This is how sick and disgusting goverment has become...

[Twilight Hue]

New York adult home residents asked to repay thousands in FEMA aid

I just have no words to describe or comment here. This is just callous and extremely cruel. I can't believe just how horrible and callous goverment has become over the years. Especially NYC and FEMA. It's just..... Im at a true loss of words here.

 

[ChristineES]

I am truly speechless. I am incredibly disgusted with the government right now and this story just adds to it.

 

[Rex]

The problem is much worse than this. The FEMA workers mis-represented the aid in the first place.

As a person living 50 miles from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina I have a complete distain for FEMA on many levels and sometimes the people that take from them.

 

[Nada]

New York adult home residents asked to repay thousands in FEMA aid

I just have no words to describe or comment here. This is just callous and extremely cruel. I can't believe just how horrible and callous goverment has become over the years. Especially NYC and FEMA. It's just..... Im at a true loss of words here.

Oh it is nothing new.It has been this way since the beginning.Everyone still says,USA, USA ,USA, USA!

 

[ShivaFan]

They misled those who received this aid, but this is what happens with government agencies and bureaucracy - and when too much power is given to unelected government class. But it should not be surprising, the same sort of terms, word smithing and "gotcha's" are buried into all sorts of benefits from such agencies. The same word games are buried in the thousands of pages known as Obamacare, and mark my words within five years the agencies involved in the ACA (if not repealed or replaced entirely) will be demanding (back)-payments ("re-pay") against any subsides insured received in the initial years which were offered up as part of the "sign-up" campaign.

 

[allfoak]

The purpose of our Federal Government, of the USA as found in the Preamble of the Constitution, is to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity." In order to achieve this purpose the Founding Fathers established three main principles on which our Government is based:

• Inherent rights: Rights that are inalienable;
• Self Government: Government by the people; and for the people.
  
• Separation of Powers: Branches of government with different powers.

This is true of any legitimate governing system, such as the one that governs the human body or the motion of the stars.

The US government was at one time one of these governments but has since been changed.
The current criminals running the government are allowing all those that are supposed to be protecting us to prey on us instead.

Unfortunately it is too late to stop the chaos, it will run it's course and come to an end like everything else.
When it does, things will get better.

"What God wants, God gets, God help us All".
Roger Waters

 

[George-ananda]

Who elected the governments we are so sick and disgusted by?

 

[Valjean]

Public services are not businesses. They're not there to make money and shouldn't be pressured to do so by those who don't believe government has a role in promoting the general welfare.

This is what happens when Republicans gain a foothold in what used to be an efficient, effective federal agency. They defund it. They undermine it.They staff it with incompetents. They force it to pay its own way or be replaced by private entrepreneurs. Then they point to it and declare it an example of how government is inherently incompetent.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Who elected the governments we are so sick and disgusted by?

Thats really a good question. Is it our collective fault as a society things like this happen? On the other hand, I think we are helpless and powerless in face of authority.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Oh it is nothing new.It has been this way since the beginning.Everyone still says,USA, USA ,USA, USA!

I am curious as to what parallels since the beginning can be drawn comparatively to what is happening nowadays.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Public services are not businesses. They're not there to make money and shouldn't be pressured to do so by those who don't believe government has a role in promoting the general welfare.

This is what happens when Republicans gain a foothold in what used to be an efficient, effective federal agency. They defund it. They undermine it.They staff it with incompetents. They force it to pay its own way or be replaced by private entrepreneurs. Then they point to it and declare it an example of how government is inherently incompetent.

I don't think fingerpointing a particular party as being soley responsible would solve the issues. Honestly I don't really care for either Republicans nor Democrats as far as actions and responsibility goes. Still, somebody in power needs to call out things for what it is and seek real bipartisan solutions and not mudslinging and bandaids or putting things aside for the next person to deal with based on the reasoning that it could affect their personal political careers.

 

[George-ananda]

Thats really a good question. Is it our collective fault as a society things like this happen? On the other hand, I think we are helpless and powerless in face of authority.

Who gives the 'authority', the authority? Ultimately, we do.

 

[Valjean]

Who gives the 'authority', the authority? Ultimately, we do.

In a democracy that's true, but "economic royalists" are always seeking power, always tweaking the system to their advantage. At a certain point the people are no longer in control. The system's become an oligarchy or corporatocracy. Elections are rigged, the media delivers propaganda and candidates are chosen by the 1%.

 

[dust1n]

I've always found it amazing how anyone could pretend that things are worse now in this regard than in the past. What, was the American government not disgusting and sick when it willfully engaged in the slaughter of tens of thousands of Philippines people simply because they won it in a war?

That being said, FEMA will always be a damned-if-ya-do, damned-if-ya-don't organization. No matter what happens, it will thoroughly criticized no matter what.

Granted it's bureaucratic and cumbersome, there isn't really any alternatives available, nor have I ever seen some sort of alternative or constructive criticism proposed.

 

[Valjean]

I've always found it amazing how anyone could pretend that things are worse now in this regard than in the past. What, was the American government not disgusting and sick when it willfully engaged in the slaughter of tens of thousands of Philippines people simply because they won it in a war?

True, America's always been aggressive and imperialistic, and that hasn't changed. But the relationship between people and government, and the rich and poor has significantly changed in the past few decades.

That being said, FEMA will always be a damned-if-ya-do, damned-if-ya-don't organization. No matter what happens, it will thoroughly criticized no matter what.

Granted it's bureaucratic and cumbersome, there isn't really any alternatives available, nor have I ever seen some sort of alternative or constructive criticism proposed.

Sure there's an alternative. Turn back the clock. Recreate the efficient, well oiled machine of the '70s. Fund it. Staff it with competent, dedicated public servants.

 

[George-ananda]

Elections are rigged, the media delivers propaganda and candidates are chosen by the 1%.

Ah, sounds like paranoia. Conservatives think there's a liberal propaganda machine.....Liberals think there's a conservative propaganda machine....

In a democracy the voters still decide.

 

[Valjean]

Ah, sounds like paranoia. Conservatives think there's a liberal propaganda machine.....Liberals think there's a conservative propaganda machine....

In a democracy the voters still decide.

One side's claim, though, is propaganda. The other's fact-based.

Yes, in a democracy the voter's decide. Maybe we should try one.
We are not a democracy. BBC News - Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy

 

[dust1n]

True, America's always been aggressive and imperialistic, and that hasn't changed. But the relationship between people and government, and the rich and poor has significantly changed in the past few decades.

It may have changed in nature, but I really doubt its changed much in how sick and disgusting it has been. I certainly wouldn't find the labor wars of Colorado an improvement in government relations in comparison to the story now brought up.

Sure there's an alternative. Turn back the clock. Recreate the efficient, well oiled machine of the '70s. Fund it. Staff it with competent, dedicated public servants.

Must have been unclear here. I meant alternatives of having a publicly funded body do these sorts of things. It should run effectively as possible, like most things.

 

[JerryL]

Did I miss something?

A check was given to people specifically for housing.
They didn't spend it on housing, instead staying in funded housing (double-dipping).
This was caught and they have been asked to return the funds for housing that they did not use on housing.

I can see where it's a problem for the poor. I don't see where it's despicable.

And seriously: Have you no idea what our government's been doing for the previous 230 years?

 

[icehorse]

Thats really a good question. Is it our collective fault as a society things like this happen? On the other hand, I think we are helpless and powerless in face of authority.

(In answer to "who elected this government?")

I've been on this forum for maybe 9 or 10 months now. For the most part, the folks on this forum take more well-reasoned and thoughtful positions on topics than most Americans do. Most Americans demand that even the most complex of topics be reduced to sound-bite simplification.

This is one sure path to ruin. It's clear that when it comes to political discourse in the US, no nuance is possible. Of course the media feeds this orientation as well.