Hurrican IVAN clean-up For Hire Rate $/hr

Bob_Skurka · Sep 22, 2004

Billy, we had the same ice storm hit us. FEMA didn't pay anything in my neighborhood. They may have paid for a lot of other clean up, pole replacement, etc, but I know nobody in my neighborhood got squat.

So I guess my question is, WHAT are they paying for? Are they paying to clean up individual homes or are they paying to clean up the city streets, public parks, municiple properties, schools, etc?

Honestly I don't know what they cover, or don't cover, but I suspect their first priority would be to get the streets clear, the public services working again, and then lastly to help out individual homeowners who had their houses washed into the ocean?

I guess I'd love to hear directly from someone down there. None of my relatives in Florida had serious damage, and the one woman who works for me told me today that her sister is still without anything and was taken in by a friend so she is not homeless, but she is basically living paycheck to paycheck and trying to rebuild her life after losing everything. By the good graces of kind friend she has a temporary roof over her head, but FEMA and the State of Florida didn't give her anything, and as she had no insurance and didn't own a home, she basically is pennyless.

Again, I don't know what is covered and what is not and who gets what. I just know I'm glad my house is ONLY in a tornado area and that I have good insurance.

dmccarty · Sep 22, 2004

meledward23,

If you have seen an area hit with a disaster of this magnitude you know the difference of who has money and who does not. Of the three houses we cleaned out after Floyd, only one of them would I call rich well middle class. But how rich are you when EVERYTHING you own, car, clothes, food, house, etc is a stinking mold mess?

Even if the victims have insurance to cover 100% of the loss they are in a state of shock. They don't have a place to live. They don't have most if any of their clothes. Depending on the area it might have effected multple generations in the family. Friends and neighbors are hit just as hard. How does insurance buy the memories of a lifetime that are destroyed. Can money buy back the photos that are gone? Can money save the quilt grandma made? The only real help they are going to get is volunteer help. I brought in a group from one job down east to cleanup. I was down there first with group from my second job. The work that was getting done to help clean out the houses was done by volunteers. There where Baptist teen agers and retires cleaning out houses. The women cooked food at a local church while the men did the grunt work. The food was for the people cleaning up as well as the victims. The Meninites had been own there for weeks helping out. The women ran the relief distribution warehouse while the men work cleaning out and fixing up houses.

These people where there long after the National Guard and Red Cross had left. The Guard and Red Cross helped out in the immediate aftermath but this cleanup and recovery takes years. It was only a few years ago that FEMA was finally able to get everyone out of the travel trailer parks that had been setup after Floyd.

FEMA will help clean up the mess when its on the street. But I think it was up to the homeowner to get the mess to the street for pickup. How is an elderly person going to do this? There will be shortages of workers and many will try to rip people off. From what I have read, insurance in Florida has anywhere from a 3-5% deductible for each storm instance. So if you had a $100,000 home and you got hit by Charley and Frances you would be out $6,000-$10,000. How many people only have $100,000 house and contents? How many people can take that kinda hit?

They may have been well off before the storm but most people will be worse off after a disaster.

Later,
Dan McCarty

meledward23 · Sep 22, 2004

Big long reply. Then I realised it's really a waste. Short simple and concise. This all I will say.

Every last one of us in the USA is very fortunate. We opportunties before. Poverty is not worrying about your next meal while you play nintendo.

You want to see poverty and people that need help lets go a mission trip together overseas.....

Those in Florida need help. I agree, some of my family is there. I have a close friend there. And lending helping hand is good. But the young will survive. The elderly should be given some aid for all the have done to care for our country.

That's it..... (meaning that's all I have to say, not that's all one should do).

KubotaSteve · Sep 22, 2004

If you can afford to do the work for free, then I would suggest doing so. My neighbor are both retired federal employees who were GS-15's and have quite a bit of money and a huge brick house. Last year during a snow storm, I went over and plowed open his driveway. They could afford to pay easily and even offered to pay me. I declined and said "I may need help one day". To me the little bit of money you make wouldn't compare to the satisfaction of helping someone in need. Not to mention it is a good lesson to teach your children or grandchildren. I have never hear of a volunteer firefighter negotiating a price for putting out a fire. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Bob_Skurka · Sep 22, 2004

<font color="green"> To me the little bit of money you make wouldn't compare to the satisfaction of helping someone in need. Not to mention it is a good lesson to teach your children or grandchildren. I have never hear of a volunteer firefighter negotiating a price for putting out a fire. </font>

Very well said.

flatheadlake · Sep 22, 2004

Nice to hear there are still some generous warm hearted people out there. I just got my tractor and have been having a great time just helping out folks, hope I still am as excited when the newness wears off.

shoppintractors · Sep 22, 2004

<font color="blue"> I have never hear of a volunteer firefighter negotiating a price for putting out a fire. </font>

My Brother-in-Law had his garage catch on fire. He lives in a small rural community. The volunteer fire department showed up and put the fire out. He received a bill from the fire department for $500. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Don

jjcc246 · Sep 22, 2004

Just my two cents. During the winters up here I have a plow on my truck. I've plowed many driveways and never took a penny. When I see someone busting their hump to clear a 60' driveway of 4' of snow, I drop the blade and take a couple of sweeps. I do the same with my TC30, if they need help I help them. I'm not a tree hugger by any means, but it only costs me a couple of bucks for gas. Some day I might need help and I might not have enough left from my Social Security check (if it still exists) to pay someone. I just might get the favors returned.

bigpete · Sep 22, 2004

What goes around, comes around.

ByronBob · Sep 23, 2004

I'd say you have the right to charge something per hour for the tractor and something for you. You then don't pay for fuel and wear and tear out of your pocket.

If someone was living in a nicer house then me I'd have a hard time not charging them something if they have a Porsche and I have a rust bucket truck. The generosity thing is all well and good but when do you stop??