A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

This Photoshop CS6 and the barn image was captured about this time in a first snow photographic tour of my neighborhood. The farm has since been flooded. All that is left is a barn in very bad condition ready to go down for it's final count. The beautiful farm stone homestead sits empty because of forced flood insurance. Point is the farm was family owned through half a dozen floods over at least a 150 years when the farm was and continued to be productive. NO MORE thanks to our government over use of power. Now the land can't even be sold for crop use. No doubt we will soon see the barn cave in. There isn't even money to remove it and they can not burn it. Could you eek out a happy Christmas facing a mess like this?

Docgipe -- Is the problem that flood insurance is too expensive?

Expensive is to mild a statement......It went up nearly three times the former rate. It's been in our local papers. Many of our homes are in flood plain. They all are seeing drastic increases. Some have already evaporated by just walking away. For that the local other tax payers will have to pay for the removals after much waiting and trying to find the owners.

Im sorry to hear of that, doc.

Hi Doc, Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I agree it's a double edged sword, since FEMA can update any flood plane maps and do, property owners get both ways. A flood area is updated and any lien holder (read big bank) has the right to require that the owner buys flood insurance to protect their (the banks) investment. Flood insurance is expensive and the cost can equal or exceed the property tax and home owners insurance together. People on fixed or lower incomes cannot afford the new bill and fall in repossession, leaving the property empty. Flood insurance is no deal in and of itself, many times having a deductible of 10% of the property tax value (not real value). Some properties are only worth 40% of what they were assessed before the market collapsed. There are entire neighborhoods in Florida like this after the latest update in maps. Many owned by seniors. The updates can include areas not historically deemed flood plane. Getting even one lot unlisted is so much red tape and can take years. My fathers home is in limbo, it was listed in the last round of updates, and 2 years ago he was told it is due to be unlisted, in the meantime, pay the insurance with no recourse against the lender or FEMA.
Worse yet is building codes can be rewritten to allow new construction in flood areas, private property owners can't afford to do that. Large corporations can. So a beautiful little bayside neighborhood is beaten into submission an a Sheraton rises, since the ground floor is parking, pools, etc.they are immune to the powers that "gave" them the property. I'm sure this tacit is never abused in our free economy. Yet the local tax base is expanded and the only ones to suffer are the blue collar and retired workers who built their nightmare, err dream home.
Happy New Year

That's frustrating. There must be some balance to be found somewhere. There's clearly a problem with people continuing to build in areas that are prone to flooding, because it stretches FEMA's resources and the resources of regular property insurance. But to gouge consumers with overpriced insurance makes no sense either -- and the notion that a large hotel can find an exemption is offensive.

I've been through three floods while living in this mountain and valley part of the mountain chains that run from Maine to Georgia. We have a major river and thousands of tributaries that occasionally flood. I have seen the insanity of FEMA's politically great but damaging hands. They rushed in and let the flood plains be re-built upon even giving money various ways to encourage such rebuilding. All the time higher safer ground was available. Then they in their best days caused to be provided cheap flood insurance on the properties they encouraged to be rebuilt right where they flooded. In the process they left endless promised and forgotten possibly worthwhile programs. From my viewpoint little was done right and literally nothing has changed. On local basis any four guys over coffee could have done wonders using those millions and millions of dollars clearing the flood plains and rebuilding the high ground.....but that would be to easy. There seems to be no balance to be found anywhere. Every community I am aware of has been handled in the same worthless management known as FEMA. I find it impossible to believe their managers on the other side of the beltway know no evil, hear no evil and speak no worthwhile evil.

Not to cast too somber a note, but my half-brother died in Katrina -- it took me weeks to find him -- and FEMA was actually fabulous in the whole process, so I can't be too tough on them. It is a tough job to adjust to the needs of every locality in a way that is evenhanded. I think of the Herculean challenge facing those who divide up funds contributed to the victims of major disasters. I'm sure there are mistakes aplenty, and it is so painfully obvious to people who live in the affected location what has been done wrong.

sorry for your loss, Devon.

when doc said "on local basis" i think thats a big thing there. Bad decisions being made by people a thousand miles away from a situation.

Don't get me wrong, FEMA has helped thousands after disaster, but as Doc said, if nothing changes nothing changes. Rebuild a house in a drain, and it's still a drain It has been some of their ill advised changes that have collapsed peoples lives. We have a friend in Loch Haven with a beautiful property which was listed as flood plain. The lower section lies near the river but the upper section has never flooded since Noah. The house and buildings are on high ground, he was seeking mortgage financing from his family because he simply could not afford the insurance payments. A friend of his and a group of pals re-surveyed the property showing the elevations and successfully had the flood plain changed a difficult challenge and probably helped along by local authorities.

Those who build their futures on the sand have every right to do so but not at the expense of others when that poor decision wipes them out. They can only find valued help when helped to relocate on higher ground. Two or three major management events in the same neighborhood does not need FEMA to rebuild their properties in the exact same danger zones. Basic common sense applied locally with simple sound principles could be much more effective. Various government agencies are preparing as I speak to build levies to save about ten percent of our neighboring town from repeated flooding. The simple answer would be to help them get out of a well known flood zone. I personally have seen this flooded and rebuilt with major government funding three times in the past fifty years. It will happen again with or without big brother's foolish management. Only thing different will be the flood will have to be a bit worse or the levies unmaintained which is normal to have repeated floods from lesser amounts of flooding. The basic truths do not ever change.

Makes complete sense.

Some of those decisions seem aimed at preserving an ongoing cycle of government employment and/or involvement/ dependence. Self perpetuation of the official department, not finding a resolution to the problem.

Sallyg gets a gold star.

Amen, Sally definitely gets a gold star!!

I'm honored! thank you both.

It's not exactly this but along these lines=

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." H. L. Mencken, Baltimore journalist early 1900s.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/H._L._Mencken

A completely relevant quote, I think. It goes hand-in-hand with:
"...The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos..." Which, in turn, goes hand-in-hand with the process of a man who is willing and able to DO for himself being dangerous as well; for he will not rely on, nor WANT, the government's help interference.

Keep 'em scared and ya keep 'em under your control. It's sickening.

Like cattle!

...Or lemmings.

okay, you guys, I need to say that as someone who is a federal employee (albeit not FEMA), very happy with my work, and someone who believes in the mission of my agency, I'm beginning to feel offended. I don't know what you all do for a living, but I'm sure it wouldn't make you happy--or feel comfortable/ welcome in the group-- if there was a long thread with people denigrating it.

I have a sister who is also a federal employee (also, not FEMA). She, too, is very happy with and passionate about her work, about giving her very best to her clients, who are Veterans; She, too, is a Vet. Clearly, it's not the people (like you) who DO the work who are... shall we say "the problem". It's the policy-makers to whom many of us take exception... or, more specifically, the policies themselves. Certain policies that clearly do not address the core of a problem, but only address the surface, and do not encourage strengthening the core of a people... those are things we have a hard time swallowing.

I deeply apologize if I have said anything that has offended you personally, or have said anything that may be considered a 'pot-shot' at the heart-felt work that you do; that certainly was NOT my intention.

thanks, Speedie, I appreciate it. I think politics are a dicey thing to discuss since not everyone views things the same way, and with the country as polarized as it currently is, we don't want the polarization to extend to our forum of people who share a love of flowers, other happily growing green things, and the pollinators and other wildlife who enjoy them all with us.

I whole-heartedly agree. Sometimes I can't seem to keep my big pie-hole shut, and I am ashamed of myself BIG TIME. This is no place for murmuring and complaining... I think the title of this thread has something to do with "Merry CHRISTmas", does it not?

Thank you, HUGELY, for correcting me.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

awww, you're such a sweetie, Speedie! :-)

No Dear, I'm a mistake-making sinner, but ever so thankful when I am corrected lovingly like you just did. YOU're the Sweetie. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

well, let me join as someone who makes lots of mistakes!! :-) In fact right now I should be getting dressed to take my daughter to school and here I sit... :-D

Catmint,
I apologize too, sincerely, for causing discomfort. It's always good to hear testimony from the many government employees who do good work conscientiously. Of course there are many missions in the government that all of us on this forum benefit from.

Heeheee, and there I sat chatting with you while I was supposed to be working on my shopping list and menu so I can go grocery shopping today! < =O It's ok, it's all done now. ... now all I gotta do is get into the shower. ;)

You're so right Sally, there are many missions in the government that do good works, like my sister who finds jobs for disabled Vets. < =D

Thanks for your kind words, Sally! :-) I work in health and human services--e.g., autism research, and maternal and child health.

Speedie, good luck on that shopping list! And kudos to your sister for her work with disabled vets!

Cat, Don't take offense if you know you are doing good. I'm a vet and retired Fed. I saw corruption at many levels, miss use of power, and terrible waste of resources. I for one am proud of the job we did. I also am not proud of many of our politicians and self serving bureaucrats. I worked in logistics and our job was to maintain an unbroken supply to our soldiers, we provided everything from band aids, breakfast, and bomber parts. We also supplied the Army Corp of Engineers which has done a lot of good, but also created some monumental messes here at home under the beck and call of politicians. Now they have a greater challenge, fixing what they broke.

hi, Ric. My father was a veterinarian in the Air Force. I think his experience of the military was mostly positive. As a veterinarian, he was in charge of public health for the bases he was assigned to, and so he saw a lot of fraud, dishonesty, and dangerous practices in the food industry. E.g., since the AF buys bread from companies that make bread, he would go and inspect the facilities to make sure the process was safe. He saw pretty rotten things going on at all kinds of businesses where food is produced, bought, and sold not only to the U.S. government, but also to the public--consumers like you and me.

I'll pipe in here just to remind us all that the DG rules are to stay away from politics, which is a good rule to stick to since as a group we have very divergent and strongly held views.

Please forgive me Happy, I'm not making light of you reminding us of the rules... but I can't help it.. the goofy side of me ALWAYS gets the better of me... IT'S THAT WORD "Divergent"... Have any of you seen the movie "12 Monkeys"?? Do you remember the guy who was "Divergent"?... just remembering that scene in that movie with that word.. you got me cracking up!!! "Are you divergent, Friend?" AaaaahahaHAAHAHAHAAHAAHAAA!!!!!!!!!

I'll be good, I promise!!! < =x **giggle** **SNORT!!**

I need to go see "12 Monkeys", clearly!

There's also the book 'Divergent', which my daughter just got and is looking forward to reading!

Well now we went from a Merry Christmas intent to an early total of unrelated discussion. This is in my opinion why I and many others disappeared from this site several years ago. Indeed the world has changed and is forever going to change. That does not give anyone a right to forum bust as this one once again went off base without any reason I can see.

I simply do not have time to remain involved in such goings on. The forum was at best an opportunity to share some seasonal thoughts and or to learn that many are now right now losing their homes and farms due to forced very high priced flood insurance.

Hope you have a very merry Christmas, Doc!

Here here Cat, MERRY CHRISTMAS Doc, and everyone else!!!!!
And you're right Doc, while the title of the thread here may say "Merry Christmas" in it, not one post in it has yet to actually stick with this wish or sentiment... other than Cat's ^^ up there. My apologies for straying.

Is everyone ready for The Big Day!? =)

thanks, Speedie! :-) We are not ready in the conventional sense (glimmering tree, chestnuts ready for the open fire, etc), but we are ready in our own low-key way with Christmas goodies to eat, a few modest presents for my daughter, and ready to enjoy spending time together, since we are both off for the week from work and school.