So, all this heartache happening in the Houston area has been occupying my thoughts this past week. I just can’t imagine being in that situation. To that extent as well.
Like you, I’ve been keeping up with the news and find that sometimes when the newscaster is talking to the people who’ve had to be rescued, I find tears finding their way down my cheeks. So sad. So many people who’ve lost everything.
Eventhough I’ve never been in that situation, I can certainly feel for those people. Unlike our great leader who is still talking about the crowd size. I did see G.W. Bush talking to some athletes and how I wish he was still our President. He had heart. He was a good person. I miss him. I never voted for him, but he was real. I should have appreciated him more when he was President.
I’ve been reading a lot about it too. A good bit of it on Facebook. You know that major news source for many people. And I have to say many of the comments make me sick. Too many of us have become ugly. Not everyone. Not by a long shot. I’ve been seeing and reading about many heroes. But I can’t help but wonder what the mothers of the ugly ones would say.
This flood is not a black and white issue. It’s a human issue. And it’s a government issue. Development should not be approved in areas that should be left vacant. You see this all over the place, not just in Houston. I saw it the last time I was in Southern California. They were in a terrible drought, but what used to be scrub brush on hills, were now houses and land being leveled for more houses. And it happens in coastal North Carolina. The sand keeps disappearing with bad storms and people who’ve built right on the water start carrying on that their house is in danger of falling apart. Too bad, I say. Shoulda had more sense. If you were smart enough to earn enough money to build or buy that house, you should have had enough sense to know one day it would get knocked over. Locals know not to be on the first row. Be on the second or third row.
Quite a number of years ago, my homeowners insurance increased rather considerably from one year to the next. I hadn’t had any claims, so it stymied me. I decided to call my agent to inquire why this was so. I was told that the homeowners on the coast had such high insurance liability that the Insurance Commissioner from this great state of NC ruled that the costs would be equalized over the entire state. Say what? WTF?? I had to pay higher insurance premiums because someone from New Jersey built a 10 bedroom, 8 bath house right on the water to rent out to tourists and I was supplementing that house? The premium has never come back down so I guess I’m still supplementing.
So I blame our planning commissions and city and county governments for approving development where it shouldn’t be. It seems many feel inclined to blame the Mayor of Houston. But I’m not sure he should be blamed. He did tell people if they didn’t evacuate, they should write their names and Social Security numbers on their arms with permanent marker so they could be identified later. And no one expected rainfall and storm surge like that.
And you shouldn’t blame the people who are poor and had no resources to go anywhere. If you live paycheck to paycheck or welfare payment to welfare payment, you don’t have the financial wherewithal to go to a hotel. You take your chances and hope for the best. I read this was a 1 in 1000 year rain. Who would have ever expected 50+ inches of rain? I’m 65 inches tall. That’s just 15 inches more. I measured my head … I really did and it was 11 inches. Only my head would be out of the water … just barely!
I hope our esteemed leader gives up on his idea of the stupid wall. Spend it on some needed infrastructure. Maybe visit the Netherlands and see how they keep the North Sea out of their country. But I heard on the news this morning that contracts have been put out for prototypes of walls. Someone needs to tell him that around San Diego and Arizona, they tunnel under the wall and come out on the U.S. side in a building. I used to have hope that Congress would have some balls to do what’s right, but I’ve given up on hoping that. It ain’t gonna happen. And let’s reconsider that climate change just might have played a part in all the weather events we’ve had around the world recently. What can it hurt? It’s either that or God is really pissed. He’s not liking what He’s seeing, I’m sure. All this hate.
Maybe tax reform that Trump proposed will be that we all pay more taxes and stop driving $60,000 vehicles. Wearing $200 sneakers. Don’t need those $1500 high heels. You know the ones with the red soles. But I’m thinking those reforms are going to make it better for the people who just want to accummulate more wealth. I’m worth more than you … see, Forbes says so. We desperately need help in getting our priorities straight. We’re really screwed up. We want everything, but don’t want to pay for it. Well, we don’t mind paying for our wants, we don’t want to pay for our needs. And we certainly don’t want to pay for someone else’s need. Like I don’t intend to get sick and don’t want to have to buy insurance because somebody else might get sick. It’s not fair! Why should I pay taxes for schools? I don’t have anyone in school. Get my drift?
So we don’t want to pay higher taxes. I get it. But we keep having these weather related disasters, which climate change is NOT causing. <wink> But how much will it cost us in tax dollars for Houston and the surrounding areas? And now it looks like another hurricane may potentially hit us again. What do you think the answer is? Should we be going the Ark route?
Retired and Happy in Murrells Inlet 