If you live in Tornado Alley, blame yourself. Ron Paul says no emergency financial aid to those

[demtenjeep]

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, stood by his libertarian beliefs on Sunday, saying that victims of the violent storms and tornadoes that have battered a band of states in the South and Midwest in recent days should not be given emergency financial aid from the federal government.

"There is no such thing as federal money," Paul said, on CNN’s State of the Union. "Federal money is just what they steal from the states and steal from you and me."

"The people who live in tornado alley, just as I live in hurricane alley, they should have insurance," Paul said.

http://news.yahoo.com/ron-paul-no-federal-financial-aid-tornado-victims-102533838.html

[Nancy Waterman]

1. At least he is consistent and doesn't pander

We can disagree with his ideas and his policies without all the bull shit flying everywhere that surrounds the other candidates.

[CoreyAndrews]

4. Agree'd

Agreed, but it's a ridiculous stance.

[Lasher]

9. You are 100% wrong.

Dr. No is highly inconsistent and he panders his ass off.

[lumberjack_jeff]

19. It's pandering to everyone who isn't in tornado alley.

I live in earthquake/tsunami central. If I help people with their hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes, I hope I've built up some karma points.

[LeftishBrit]

104. He panders to those who don't want to pay taxes, and fuck everyone else!

I don't think consistency in an evil cause is better than inconsistency. Santorum is also consistent, and I suspect that, unlike the other candidates who all do pander to the Christian Right, he really is a 13th century theocrat. Doesn't make him better than the others. I think ALL the Republican candidates are highly dangerous!

[Blue_Tires]

120. You could say the same of all those popes who refused to believe the Earth was round...

[flamingdem]

138. No. He's a d.i.c.k. and this proves his ideology

is ruthless and inhumane.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I was wondering who would be the first

to kick off the GOP ruthless Grinch policy.

[libinnyandia]

5. I heard that Gov Kasich refused immediate federal assistance.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. I also saw that Gov. Mitch Daniels

chose to declare a statewide "disaster emergency" vs seeking a "federal disaster declaration". Will see how long this lasts and whether they will blame President Obama for not "helping" them when they were in need (even though he and officials from the requisite agencies have been in constant contact with them).

[Myrina]

27. Incorrect.

Daniels is waiting for Homeland Security and the National Guard to finalize damage estimates before he sends his 'pretty please and thanks' note to POTUS for federal funds. The statewide disaster declaration is a protocol step in the process that they all have to take before filing for fed assistance.

[BumRushDaShow]

34. Except that he distanced himself from it

on Face the Nation today:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57390244/face-the-nation-transcript-march-4-2012/?pageNum=2&tag=contentMain;contentBody

SCHIEFFER: Are you planning to ask the federal government for any help? Are you getting help -- have you heard from the president?

DANIELS: Sure did. I was standing in the New Beacon firehouse I guess when the president called. Secretary Napolitano called. Some of my fellow governors were nice enough to call. Governor Patrick and Perry and Scott.

The simple truth is, we know from experience, the first few days are really on with the state and local authorities, on the people and volunteer organizations of a state like Indiana. As tough as this is, Hoosiers are tough, too, Bob. And you just would not believe the resilience and the can do spirit I bumped into everywhere yesterday.

Everywhere I went I ran into people from elsewhere. And they weren't always friends or family, sometimes they were just folks who picked up and drove a distance to pitch in.

The "simple truth" is that every state has some sort of federal presence that moves immediately. That is why there have been hundreds and hundreds of "disaster exercises" held between Federal, State, and Local disaster-related/first-responder type agencies since 2001.

[txwhitedove]

3. Insurance means SHIT! Just ask the people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

I do not begrudge my tax dollars being used to help fellow Americans in need.

[RKP5637]

15. +1000 +++ n/t

[newspeak]

112. ron paul must be living in lalaland

if he thinks that the insurance companies come to the rescue. The corporations are in it for profit and they'll do anything and everything that IF they pay out, it's as low as possible. Maybe he should talk to some who lived through the hurricanes in florida and NOLA.

The people who were screwed by the insurance companies should give a shout out to mr. clueless.

[FarLeftFist]

22. I'll toss in another +1000 for people with super-high insurance premiums.

[nolabear]

23. Damn Skippy.

People lost everything and have never recovered. Insured people.

[boppers]

6. Building in disaster zones is a stupid idea.

...and yet, we do it, in the worst possible ways.

[Suich]

7. If you include earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, etc.,

I'm not sure where a safe place to build is.

[boppers]

40. It's all about safety and mitigation.

I live in earthquake/flooding land. I live on a hill, in a stick building...

[Zalatix]

92. And don't forget volcanoes.

Yellowstone makes the entire US a potential hazard zone.

[canoeist52]

8. The whole world is a disaster zone.

Name me a perfectly safe place to build. Wind, Rain, Earthquakes, Fire can happen anywhere.

[boppers]

41. Risk is relative.

I can name two places that in the US that aren't a disaster area every year without fail: Both coasts.

[txwhitedove]

72. Huh? You mean like that Hurricane that did NOT hit New York last year???

[boppers]

77. Was it declared a disaster area?

It might have been, the coasts usually seem better prepared for weather than the annual inland mess.

Oh: And on edit: I wasn't aware this happened in New York every year, can you provide that information?

[txwhitedove]

79. You are playing Devil's Advocate, but it isn't cool. No, it doesn't happen in NY every year.

We can't all live in Vermont or Maine. Good grief.

[boppers]

81. If you live in a disaster area, prepare for it.

Is that too much to ask?

[LanternWaste]

114. Who is not preparing for it?

Who is not preparing for it?

[Lasher]

119. My friends and I have formed a group to prepare for disasters.

When any of our members gets hit by a major disaster, all of us pool our resources to respond accordingly. We like to call our group FEMA.

[RKP5637]

11. ... but that does rule out a lot of the US. Tornadoes are all over the place, anymore, as

are/will be earthquakes, and if Yellowstone, for example, ever lets go that will affect a huge portion of the US. And on top of that are hurricanes ... The earth was and can be a very violent place. We've been lucky to have years of relative calm in someplaces, but as weather patterns continue to change, geological shifts and the like, it's going to be pretty hard to find a "really" safe place.

[boppers]

43. How many tornadoes does Maine have? California? Utah?

It's time we stopped pretending that people are making bad decisions about where to live.

Examples:
New Orleans? Yeah, no, it's already under sea level. While next to an Ocean.
Near a fault line? Yeah, no, we don;t have the excuse of geological ignorance anymore.
Tornado alley? Sure, live there, in an underground bunker, but if you buy a mobile home, don't expect everybody else to subsidize it.

[kestrel91316]

52. The entire bread basket of the US is tornado-prone. You

aren't seriously suggesting that no one live or work there, are you????

Grain can't be magicked out of thin air in a factory on the coast.

[boppers]

58. Don't live there in above ground, east coast style, housing.

If you want to live with the prairie dogs, learn a lesson from them.... Dig.

[Mopar151]

57. Well, NH does'nt have many tornadoes

But I can show you the swath the F2 we had a couple years ago cut, and it's not pretty. And some of the winter storms we get, (ice, straightline winds, heavy wet snows, tidal surge) do hurricane level damage.

[Jennicut]

140. We had a tornado in Connecticut (and southern Mass) last year.

There is really no way to predict that from happening. And our ice storm on last Halloween left many of us without power for more then a week.

[RKP5637]

74. Are we moving the entire country to a handful of states? n/t

[boppers]

82. If you want to live in SFO, get an earthquake-ready house.

If you want to live in Oklahoma, get a tornado ready house.

Really not rocket science.

[RKP5637]

85. Don't tornadoes, for example, seem to be popping up all over the place anymore? Some things

are really bad where people live and should definitely be avoided. For example, when I lived in CA, people sometimes built in areas prone to mudslides and built on the top of a hill. That, I never did understand. Insurance in the Midwest is pretty cheap for tornadoes in some areas, at least IMO. About $100/mo for a $350k house. However, I always wonder how well they would pay if a massive one hit.

[newspeak]

115. some years ago

even salt lake city was hit by a tornado. There is no place in this country considered safe from earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes. Yeah, yeah, it's the fault of the people where they live. 300 million people can all move to one area-I don't know, the most safe place in the US.

When there is a widespread disaster, being the profit making machine they are, the insurance companies minimize their exposure by usually "screwing their customers." For instance a hurricane (randi rhodes' dilemma with her claim in florida)-the insurance company, well it was flooding it's not covered OR well it was really the wind that destroyed the home and that's not covered.

Some here can defend his libertarian, pro-corporate, anti-government comments. However, it's bullshite to me.

[boppers]

127. If you buy into a scam you lose.

I would like to sell you tiger insurance.

[Art_from_Ark]

142. Practically everywhere in the US is safe from tsunamis

Even the worst of last year's Japanese tsunami only reached about 3 or 4 miles inland.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/110315/dst11031512370049-n1.htm

[demtenjeep]

86. Basements

that is what we have

[boppers]

88. ....Which allow the whole whouse to be destroyed, wasting thousands or millions.

Build under, not over.

[Vattel]

136. Um, not everyone can afford to buy a house. let alone a disaster-safe one.

[boppers]

141. I did not say "buy", eom

[newspeak]

117. well, salt lake city did have a tornado some years ago

I was living in moab at the time. part of the temple grounds were destroyed. I just love the empathy and compassion some share for their fellow american neighbors. All for the sake of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and the rugged american attitude. Which, oh by the way, is a complete myth, perpetrated by a few greedhead robber barons.

[modem77]

12. Tornado Alley covers a huge part of the midwest.

There is very little area of the country that isn't susceptible to natural disasters.

[boppers]

44. ...and people there keep building above-ground housing.

It's just insane.

[ProSense]

14. Why

do people continue to bolster the RW when they chime in with stupid talking points?

Nebraska Hit By First-Ever February Tornado
http://news.yahoo.com/nebraska-hit-first-ever-february-tornado-181804173.html

[boppers]

46. Oh, first ever for february!

Yeah. I've only seen one tornado-ish in my entire life.

Either I must be lucky, or I don't want to live in death zones.

[ProSense]

59. Ah

"Yeah. I've only seen one tornado-ish in my entire life."

...you've never seen it so it doesn't exist?

There are people killed and property damaged in snow storms across the country every year.

People in parts of NY and NJ aren't used to devastating floods. Well, that was until last year. I mean, try living without electricity, water for drinking and bathing for a week or more. There are no neighbors to turn to because neighborhoods for miles are dealing with a similar or worse situation.

Before that, a microburst hit the area. I had never experienced a tornado, but it sure felt like one. It didn't cause the level of damage associated with a devastating tornado, but it was scary just the same. There was a devastating tornado in Brooklyn in 2010. Should they move?

"Either I must be lucky, or I don't want to live in death zones."

Are you inviting the more than 300 million people in the country to come live in your neighborhood?

I think this is beyond ignorant!

[boppers]

65. I try to avoid natural disaster areas.

I grew up with almost annual flash floods. I realized I didn't have to live in annual fear.

[hobbit709]

110. tornados have occured in every state, in every month of the year.

all it takes is the proper conditions in a storm cell. I don't live in FEAR of weather. As far as flash floods go, taking a few precautions keeps you safe. Number one-don't build below the debris line in the trees. 2.-Don't cross low water crossings when it's raining.

[boppers]

123. Tornadoes do not occur in every state, in every month, of the year.

Seriously?

[hobbit709]

128. Check it out. I said they have happened in every state in every month. Not all the time.

They also happen all over the world. It's not restricted to the U.S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/tornado/tor_climatology.html#

[boppers]

130. With equal frequencies?

Yeah, no.

[hobbit709]

131. What's the use?

[boppers]

134. Math and statistics is such a hassle!

What's the use of facts or knowledge!

Er... seriously?

[hobbit709]

137. People who live on the slopes of a volcano shouldn't criticize

those that live in tornado areas about safety.
Having been in both, I don't live where the ground moves or the mountains smoke.
I have also been in hurricanes, floods and tornados, which if you take reasonable precautions are much easier to deal with than a mountain going FOOMBAH in your neighborhood.

[RC]

18. The whole world is a disaster zone

It just depends on weather you want tornadoes, hurricanes, earth quakes, drought, floods, death dealing blizzards, sink holes, heat, cold, lightning, mud slides, avalanches, asteroids, deadly animals, disease...

No where is really safe.

It is the Government's job to care for and protect its citizens. That is fundamental to the understating of the "general welfare" mentioned in the Constitution.

[boppers]

48. Do you think all places are equally safe?

Should we subsidize rebuilding housing on the side of volcanoes, because "shit happens everywhere"?

How about we start with stuff we can predict, and go from there.

[Dokkie]

64. +1000

I hear people say the people who bought insurance in those area did not recieve any payout after the tornadoes. So my question is why not force those insurance companies to pay out when the event paid to be insured actually happens.

Also some places are more prone to natural disasters than other and depending on how much the insurance company charges you for a premium. It sucks to say this but if we continue to rebuild in those areas, we may end up bankrupting us all.

[LanternWaste]

116. You can of course provide us with an objective, peer-reviewed list of regions that are not susceptib

You can of course provide us with an objective, peer-reviewed list of regions that are not susceptible to any type of disaster, and then either suggest how all people move there in a cost-effective manner; or how to build *all* housing and commercial buildings in disaster prone areas in a more cost-effective manner yet nature-proof, yes?

That would be starting with predictions... you can go from there, yes?

[boppers]

126. Sure, any idiot can do actuarials.

[The Genealogist]

29. Let us list some states that would be "stupid ideas" to build in according to this logic

Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana....shall I go on? I've only just started.

[Fawke Em]

35. Don't forget Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

You know, with all these trees around here, a high wind could knock one over onto a house.

[RebelOne]

63. I live in North Georgia in an area considered as Tornado Alley.

Fortunately, the past tornadoes have skipped over my area and hit counties all around me. But there have been hits very close to me. One hit a subdivsion about a mile from me and tore up some very expensive homes. I lived just behind that area. Then just last year, a tornado tore through Cartersville, which is just a few miles north of me.

Yes, I live in a mobile home surrounded by big trees, and I live in fear that any high winds could topple those trees and then I would be toast.

[boppers]

49. If you add up the "natural disaster declarations" for those states, you will find:

a huge false equivalence.

Not all states are the same.

[Cirque du So-What]

33. Where do YOU live, you so smart?

I'm willing to bet it's in one of those 'stupid' areas that's susceptible to at least one type of natural disaster.

[boppers]

50. Portland, Oregon, on the "ring of fire".

I live uphill between two rivers, both have to crest 150 feet to flood me. A "big one" will take out my brick-housed neighbors, but not the stick housed folks. We get hundred of earthquakes a year, and we don't really care.... because we built for the environment.

We didn't build vertical houses in a tornado zone.

edit:typo

[kestrel91316]

53. You are extremely naive to think that stick houses can't fall in a quake.

[boppers]

55. Oh, they fall, too, in severe enough quakes.

My house has been standing for 90 years. It's held up decently so far.

[TexasTowelie]

91. You may be think that you are safe.

However, have you ever considered that a landslide may occur?

[boppers]

97. Yeah, I've tracked growth up and down my street and with my neighbors.

[Suich]

54. I grew up in Portland!

What's a "stick" building?

[boppers]

56. "Stick" meaning *not* brick/mortar.

The building can flex under pressure waves, in ways that masonry buildings cannot.

[Suich]

61. LOL! I always called it "wood frame!"

Thought that might be what you meant...I live in a "stick" house built in 1917, on a hill, so I feel pretty safe.

[boppers]

70. I grew up in southern AZ. Lots of brick, mud.

"Stick" was new-ish, as in "stick and stucco". Not a whole lot of wood sources down there, so "stick" was the cheapest housing, that still looked traditional.

Ah, regionalisms.

[Cirque du So-What]

95. You're not immune to the effects of wind

I have vivid memories of the Columbus Day windstorm in 1962.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day_Storm_of_1962

Nothing this severe has occurred in the Pacific northwest since, but it would be naive to expect that it will never recur. Would it be fair to characterize people who build in this disaster area as 'stupid' as well?

Fuck regional chauvinism.

[boppers]

124. Yeah, 50 year storms compare to annual storms.

If you live to 500.

[hobbit709]

111. Wait til the 9.0 hits. Or one of those beautiful mountains decides to blow.

St. Helens was a wet firecracker compared to historic eruptions in that area.

[Arkana]

38. Bullshit.

If we were going to ignore "disaster zones" we'd have to live in the ocean.

New England? Snowstorms.
Midwest? Tornadoes, dust storms, etc.
South? Hurricanes.
Pacific Coast? Earthquakes.
North? Even bigger snowstorms.

EVERY AREA IN THE COUNTRY IS A POTENTIAL DISASTER AREA.

[JHB]

42. Let's not forget the hurricaine damage done to Vermont, upstate NY...

...and other areas that are well inland. Hurricane Irene dumped a ton of rain on them in a short space of time, leading to severe flooding damage in areas where one doesn't usually think of as being vulnerable to hurricaines.

[Little Star]

47. +1

[boppers]

51. Are they all equal? Nope.

Just because "disaster occurs here" doesn't make them all equal.

[ProSense]

62. What

"Are they all equal? Nope. Just because 'disaster occurs here' doesn't make them all equal."

...the hell difference does it make to the people who have to deal with the after effects?

The person who loses a home to a fire, flood or tornado isn't consoled because it wasn't the worst disaster in the worst area affecting the most people.

[boppers]

67. It makes a difference for those who repeatedly pay for bad decisions.

I'm somewhat sure, at this point, that selling a mobile home in tornado alley should be a criminal offense.

[ProSense]

68. That's

It makes a difference for those who repeatedly pay for bad decisions.

I'm somewhat sure, at this point, that selling a mobile home in tornado alley should be a criminal offense.

...nonsense. Isn't the topic disaster relief? I mean, the amount spent is miniscule in the scheme of the larger budget.

FEMA's entire budget is less than $6 billion dollars. That's less than a month of war. It's less than one percent of the defense budget. The oil companies get $4 billion a year in subsidies.

Is there a list of people who constantly are involved in natural disasters every year?

Natural disasters can happen anywhere at anytime. Trying to blame the victims is not only a heartless RW exercise, it tries to create the impression that a huge sum of money is being given away to people who make "bad decisions."




Edited for clarity.

[boppers]

69. So, we should subsidize oil? Because it's trivial?

Oh, and the money often goes to contractors. Usually the same ones with defense contracts. It's no real surprise that "Brownie" was willing to let Katrina go to maximum-fucked, because FEMA money is often a scam for people who make trailers, temp housing, etc...

Same thing as defense.

Meanwhile, the pawns in the game, the people on the ground, are encouraged to keep living in horrible conditions for their danger environment, because the "emergency contracts" make more money the worse off, less educated, and more devastating, conditions are for people, after preventable/mitigate-able weather/geology/whatever.

How's how laughable it has become: After Katrina, a bunch of people were moved from NoLa into trailers... in tornado alley.

[ProSense]

71. Wait

So, we should subsidize oil? Because it's trivial? Oh, and the money often goes to contractors. Usually the same ones with defense contracts. It's no real surprise that "Brownie" was willing to let Katrina go to maximum-fucked, because FEMA money is often a scam for people who make trailers, temp housing, etc...

...what? I'm the one advocating that taxpayer funds be used to help people after a natural disaster. You are the one using Ron Paul's lame argument to pile on and blame the victim.

Ron Paul is the one who supports subsidies for oil companies: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002383382

[boppers]

73. Strawman. Post disaster funding should be used to remove, and re-educate, people...

..or rebuild appropriately.

It not being used for that, why is why we keep wasting money on the same kind of disaster relief, to build wrong housing for a given place.

[ProSense]

78. That's

Strawman. Post disaster funding should be used to remove, and re-educate, people...

..or rebuild appropriately.

It not being used for that, why is why we keep wasting money on the same kind of disaster relief, to build wrong housing for a given place.

...just silly! There are earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados and other disasters all over the country every year. They don't all happen in the same place. You're conflating known fault/flood areas with natural disasters. Unless you have a crystal ball, you can't predict where they're going to hit. Homes in earthquake and flood zones are often built with these issues in mind. Do you actually believe that these structures are going to withstand every natural disaster? If you build with a flood or earthquake in mind, are you safe from fires and tornados?

Should they move the Washington Momument and relocate the people of Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia to protect them from an earthquake in Virginia?

[boppers]

80. What?

"You're conflating known fault/flood areas with natural disasters."

Hurricane areas are known.
Tornado zones are known.
Even the major fire burn areas are known.

If you build for mild weather, and live in a trailer or wood ranch house in the midwest, well, you might as well live in a flood plain.

[ProSense]

84. Seems

"You're conflating known fault/flood areas with natural disasters."

Hurricane areas are known.
Tornado zones are known.
Even the major fire burn areas are known.

If you build for mild weather, and live in a trailer or wood ranch house in the midwest, well, you might as well live in a flood plain.

...you missed the entire point. Are you suggesting that every structure be built to withstand hurricanes, tornados, floods and fire?

Here's what I said, and the key part:

You're conflating known fault/flood areas with natural disasters. Unless you have a crystal ball, you can't predict where they're going to hit. Homes in earthquake and flood zones are often built with these issues in mind. Do you actually believe that these structures are going to withstand every natural disaster? If you build with a flood or earthquake in mind, are you safe from fires and tornados?

How should Vermont have prepared for the worst flooding in more than 80 years? Should they relocate everyone in Vermont given that this could happen again? What kind of structures should they build to withstand a similar disaster? Should they consider ensuring that the structures are also earthquake and tornado proof?

[onehandle]

13. Libertarians are worse for society than Republicans.

Good thing the dickless fools will never come to power.

[Lasher]

39. I agree.

Except that they are pretty much one and the same.

[Warpy]

16. hey Dirtbag! These are the folks who grow what you stuff in your maw every day!

You stop supporting them with things like the parsimonious assistance we still have to keep them alive and rebuilding, you starve yourself and us along with you.

Look, asshole, we are all in this together whether you want to admit it. Rugged individualists are the stuff of fiction, they have never existed in real life. If they've tried, they sure as hell haven't existed for long.

So shut your selfish gob and go away. Ayn Rand was a bitter old bag who couldn't deal with the world as it was and created a cruel fantasy you were mean and selfish enough to buy into. Go live in it and good riddance.

(and to the tender souls of DU who don't get it, this is to Ron Paul, may he rot in the hell he wants to create for the rest of us)

[Zalatix]

93. +1,000,000!!!

[TBF]

17. I hope he remembers that statement the next time

a hurricane hits Surfside.

Wonder why his position has changed?

Ron Paul: DC Miser, Galveston Porkmeister

Welcome to the heart of the congressman's Texas district, where federal spending has quadrupled since 1999.

On a gritty street in Galveston, Texas, a few blocks from the Gulf of Mexico, stands a prime example of the largesse of Republican Rep. Ron Paul. Workers here are putting the finishing touches on a new home, one of about 180 that will be built, at taxpayer's expense, for residents who lost their abodes to Hurricane Ike back in 2008.

The money for this project came from a federal Community Development Block Grant that the libertarian-leaning congressman helped direct to Galveston, the seat of Galveston County, and the most populous part of Paul's district. "Federal dollars are key," city spokeswoman Alicia Cahill tells me as a trailer arrives with boxes of new appliances. "Not only to help rebuild these homes, but also for so many infrastructure projects."

More here: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/07/ron-paul-texas-federal-spending-pork

[alittlelark]

26. Nice catch. Send that around!

[ProSense]

20. Ron Paul

"There is no such thing as federal money," Paul said, on CNN’s State of the Union. "Federal money is just what they steal from the states and steal from you and me."

...is a moron. On edit: How is using tax-payer funds to help tax payers ("you and me&quot stealing money from "you and me"?

This is the guy whose budget includes more than a half a trillion dollars for the defense department and who supports subsidies for oil companies.

[TBF]

21. Not just a moron, but a hypocritical one -

see my post above re Paul rebuilding Galveston a few years ago after Ike. Federal $$ is fine and dandy when it's coming to his district.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/07/ron-paul-texas-federal-spending-pork

[HughBeaumont]

139. I use this chart a lot when it comes to "Mr. Anti-Corporatism".

Ron PALL is JUST like all the rest economically . . . a borrow-n-waste, pro-wealthy conservaturd.

[sandyj999]

24. Oh Ron you just make me feel all warm and fuzzy. n/t

[2pooped2pop]

25. It's our own fault if we live in Tornado Alley?

Is he aware this is not really just an alley? Does he know how much of the country is in that alley? So everyone in Ca, it's your own damned fault when the quakes hit then too. Florida, gulf, Texas, Hurricanes are your own damn fault.

[newspeak]

118. yeah, well, with his ideology

it's your own fault if that shyster screwed you, it's your own fault if that mega corporate food company poisoned your family and it's your own fault if you drank that tainted water.

Hey, but the free market fairy is alive and well.

[Myrina]

28. GOP'ers ought to live up to their 'small gov't' and 'no welfare' meme ...

... so in this case, I'd agree w/ Paul. If cities/citizens don't like the Federal Gov't and don't want to pay taxes and don't want to be part of a larger collective for the common good, then fine - fix it your damn self and don't complain.

And then remember which party holds that belief next time you need to vote and/or need help.

[TheWraith]

30. Does that include areas subject to hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, blizzards, etcetera?

If so... Pennsylvania and west-central Virginia are going to be AWFULLY crowded.

[spanone]

31. so he wants to mandate insurance....hmmmmm

[get the red out]

32. When did the South become tornado ally?

I guess wherever a tornado touches down would be "tornado ally" and people should have had enough ESP to not build there?

I've lived in Kentucky for 48 years and the bulk of the tornados that hit on Friday devastated parts of the state that see one tornado about every 50 years.

Other than that Ron Paul and the rest of his cronies are just complete assholes. Come to think of it, we haven't heard anything from his piece of shit spawn about the tornados. At least Mitch McConnell, nasty as he is, had the forethought to visit the area and promise FEMA aid. If Rand echoes his Dad on this it will be his downfall, people in eastern Kentucky have very long memories.

[piedmont]

99. "Dixie Alley" is one of four high-activity zones.

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/92382839.html

Still, the chance of a structure being hit is only around 1 in 10,000,000 in any given year. A WELL FUNDED public forecasting and early warning system is the key to reducing deaths. And the pseudo-libertarian republicans down here don't have any problems taking FEMA money after disasters.

[southernyankeebelle]

36. I live in the south and the area I live in wasn't prone to tornados. But one came about 2 miles

away. My goodness what is wrong with the people who think like that?

[Arkana]

37. He is the very definition of heartless bastard.

This is why Ron Paul is a terrible person and would be a terrible President. I don't give a damn about his foreign policy--he's a fucking dick.

[demtenjeep]

45. I live in "Tornado Alley" I also lived through the 91 Andover/Wichita tornado

The storms truly frighten me

My damage was very minimal but many of my friends lost a lot!

Fuck you Ron Paul

[randr]

60. Dear Mr. Paul

I give my government permission to use my tax money to help these people.
I hope you are not suggesting I lose this right.

[Texasgal]

66. Why people adore this man

is beyond me!

What a hateful, vile person he is.

No insurance company is gonna come and bring me some freaking potable water to drink or help find my loved ones under the rubble! Up yours Ron Paul!

[Blue_Tires]

121. Paul says he'd legalize weed, audit the fed and end the wars

it's bullshit of course, but way too many people love him for those stances and put blinders on to the other 99 percent of his politics...To them he can do no wrong...

[mtnester]

75. What a hateful ass - if he hates government so much, why does he want to be a part of it

so badly?

[annabanana]

76. He also thinks that those who live near water are on their

own for floods, on the coasts, hurricanes +/or tsunamis. earthquakes anywhere

No help for anyone, anytime, anywhere for anything.

You know, . . . . values.

[boppers]

83. If I build up on the hill, and you build on the beach, why should I subsidize your error?

You are making an ignorant decision, so short of arresting you for stupidity, what is the alternative?

[ProSense]

87. So

If I build up on the hill, and you build on the beach, why should I subsidize your error?

You are making an ignorant decision, so short of arresting you for stupidity, what is the alternative?

...if a tornado strikes your area, it's your "ignorant decision" for moving into the path of a tornado?

[boppers]

89. Tornadoes prefer flats. Like beaches. Plains.

So do Tsunamis.

Hill problems are tree burns and mudslides. You can fix the first with adequate cut downs, and the second by not doing *too much* cutting down, and keeping the grasses and foliage heatlhy.

If you move into a tornado area, and don't build for it, yes, it is YOUR FAULT. "Act of God" is basically a way of saying "I was too ignorant to plan"... forest fire? That's why you cut roads and keep things away from your walls. Flooding? That's why you manage drainage. Earthquakes? That's why you build for shaking. Tornado? Build down, not up.

[ProSense]

90. Thanks

Tornadoes prefer flats. Like beaches. Plains.

So do Tsunamis.

Hill problems are tree burns and mudslides. You can fix the first with adequate cut downs, and the second by not doing *too much* cutting down, and keeping the grasses and foliage heatlhy.

If you move into a tornado area, and don't build for it, yes, it is YOUR FAULT. "Act of God" is basically a way of saying "I was too ignorant to plan"... forest fire? That's why you cut roads and keep things away from your walls. Flooding? That's why you manage drainage. Earthquakes? That's why you build for shaking. Tornado? Build down, not up.

...for sharing your insights on what "tornados prefer," but you didn't answer the question.

If a tornado strikes your area, it's your "ignorant decision" for moving into the path of a tornado?

Now, on your current premise: What if you "move into a tornado area" and "build for it," but the area is hit with an earthquake, fire or flood?

Again, these are natural disaster, and often they're unpredictable. A sudden wind storm, not a tornado, could fell trees and damage multiple properties. Should they cut down all the trees?

This statement: "Flooding? That's why you manage drainage."

...just shows the level of ignorance. There were floods in this area where such management didn't do shit!

[boppers]

105. Your proposition seems to lack cohesion.

[neverforget]

94. Those people in Aumsville, Oregon that were hit with a tornado in December 2010 live in

a tornado area? Who knew the Willamette Valley of Oregon was tornado alley!

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Tornado-touches-down-in-Aumsville-Ore-111870589.html

[boppers]

106. They're still plans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aumsville,_Oregon

Poplation 3,584.

[piedmont]

98. You are propagating a myth.

Intense, home-destroying tornadoes are not affected by topography. North Alabama has quite a few mountains, and they get hit just as hard as any river valley. A tornado is a miles-high phenomenon, and a little bumpiness down at the bottom caused by terrain doesn't affect it.

"If you move into a tornado area, and don't build for it, yes, it is YOUR FAULT."
The tornado that hit Tuscaloosa last year was known about for at least 30 minutes, affected 5,000 buildings, and killed more than 50 people. If you'd seen it in person you would think it a miracle that so few were killed. The warning system saved hundreds of lives. Many of the dead were unable to take shelter because there was none immediately available. Tornado shelters and sturdy homes cost money that many people don't have. It's not just a coincidence that fewer deaths happened in the more upscale neighborhoods that were hit than in the trailer parks and houses in poor neighborhoods.
Since a building has a 1 in 10,000,000 or less chance of being hit in any given year, it's not worth the extreme cost of putting it below ground. All that's needed is a good shelter, if you can afford it. Even among those with the means to build one, most can't justify building a $5000-10,000 shelter, especially if there's a chance they won't live in their current residence for more than a few years.
Please stop characterizing tornado victims as stupid or lazy. They are disproportionately poor. In tornado country we are WELL aware of the dangers of tornadoes, and annual deaths caused by them have been decreasing over the last few decades even while the population has boomed. We are doing quite a few things right (including early warning) and will continue to do them-- but making shelter access available to the poorest members of society should be on the list.

[laundry_queen]

109. Thank you.

It is a myth that tornadoes won't hit in hilly areas. One of Canada's 'high activity' areas is in the middle of BC - an area that has mountains everywhere. And it's a myth that strong tornadoes don't hit outside of tornado alley. I live near a major city that is the northern most major city in Canada. No one figured we'd get a tornado, but in 1987 an F4 killed 27 people here and caused millions and millions in damage. Turns out in our province we get an average of 10-12 per year, with an F3 or higher every decade or so. I suppose all of the people that lost their homes then should have known it was coming?

BTW, aforementioned city doesn't get anything else - major floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes or tsunamis. And it wasn't supposed to get tornadoes either.

[boppers]

125. Sorry for physics.

Science is lame.

[Lars39]

113. Mountainous east TN was gettig tornados

A few days ago.

[annabanana]

107. Up on the hill?? Closer to the lightning??!

What, Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?

[boppers]

122. Water grounds more.

Who did you have as a science teacher?

[mindwalker_i]

96. I'm sure it will all blow over

[JNathanK]

100. I'm tired of idealogues. I just want someone with common sense.

Cutting federal aide for natural disasters isn't something I'd want to cut. I'm willing to pay a certain amount of taxes for things to run more smoothly. I'm willing to pay a moderate amount of money into a food stamp program or housing program so that hungry, starving people who've lost their houses in the recession or who have lost their houses in a tornado don't end up killing me and robbing my shit to stay alive. Ron Paul and all these politicians and all those behind the neo-liberal agenda can afford to stay safe in walled off communities guarded by mercenaries. I and other lower and middle class people can't. If they're going to strip down social safeguards to the extent they want to, we need to realize were going to suffer the most from it. You might manage to keep a job and pay the bills, but if anyone has learned anything from the gang violence in black ghettos, it doesn't matter. You still have to worry about starving and desperate people breaking into your home and shooting you in the middle of the night.

[Brigid]

101. When is Ayn Rand *really* going to die?

How far we have fallen as a society -- and how quickly -- when we have people seriously arguing that we should not be using federal funds to assist those who are victims of natural disasters? Are such debates going on in any other country that dares call itself "civilized?" Ayn Rand thinking is rapidly destroying this country.

[annabanana]

108. She was dead inside the day she was "born". . . n/t

[JDPriestly]

102. I say, let's lend each other a hand.

This year, it's tornadoes in the Midwest and South. Last year it was widespread fires in Texas. Next year it could be forest fires or earthquakes here in the Southwest. Let's help the individuals who just happen to be unlucky and suffer great losses in these environmental catastrophes.

It's the right thing to do.

There but for the Grace of God go we. We should not forget that fact. We are just lucky if we go through life without facing such a disaster.

[alp227]

103. If Ron Paul REALLY wants to live somewhere without such aid, he should try Haiti.

Hell, he's so crazy that even conservatives dismiss him. Why doesn't he set an example and try to live in the disaster zone of Haiti post-earthquake. Haiti is one of those nations that don't have a great social safety net unlike the US.

[quaker bill]

132. How does one wish to socialize costs?

one is run by modestly paid civil servants

the other (insurance) is run by the 1%

it is a profit making bureaucracy vs non-profit public owned bureaucracy. I don't see the big philosophical point. In either case the cost of recovery is borne by those who were lucky enough to avoid the damage.

[demtenjeep]

133. unbelievable my sister says there is a picture of a tornado victims house

the house is destroyed but a Ron Paul sign is still in the yard.

[JVS]

135. He didn't do so well in Oklahoma last night.