More of the Same

Today is the 41st anniversary of the premiere of Citizen Kane. It is my husband's favorite movie. He's an Orson Welles fan. Classic.

Last week the further extension of FEMA aid to the Hurricane Katrina renters was decided. They will get yet another 18 additional months. One difference this time is that next year they will be expected to contribute to their rent. So, more than 120,000 families will continue with their housing assistance through March 2009. It was scheduled to end on August 31 this year.

When it became apparent that the August 31 deadline for cutoff was looming in the foreground, the city of Houston co-hosted a workshop day for the Katrina people, once again. Lots of volunteer do-gooders were there to assist the filers with paperwork asking for extensions. Some came for the job fair. Most felt that they would again receive an extension.

Yes, that's right. Most are so empowered with a sense of entitlement from 'the government' that they fully expect to be on the taxpayer's dime for the foreseeable future. They are victims and it is everyone else's fault but their own. Same old, same old.

On September 1, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will take over the program from FEMA. Keep in mind that they are not only getting free rent, but also free utilities. The elderly and the disabled will be exempt from the new payment plan when it goes into effect.

I have no problem with the truly needy in our society, the elderly and the disabled, receiving help from the government, from us the taxpayers. What I do become really, really irritated with is the site of grown men and women, completely healthy by all appearances, not stepping up and getting the training or education necessary to support themselves and all the children they bring into the world. They have had almost two years now and who knows how much longer it will continue. This was the problem in New Orleans. Complete reliance on 'the government' and the politicians who kept them under their thumbs. We see what that reaped.

So, in order to try to fend off this way of life simply transferring here to Houston, the hope is that by moving the program from FEMA to HUD may encourage some responsibility on the part of those receiving aid. Rep. Kevin Brady said "This is a good approach, A lot of these families don't have any hope of going home any time soon so this gives them more certainty about their housing for the next two years and gives New Orleans a chance to make some housing decisions." He said the Democrats wanted permanent housing aid for the evacuees and Republicans had concerns about moving HUD's Section 8 program and endless assistance.

So, over the weekend a march was held in the 9th Ward of New Orleans by Jesse Jackson and local politicians like Mayor Ray Naquin. They were demanding more money, of course. Hey, maybe if the City of New Orleans and the mayor presented real plans to 'the government' they could receive even more billions of dollars for re-building. The governor of the state is sitting on all kinds of money and doling it out very slowly to those re-building. But, you know it's the Bush administration's fault, don't you?

More of the same.