other portions of our country are against the idea of providing assistance to areas hit by Katrina.

I'm not trying to write a term paper here. We are all here on a message board, and I doubt that any of us are checking our replies for grammatical errors. The Gulf Coast of MS is hit by a hurricane once every 8 years, not 3. Most of those hurricanes have been at a category 2 or less, which does little or no damage. Do you realize how much wind power and how much storm surge it takes to actually cuase devastating damage? Based on your post, I would say you do not. It takes a hurricane 3 or higher to cause extensive damage, which means a lot. However, a hurricane 3 actually effects only a small portion of the area hit. Hurricanes like Katrina are rare. In fact, there have been only 3 devastating hurricanes to hit the atlantic portion of the United States in the last 36 years. So, the chances of your area being hit by a hurricane as strong as Katrina are very small. What were the odds that 2 out of the 3 worst hurricanes hit MS? None of us are asking you to buy us a house. We are asking for assistance to get us back on our feet. And if you think 5,000 dollars is enough to get someone back on their feet you are crazy. And it also says you are not caring, and you have no heart. My family will do fine. Yes, we will end up in some type of debt, but we will still make out much better than a lot of other people on the coast. Those are the people I am worried about. The average income in Mississippi is only 25,000. How are people who are living on that much money supposed to recover? How are they supposed to get back to the lifestyle they once had. They need AMERICA's assistance, not yours alone. But, again, you will probably not understand any of this.

You need to understand that we our working extremely hard. We're talking at least 8 hours a day. However, to do the work you have to have certain resources, and to get those resources you have to have money. Nothing is free, not even in a crisis situation, such as Hurricane Katrina. We're not asking people to come down here and do the work for us. If that was that was what you were thinking you were largely mistaken. We are working for ourselves. People are reconstructing their own houses. Certain businesses are charging 11,000 dollars for certain jobs, which can be done in a day. And you know what? My father and I did the job on our own. So, do not think we want outsiders to do our work. The Gulf Coast just needs money, in order to complete the jobs. As for your comments on religion, please do not degrade any form of Christianity. Now, I do not actually follow the type of Chrisitianity you were describing. I, myself, am Methodist, which is the largest denomination in the United States. Do not think I am trying to say one is better than another, because I am not. My Mom's side of the family is Catholic, and it is a following I largely respect.

I'm not really going to bother with replying to this post, but I would like you to take a look at a post I did earlier, which involves the Bible. There are a a lot of good points in it and I would really like you to take a look at it. As for the Bills, I am a huge fan. I am originally from Buffalo for crying out loud! I've been through a number of ups and downs when cheering for that team. However, this board is for politically based discussions. So, let's stick to the political topics.

I"m not even going to give a direct response to that one.

First off, you would not be doing this single handley. This is something our country would do together. So, do not think it is up to your family, and only your family to help the people on the Gulf Coast. Second, I can afford this area. I am teacher. My fiance' is a teacher. I am not asking for assistance for myself. I am asking for assistance for the GULF COAST. CAN YOU NOT GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD. I have some friends who have not received any type of aid, due to the amount of money they make, which is middle class pay. It is people like this who need some type of aid. The majority of the coast cannot afford to pay 25% of their monthly income for flood insurance. The coast is something our country needs. Have you ever heard of Ingals Ship Yard? If you havent, it is a place where a large portion of our military's ships are built. Do you not think our country needs this? The Gulf coast is also used as a major port. Do you not think this something our country needs? And I know I've already said this, but a good portion of our nations oil is refined down here. There are a number of things the Gulf Coast does for our country, but there is really no reason to continue with it. Now, since the Gulf Coast is so important, aren't people a major part of it. I mean, people are obviously needed for all of this to operate right? However, they are not payed that well. So, you need to be a bit more thankful for what they do. Your life would not be as comfortable if it wasn't for all of this or all of these people. You people need to be willing to support all those who have lost just about everything they have. They have done a lot for you, by providing you with a number of supplies, ships, etc... Just keep all of this in mind. Also, keep this in mind: Leviticus 25:35 " 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you."

Comparing the Sahara Desert to the Gulf Coast is something I'm not even going to try and argue with. It is that stupid to actually put those two together. Do any of you realize the importance of the Gulf Coast? Have any of you heard of something called oil? Do not even try to say we're rolling dice by living down here. Do not even try to say we lost. This community will be rebuilt. This community will stand once again. Enough said.

ok, well lets do the math. the average household income in mississippi is around`25 thousand. Lets just say that the household is bringing home 2000 a month. ok flood insurance in areas that our govenment deems safe is over 500 a month. so you tell me can you afford to send a quater of your income on flood insurance when our government is deeming these areas safe. do you have flood insurace? do you have earthquake insurace? could you afford either if is was a quartere of your salary. the fact is everyone on the coast would love to have flood insurance but it is simply not feasable for that to happen. the choice to have flood insurance is not a a choice at all the rich can afford it and the working class, which by the way drives this county by building your suv or bmw, cannot afford the insurace. the choice is not a choice at all, it is simply something we pray doesnt come into play but unfortunatly it has. during nine eleven do you know the area that suffered the most. initially obviously the north and im not downplaying that, but the south is where most of the troops that now occupy the middle east came from. our nation asked the south and the national guardsmen here to respond and we didnt B word. we grabbed our guns and began to fight for our country. we didnt say that terrorism is a northern problem even though there has never been any threat in the south we simply said that terrorism is a national problem that we were happy to fight for. now your saying that natural disasters are a southern or coastling problem it is not it is a problem facing this nation and i believe that every american should dig deep and help the problem not sit here and B word about money. trust me we would rather give up money than our brothers sister husbands wives ancd childeren!

Do you honestly think I only care about myself? That is one of the most idotic things I have heard you say yet. It is not my house I want rebuilt, it is the Gulf Coast that I want rebuilt. When the Federal Government says there is no need for insurance, what would you do? Think about it. With the previous record of storm surge being around 23 feet, 75% of the coast had nothing to worry about. That is why no one even thought about getting insurance. Katrina's storm surge was up around 30 feet! But, this is all probably a bit to complicated for you to understand. This is America. Americans help fellow Americans. That is what I cannot stand about people in the North. The majority of the people are selfish and unwillingly to support the idea of raising taxes. Do you remember when Florida got hit by 4 hurricanes last year? Do you know a large amount of the people hit down there have yet to receive aid from our Government. It has been over a year! So, do not even think about calling me selfish. I care about the people down here, as do most of the people in the South. Learn to think about others, not yourself. If anyone is being selfish, it is you.

I tried living in Buffalo again this past winter, and it was something I just could not do. I will not go into detail, but I did feel the living conditions were very tough, the cost of living was tremendous, and the taxes were out of this world. Now, I will visit Buffalo every summer, but I will never live there again. I"m not trying to put the place down, it does have it's advantages. I think it just depends on the type of person you are. Buffalo is for some people, but for others it is just not possible.

Yes, there has been a great a deal aid provided by other states, and that is something we are all very thankful for. However, people from all of those states have been complaining about it too. Actually, a great amount of people from those states have been complaing. Firemen, and power worker's are not complaining because of one thing, and that is money. Now, the common citizen from states not hit are bickering. Bickering about how their money is being wasted. In my opinion, these people, who are complaining, are selfish, pathetic losers. If some type of disaster occurred in the North, I gurantee the South would do as much as possible to assist the areas affected. They would not be upset with how much aid the Federal Government is providing.

Do you think a category 4 does not do that much damage? Are you nuts?! The wind damage is horrific. When Katrina hit, the winds were around 150 miles per hour. The wind itself did a ton of damage. Roof were literally blown off of people's houses! Then there is the flooding. When a storm that large approaches, it brings A LOT of sea water with it. It literally pushes in water. Areas that were considered unfloodable flooded. The reason they were considered unfloodable is because when Hurricane Camille hit, it hit MS Gulf Coast back in 69, it set a record for storm surge, which was around 23 feet. When Katrina hit, the storm surge got around 30 feet! It was unheard of. Not our city, not our state, not our National Government, and not our National Hurricane Center thought this could ever happen. This is why so people were not insured. This is why Insurance company's, such as All State, State Farm, and Nation Wide, charge 500 a month for people who are not in a "flood zone." If you are in a flood zone, you have a to pay a far smaller amount of money per month for insurance. How is a middle class family to respond to all of this? And do not start talking about how it is their choice to live down there. Honestly, my opinion of you is that you do not care about other people. All you care about is yourself, and only yourself. At a time like this you should be willing to help out as much as you can. I"m going to say this, and it is something I thought I would never say. There are a higher percentage of people in the South who are caring, and willing to help one another. Now, there are people like that in the North, but a far smaller amount. And do not say I would not know this because I live in the South. I spent half of my life living in Tonawanda, New York, which is right by Buffalo. A lot of people there can be grumpy, and unsupportive. It just makes me so mad to hear people complain about people wanting or receiving aid, due to Hurricane Katrina.

The test begins with an "R." Now, I am not sure if it is for Seniors only, but from what I have heard the results are from Western New York. There is a plus side to this. Many people have been complaining that the test is just to hard for high schoolers. Not every child is meant to go to college, which means a lot of them will have trouble passing this test. A big factor for NY doing so well in school is all due to one thing and that is money. NY spends a large amount of cash on their childrens education. When resources are made available to the community, teachers, and students, things can and will go well. Once you start teaching in NY, you have to have your Master's Degree with in 3 years! That is requirement most states do not have. Ofcourse, the pay teacher's receive in NY also help's attract high quality educators. If it was not for the cold weather, taxes, cost of living, and a number of other things, I would probably move back to NY. However, there is one thing keeping me down here on the coast, and that is the coast it self. The environment is outstanding, the winters are mild, and there is a large amount of entertainment. Yes, I do miss a lot of Bills games, but the way they're playing right now I really do not care.

Thanks for what?

Yeah, only 5,000 bucks. When a middle class home is destroyed, what is 5,000 supposed to do? If you think that money helps you are crazy. If your home was desstroyed you would expect a lot more too.

Not all parts of Biloxi are covered by the FEMA flood program. Also, I live across the bay from Biloxi in a city named D'Iberville. Now, the area we live in is NOT an area that the Federal Government is trying to limit growth. Schools, churches, neighborhoods, and stores have been built in this area. A good portion of it is not in a flood zone, and they do charge 500 or more a month for flood insurance. A lot of you would not understand how the system works down here. Just because it works in a certain way in VA does not mean it works the same on the Gulf Coast, which is prone to Hurricane activity.

I unerstand a lot of what your saying, and honestly, I"m not going to comment on it until I can do some research, which I will do. But, there is one thing I do want to comment on. When looking at the populated areas of MS, such as the Gulf Coast, Jackson area, Hattiesburg area, and Oxford area, it ranks in the top 12 in thte nation. What brings down the scores is the poor delta area, which is in the northern portion of the state. So, do not consider the state of MS as the least educated state in our nation. Also, I recently learned of a test that NY students are required to pass, in order to graduate from high school. I cannot remember the name of it, but over 3,500 students failed it this pass year. A good portion of them coming fromt the western New York area. If your wondering how I know this, it is because I have family who live in Tonawanda, Grand Island, and Rochester.

One more thing. Prior to Hurricane Katrina hitting, only 25% of the coast was considered "floodable." And the floodzones were determined by our National Government.

I'm sorry, but you are receiving incomplete information. On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, people who are NOT in a flood zone have to pay 500 or more a month for flood insurance. That is a fact. Come live down here and you will realize this. My informaiton is not "what I"ve heard." My information is from personal experience. My family owns a home in Biloxi, MS. We are in an area that is not considered a flood zone. All State, who is our insurance company, charges people who are not in a flood zone 500 or more a month for flood insurance. You can call All State if you want too. This is how it works on the Gulf Coast. Of course, you live up in an area that has tremendous amounts of Lake effect snow. So, I am sure you would never want to leave that place. (Sarcasm) Since we moved into MS, which was 11 years ago, we have been hit by 2 hurricanes. Hurricane Georges, which hit us 7 years ago, did little damage. This storm was a category 3, which is one category less than Katrina. Our house did not even come close to flooding with Georges. Katrina did something that was unprecedented. It flooded areas that were considered unfloodable. Very few hurricanes have been at the level of Katrina. Very few hurricanes have been as damaging as Katrina. You also have to look at the odds, meaning what are the chances of a storm so powerful hitting your hometown. The chances are extremely slim. But, you probably know little about this.

Is this board not under Politics, Polls, and Pundits? Because last I checked it was. Yes, I am a Bills fan. I am originally from Buffalo. I ended up down in MS by joining the United States Air Force. I come to this site regularly to check up on the Bills, and to see what the community thinks of them. And as of right now, the Bills are not looking that good. Tampa Bay exploited a large number of wholes in our offense and defense. It's going to take time for JP to develop. This is his "first" year. I just hope it does not take to long. Also, the loss of Pat Williams is huge. Right now the Bills defense is not doing that well. Cadillac rushed all over the Bills. Whenever a team can run the ball that well, they win. Enough said. I just hope the Bills will be able to run the ball much better against Atlanta. If they fall to 1 and 2 this could be another VERY long season. Honestly, I see the Bills going 8-8, which will not get them into the playoffs. I think it is pathetic this team has not made the playoffs since the 99-00 season. Our organization has fallen to the bottom of the NFL.

First off, MS did receive billions in damage, that is not including Louisiania or Alabama. The Federal government is actually giving little in support. I believe the average amount a person is receiving right now is 5,000, which is virtually nothing. If not in a flood zone in MS, a person has to pay 500 a month for flood insurance. That is outrageous. The insurance comapnies told us that we were not in an area that could be flooded. They told us not to worry about it. What would you do if you were told this. Pay 500 a month even though the insurance comany's are telling you not to worry about it. Also, if you are in flood zone, the insurance is dirt cheap. So, it was actually a benefit to be in a flood zone, which we were not. The people of Mississippi are not looking for a free handout. If it was not for MS or Louisiania, where would your oil be brought in to? What would the gas prices be if the oil in gulf did not exist? Think about it. The price of oil of in England is over 6 dollars!(The conversion to american standards has been made) If your house was destroyed, you wold be looking for some type of aid, and I gurantee you 5,000 dollars would make you really upset. Not many people will be able to get back to their normal lives becaues our government is doing little to help out. And NO STATE can afford billions of dollars in damage, not even New York. And speaking of each state being self sufficient, what state initially wanted state's rights? New York supported and still supports a Federal Government. Your state is in dire need. Your state needs A LOT of help. MS has done well on it's own. MS has not needed much Federal aid in the past. MS is an important state in our country, and that is something you need to accept. New York on the other hand has some serious problems. I know a large number of relatives who live in New York, and all they ever do is complain about the New York's government. People do not do that down here. People actually support it.

Again, a blizzard does not destroy large parts of a city. A hurricane destroys more than a city. It destroys cities! It destroys families homes. It destroys schools. I could go on and on. A bad snow storm will not do that. Not a city, or a state can afford to repair it all. Is this to hard for you to understand?

uhhh....We're not going to put our state in the situation New York is in. NY is one of the in most debt states in our country. Things are fine in MS. A lot of people move out of New York every year, due to taxes. I'm sure taxes will go up somewhat for Hurricane preparation, but they will not go that high. No state, and I mean no state, can afford to pay the full amount of damages caused by a major hurricane, which is a 3 or higher. The cost of Katrina is going to be in the Billions. New York itself could not afford to pay that off. The Federal Government is needed for all states hit by a major hurricane. Get over it.

Hurricane Rita, which may be just as damaging as Katrina, if not worse. I have a number of worries, such as the people in Texas and western Louisiania. I want them to be ok, and to not experience what we experienced in Biloxi, MS. However, a number of us down here have a certain fear, and thats being left behind. If the damage caused by Rita is at a high cost, what will happen to the people effected by Katrina? Will our Government forget about the billions of dollars in damage on the coast? Will our Government pull a lot of it's support groups out and send them to TX? Now, I do want those people to be taken care, but I do not want us to be forgotten about. People in other parts of the country, such as Buffalo, do not know what this is like. You have not lost your homes, your jobs, or even your friends and family. Now, I do understand that you guys do get a tough Blizzard every now and then, but that is no where in comparison of a hurricane 4 or higher. I just want to see an equal amount of support applied to both areas. Both sides deserve it, and both sides need it.

I'm from the gulf coast of Mississippi, and right now the Mexican Governmnet has Marines in Biloxi, MS. Mexican Marines were also in D'Iberville, MS, which is North Biloxi. It makes me very happy to hear all of this. I live in D'Iberville, MS.