The War Wagon
Full Access Member
... Stop Surviving the Flood Without Permission
But it gets BETTER!Around the world, governments have recently been issuing an unsettling call for their citizens to become more self-reliant. Just this week, the governments of both Germany and Czechoslovakia warned that people should be prepared for ““be prepared for the worst case possible scenario.”
But here in the United States, just the opposite is happening. Our government seems to have an unquenchable thirst for cracking down on those who take responsibility for themselves. There is an abundance of evidence of this in Louisiana.
The southern state has been hit with the worst flooding in over 500 years.While the final numbers won’t be known for some time, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office has estimated 60,646 houses were damaged and 30,000 people rescued; other people escaped on their own.FEMA says 109,398 people or households have applied for housing help, and 25,000 National Flood Insurance Program claims have been filed. The American Red Cross called it theworst natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy struck New Jersey in 2012.This massive disaster was all but ignored by the mainstream media, since it didn’t fit the current agenda of divisiveness and racial tension. So what did the folks in Louisiana do?
They rolled up their sleeves and took care of business....
It IS worse - click on the thread title to read more! :boxed:And that is when the government said, “Oh, no. We can’t have that.”
Of course, the government doesn’t want citizens to realize that they are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves. If people realize that they can perform independently and that it is much better than performing within the strictures of government regulations, they will be a heck of a lot harder to control.
So, they stepped in and uttered the scariest words ever.“We’re from the government and we’re here to help.”Like a horde of modern-day carpetbaggers, they began “helping” by forcing people who were struggling to rebuild to purchase permits. That’s right. They forced people to ask for permission for the right to repair their own property.
Considering the daunting expense of rebuilding in itself, those State permission slips may make reconstruction cost-prohibitive for some, while others — given the strict regulations pertaining to the floodplain and more — may not be allowed to rebuild on their own property at all.Really? These people who are about to undertake a repair have no idea what they need unless they ask the government?
“We haven’t suspended any or our requirements for permitting,”Justin Dupuy, building official for Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge, told Reason in an interview. “Before they start making any repairs, they just need to call in and check with us to see what they need.”
Fortunately, in a small act of grace pointed out by Reason, fees for reconstruction permits have been waived by local officials — though the permits, themselves, are still mandatory, as permission to repair some of the 20,000 flood-ravaged buildings in East Baton Rouge might not be given at all.How very kind.
But that isn’t the worst of it.
They also decided to charge fees to the Cajun Navy before they were “allowed” to continue rescuing people.
I couldn’t make this up.
The Libertarian Republic reported:No good deed goes unpunished. The Cajun Navy is a group of volunteers that operates at its own expense to rescue people trapped in flooded areas in Louisiana. They use their own boats. They risk their lives. And now that people have noticed that they are far more effective than government rescue efforts, there are plans to require them to pay a fee before they are allowed to do any good. “Don’t worry. It’s just a small fee,” legislators explain. “Maybe only fifty dollars. That would be worth it to put authority behind the Cajun Navy, wouldn’t it?”When the Cajun Navy members said, “No thanks” to the government who wanted to train them to do what the government wasn’t even able or willing to do, they were treated like criminals.
That’s right. The government deployed the police to prevent these good Samaritans that we all wish now were our own neighbors from continuing with their efforts.
Louisiana State Senator Jonathan Perry is the engineer of the licensing requirements.“Perry said that if members of the Cajun Navy continue on without his legislation, they will be stopped by law enforcement officials from rescuing residents past police barricades…You can be assured he’s doing this for the Cajun Navy guys’ own good. He is trying to “empower” them.
Under current state law, citizens who cross police perimeters are breaking the law and could face punishment.” (Source)
That must also be what the Red Cross is doing when they make it more difficult for good-hearted locals to help.
Beth Yancey Houghton, a local woman who volunteered made the following post on Facebook.“So as we are headed back home from the River Center in Baton Rouge volunteering our nursing services Dawn and I have come to the conclusion that neither of us WILL EVER volunteer or donate to the RED CROSS. The Red Cross basically takes over the shelters and starts refusing clothes, donations and various volunteer services UNLESS they are previously contracted. So what does that mean….well, 60 boxes of doughnuts were discarded this morning becuase the delivery vendor was not in contract, hot meals were refused becuase the entity providing wasn’t contracted, and medical supplies including medications were trashed for same reason. Clothes that were “donated” needed to be left on the street unless they were “furnished” by Red Cross. As of tomorrow, the shelter we were at will be completely over taken by the Red Cross other than the medical area because they couldnt have the actual room since LSU has a contract with state to provide medical care. Its sad when the military police were helping to “protect” the medical areas from the red cross when there are so many other issues at hand. Anyway, next time to want to donate or volunteer your services, do your homework.”The Red Cross vehemently denies Houghton’s claim. Except…this:
Nancy Malone, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, said there’s misinformation being spread around, and people are confusing the Red Cross with their partner organizations. She also said there are liabilities to feeding people food that doesn’t come from certified vendors, which is why some offers to cook hot meals have been turned away.Perhaps, technically, they didn’t throw food away, but turned it away, even though they didn’t have enough meals from “certified kitchens” to feed everyone.
But she categorically rejected allegations that the Red Cross has thrown away donations.
“If you came today and said you have 5,000 meals to offer, well, we already had food delivered today, let’s find a way to arrange for you to help someone else or come back another day,” Malone said. “It has to be about coordination. We are held accountable to state regulations. This food has to come from a certified kitchen.”
