Rich, middle class, and poor all get herded into stadiums

[MoonRiver]

when the results of GOP enabled global warming occur. Natural disasters do not discriminate between economic classes.

Will the citizens of Southern Cali get better/faster assistance than the poor of New Orleans? Frankly, I do not think * gives a wet rat's arse for any of them. Because of this, I fear for all of my fellow Americans' safety, wherever they are suffering from disasters beyond their ability to control, and as long as this vicious cabal is in charge of rescuing them.

[DesertFlower]

1. i agree. nt

[melody]

2. Most of the people having their homes burned are middle-class

If we get better assistance, it's because we're more affluent in California. It's the President's
job to bridge that gap between rich and poor states. When Katrina struck, 18% of all donations
originated in California.

[Skidmore]

3. You are assuming those same people will remain in the middle class

after the insurance companies get done finding reasons not to honor their claims.

[melody]

5. I'm not assuming shit -- I'm sitting here waiting to help friends evacuate

... Meanwhile, heartless people on message boards cheer on people whose dreams are going up in flames.

[Skidmore]

9. I hear your pain.

My comment addresses the very real fact that whenever a community is destroyed by a disaster these days, the insurance companies do their best to avoid any obligation on their part. I hope your friends are safe and well, and are able to recuperate their losses. I fear that many will not be able to. My brother lives out there too. I know that if his home were affected he would lose everything he and his wife has worked for and likely not be able to be made whole again in terms of physical possession. I just hope they and the kids remain safe.

[MoonRiver]

10. Skidmore, I too hope your family is safe.

:hug:

[melody]

12. The assumption that all Californians are wealthy is what I argued with

Your point seemed to be (and I'd ask forgiveness for being irritable due to all the "California should burn" posts today) that we're all going to be less wealthy. My point is we're ALL less wealthy than most people believe.

I hope your family -- and my family -- emerges safe.

[Skidmore]

14. I understand.

Peace, my sister.

[MoonRiver]

15. melody, my prayers are with your family as well as Skidmore's.

Didn't mean to ignore your family's situation. :hug:

[kineneb]

41. lots of poor people in CA

due to cost of housing eating up most of their income... and let us not forget those on fixed incomes (like us)...

Yes, we live in CA (NorCal) and yes, we are poor: annual income= $14K (2 people)

so my heart goes out to all who have lost homes, of what ever kind, and those who do not know if they still have a home... I have nothing to give but positive thoughts (and maybe several bags of USDA mashed potato flakes)

[Wiley50]

4. Maybe the Rich will learn something from the experience

of actually having to rub elbows and get to know the poor.

I don't hate them for being rich

It's because most are greedy and uncaring

[MoonRiver]

6. They will, if they need a lesson.

From what I've read here 18% of the donations to Katrina survivors came from CA.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I am amazed at what folks are posting on this board

as disgusting as NOLA by the way

Just in case you wonder the people at Ramona and Potrero are NOT well to do

[melody]

13. Thank you -- exactly! n/t

[Wiley50]

17. I KNOW THAT! and didn't say what you're putting in my mouth!

I'm not saying all are rich or any of the crap I've read here the last 24 hours

Just that the ones that ARE rich

will get a chance to interact with those they wouldn't otherwise meet

and I hope they learn something from it

The OP reads that rich, poor and in between are together

so I went from there

I'm not one of those who have been saying that it's only the rich and they deserve their grief

I DIDN'T SAY THAT!

[melody]

16. Where on earth did you get the idea that most of the people burning are rich?

Most of the houses burning in mountain communities are old settlements -- lived in by teachers and trash collectors who've lived there for generations. Most of the homes in the north LA county canyon areas are lived in by people who can't *afford* to live in LA proper but who work there.

This ignorance of and resentment toward California and its people is inexcusable, ludicrous and cruel.
Yeah, my husband and I make $100,000 a year -- our tiny saltine box of a house cost a quarter of a million dollars. That's like someone from Mexico saying "Oh, you make a million pesos and live in LA, you must be rich!"

[Wiley50]

18. Read my post #17 You misunderstand me

although I guess many are very sensitive at this point

[bobbolink]

23. In your upset, you are misreading his words.

Please look again, and understand what he actually said.

Thank you.

[Wiley50]

26. Thanks Bobbolink

I keep hoping that they'll acknowledge my reply, but I guess it's not to be.

[bobbolink]

27. Unfortunately, that's not the DU way. :( Especially when it has to do with class issues.

How are ya doin', Wiley50?

I think of you, and send you good thoughts!

I really do think we need more in the way of Integration, concerning class issues! Whether it comes from planning, as in the case of the National Housing Trust Fund bill, or by catastrophies. We need to become less invisible!

Where's that danged raised fist emoticon when you need it? :hi:

[Wiley50]

31. Read some of Joe Bageant's stuff (see next post)

Everytrhing he writes is about the very things you are saying here.

The Democratic party needs to find it's roots and it's roots are with the working poor.
We are the party's natural base, but they have forgotten us.

They need to remember fast

Take care

[melody]

40. How about coming to California, dealing with evacuating friends and try a "sense of humor"

Guess that's a lot to ask for on DU.

[bobbolink]

42. You don't need to dump your anger on me.

You haven't a CLUE what I'm going through, and if you want empathy, you need to be willing to give it.

[bobbolink]

22. Yes, Integration is important!

I've been thinking about that a lot lately.... how even liberal muddleclass people don't really know much about us poor folk.

It's high time we mingled.

:hi:

[Wiley50]

29. Bobbolink, if you get a chance to read some short stories

My best buddy, Joe Bageant, has dedicated his writings to bridging the divide between the working poor and the affleuent liberals.

His website is joebageant.com and he has tons of short stories there.

He also finally got a book published this year. It's called "Deerhunting with Jesus" although it has almost nothing to do with deerhunting or Jesus. His publisher picked it.

He came from a very poor family in Virginia and has a lot to say that is good for people like you and me

[bobbolink]

34. Thanks so much for that suggestion! I will look for it, as I have time at the library!

Would you pick something there and post it? Really, we are badly in need of some eye-opening here!

:pals:

[Wiley50]

35. People post his stuff in Editorials and essays all the time

Does the library have a printer you can use?

Just go to his website and print out one or more of his essays to read when you have time

They're each only a few pages long

[bobbolink]

37. Thanks... I usually don't have time for that forum... it would be good if

some of it was here, where more people see it.

I'll try to print out what I can, when I have an opportunity.

Thanks for clueing me in!

[classof56]

7. Yep, that's the plain and simple bottom line: * does not care.

Not for any of us, nor for anyone or anything on the face of this earth, save only for his rich cronies and their continued ability to garner yet more riches, no matter how, no matter what, no matter who suffers.

I have often said through my years on DU: God help us all. Hasn't worked so far, and to be honest, I'm rethinking my lifelong faith and beliefs in God. I've run out of words lately, and am now struggling to make sense of life, the universe and everything. I share your fear for all of us, and your reason why--the vicious cabal is an understatement!

Tired Old Cynic

[Deja Q]

8. I hate to break this to you, but who rescinded the 55MPH speed limit?

The results of which waste more energy, cause more gasses to be pumped into the atmosphere...

BILL CLINTON.

He was not a Republican!!!

Don't give me the jive talk that it's 100% GOP-based. Dems have enabled it too.

Indeed and ironically, Nixon first instituted the 55MPH speed limit due to energy waste. He had his problems, no argument there, but at other times (shit) he actually did the right things. As did Bill Clinton. It depends on the issue.

Common sense isn't a monopoly for one political party; nor for the other.

There's a lot, from BOTH sides, about BOTH positions ABOUT global warming. This is no time for one-track seig heil party licking. The REALITY is, some Repubs are as much against the waste as Dems, and some Dems aren't 100% sincere about the concept either. And I've posted those topics before; I needn't re-post them.

Flame away.

[begin_within]

19. Watch news reports from Qualcomm Stadium. Try this link

http://www.10news.com/video/14036255/index.html

That's the live video feed from KGTV. Also Katie Couric was there today and doing the CBS Evening News. Everyone at Qualcomm Stadium seems pretty content - there is plenty of free food and drinks, cots to sleep on, medical screening, veterinarians, even yoga classes, massages, clowns, musical entertainment - hell, I'm even tempted to go down there myself, and I only live a mile away. It sounds like a pretty good time, frankly.

[MoonRiver]

20. They haven't been there for three days, with a raging fire surrounding the building, yet.

I hope they never do. But the fact is that everybody thought the Superdome was a great place until the doors locked down and people couldn't come in or leave for days.

[melody]

21. We have rehearsals for the Santana fires every year

We're well-geared to take care of our own. Katrina didn't have the rehearsals that we've had.
We're also a lot more affluent as an overall community.

You're also seeing people who may have lost everything. Consider that in your assessments.

[alarimer]

39. Wait until the toilets start overflowing

At least they have electricity and water, which is more than the Superdome had. So maybe it won't quite be squalor but if you get a lot of people living in close quarters, it gets disgusting in a hurry.

[bobbolink]

24. If that is actually what happens, then there will be an "up" side to this whole mess.

A lot of the ugly things that are said about poor folk are because muddleclass and rich people don't actually know them/us personally.

I hope there is some deep learning in this situation!! It's TIME.

[tyedyeto]

25. I don't think * gives a shit either way.......

It's just a photo op to him.

"Let's find us some poor person who just happened to be a victim/evacuee of this catastrophe". Then, "We'll take pictures with these poor folks so everyday Joe thinks we love him".

God!!! How phony can it get?

[Wcross]

28. Shit, the rich left town.

Rich people don't huddle in a stadium, they hop on the lear jet and go somewhere pleasent.

[sandnsea]

30. As do the "struggling" 10%

There may be some upper income people who are hoping to return home quickly, but otherwise they are gone, like you say. And I don't even have a problem with it, it helps ease the burden for people who can't leave. It's just the denial of the circumstances that drives me nuts.

[DaveJ]

38. The rich, and middle class just hop a plane

Or get a Hotel room, which many could never afford. If they have the leisure time, they might try to help out others. But the rest have to worry about where they will stay that night. Frankly if our apartment burned down it would be just another day in life. I think that a lot of people in the U.S. deal with struggles like this on a daily basis. But this is not the time to care about them.

[Imagevision]

32. Get real! - how many are dying outside the stadiums or on the freeway? how many

babies dies in Malibu or San Diego? or how many had to wait days before they were provided water? -
Do ya think it was a black thing after all?

Malibu - New Orleans,
The Rich & Famous - The poor - They say what have we learned from Katrina? > obviously the blacks were discriminated against plain and simple, this much is obvious!

[piesRsquare]

33. Uh, assistance?

We're approaching Day 5 of these fires and no federal aid has arrived yet. Heck, Bush only declared it a federal disaster just this afternoon (10/23)...

This is a completely different situation from New Orleans...in so many ways, that I feel too tired right now to detail them. There's more to the Superdome story than many people know.

Agreed, Bush doesn't give a shit about anyone. That's why we, as Americans, must look out for each other, and feel (and show) the compassion for one another that our (current) government is incapable of.

[tyedyeto]

36. 'They' are not all in stadiums...

my son is visiting the area and was evacuated. They are staying in a church parking lot.

The press looks at the 'big picture' and seldom looks at where many who have been displaced are.