FEMA Mobiles in Hope , Ark.

[Manitoba Bill]

Mark was mentioning these mobiles in another post so I thought I would put it here instead.

I used Google Earth to find them and will try and post both.

Looks like an abandoned airport NW of Hope.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.71652 ... &t=h&hl=en

album_showpage.php?full=true&pic_id=1054&user_id=108

[Mark]

Good link. Yep, you zoom in and those are definitely FEMA mobile homes. I never thought of using Google earth to verify it. But with that many homes stored in one place, it probably wasn't hard to find. LOL.

Right now there's a fight in Congress of how to trim down the inventory. They want FEMA to keep some in stock for emergencies, but not 19,000!

Mark

[Mark]

I was just thinking about our gov't. There's probably so much red-tape to getting a FEMA home, that we could have disasters of epic proportions, and those homes would still be sitting there tied up in red tape!

So our gov't might as well sell them all.

Mark

[Harry]

Hi

Remember the formaldehyde concerns. Well I just heard on the news that tests confirm the trailers are unhealthy and the people living in them will have to move. Stay tuned.

Harry

[Mark]

The article I read also mentioned the formaldehyde issue. But all new houses have some formaldehyde when new. It's my understanding that as glues & such continue to dry, the formaldehyde will go away or diminish greatly.

So maybe to solve the problem, every morning someone needs to air-out those homes by opening the windows. Then at night or the sight of rain, go close them. Any volunteers to do this every day for 19,000 homes! LOL.

Mark

[Harry]

Hi

Here's todays headlines:

2/14/2008
The Associated Press
FEMA Plans Trailer Exodus Over Chemical
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN – 2 hours ago

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday it will step up efforts to move Gulf Coast hurricane victims out of more than 35,000 trailers because tests indicate some of the temporary homes contain high levels of formaldehyde.

Harry

[Mark]

Dang! That news release just came out a couple hours ago too. That's gonna cost the government (I mean us) a load of money! Gov't may want to reconsider their decision to hand out those early tax refunds! LOL

Mark

[Harry]

FEMA Trailers to Be Tested by Request
Published: 2/23/08, 4:05 PM EDT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Occupants of FEMA trailers placed in disaster areas may now get their units tested for formaldehyde contamination if they file a request.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says that for the first time it will open up the testing program to hurricane evacuees living in thousands of federally supplied trailers and mobile homes along the Gulf Coast, and to anyone using similar FEMA-supplied trailers in other states that have been affected by floods, tornadoes and other disasters.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this month that tests on a sample of 519 trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi detected formaldehyde at levels that averaged about five times what people are exposed to in most modern homes.

Formaldehyde is a preservative also commonly used in construction materials; it can lead to breathing problems and is also believed to cause cancer. Critics had argued that FEMA should have reacted sooner to concerns that formaldehyde is to blame for ailments reported by trailer occupants.

In a news release issued Friday, FEMA said testing could begin as early as next week and would begin with residents of the Gulf Coast who have already requested tests.

About 200 trailers and mobile homes would be tested each week, FEMA said. The contract to do the testing went to Bureau Veritas, which also did the recent testing of the 519 units, according to FEMA.

Bureau Veritas, with operations in 140 countries, specializes in quality assurance, health, safety, and environmental services. The company says it helps clients "comply with standards and regulations relating to quality, health and safety, environment and social responsibility."

[Mark]

So what happens if someone's home tests for too much formaldehyde? Does Fema then buy them a new home? Heck, I'd have my home tested too if I thought I'd get a new home out of the deal.

Hopefully whoever originally manufactured the home pays for the replacements. But since so many manufacturers have closed, there may be nobody to go collect from. So as usual, us good ole hard-working bill-paying Americans will have to pay the tab (twice).

I don't want this post to turn political, and I may have to lock it if my comments start a political backlash. But I grew up on the school of hard knocks. I accepted charity from no one. I worked my way thru college. After college for several years I had less than 2 dimes to rub together. But I somehow paid my own way and accepted no subsidies from anyone (not even family). If I couldn't earn it, I didn't need it. I'm sure many people who visit this forum can say the same about themselves.

Unfortunately, there's a whole class of people out there who thinks they can sit on there butt doing nothing and just take in the handouts. And our government caters to them. Gggggrrrrrr.

I got a real kick out of some official in New Orleans. After watching the New Orleans disaster, he said, "Now this should be a wake-up call as to why getting an education is important." Of course it don't help that the media focuses big-time on those who can't help themselves.

Yeaa, it's good to help someone in a disaster. Nothing wrong with that. But for gosh sakes we shouldn't have to provide victims with housing and income for the rest of their lives! Anyway, I probably don't know all my facts, and maybe some of those people are repaying the gov't for their homes. Otherwise what a gravy train.

Mark

[Harry]

Hi Mark

This should answer some of your questions.

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=42586

Harry

[DavidW]

I don't want this post to turn political, and I may have to lock it if my comments start a political backlash. But I grew up on the school of hard knocks. I accepted charity from no one. I worked my way thru college. After college for several years I had less than 2 dimes to rub together. But I somehow paid my own way and accepted no subsidies from anyone (not even family). If I couldn't earn it, I didn't need it. I'm sure many people who visit this forum can say the same about themselves.

Unfortunately, there's a whole class of people out there who thinks they can sit on there butt doing nothing and just take in the handouts. And our government caters to them. Gggggrrrrrr.

.

Mark

I don't think your comments are out of line at all. Maybe didn't go far enough.

We have this unfortunate situation because the USA economy has been based on credit, no real growth, for the last (at least ) 60 years. The Federal Reserve (not Federal ,and there is no reserve)
literally prints money out of thin air, with no backing and loans it to our legislators who gladly put the next few generations in permanent debt in order to get somemore votes on election day.

Unsound monetary policy leads to disasterous excesses.

But it's unsustainable. The economy will falter, and is at the present.

Once the credit system fails (doing so right now), the game is over. Hang on. Those who have no debt will have a better chance of surviving.

[Greg]

I agree with you Mark, perhaps the best way all around is to just GIVE the trailers to the victims that are living in them. They did loose their home, this may give some of them some sence of pride in saying they do own something. This would also solve the problem of what to do with them that will without a doubt would end up costing us even more. Greg

[Harry]

Yo Mark

Tens of thousands still waiting for their rebuilding checks:

http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/n ... y.Company/

Harry