Taking the state of the nation seriously?

[riptides]

I see the TBN community is very aware of the extreme situation in the gulf states. I think as others have said these types of storms are wake up calls. They bring out the best and the worst in people.

I think the federal government is still in react mode. After Florida of last year, and indeed after this storm, NEW emergency management operations need to be looked at.

Pre-positioning of supplies and equipment needs to be thought about. These storms are more intense, their damage more severe, and yet they can be tracked with a greater degree of accuracy.

Perhaps the storm and suffering it has caused, and continues to cause will also shed some activity on our energy policy. But right now, for the next few months, and perhaps years, human suffering should take precedence. I think FEMA is on the verge of melt-down.

They still are engaged in Florida after last year, and now this.

Thinking of our Southern citizens.
-Mike Z.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The nation and the economy must go on.Fuel is a huge factor of the economy and if the gas prices get too high for too long it could kick us into a recession.Cant see that helping with efforts in the gulf.If you feel so bad and want to help,grab a broom and shovel and start pushing instead of whining about whiners. )</font>

Truer words were never spoken.

We will adjust. We have no other option. On another site I frequent, today is Armagedon Day. I sure don't like what I see on the news, but life goes on for most of us. I'm not trying to sound callous or to down-play what the folks in the south are going through. To the contrary, I'm saying we need to be strong and move on FOR THEIR GOOD. It's going to take a strong, united country to get through this. Giving up won't help anyone. Crying about what happened won't change anything. It's time to dig in our heels and fight back. That's the American way.

We can do it! We WILL do it!

 

[HGM]

While I agree fuel is not the top priority when people have lost everything, we have to understand those of us not hit dirrectly by Katrina are feeling it. People deal with tragety in different ways, It's like looksing a loved one in a car accident and having a discussion about the weather. You cannot condemn them for trying to think of something else by saying the forgot about the tragic accident. The reality for most of us is to feel terrible for the folks down there and want to do what we can. At the same time, we have to deal with jacked up fuel prices that in turn will jack up eveything else. I for one mave to drive 120mi per day to and from work, prices on fuel have already trippled here in Georgia in the past 3yrs. Now with the increase yesterday, things get even tighter. We, as a nation have to move on after this event, not forget or ignore it, but continue living.

 

[dummy]

<font color="blue"> Are we all in a state of shock? I think I am.
</font> Maybe that's a good part of it. But maybe it's just a matter of us being spoiled and always needing an answer or course of action right now. Sometimes you need to take a step back before you can push forward. Search and rescue people all over are sitting and waiting, packed and ready to leave before they hang up the phone. Same with utility crews. Just because it's not on the news doesn't mean things aren't happening.

 

[mikim]

A friend of mine going back 25 years called me the other day - his wife (I've never met her) was living and working in New Orleans. She will be living with us starting tomorrow UFN. The job transferred her to the Houston office for now. Whenever the public can go back in I guess I'll be driving her over to see if she has anything left. She was in a second story apt. - but I'm afraid what the water & wind didn't get - the looters will.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

On the search and rescue people "just sitting and waiting".

They're being moved into position as fast as conditions will permit. Right now the last thing some of these places need is one more person to feed or keep track of. This mess will take time to straighten out.

My next door neighbor is a Kentucky National Guardsman. (Full-time) He's a medic. They're on the flightline at the Louisville airport, ready to move as soon as there's a place to put them. He gave me the keys to his house and garage yesterday. He told me that he was informed he might be gone for up to 6 months, working out of a temporary field hospital.

The magnatude of this disaster is just now becoming clear to the rest of the country.

 

[JimR]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> While many may talk about the price of gas or diesel, I just don't see it being the first topic of discussion. </font>

At one point last night, there were more threads on TBN on the price of gasoline (in 3 different forums) than on hurricane Katrina. I'm not singling out TBN members, because the number one topic at work yesterday afternoon was gasoline prices. )</font>

This is probably because Katrina does not affect the individuals like the price of gas and oil right now. Katrina is a national disaster that is in one part of the country. The gas prices are killing people where it really hurts, in the pocket. It affects the ones that have the least amount to go around. My wife and I were planning on taking a fishing trip with our boat this weekend. I paid $1.59 for the gas in my boat a month ago. There's about 30-40 gallons in it. The tank is almost full. I'm thinking of syphoning out the gas for our cars and lawnmower now. The fishing trip is on hold or more likely cancelled till probably next year. Will it ever end.

 

[Unclebuck257]

Like everyone else, I'm so very sorry to see the devestation that hit the people along the Gulf Coast and the misery it has caused those folks. The video coming out of New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama is so bad, how could anyone not be moved by what those people are going through and will be going through for a long time to come. HOWEVER, to be critical of others around the country concerned about diesel and gasoline prices because they are rising so high, so fast, is wrong in my opinion too. The rest of the country needs to go on living, and as bad as it is on the Gulf Coast, those folks will have access to low or no interest gov't loans to rebuild, gov't (FEMA) funds for living expenses and clothing replacement, while the rest of us will have no additional monies to off set our costs from this storm, mainly these very high fuel prices.

To be critical of the average American who is concerned about availability of fuel or the rising fuel prices that affect them directly and immediately with regard to them earning a living is wrong. The people in the storm ravaged areas will get repreaves on their monthly payments while the rest of the country will not and will be expected to go on in the "normal" manner. Meaning, they MUST HAVE the money available to pay their regular monthly bills with no "understanding" to excuse payments either. The very high fuel costs the are incurring could affect that too.

I have no problem with anyone concerned about high and daily rising fuel costs, and they should not be made to feel guilty in anyway about that concern. The storm effects were very bad, but the rest of the country going down the tube too, due to high fuel, isn't going to help that bad situation at all.

 

[deere755]

It is going to be hard for a lot of people to give any money to the victims of Katrina with 3 and possibly 4 dollar gas. A lot of people who would normaly donate to causes like this may not be able to. I think it is a sad situation all the way around.

 

[Docsknotinn]

I just have a JD2210 with brush forks and a FEL, but if someone here organizes a volunteer clean up crew I will drive down with the tractor and spend five days to help. Its a little tractor but a little help is better than no hope.
For the first time I personally wish Mr.Bush was doing a lot more at home. We need to patrol our own streets and not Baghdad. We need to let out more oil reserves, enough to help the average citizen and not just enough to keep the oil companies making a nice profit. I'm as concerned about fuel prices as well but my biggest concern is the availability of fuel at all in the next few weeks. Sure would be nice to see some of that International support come back to help us out! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif