What really bugs me is...


Hmmm?

No, it's not this bug that is bugging me. This was hanging out near my office at work on Friday and so I got a few pictures of it 'cause I thought the green on the body was quite interesting. I believe it's a cicada though when I asked the bug about that subject it didn't say a thing. I guess while they can make a shitload of sound, they can't talk.




What is really bugging me is how much of the national focus is being placed on the people of New Orleans that stayed in the city. What some have mentioned is that many other areas in the Gulf of Mexico region were hit hard also, but weren't as densely populated. What seems to be escaping attention is that something like 1.2 million people evacuated the general New Orleans area and have no homes to return to for weeks at best, more likely months. Do these people have money to stay at hotels? Not for long. If I needed to get money fast I'd probably get a home equity loan. But what bank would loan money based on a house underwater? Yet I doubt many insurance companies are declaring homes total losses if they're still standing. Which places the displaced people of the Gulf between a rock and a hard place.

I'd like to think that State and Federal authorities will step in to help... but so far that seems unlikely. The poorest inhabitants after suffering a harrowing experience seem to finally be getting real aid, but what will happen to the middle class people? This might be a situation in which having some money and mobility in the long run might hurt people. With their homes gone but not officially destroyed these people might end up in limbo for a good many months--especially if more rain comes. Being that it is the middle of hurricane season, rain will come. And you can burn through money very fast when you're living away from home.

So that's what is bugging me right now. What is bugging you?

Comments

Anonymous said…
OMG, I hate bugs.... it's wayy too creepy for my wee self... he he he !!!

Anyway, Michele sent me... *winks*
utenzi said…
Thanks for visiting, Katie. Sorry about the bug!
Anonymous said…
well, you know I always say whatever's bugging me on my blog. haha.

But you are right, I think your post highlights something that I think about a lot. A lot of Americans that seem to be middle class - and even some who live down right affluently - are in fact very close to financial ruin every day.

We live in a society focused on consumerism, which is one of the reasons that a lot of Americans no matter how well paid, are living pay check to pay check.

Health problems are one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in America.

If more of us would value saving as much as spending, we would be better equipped to withstand troubled times, whether from a natural disaster or from an unexpected loss of income due to illness or a death in the family.

PS. I liked the bug picture. It reminded me of a dragonfly, which I love. I had no idea that is what those things looked like.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for visiting my site. I totally agree with you on this one. I think the true magnitude of this disaster has not been realized because so many people evacuated. The immediate concern is taking care of the people who stayed, but there are so many more who will be homeless and will have no jobs to return to. I just hope that when the initial interest in the situation dies down, people still continue to provide the aid the victims will need.
Anonymous said…
That is a cicada we have tons of them here :) They are pretty cool as far as bugs go. They are majorly loud, my cats love to play with them LOL. melzie
utenzi said…
Thanks, Melzie.

Michelle, that is going to be such a problem. I agree. And I think this reintegrating the multitude of displaced middle class folk will take several years. Just thinking of that many people looking for jobs is mind boggling let alone the economic disruption to the individuals.

Lisa, you're so right. Consumerism, a predictable outcome of capitalism, is rampant in this country. I can't say I don't like the day-to-day existence in such a society since I like my toys but the long term effects are nasty and won't go away.
Anonymous said…
I feel much the same as you about Bush(didn't vote for him.) & Roberts(no real objection to him. And I am just as surprised at Bush nominating Roberts for Chief Justice. As he has yet to serve as a Justice one can only assume that Bush is doing this because Roberts is his pick, which in the end makes him somewhat objectionable to me. What kind of twisted KArma is letting Bush have 2 picks for the court?
I have no opinions on the cicadas.
Michele sent me by today.
Anonymous said…
Okay, enough of the bugs! You only do it to annoy!

Maybe you need a roommate?
Anonymous said…
It's bugging me that there are people dying that don't have to in New Orleans.

Here via Michele.
Anonymous said…
Here via Michele's
Anonymous said…
honestly, my crap load of laundry is bugging me right at this moment.


here via micheles.

we have those bugs in our tree out front. they sure can get load.
Anonymous said…
This is my "here from Michele's" comment.

I find it interesting to note that when Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, Aust. on Xmas eve 1974, it only took authorities 4 days to evacuate the city. One would think that in this day and age, more than 30 years on, with all the lessons that we have learned from various past disasters, and all the technology that we have, the necessary authorities would have been better prepared to deal with such an emergency situation.

The fact that so many people were stranded for such an unnecesarily long time bugs me.
utenzi said…
You're certainly right, Yaeli. *beautiful AND brains* There was far too long a delay before there was public help with the evacuation.

Teresa, who would I be getting as a roomie? Yaeli lives way too far away dammit, you're safely far away in PA, my girlfriend has her own place... I guess I can only blog on and hope for the best. And thus there will be bugs here. LOL
Anonymous said…
I love cicadas. When we had the special species come back after 17 years, I went hog wild and took tons of pictures and videos of them.

Your little friend particularly looks nice. :)
Anonymous said…
Well this isn't bugging me, but I know that the City of Austin is playing home to many displaced people from the areas tragicly hit. People have really opened up their arms and people from all walks of life are being house in all kinds of interesting places. My guess is that the middle class people will just make new lives for themselves and collect from insurance when they can.

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