Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 12:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I guess the bags of ice I picked up at the Visitors Center was my "FEMA" allowance.

Posted by bolyert (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 1:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

yeah i agree ntzmom55 this is crazy i didn't lose anything but there where alot of people that did and they need help getting back on there feet i guess katrina was a one time thing they must have gave all the money then and i bet some of the money they gave were to people who didn't even need it

Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 1:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

GIve us some of the billions the goverment is spending rebuilding Iraq. Goverment contractors heaven..they rake it in by the millions.Why would we blow up places and then rebuild them. Never could figure that one out.

Posted by Fenwick (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 5:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You all are right. The goveernment has lots and lots of money and they should be giving us lots of it because of this storm. WE had to throw out all the freezer meat to the dogs sence it had gone bad and they have plenty of money to give us to buy more food and fill that freezer back up. It just aint fair that the goverment sits on all that money and doesn't just up and give it to us.

Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wow, some people want the government's help, only when it's their neck that needs to be saved. Why not understand that this applies to people all over, not just storm victims. Life's circumstances can take you down a road where you may need government assistance to get back on your feet, but NOT AS A WAY OF LIFE.

Posted by gardenflower (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well that is par...everyone waiting for handouts. It is time the government stopped giving handouts and work on the infrastructure and it sounds as if that is what they will be doing this time.

Glad to hear the Governor of our state reminded the city and county officials that cleanup will not include private property....very refreshing.

Posted by ITSME (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Get a job and insurance! Quit giving away my tax money to people that dont try to help themselves!

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We work everyday..Been without lights since monday morning we have been spending 80.00 a day on gas for generators....This is crazy....

Teach4peace you are so right....Hope the storm didn't get you...

Posted by jack (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

gardenflower typical you must be in the garden club and have a yard man most of us do not and we need help from anyone thanks to city and county officials for trying to help us after all we pay taxes even if not as much as you

Posted by ladybuggs (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:12 a.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

thanks to our county supervisors for getting all the roads cleared and for the sheriff for working his inmates at shelters, civil defense,clearing roads and removing limbs to get people out after the storm I know you all worked many hours for the public and will never get thanked enough from us. jack you are probably right about gardenflower , i need help, i donot have a power saw or did i have a generator and it took people like owens and brown to get me a tarp for my roof. I didnot see governor barbour sending me or you anything . all the water, ice and other things came from fema so governor why not send a crew down to help us out the city and county should go on private property anyway and help us out. we are in need or is it true, we are not as important as he coast I LOOK FOR MY SUPERVISOR AND SHERIFF FOR MY HELP ON THE LOCAL LEVEL AND DID NOT EVEN EXPECT YOU TO HELP OUT ON THE STATE LEVEL

Posted by Dixiedarling (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I understood that a county had to have at least 20,000 of UNINSURED damage to qualify for a disaster area. You people don't have homeowners insurance?

Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

ladybug you are not saying the kkk is the board of supervisors or the governors office lost me here on this one and also you are probably right dixiedarling, most people cannot afford insurance or even own their house in adams county yes we are still a poor county and if you are right , then we will never get to be declared a disaster area

Posted by ladybuggs (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:43 a.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by gardenflower (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Actually, I am not a member of any of the Garden Clubs in Natchez, I just happen to love flowers, thus the name "gardenflower". Yes, I do have "yardboys", they consist of my husband and myself. We are both in our seventies and thankfully can still take care of ourselves and our home and yard.

I have worked all of my life and so has my husband; so sorry that so many of you feel the way you do, but that seems to be the way in today's world.

Posted by Arrgh (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Some homeowners insurance will provide reimbursement for food spoilage. I know State Farm does: http://www.statefarm.com/about/hurricane...

Posted by lookingout (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

what i dont understand is if you were in southern LA you can get your money back for gas, hotel rooms, generators, food lost or food you bought during the storm......adams county was hit worst than Most and i did say most but they get there money back that aint right my parents have spent almost 500 on just gas for there generator i think adams county should get there money back just like the people of new orleans why is fema so worried about the people of new orleans and that is the only place they worry about people need to open their eyes and see what fema is really doing and who they doing it for

Posted by harjedalen (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm not asking for anything because I don't need it now. I believe that people should endeavor to be self sufficient, SO WHAT ABOUT IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, GEORGIA, ISRAEL, EGYPT, and COLOMBIA, etc.? They get Hundreds of Billions!!!

Posted by ITSME (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Ladybuggs I know your spelling and comments are a disgrace not sure bought the Mayor. Think u might be 1 of the people I was talking about.

Posted by ITSME (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Quote from lookingout " i think adams county should get there money back just like the people of new orleans why is fema so worried about the people of new orleans and that is the only place they worry about people need to open their eyes and see what fema is really doing and who they doing it for"

I do agree with that 100% it happens to be why I'm against it though. So many take advantage of it and I would rather lose a little of my money then see them scamming e1 again.

Posted by buttercup26 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

so what's going on with the lights???? foster mound still doesn't have them.. people in kingston don't.. they hear days but can they get a reason
?

Posted by rburke1 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Owens said he’s received numerous calls from people wanting to know when they can get federal money."
My, oh my! What such entitlement mentality.

Posted by sacw (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

As of yesterday Friday I still do not have power or house phone. I have lost everything in my refridgerator and freezer. Several other people in our neighborhood has lights but their are alot still that don't. I have not even seen a work truck in our area.

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free Lunch!
Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you
can do it yourself.

Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a
problem confronting the future of democracy in America, you might want to
send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to
your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help
you when the gate slams shut!

In this 'very important' election year, listen closely to what the candidates are promising you -
just maybe you will be able to tell who is about to slam the gate on America.

'A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big
enough to take away everything you have.' - Thomas Jefferson

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I work hard, pay for my insurance, prepared for Gustav, cleaned up my property afterwards, and am prepared for the next storm but I am sick of the "take care of me" mentality that is pervading our town. There are those with LEGITIMATE needs here and then there are those too lazy to help themselves and whose only contribution is to complain that the assistance they do get "isn't more". We all need to be more self-sufficient and quit expecting someone to come take care of us. Look out for yourself and your neighbor.

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

'You catch wild pigs by finding a
suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find
it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to
coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they
are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat
the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to
that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides
of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to
the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate
on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and
around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating
the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to
forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees
happening to America The government keeps pushing us toward
socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of
programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income,
tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP),
welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while we continually lose our freedoms -
just a little at a time.

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Fenwick, you are absolutely right. Time has proven your wisdom, this post proves it. The government has piles of money they could use to help everyone with, all they have to do if they get low is run some more off the presses at the Treasury Department. It doesn't cost them anything so they should be a lot more free with it.

I am sorry your dogs had to eat meat that had gone bad too. That is disgraceful in a country as rich as America, but what can we expect in a country where specieism is so rampant? I hope you have medical insurance for them in case they get sick from eating it because it looks like the government isn't going to be helping with any medical bills either and it will still be a few more months till we get universal health care.

Good luck with filling your freezer back up. In some countries those dogs freshly fattened on spoiled meat would likely end up in there.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

3on23,

I understand what you are saying and yes, that is happening all the time in our country.

Harje,

I agree with you on the fact that we give away way to much friendship money overseas.

After watching people complain about being in shelters during this past hurricane, I hope they all stay in New Orleans next time a storm as bad as Katrina comes through. Every local channel had interviews with people complaining about free food, free shelters and free transportation....sickening.

Bunch of spoiled lazy ### people thinking they deserve vacations for free because they choose to keep going back to New Orleans after every warning storm....Let them rebuild by themselves from now on.

Posted by Bobaloo (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

red, u are twisted, uncompassionate and selfish.... one day you might need some help, if your philosophy rules, you won't get diddly. and would deserve it.

u don't have a clue and should be on a deserted island where humanity can't irritate you.

u judge the entirety of populace based on vid clips and sounds bytes of a minute few.

what gives u the rite to judge anyone? you have some superior position or something? mind your own life and don't be so judgemental of things you don't grasp.

shallow and dim u r

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

At least I can spell and make complete sentences. Go back to your shack on the edge of the cotton field and get a real life.

Posted by ladybuggs (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

IT'S NOT FEMA. IT'S THE MAYOR OF NATCHEZ THAT WILL NOT SIGN OFF SO FEMA CAN HELP!

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If that's so ladybuggs it's only because he knows how tight the government is with all those piles of money.

Posted by gardenflower (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I find it amazing that those of you who are complaining so much apparently have a computer and access to the internet..........that cost money. Maybe you should spend your money more wisely....and if you don't have power, how are you able to get on the internet.......or maybe you should be outside cleaning up the mess Gustav made or check out an English book at the public library and learn how to speak and write good English.

God help you if Ike hits.

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It's the American way 30n23. "From he to whom more is given more is expected"- Thomas Jefferson

Or something like that.

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You want to know who FEMA helps??? Check out the site. It helps those who didn't look out for themselves. If you do the right thing and get insurance on your property you must exhaust ALL those avenues before FEMA assists you. If on the other hand you belong to the group who chooses to rely on the hard work of others to provide for you while doing nothing for yourselves, then you are given the assistance. It is a backwards system of rewarding people unwilling to take resposibility for their lives. Tax to death those that work in order to provide for those who have become the "tame government fed pigs"(see my earlier post).

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

'A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big
enough to take away everything you have.' - Thomas Jefferson

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It's been that big since 1861 30n23 and so far so good. It only takes about 40%.

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Not sure what you mean by the 40% EnKiKur.

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, that is the income tax plus half the social security. Of course if you figure in the other half of social security plus medicare you get close to 50% but that is still more than fair considering they could take all our money if they wanted to. I for one feel blessed.

Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank God there are still people in Natchez such as Gardenflower and 3on23... Hard work, and self reliance are what get you through life, and expecting a free ride is what has our country in the mess it is in now! I'm afraid the "Change" that so many are clamoring for is more or less going to dig the tax payer a deeper grave. I find it totally disgusting, or even better yet ,pathetic that so many come to these blog sites and whine, whine, whine.... Like gardenflower stated, do something constructive with your time, help your fellow man/ neighbor clean up their yard after Gustav, or even better, go clean up your own yard! If you are struggling that bad, either get an education, get a better job, or move somewhere where you can improve yourself and where there are opportunities. Quit expecting "Uncle Sam" to pave you a road to easy street, cause it "ain't" gonna happen!!!! Our country is on the verge of collapse because of so many lazy, worthless people who just think of themselves and could care less about their fellow man and their country... And the ones who seem to be contributing immensely to the birth rate are usually single, have the morals of alley cats, and expect everything handed to them on a silver platter, thus creating another generation of the same.... Our founding fathers must be rolling over in their graves! We have taken/ or removed God from just about everything, and in return, we produce and raise a bunch of dirt bags with no morals, no concious, no ethics, everything for me, me, me---- and usually they end up fighting or killing their fellow man and are out walking the streets again in no time.... AMEN? This free hand out mentality has got to come to an end, or we as a country are doomed financially, and we will continue to create another generation dependent on mama bird to always bring them a worm to the nest and who never kicks them out to make them fly on their own....

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well said GetALife!

EnKiKur please tell me if you feel blessed when they continue to take more and more of our checks to support those who refuse to contribute as a productive(not reproductive) part of society. Guess where that will land you? Right in line with the rest wanting a handout when, due to those taxes you cannot provide for yourself and your family. The system as it is will self-destruct.

Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 5:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

3on23, you hit a homerun again... Now I am waiting for all the whiners to come out of the closet and bash everything we stand for. Do I sound heartless, uncaring, or even mean???? People who know me as a person would tell you otherwise---white, black, asian, or hispanic.... I'm just anti-big government, and despise lazy, uneducated, folks with no ambition---only wanting the US government to flip the bill for EVERYTHING! If you are handicap, elderly, etc... thats a whole other situation--- but people who are able to get up and be productive, and not do so is a sin! The liberal mindset is what is taking us down the toilet! We should all love our fellowman, regardless of race, gender, etc.... but paying their way through life and letting them get away with it is totally asinine.... If I stepped on any toes, hope you get over it....but if you don't, too bad.... I work hard for everything I make and have-- which is not a whole lot--- but expecting someone else to take care of me is not even an option.... If someone loses a house from a fire, bad weather, etc.... I'm all for helping that person out if they are in dire straits, but for someone who constantly whines about the government not "letting go" of all that money they are sitting on is nauseating!

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

They can bash all they want to, GetALife. I won't be able to see what is said for a while unless I find out that my internet is back up at home. I get off work in about 5 minutes and will be headed there to finish cleaning up my yard and preparing for Ike.

I really hope some people see where our country is headed if we don't change. It's not a pretty picture and I for one come from a background of hardworking people who take pride in their country and the priniciples on which it was founded. It sure wasn't a welfare state that they had in mind when choosing to come here.

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

gardenflower i have you to know there are people out here that does clean there yard...The way we are on the internet is generators....You know those things people have to use that uses gas....Still no lights here haven't even saw a truck or person working in this area......

3on23 i do not believe in a hand out either me and my husband work everyday always have.....But, i also do not believe we should foot the bill for all the ones who do not work.....

why should we be the ones helping pay for the people who are getting assitance when the people in natchez can't get any???

Posted by Bobaloo (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 7:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

more pompousness from a pompous donkey.... mr. redusm.
have a nice life putz.

my life is very real here in my shack on the cotton fields.
least i don't have biggots like you trespassing.

Posted by Bobaloo (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 7:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

oops... typo it's bigot.

bigot (in modern usage) is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from their own or intolerant of people of different ethnicity, race, or class

have a nice day still.

maybe one day you will get some work and not spend so much time spewing caca.

Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 8:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Bobaloo, redusmfans remark about living in a shack on the cotten field was uncalled for, but calling him a pompous donkey brought you down to his same level... Little children, quit whining and calling each other ugly names...
Being a bigot, according to the definition you typed-- a person who is intollerant of any opinions differing from their own ---would probably describe the bulk of our country---democrat and republican alike.... Our country is becoming more divided everyday---not from race, but partisan politics, and a liberal media the fuels the fire.... Oh well, I can 't fix the world, so I'll end on that note.......

Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Fenwick: If everybody had your mindset, our government would have to file bankruptsy... Good Lord help us!

Posted by ladycharro90 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 8:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Worried about my friend that lives in Adams County. Reading in the paper that this area sustained alot of damage. I sure hope that she is okay. We've been keeping in touch through text messaging on our cell phones. I haven't heard from her for about 3 days now. Has the power been fixed in this area? Are the phones working? Guess that it will take a long time to clear up all the debri. Just terrible what all of you went through. Sure hope that Hurricane Ike misses your area. All of you should be pulling together and helping each other out instead of argueing etc. Be safe........

Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

just got power again,i was without power since monday. everyone around me had lights since thursday,that will drive a person nuts,no generator,no hot water but i'm glad it wasn't hot,i took cold baths talk about cold lol.

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Look here, 3on23, at this World Bank Research paper that explains "If society is on average averse to poverty, then the optimal income tax schedule displays negative marginal tax rates, at least for less skilled individuals. Negative marginal tax rates play the role of a Pigouvian earnings subsidy, fostering the supply of poor individuals to provide labor." http://econ.worldbank.org/external/defau...

What this means is that programs like earned income tax credits for poverty stricken individuals creates a supply of "poor individuals for providing labor". If we didn't have taxes and tax subsidies to the poor labor rates would rise and corporations would have to pay more for labor and we would have to pay more for the goods we buy. It has all been thought out very well by helpful institutions like the World Bank so yes, I do feel blessed they are only taking 40% at this point. (or maybe 50%, depending on how you figure it)

Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 1:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

a friend i knew went to Iraq, He said he saw money in duffel bags being thrown out of trucks to pay contractors..Duffel bags full of money. Oh well i guess Iraq needs it so they can design the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) bomb.

Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 1:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

State Farm® responds to Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav made landfall Monday morning near Cocodrie, Louisiana as a major hurricane. This storm has left thousands in the Gulf Coast region without power and continues to pound the southern states with wind and rain. Our top concern is for the safety of those affected by this disaster.

State Farm agents and claims professionals from the coastal region and the company's catastrophe team are on the ground and responding to our customers' needs following the hurricane.

State Farm's response includes:

Catastrophe Claim Representatives ready to handle claims in impacted; independent adjusters were contacted and are also prepared
Mobile Catastrophe vehicles have been deployed and are setting up at various Gulf Coast locations, offering mobile catastrophe services to impacted areas and carrying supplies for those in need
State Farm call centers are already fielding thousands of calls from customers

Coverage Information
Due to high winds and widespread power outages, the following provides information on coverages that may be available in your homeowners policy. This coverage may vary by location and/or policy type, so please review your policy with your State Farm agent and/or claim representative.

Food spoilage – Typically, a homeowners’ policy will cover frozen and refrigerated items spoiled during a power or mechanical failure caused by a covered loss. (The removal of a plug from the electrical outlet or turning off an electrical switch, unless caused by an insured loss, does not qualify as a power failure.)
Tree removal - Typically, when a tree falls, if there is damage to the structure covered by a homeowners’ insurance policy, State Farm will pay a “reasonable” price to have the tree removed from the structure so that repairs can be made. Once the tree has been removed from the structure, our homeowners’ policy provides limited coverage to remove debris.
Business interruption - Your business insurance policy may respond to the loss of business income from an insured loss.

Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 1:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

there,s go yo money honey...
It is interesting that the federal government provides a
Single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890.00
And each can also get an additional $580.00 in social assistance for a total of$2,470.00 .

This compares very well to a single pensioner who after contributing to the growth and development of America for 40 to 50 years can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012.00 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 1:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Here,s where a lot of your tax monies go.
Letter by a Florida teacher................ A teacher speaks

This is a subject close to my heart. Do you know that we have adult students at the school where I teach who are not US citizens and who get the PELL grant, which is a federal grant (no pay back required) plus other federal grants to go to school?

One student from the Dominican Republic told me that she didn't want me to find a job for her after she finished my program, because she was getting housing from our housing department and she was getting a PELL grant which paid for her total tuition and books, plus money leftover.

She was looking into WAIT which gives students a CREDIT CARD for gas to come to school, and into CARIBE which is a special program (check it out - I did) for immigrants and it pays for child care and all sorts of needs while they go to school or training. The one student I just mentioned told me she was not going to be a US Citizen because she plans to return to the Dominican Republic someday and that she 'loves HER country.'

I asked her if she felt guilty taking what the US is giving her and then not even bothering to become a citizen and she told me that it doesn't bother her, because that is what the money is there for!

I asked the CARIBE administration about their program and if you ARE a US Citizen, you don't qualify for their program. And all the while, I am working a full day, my son-in-law works more than 60 hours a week, and everyone in my family works and pays for our education.

Something is wrong here. I am sorry but after hearing they want to sing the National Anthem in Spanish - enough is enough. Nowhere did they sing it in Italian, Polish, Irish (Celtic), German or any other language because of immigration. It was written by Francis Scott Key and should be sung word for word the way it was written. The news broadcasts even gave the translation -- not even close. Sorry if this offends anyone but this is MY COUNTRY.

IF IT IS YOUR COUNTRY SPEAK UP -- please pass this along. I am not against immigration -- just come through like everyone else.

Get a sponsor; have a place to lay your head; have a job; pay your taxes, live by the rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE as all other immigrants have in the past -- and GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

EnKiKur, I guess by that earlier post that you are more than happy to work and pay taxes to provide a living for those who are perfectly capable of working but instead choose to do nothing more than "work the system". I for one am not! Although I would love to stay at home with my kids I have more pride than to just sit back and expect a check each month for doing nothing.

I do believe we should help those who need it. After my divorce I had to go on food stamps when I quit one of my 3 jobs in order to go back to school and continue my education. It was a temporary thing. I increased my skills which allowed me to get a single job instead of having to hold down 3. I bettered myself with a little short term aid from the programs that I had been contributing to through my paycheck since I started working at age 15. It is those that make a lifestyle out of aid and educate the next generations that this is perfectly acceptable option to getting an education and going to work that I have a problem with.

Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Don't mind me 3on23, I've just been agitating. I was trying to point out, though, that the concerns you have are a willfully designed product of our monetary system which is set up to favor finance capitalism as opposed to a true free market system based on sound money- and by sound money I mean currency issued which has no interest attached to it.

Our social welfare system was created using our aversion to the misery of others against us, that is the subject of the World Bank paper I referenced. If you read that paper you will see that our values in regard to rights and our aversion to misery have been assigned values in a mathematical formula that attempts to calculate the optimal tax we will tolerate for the benefit of the central bank collecting the interest off the currency loaned to our government for issuance to us. The interest would not be needed if the Treasury Department issued the currency directly as the constitution intended, instead of borrowing the money from the Federal Reserve. This is the core problem with our economy.

Our system is set up to work against people like you, and me, and most people we know. This has been done by rational calculation and the aim of it is to disempower the middle class by steadily decreasing our financial independence. The same values you are proud of, along with most of us, are the weapon used to disenfranchise you and us. Our system is also harmful to the people it purports to help, those lowest on the economic spectrum, by taking away incentive to work toward becoming part of the middle class. This is to the benefit of finance capitalists who thereby gain a steady pool of people willing to work for very low wages and this pool puts a steady downward pressure on all other skilled and unskilled labor. Until people relearn the basic concepts of money and how it works and force congress to reincorporate these concepts into our monetary system we will remain locked in this present system of middle class erosion and growth of a two class system of poor and very rich.

Posted by naturegirl (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 7:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well we lost everything in 2 freezers and 2 refrigerators. BUT, since we had put everything in there - deer meat, fresh vegetables from the garden, home-made ice-cream - we can put everything back in. I will not complain about a natural disaster, or any one elses response to it. My life is just that - MINE. How we respond to situations we find ourselves in, whether natural (God sent) or man-made, just shows what kind of people we are and what kind of backbone we have. If our ancestors had sat down and cried along the way from whatever country they originally came from America would not be the country it is today. We have cut limbs and cleared out trash for our neighbors as well as ourselves. People need to show compassion for others and then maybe they will see their own blessings.

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 9:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well said naturegirl!

Posted by surgtech (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 10:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

SUCK IT UP PEOPLE!! IT'S LIFE, LIFE ISN'T FAIR ABOUT YOU LOSING YOUR STUFF. I LOST STUFF TOO.
BY THE WAY, HOW ARE YOU PPL BLOGGING WO LIGHTS OR A HOUSE PHONE? UNLESS YOU HAVE WIRLESS CONNECTION AND REALLY LONG BATTERY LIFE.OR YOUR SUCKING UP SOMEONE ELSES LIGHTS AND AIR?