Post by Jack Bauer on Oct 3, 2022 10:41:25 GMT -4
Agreed. McNeil suggested after Dorian and all parties need to be together during the disaster. The telco's wouldn't play ball but that should have been discussed in the days leading up to Fiona...not 3-4-5 days later. And it does make the province look bad if they couldn't get everyone on board ahead of time.
The idea every dollar of support seems funneled through the Red Cross doesn't sit well with me either. Not enough dollars are being put on the ground to help people. And I mean the seniors homes that went days without power and any help. The income assistance earners who are still without power. We've left our most vulnerable fend for themselves in a lot of ways with this. I can't even imagine how worse it is in some of the rural areas.
Problem is they aren't experts on the ground in every place. May not play well with other grassroots churches, shelters, aid resources.
The governments like them because they step in and fill voids. They mobilize volunteers quickly and seem to know how to get supplies they need faster than government can.
What Canada doesn't have is a FEMA like in the US? FEMA oversees the aid needs and distributions working with state and local authorities. They have some executive power.
Maybe if we are going to have fires, floods, landslides, hurricanes, and tornadoes at this increasing rate this country should formalize a network for disaster relief.
Give credit where it's due. The power companies are actually more prepared for the inevitability of these disasters than most in government and most in local levels. The power companies have existing supply arrangements to help each other and can forecast their needs. This storm though is the worst one yet so it takes time to do what they do. Truck loads of power poles coming in from Quebec the last 10 days shows the magnitude of the response.
Juan, Dorian and other events have made things more ready. But it's the power company's job to be ready. All these smaller outfits it's not their job, it's more volunteer. So it falls on govt to get ducks in a row long before and anticipate better.
The power companies appear to be the most prepared. Lots of help brought in from all over.
I just wish the relief could go to those most hurt by everything. I know some of the good the Red Cross does...I just feel there's a lot of money coming in yet not enough being seen on the ground.
I will give Houston 1 big positive as the $100 food relief is the only type of benefit I can remember coming for everyone after a major storm. I don't recall any other disaster coming with a per household handout. But $100 for every household when you have a 9 figure surplus that almost 100% came off the backs of locals paying higher gas and oil prices...that number should have been a lot higher then $100.