emilynghiem
Constitutionalist / Universalist
Don't know where the latest posts are, but thanks to all friends asking about me and others in Houston. I'm in phone contact with one other friend here on USMB who stays in a dry neighborhood north of where I had to get out after the Addicks area kept rising too fast with continual rains. I may lose my car, but my bf's niece and nephew came and got us to their house before going out again later to get another uncle and aunt. Then his nephew left to go on more truck and boat rescues. The saddest story he shared was only being able to help an older couple save 7 of their 29 horses, 4 already drowned and the rest had to be let loose on their own. They just had to say no and go rescue others like a man overturned in a boat in the middle of roaring River like conditions. He made it seem like normal but when you see it on the news it's heroic what these volunteers do. He even convinced an older man to come along who was afraid to leave his dog, but as an experienced dog trainer he held the dog in the front seat, dressed him down, and got him to obey. His wife is constantly worried because he goes all day answering rescue calls and can't call family back. He makes it look easy as a younger well trained responder and veteran, but I know it's high crisis. You wouldn't think anything was wrong the way he acts so normal and calm and focused.
There are reports of looters attacking police and even the visiting Cajun Navy from Louisiana trying to get their boats. This situation brings out the best and worst sides of human nature, strengths and weaknesses, but given the alternatives I'm glad I'm not one of the people who would shoot at rescue workers or show up in neighborhoods in boats to loot houses. That's even sadder to me, so I have nothing but compassion for all ppl good or bad, they still remind me how good I have it and how good ppl are despite the bad that comes out too.
As for criticism the Mayor didn't call for all Houston to evacuate at once , that would have cost more lives and losses, with overload of roads and emergency systems and crises. We have orderly communications in place because ppl are taking control district by district and coordinating which are urgent areas and cases to focus first. It's far from perfect, but clearly we take hard lessons learned from the past and make vast improvements in the future.
For criticism of nonzoning that allowed overdevelopment poor draining and flooding, yes there are historic complaints of developer politics running Houston. But on the flip side because of unilateral power to make decisions across private and public sector resources, that's how a previous Mayor was able to pull business church and govt support to transport Katrina evacuees to the Houston Astrodome without red tape in justifying the costs. Many Houstonians paid for that influx when deadly crime went up from people released from jails, so again there was heroic good as well as catastrophic bad.
As for how to rebuild and recover, I'd like to work with the city and fire fighters and other workers unions and Civic associations to set up microcredit systems for each district to start assessing all the work done by credits. Then apply donations and investments, loans and tax breaks and grants to cover those costs. Go ahead and authorize each district to track its recovery costs as credits and make that the assessed value of that district. Then the people doing or paying for the work can own shares in that development. Instead of criticizing churches like Lakewood for waiting for flood water to recede before offering shelter, let churches sponsor inmates or immigrants needing work and set up legal secure jobs for any willing to work off restitition owed. Then if we can prove how much volunteer work is being invested, and the money this normally costs, that can be deducted from any penalties owed to govt. And possibly matched by more loans or grants until these work programs have rebuilt enough to pay for themselves.
Why can't we organize a system of credits and creating jobs by using a business or charity investment plan instead of working about bigger federal debts ?
The incredible volunteer rescue work that is keeping the loss of life to a minimum is already worth millions to the ppl and city benefiting from this unpaid labor.
I'd really love to honor all those hurricane heroes by setting up a credit system to pay for the work and all the rebuilding the city faces.
If we can create a model in Houston, that means any city can do the same and unite their working populations with govt seeking better business plans .
Thank you, everyone
I will try posting links here, which I cited indirectly, but I'm not at the computer. Just on my phone, for everyone asking about that.
Please pray thankful, positive forgiving thoughts so we circulate uplifting energy at a critical time for both hurricane areas and the whole country going through storms. May we all come out better people and use what we learn to make the world a better place for it. Thank you!
There are reports of looters attacking police and even the visiting Cajun Navy from Louisiana trying to get their boats. This situation brings out the best and worst sides of human nature, strengths and weaknesses, but given the alternatives I'm glad I'm not one of the people who would shoot at rescue workers or show up in neighborhoods in boats to loot houses. That's even sadder to me, so I have nothing but compassion for all ppl good or bad, they still remind me how good I have it and how good ppl are despite the bad that comes out too.
As for criticism the Mayor didn't call for all Houston to evacuate at once , that would have cost more lives and losses, with overload of roads and emergency systems and crises. We have orderly communications in place because ppl are taking control district by district and coordinating which are urgent areas and cases to focus first. It's far from perfect, but clearly we take hard lessons learned from the past and make vast improvements in the future.
For criticism of nonzoning that allowed overdevelopment poor draining and flooding, yes there are historic complaints of developer politics running Houston. But on the flip side because of unilateral power to make decisions across private and public sector resources, that's how a previous Mayor was able to pull business church and govt support to transport Katrina evacuees to the Houston Astrodome without red tape in justifying the costs. Many Houstonians paid for that influx when deadly crime went up from people released from jails, so again there was heroic good as well as catastrophic bad.
As for how to rebuild and recover, I'd like to work with the city and fire fighters and other workers unions and Civic associations to set up microcredit systems for each district to start assessing all the work done by credits. Then apply donations and investments, loans and tax breaks and grants to cover those costs. Go ahead and authorize each district to track its recovery costs as credits and make that the assessed value of that district. Then the people doing or paying for the work can own shares in that development. Instead of criticizing churches like Lakewood for waiting for flood water to recede before offering shelter, let churches sponsor inmates or immigrants needing work and set up legal secure jobs for any willing to work off restitition owed. Then if we can prove how much volunteer work is being invested, and the money this normally costs, that can be deducted from any penalties owed to govt. And possibly matched by more loans or grants until these work programs have rebuilt enough to pay for themselves.
Why can't we organize a system of credits and creating jobs by using a business or charity investment plan instead of working about bigger federal debts ?
The incredible volunteer rescue work that is keeping the loss of life to a minimum is already worth millions to the ppl and city benefiting from this unpaid labor.
I'd really love to honor all those hurricane heroes by setting up a credit system to pay for the work and all the rebuilding the city faces.
If we can create a model in Houston, that means any city can do the same and unite their working populations with govt seeking better business plans .
Thank you, everyone
I will try posting links here, which I cited indirectly, but I'm not at the computer. Just on my phone, for everyone asking about that.
Please pray thankful, positive forgiving thoughts so we circulate uplifting energy at a critical time for both hurricane areas and the whole country going through storms. May we all come out better people and use what we learn to make the world a better place for it. Thank you!
Last edited:
