The Political Discussion Thread

[Gatefan1976]

AFAIK, no one is asking for payment upfront. If it was my hide that was in harms way, and I couldn't get myself out by my own, I would be damned glad someone was willing to get me out of there and send me the bill later.

It's not just "a bill" Annoyed. The "bill" when it arrives could be tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on how the "bill" is divided up, and this is a bill landing on the door of people who have lost damn near everything.
No capital, no job, but a nice bill to default on..........
Do you really -want- to be "saved" like that?

[Annoyed]

It's not just "a bill" Annoyed. The "bill" when it arrives could be tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on how the "bill" is divided up, and this is a bill landing on the door of people who have lost damn near everything.
No capital, no job, but a nice bill to default on..........
Do you really -want- to be "saved" like that?

From the article you posted.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...ees-to-pay-for

The costs are based on “the price of the last commercial one-way, full-fare (not discounted) economy ticket prior to the crisis,” according to the State Department's website. This policy applies to “anyone evacuated on U.S.-government coordinated transport, including charter and military flights.”

I don't see how you get tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from that.

Those costs are for the island of Dominica; PR doesn't fall under the same jurisdiction.

The discussion is academic, anyway; later on in the article, it says they aren't collecting at this time anyway for the Dominican evacuees, (and I'm assuming they never will force the issue) and it also says that they don't intend on charging PR folks.

The point of the discussion in my mind, anyway is why shouldn't people be prepared to handle emergencies that are likely to arise in their region? It's only common sense to do so.

For example; I live in an area where we get snowstorms, occasional power outages as a result of weather; in extreme cases like 1991, people in this area were without power for up to 3 weeks in March, a time when heat is still needed. Therefore, it is prudent for people to have purchased a generator, snow blowers or have made arrangements for plowing and other snow removal needs. And most people around here have that equipment and services arranged before the fact.

I don't expect to have to go buy a generator or snow removal equipment and then have the govt. pay for it.

[Gatefan1976]

From the article you posted.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...ees-to-pay-for


I don't see how you get tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from that.

Of course you don't, their costs are defrayed by the whole rescue operation, which you get to complain about. Of course I don't see how you can reasonably expect to get money from someone with nothing either.

Those costs are for the island of Dominica; PR doesn't fall under the same jurisdiction.

Sure.

The discussion is academic, anyway; later on in the article, it says they aren't collecting at this time anyway for the Dominican evacuees, (and I'm assuming they never will force the issue) and it also says that they don't intend on charging PR folks.

If it's academic, why get you panties in a bunch over it?

The point of the discussion in my mind, anyway is why shouldn't people be prepared to handle emergencies that are likely to arise in their region? It's only common sense to do so.

Do you prepare for "one in 500 year" events as a regular practice?
Do you still carry condoms and make sure they are in date?

For example; I live in an area where we get snowstorms, occasional power outages as a result of weather; in extreme cases like 1991, people in this area were without power for up to 3 weeks in March, a time when heat is still needed. Therefore, it is prudent for people to have purchased a generator, snow blowers or have made arrangements for plowing and other snow removal needs. And most people around here have that equipment and services arranged before the fact.

That happens -every- year-, that is par for the course, and yes you should be prepared.
Should I be prepared for a snowstorm in Sydney?

I don't expect to have to go buy a generator or snow removal equipment and then have the govt. pay for it.

Do you have a nuclear shelter?

[garhkal]

Do you prepare for "one in 500 year" events as a regular practice?

How many times has PR been hit by hurricanes? Quite often, same with the tip of Florida.. So its not a 'once in 500 yr event'.

[Falcon Horus]

How many times has PR been hit by hurricanes? Quite often, same with the tip of Florida.. So its not a 'once in 500 yr event'.

And how many were Category 5 storms?

[Gatefan1976]

Garkhal does not care about details, I honestly don't know how a -gamer- cannot deal with details.

[garhkal]

And how many were Category 5 storms?

Well lets look shall we?
Going of wikipedia's list of named storms over the past 100 years..
Hurricane allen, 1980, Cat 5
Bertha (1996), Cat 3
Bertha (2014) Cat 1
Betsy (1956) Cat 3
Carmen (1974) Cat 4
David (1979), Cat 5
Dean (2007), Cat 5
Debby (1982), Cat 4
Debby (2000), Cat 1
Donna (1960) Cat 4
Earl (2010), Cat 4
Eloise (1975), Cat 3
Faith (1996), Cat 3
Frederic (1979), Cat 4
Georges (1998) Cat 4
Gilbert (1988), Cat 5
Greta (1956) Cat 2
Hortense (1996), Cat 4
Hugo (1989) Cat 5
Crystobal (2014) cat 1
Inez (1966), Cat 4
Irene (2011) Cat 3
Irma (2017) Cat 5
Ivan (2004) Cat 5
Jeanne (2004) Cat 3
Jose (1999) Cat 2
Klaus (1984) Cat 1
Kyle (2008) Cat 1
Lenny (1999) Cat 4
Luis (1995) Cat 4
Maria (2017) Cat 5
Marilyn (1995) Cat 3
Noel (2007) Cat 1
Otto (2010) Cat 1.

SO since just 1979, that's SIX Category 5 hurricanes that has struck the island... NOT including Maria or Irma.

[Starsaber]

Yes, but based on your data, this is the first time it has been two massive storms in one year and they were only a week or two apart. I'd say that's pretty unusual.

[aretood2]

Annoyed, I don't think you could compare buying a generator and stocking up on food for a snow storm with an island getting hit by a category 5 hurricane...twice. It's not anywhere near the same level. While both events are disastrous, at the end of the day your house will still be there. The roads will be easily repared (plow it) and so on. Irma and Maria ripped the houses out of their foundations and flooded towns, cities, villages, and countrysides like mythical sinking of Atlantis. One does not simply prepare for such a thing.

[mad_gater]

Annoyed, I don't think you could compare buying a generator and stocking up on food for a snow storm with an island getting hit by a category 5 hurricane...twice. It's not anywhere near the same level. While both events are disastrous, at the end of the day your house will still be there. The roads will be easily repared (plow it) and so on. Irma and Maria ripped the houses out of their foundations and flooded towns, cities, villages, and countrysides like mythical sinking of Atlantis. One does not simply prepare for such a thing.

not necessarily regarding snowstorms....depends on how much snow falls and its snow-water equivalent...enough snow could fall to collapse buildings....esp. if it's the wet heavy stuff like we got in the "October Surprise" of 2006

[Annoyed]

Absolutely, orders of magnitude different. But knowing that one lives in hurricane alley, I would think it prudent to at least have the resources to get out of dodge if the need should arise.

[garhkal]

Yes, but based on your data, this is the first time it has been two massive storms in one year and they were only a week or two apart. I'd say that's pretty unusual.

That i will agree with. BUT YOU would think that having all those prior hurricanes hitting them over the decades, THEY WOULD

A) know how to secure the roads so they WOULDN'T have been destroyed in many places
B) Had buried power lines, so the power woudn't have dropped to the whole frikken island damn near
c) had a dedicated group of volunteers already lined up to drive vehicles with emergency supplies when they come in..

[thekillman]

That i will agree with. BUT YOU would think that having all those prior hurricanes hitting them over the decades, THEY WOULD

I just checked, but they don't get hit with (major) hurricanes every decade. 1928 was the last time they got hit by a category 5. The recent hurricane season was unusual in that they got first grazed and then hit full-on. Most hurricanes simply go past them, since PR isn't that big and that includes the main island. Sure there can be damage from the close passing, but nothing on this scale, especially not the double hit.

Lastly, PR is actually an island, which makes stocking up and preparing harder. They have rainforest and mountainous areas, so digging powercables isn't that easy. It's not like florida or texas where you can easily get supplies or volunteers from neighboring states or cities. Plus, they've been in long recession with a government debt crisis, so it's also not like they were overflowing with money to prepare.

[Falcon Horus]

Man, whoever comes up with those hurricane names....

Maria is currently giving us the remainder of her strength. She's all blown out -- luckily.

[Womble]

Man, whoever comes up with those hurricane names....

Every scientist has a psycho ex-girlfriend?