Classic Stossel: Disaster Relief
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- A big storm does NOT require big government - people come together to help one another.
After Hurricane Katrina, the New York Times ran the headline: “A Big Storm Requires Big Government.” But FEMA did an awful job. By contrast, private businesses like Walmart, and charities like Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief helped many people, much more quickly.
A Classic Stossel from 2015
"My cat doesn't make a good babysitter!"
"You just need a cat with the right expertise from the government."
The people with the right expertise do exist right? They're the ones who are helping privately like the Baptists in John's video. So why not just allow the government to hire them? Or would working for the government somehow make them less capable because of regulations? I would imagine having all the resources of the federal government at their disposal would be useful.
More like
"This thing that eats babies isn't a good babysitter".
"Okay, we'll send you two more".
@@vrclckd-zz3pv
The problem is charity are volunteers so less cost. Governmnet has to pay e4verone so less can be used for the actualy project. If labor is free you can make it cheaper.
@@0011peace 🎯
@@0011peace that makes sense. So the problem is quality vs quantity? Volunteers are perhaps less skilled than professionals but since there is zero cost you can throw an unlimited amount of them at the problem and get it solved faster than the government since they're limited by how many people they can afford to pay?
This happened to us in South Texas after hurricane Harvey, people that showed up out in the country and helped us tear down our old garage and clean up the place, brought us food, water, most anything we need it. They gave me faith in humanity again, there are good people out there
I'm an atheist , faith based systems in time of need always work 10000 times better than any government system, and unfortunately atheists have no such communities.
That's the government's problem: They DON'T WANT you to have faith in humanity, they want you to have faith in the government. Look at how many things the government tries to centrally plan that used to be done largely by religious institutions. They want to replace religion with government. So worship them. That's why communism is an atheist political ideology, and all communist states have been atheist. If god exists, there is a power higher than the state.
@@IncredibleMD very well said!
Unfortunately, we're paying huge taxes to the government for them to be inefficient and ineffective. Big government tries to justify themselves by making decisions based on mountains of paperwork. They just need to start doing what needs to be done, not fill out forms, make you wait for three to eight weeks, then turn down your request.
Government just needs to stay out of weather redistribution programs.
Southeastern Kentucky had a huge flood - FEMA showed up and screwed the recovery up big time. One couple lost their home the day before they moved in - FEMA said "Not your primary residence - no assistance whatsoever". Local groups from the Masons to the Lions, Odd Fellows, etc have pitched in and done tens times what FEMA has ever done.
John Stossel is a real reporter - too bad we don't have lots like him
That couple needs to appeal… not primary a was incorrect…intent to occupy would be correct!
Government always finds a way to 🤬 stuff up. They have this whole crazy notion that they know better than the people on the ground, and the residents themselves. They always show up with a one size fits all approach. If they would just step back, and let us do what we do, things would get done, and the people would be cared for. Neighbor to neighbor.
@@dalgire245 3 months later, MAYBE they'll win their appeal. Or they'll just never hear back, welcome to govt red tape.
I'd go further and say that when disaster relief is left to the government, it dis-incentivises civic duty. After all, if its the government's job...
Exactly!
Also it's an economic Moral Hazard.
People need insurance (an actual policy that they pay for) to cover their property against
the hazards of their environment.
that is actually the goal
It also kills individual incentive to learn how to help themselves.
Authoritarian professor. If government bad, give more power and more people.
After living in Upstate New York I know full well the type of people that are indoctrinated at SUNY and other colleges like Siena College which was in my wife's Village in Albany. I was always uptight when I went up there from Tennessee North Carolina Maryland wherever we happen to be stationed BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE.
Like a communist: All the times communism failed, it's because it wasn't done properly.
All the time the government failed, it wasn't done properly.
And more money
Yep. These clowns never listen to the wisdom of men like Thomas Sowell.
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.”
My town was wiped out in one of last years CA Wildfires. Many of us spent three weeks in evacuation centers (refugee camps). I chose a NON government camp where a private citizen (also The county Sherriff) opened his personal private land for evacuee's to camp. ZERO help from the CA or Federal government. The community heard of the need for camping gear, clothing, personal items, meals, etc. There was a non-stop flow of cars bringing whatever they had. We had 24 hr medical care on site, a portable laundromat, shower units, luxury restrooms, a huge area for evacuated livestock. local restaurants catered meals. We had three solid meals everyday, snacks and drinks available 24/7. I can honestly say that I have never ate that well in my life. Many people were saying that they gained weight due to the abundance of great food. 100% community volunteers not a single penny was accepted for anything. A few local politicians came by and made promises that to this day have NOT been kept We had NO RULES, NO GOVERNMENT, and NO PROBLEMS
It's amazing what a community can do, if government bureaucrats stay out of the way.
Your experience reminds me of Katrina. As you know, the "authorities" were telling would-be rescuers and spontaneous volunteers to stay away and that roads were flooded. That was a lie. A group of teenagers loaded up a vehicle and headed out to help. They drove right up to the affected area without any issues. I also remember bottled water getting bogged down with bureaucracy. It sat in trucks at a staging area and never made it to the affected area.
Hurricane Hugo/Andrew. No support. Home owners sitting in lawn chairs with firearms , protecting their destroyed houses. A pile of wood and personal belongings and yet people will loot what's left of your life. A lawless disaster area. Where's the government? In their nice ,safe and secure homes.
@@SocialistDistancing The stories we were hearing about the "official evacuation centers" were so much different than our conditions. they had mask mandates and set up vax stations. There wasn't a single mask at our camp and someone brought a portable voting station so people could vote to recall the horrible governor. They had no pets allowed, We had a livestock area that resembled a petting zoo. Local construction rental companies donated portable temporary fencing to set up corrals. I heard about a puppy that lost his home to the fire, so I took him in and named him "CALDOR" (after the fire). They had no laundry facilities, , We had a full service portable laundromat on site, we drop off a bag of dirty cloths and in a couple hours, go back to pick up our fluffed and folded clothing with socks matched up and my hankies were folded into little triangles. They had outhouses and slept on cots in auditoriums,, we had luxury restrooms with music playing 24/7 that were staffed and cleaned many times each day and we slept on nice air mattress in our private tents with free high speed wifi. They had rules and certain areas and times to do different things, We had no rules and respected each other. I had my Rock & Roll blasting constantly and people would dance as they walked by. They had rationed food and we ate like kings. Some guy had an extra freezer and a generator, he put them in the back of his truck and became the ice cream man. He came through everyday with free ice cream for everyone.. Good high end ice cream. A local grocery store opened the doors and told everyone to take whatever they needed and so did the hardware store across the street. I have always looked at a Sherriff as a government official more than a community leader/member. One of the statements that was used often was "Our Sherriff was serving his community before his badge". He had already announced his retirement when this was all dropped on him. He could have acted like an elected official and done very little, for his last couple months in office but he stepped up big time spending long days coordinating the massive effort, He brought in help from 75 law enforcement agencies to patrol the evacuated areas. ElDorado County is huge and almost all rural mountain areas which is very difficult to patrol. I heard of a total of 5 people caught trying to loot and they were taken in before they got anything. Our Sherriff came by everyday after work and gave us personal updates, He was honest about everything and stayed until every question was answered. The governor (who was only 50 miles away) only made one visit to the area when the fire was threatening Lake Tahoe. He couldn't care less about all the NON-Income generating communities. The sheriff said that he promised help, It has been just over a year and absolutely NO HELP has come. All of the regulations have kept anyone from driving a single nail to rebuild and he is actually trying to take control and ownership of much of the properties that were destroyed.. A long reply but I will keep this as a chapter in my experiences..
The latest hurricane had almost no federal help whatsoever
@@alexyochum5648 I'm not surprised. It's better if the just stay out of it. They fail everytime.
I was part of the military Katrina response. - Nothing more frustrating than watching hell rain down on people while beureaucrats argue about what, how and when something should be done, then wasting taxpayer money on thousands of FEMA trailers and cruise ships (that never got used). We could have built thousands of new homes with that money. -Just drop us into the area and we'll figure it all out. And that's exactly what we did. Filling sandbags, handing out MREs, keeping the streets safe, dragging potable water 'buffaloes' to areas in need, tarping walls and roofs, arranging hospital transportation via helo or Humvee. We didnt need people 1K miles away making big decisions. Presidential visits dont mean d*** to a family in need, but tarps and a few cases of water and MREs are EVERYTHING to them.
Funnily enough, Mississippi, also known as the land mass between Florida and New Orleans, recovered super fast due to FEMA just dropping off trailers and leaving. Military did distribute water and canned food for a week or so too.
Awesome! Thank you for your service. 🥰
We need more commonsense and fewer "experts" in these situations.
I worked "Super Storm Sandy" as a truck driver. I was excited to help. My "help" consisted of basically sitting at Fort Dix for 7 days. I ran 2 loads of supplies during that time. One to Islip NY (mre's) to a warehouse there. Another of office equipment to a commercial park in southern NJ. We showed up at the office building, and there were still downed trees blocking our path. If it hadn't been for the other drivers that were there, and a lone guy with a chainsaw, we all would have been trapped. But we banded together and moved the trees out of the way, to get in. We drivers got back to the base, and requested chain saws, gas and bar oil. Most of us had safety gear. (We could be doing something more productive, like removing trees.) We got told no by FEMA. We weren't "qualified" for that work. All of us farm raised truck drivers were like what??? So after 7 days my company pulled us out. When those large and in charge at Ft. Dix finally let me have our company's empty trailer back (an 8hr nightmare), I told them "Thank you! I work for one of the most non-communicative, and disorganized, trucking company in America, and you boys make us look good!" They stood there with their mouths open.
If it hadn't been for the Southern Baptist Emergency Response Team out of east Tennessee, we all would have starved. They brought in their portable commercial kitchen, set up a cafeteria, and feed anybody and everybody for the 7 days I was there. They organized latrines, and got lumber to make some boardwalks to try and keep us out of the mud. (I loved seeing the fema personal running around in business attire (heels and skirts, ladies) in 8 inches of muck and mud...) They used good old fashioned commonsense to make life much better for all of us trapped at the base.
You mean national guard
Yep, you speak the truth.
“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’ ”
-Ronald Reagan
🍻 to that quote sir!
Reagan was great for a quote but a lousy president.
His administration saw an increase in both government spending as a percentage of GDP and federal regulations.
@@ScottyNapaa He was lousy on domestic policy, but he is credited as being better on foreign policy than most of the presidents in the last fifty years. The country hasn't had a good president on that since maybe JFK, since JFK seemed to want to push away from the large domestic push of Eisenhower, and he seemed to want to resolve the civil rights issue. However, JFK didn't serve long, so it's a lot of speculation based mostly on the fact that Johnson was completely different on such issues.
On foreign policy, Reagan made a lot of headway with ending the Soviet Union. However, his administration didn't reallt have any plan for rebuilding those countries. Also, his policies on Latin America weren't helpful, but he was much more stabilizing toward the Middle East than Carter or Bush, Sr.
When it comes to presidents, it's all relative, and you have to go back to Coolidge before you have the last real president that has strict policies on reducing taxation, trying to limit spending some, and he was a big advocate of Indian affairs. He was mostly an exception, because he was directly elected into office.
@@ScottyNapaa
so has every president that was stossels graph
@@ScottyNapaa so tell us , who is the “best” president in your opinion?
Or just a top 3-4?
Almost whenever I see someone talking about disaster relief, I give this example:
In 2007, the city of Napanee, Indiana was hit with a tornado, over night. A bunch of private repair groups were formed. These were mostly churches. Some were just random groups of people. The only place that they weren't allowed to touch was downtown. The entire livable sector of the city was rebuilt by the end of the next day. However, the government insisted that they not touch downtown, including the businesses there. They had to do their thing. As a result, it took nearly a month for downtown to get rebuilt. I mean, even the Amish had the technology there to restore power to the city, well before the actual repair crew was even able to get there. Let that sink in. Amish could get BETTER prepared to fix things than the government could.
Proud of The Southern Baptists getting it done with Disaster Relief!
The Southern Baptist did an incredible job here in Oklahoma. My only quibble is that they weren’t the only ones. Multiple other denominations poured into the state and our local resources were also utilized. Convoy of Hope, Feed The Children, many more faith based groups. That doesn’t detract from the remarkable work at the Southern Baptist men.
They aren’t a drop in an ocean compared to the Mormons.
@@copisetic1104 really? I do know that the Mormons have similar ministries. But I just didn’t see them as much. In fact I don’t remember them at all in the aftermath of those tornados. But that really doesn’t mean anything because I wasn’t in the really bad disaster area in Moore. They never came into the area where I worked on some other storms. And I don’t remember them coming around with my sister trailer was destroyed. The Mennonites from Western Oklahoma were huge help for my sister. I’m not saying that they didn’t show up big. I just didn’t personally see them. And I did see some others.
@@copisetic1104 It's not a pissing contest dude.
@@copisetic1104 there are many faith-based orgs doing this. You seem to agree with the big-govt guy in the video who said NGOs only compete. My church sponsors IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service), but again, there are many. Samaritan's Purse, Salvation Army, World Vision...
John is a American hero and Legend!
🥰🥰
This is how we fix our government. We fire the politicians and do it ourselves. We already are, but the politicians are just taking our money and freedom. It's time for a change.
Another insightful video, Thanks John!
Yeah you're spot on, just a shame the public is so pathetic!!
The politicians have been stealing from us for a long time, I say we hang them all.
I remember after Katrina, when someone in government finally sent buses into New Orleans to get people out, they initially refused to allow people to bring their dogs and cats with them. After it got out in the news and there was a big stink, they finally relented.
When the Cajun Navy shows up to rescue you, they'll carry you to the boat, then go back to get your dogs, and your cats, and the baby lambs and calves, then they'll tie your horses to the back of the boat and get everyone to high ground. And if they float by a half-drowned possum, they'll toss it into the boat with everything else.
Nice 👍
My area was hit by the worst flood in recorded history this year. Our local government decided to do nothing to help, so I used all of my companies equipment and man power to help save as many homes as posable. I even called in and housed dozens of Mormon missionaries to help. My group alone saved over 120 homes and helped dozens of more people. FEMA told home owners that they didn’t need to pay contractors because FEMA would pay. The government decided that we had helped to many people and prevented to much damage, so we did not qualify for a payment. Our local government that did nothing to help people was able to keep the money that should have went to me. I was not looking to get rich, but it would have at least been nice to have my expenses covered. I have now lost my business and am at risk of loosing my home if I can’t sell enough assets. This is what happens when government gets involved.
Yuck! I am so sorry that you jumping up and doing the right thing didn't get you better rewards!!
Thanks but I wasn’t looking for a reward. I was trying to do what I felt was the right thing to do. I just didn’t expect to be punished.
@@BLINDFURY89 Yes, that's what I meant, sorry. I definitely don't expect people to do all that looking for a big pay out. Like you say it's also not expected to be punished for it!
As they say..... No good deed goes unpunished.....
@@tommyemler1763 Absolutely true.
Agree 100% Our town lost hundreds of homes in a flood. The private faith based relief organizations were amazing and got stuff done and are still here over a year later helping rebuild. FEMA was nearly useless.
Before government can take action, they have to have a meeting about the meeting they're going to have for a meeting. Then a committee has to approve the findings of the meeting, & after that an oversight committee has to review the final, final verdict.
They'll spend $20k in tax dollars for all of this, just to approve $2k in relief for the home owner. It's how billions get spent with little results, & why FEMA has so many high paid "administrators."
Exactly! Want to waste time ? Have a meeting. What's the number one cause of inefficiency and low productivity, meetings and committees.
You forgot the part where locals have to be removed to provide a safe environment for politicians to fly in for photo ops.
I was a member of the Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief for a little while in the communications area. They will outperform FEMA every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Was in the TXNG during Harvey, the Cajun Navy, and volunteers rescued way more people than we ever could. Nothing to stop a volunteer from helping, they just put the boat in the water and went to rescuing.
Our neighbor had his home and the entire farm set up destroyed by a tornado, our entire community came to help clean up the mess and help get the livestock brought to neighboring barns. We had the entire thing cleaned up in three days. No government action required, just a good community filled with good hearted people.
"Increasingly strong storms"
It's crazy how they allow people to teach no matter how many lies they spew out. And people pay a premium/go into debt to hear these lies.
He is only telling the convenient part.
As long as they repeat the same lie then they get a pass
@@peekaboo6622 it's not even true though
@@bigisrick Really? California and much of the western US, and europe, are ablaze in wildfires, droughts, mudslides, and suffering record-breaking sweltering heat.
Archeological treasures, burried under water for ages, are being exposed in China, asia, and throughout europe.
Then take a look at the widespread global volcanic activity.
Grand Solar Minimum does not suddenly bring max weather changes - they are gradual, but noticeable, and global.
@@peekaboo6622 natural disasters are not growing in strength. Period. Human population is growing so we see more casualties from natural disasters. And the internet grants us more exposure when these things happen. Our understanding of weather events as humans is elementary at best.
I don’t want to say that I look forward to a disaster, but going in and helping with these organizations after one is one of my favorite ways to spend my vacation days. Some of the hardest, hottest work I have ever done, but the most rewarding. Meeting these families at the worst times in their lives, lifting them up by removing debris, gutting homes and giving them a firm foundation with which they can pull themselves up and get back to some sense of normalcy is truly an emotional and humbling. These are the works that matter. By serving, I have met people from all over the US, made friends and even rescued a puppy from Houston after Harvey. I tell you this not to toot my own horn, but to encourage you to volunteer as well. There is just something special about it and i feel like I gain more from it than I gave.
I lived through an f4. The most frustrating thing was all the FEMA people running around with clip boards, I asked one of them why he didnt bring a rake if he wanted to help. He just walked a way. No one in our neighbor hood wanted to fill out paper work. the local businesses and people did ALL the Work of cleaning up. The FEMA people should just stay home. They dont help any one.
The man actually said we should have a technocracy with a straight face...
Clearly a man that's read Starship Troopers (sarcasm)
He looks and acts like a greasy lawyer trying to gaslight his audience.
We kindof have it in some forms now. We can afford to lose the current round of technocrats. Especially silicone valley types.
@@bozejoetheclown3554 "kindof in some forms" so we dont have it now, got it.
@@xenn4985 Well, when what you're told to refer to people as is being re-enforced by major companies and social media giants and you can be censored, banned or canceled for refusing to use "my terms". I'd say that's more than enough technocratic over reach. Ironically enough, corporate 'fascism' is what we appear to have and the same people who claim to be "anti-fascist" are supported by it. Others, like Chris Hedges, say we have inverted totalitarianism, which I'd say is probably pretty accurate too, if indeed we have corporate fascism.
Funny how we get caught up in terminology and terminological word play violations without realizing that multiple forms of governmental systems can be in play, at the same time. And they can deviate, one from another.
Keep it going John. You are one of the only true reporters still out their.
Never depend on the government for anything.
When we had a derecho in 2008, local men were out by hundreds clearing the roads that hour. A church group from out of town came and cleared my neighbors yard in under a day. The communities did the work.
Don't forget the prepper communities.. showing up to help where ever they can.. right down to line cooking with donated food.
A large, impersonal entity that gets money no matter how badly it screws up will only do right accidentally, not deliberately.
*gets more money BASED ON how badly it screws up
Imagine a project that measures its success not by how effective they are but by how much money is spent. Now imagine it's not even their money. You think this can solve any problems to any great effect?
Glory to God! And to Stossel, a huge thanks.
The people who think they know the most tend to be the ones who actually know the least. Nothing is scarier than technocrats. I trust the guy installing my carpet more than a government expert.
THATS RIGHT 👍.. A STRONG NEIGHBOR IS BETTER THAN ANY GOVERNMENT ! 🇺🇸
Dunning Kruger effect.
This story really touched me. Thank God for those good neighbors that help!
When a wildfire went through our home town in central Texas in 2005, the outpouring of air that strangers gave to us was incredible. Donations came in from around the country to the point that churches and city officials were just handing out checks to everyone affected. Strangers gave out gas cards, blankets, food, water, tools. People we barely knew spent hours and hours helping clean up and get us back into a livable situations. It was mind blowing how generous and helpful people were. I want nothing more than to return the generosity whenever I can.
A shout out to Oklahoma Baptist relief folks. Great work!
That look by Stossel @0:23 That's how I felt. LOL The ivory tower and intelligentsia is what's wrong with America. President Reagan was spot on when he said "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" are the scariest nine words.
What I think we need is a government that is small enough that blame can't be shifted. There should not be any situation where no one knows who made a particular decision and WHY.
This was our experience 3 years ago when we got the major flood in Nebraska. That was something we were in no way prepared for in that part of the country but within hrs of the water receding tons of volunteers from towns counties and states away were there with equipment, supplies, and food. FEMA didn't even show up for weeks and by then 80% of the recovery efforts had already been completed.
They wait and show up at the end just to go "Look how good we are at this. MORE TAX MONEY PLEEEEEAAAASSSSEEE!"
I worked for the Illinois Department of Revenue.
When I started I was a small government guy, but after working there for 8 years, I'm not sure if I'm just an anarchist or what. lol
Government is like your 3 dumbest friends deciding how to fix your computer.
While we lived in New Orleans for 4 years I witnessed the Canjan Navy and Helping Hands - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteer group and others do much more than government and they were organized and helped out so many surrounding communities after hurricanes. It's amazing how people love to help out those who need it the most.
these faith based disaster volunteers are what made and keeps saving peopleof faith. it's traditional America helping Americans at its best!
God bless the Baptists who come to the aid of others. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also sends out huge numbers of volunteers, food, and supplies after natural disasters. There may be other denominations that help as well ❤️
This video brought tears to my eyes... It's what being a true American is about... God bless everyone involved in these events...
When I think of Washington, DC, I'm reminded of that scene in the first Star Wars movie as Luke and Obi-wan are approaching the space port and pause at an overlook to the space port city and Obi-wan says: "Mos Isely space port. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy".
That is the best comparison I have ever heard about the government!
😅
The District of Columbia......You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy
With big government, billions of dollars seem to just "disappear" and either take forever to help or rarely ever get to those who are in need. Keep things like this at the local level and help support the non-profit & faith-based groups.
What a great reminder of who to trust in difficult times--God and good neighbors.
The day of the Derecho in Iowa in 2021, my father shut down his whole small excavation company to bring all his equipment back to our small town. He went to work in the first several hours assisting the city in opening up all the roads and then donated 4 days of 6 pieces of equipment and his entire workforce to help the city clean up the mess. 90% of the downed trees were taken care of in that first week. The state and federal government weren't able to provide help for several weeks.
And that's how we do it in the midwest. Get it done!
During 9/11 the most important support to the first responders were private companies and corporations giving out much needed supplies. From large corporations like Home Depot and Lowes to small business owners and volunteers bringing in flashlights, masks, gloves, buckets, tools, water, food. Gyms and commercial buildings that were still standing providing bathrooms, areas to eat or a space on the floor to sleep an hour during a meal break while covered in pulverized glass, concrete and human remains.
Once the City of New York and the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management took over everything sat collected and unused while first responders desperately needed safety gear and supplies.
Saw FEMA up close after hurricane Irene in Vermont. They were horrible. People were waiting over a year for approval to rebuild homes. It was absolutely local people who helped out the most.
After the recent flooding in Eastern KY a community named McRoberts KY had had NO outside person show up to help for two weeks. The men in the community had went to work the third day. They walked out of the holler because all bridges were gone. They walked about a mile and a half and got equipment from a jobsite so the could begin digging out and building a bridge so they could then drive in and out. WE THE PEOPLE are resilient and responsible.
It's not just government. It's NGOs. I happen to have worked at one that's wasted millions of dollars in grants of taxpayer dollars. Instead of going to actually help people after a disaster, the money went to hiring people who didn't have anything to do, and buying technology we didn't need. The NGO knew it. The umbrella organization that handed out the grants knew it. Congress did not. They would get big grants for a disaster years after it happens.
It was a massive waste.
Screw the government. God Bless Americans!
Thanks for all the volunteers who helped people recover from disasters...
Thank the good Lord for volunteers!
Back in 2017, when Northern California had a huge rain storm, or El Niño Part Deux, there was a tree that fell and blocked the highway. Instead of waiting for the government to help them, drivers who had chainsaws just got out and cut right through it and cleared the way for others within just a few hours. That’s how much people cared for each other back then, especially on an adrenaline rush.
The best work I have seen... Churches. They show up with buses of people, supplies, and help till the job is done.
In ky after the December tornado. The governor told the locals in Mayfield to quit cleaning so we could get federal help to do it for us
I don't remember where it is but a town in the US got rid of their local government and made it clear that the public as individual volunteers would take care of the issues that came up. They lowered their taxes and they like their cleaner better maintained town better now.
Knowing that your neighbor Bill down the street has the tools and expertise and support of the community to fix the pothole and you know him and his phone number ... just that connection is comforting. And Bill will feel the shame of not getting it done or doing a poor job.
Never heard of a town the got rid of government, but I have heard of a new town being formed out of a part of an old one. The privatized, sanitation, policing, education, road care, and everything else they could think of instead of forming new government to handle those things. The logic was, why build from scratch as people who know nothing about those fields, when we can hire experts in those fields who already exist to do those things for us. The contracts are regularly reviewed and renegotiated. Companies that don't perform get fired and contracts don't get renewed. The town was saving so much money by hiring qualified professionals that they lowered taxes, and the local services were far better than the neighboring city that kicked them out and made them form a new town in the first place. People were moving in to get the better services from that old city too. It might have been this channel where I heard about it.
Texas Baptist Men is in Dallas about 10 miles from my house. They do work in every disaster there is. Great organization! Give generously!!
I am a contractor and I have been making plans to be able to be mobile and help with disaster relief. It has been something that I have thought about quite a bit because I feel like it would be rewarding to help people get their lives back.
Thanks for this video, many prayers for the Baptist Relief workers and their families
You can bet that whoever does come in and provide help and relief, the government is going to take credit for it.
That's awesome, God bless those people.
Big government sucks...
Doing God's work for His glory and love of our fellow man.
I'm in tornado alley and when we had a big one in 2017, we never saw federal anything just state, local, faith based and non profit. The community also just came together and helped anyway we could. Most in the area have tractors, trucks and trailers and heavy equipment. We were only out of electricity for a day and a half because those linemen worked their tails off! Thank God for all that helped.
During COVID in NYC I saw small Catholic charities do a much better job at helping people than the government. I found boxes of government meals out on the street wasted yet the Church did not waste what they had.
Here's to those who put aside their lives to help others! Huzzah!
I work at a bank that's headquartered in Mayfield, KY. The community was leveled by a tornado December 10, 2021. We lost our main office and our operations building. Video that our main office security cameras recorded at the moment of impact went viral. I've always been a free market, private philanthropy person and the response to the disaster just makes me feel even more that way. Individuals, companies, and any other sort of organization that you can imagine helped with donations of labor, money, and goods. People react quickly and will be filtered to where the need is greatest. The government, on the other hand....
Thanks John. You're the last true journalist.
I loved this video! John Stossel is the best!
I'm from the government and I'm here to help...
RUN!!
The best disaster relief is neighbors helping neighbors. If you get the government involved, the money gets into the wrong hands!
100% agree with this one. Less government means lower taxes means better lives for all Americans!
I remember seeing the movie MASH and hearing a commentary afterwards about the roles of women and African Americans in the army and thinking that what was not being mentioned was that a lot (of the TV series at least) was characters having to deal with red tape. I was in a school for students with developmental disabilities so maybe that had something to do with why it was so popular in our school
Can’t believe how sincere and uninformed/uninterested in learning that college prof is. He’s all in on big government with absolutely no fear of its failure- which it often does
One of your best. This needs to be shown in schools.
Faith based relief is much better. Samaritans Purse is one of the best.
After the hurricane and we had no electricity all the neighbors came out and bbqed what was still good of our food and shared it with everyone.
UMCOR United Methodist Committee On Relief is another great source of help. All supplies are donated and the workers are all volunteer, every dollar goes to bringing relief.
Thank you! This was well researched and provided insight the average American may not know. Great work Stossel!
I live on the gulf. Government doesn't really do anything after a hurricane. What happens is regular people with chainsaws and hammers start fixing everything immediately. People want to return to normalcy as fast as possible. The only thing I've seen government do is distribute water bottles.
I've been close to some disasters but thankfully never lost everything. If I ever did I would trust my neighbors for help first. And I would be first in line to pitch in for them. It's just what we do.
Ryan Hall Y'all doing MUCH BETTER THAN GOVERNMENT.
After hurricane Rita, our church from Lake Jackson went to Orange Tx with about 2 dozen volunteers and cleared trees from dozens of homes for several days. We had a couple of Red Cross meals is all.
Thank you, Mr. Stossel, for doing what you do.
Well said John! Thomas Sowell also has great insights on disaster relief and how government price caps have the complete opposite effect of what is needed. We would all be wise to accept the hard realities of basic economics rather than rely on big gov, whose actions tend to prolong the pain.
We’re here from the government and we’re here to help!
Name 3 Govt Agencies that are effective and efficient. You have 10s of thousands to choose from. I’ll wait…🧐
They are efficient..... At wasting money and time..
In Australia we have the SES (state emergency service) - they have admin and expert full time staff monitoring weather - co ordinating the effort etc but the majority of the SES is a well trained volunteer force - that tarp the roofs - clear roads, supply and deliver food, evacuations, do searches and other needs - the long term recovery of housing and infra structure is still a state and federal job and at that they suck - lots of pollies, lots of sound grabs, and same as you - years down the track - people still homeless - infra structure not repaired or rebuilt and upgraded - all praise to the orange overall brigade
Who will provide disaster relief if we abolish government?
Who will build the roads if we abolish government?
Who will provide security if we abolish the police?
I love John Stossel.
If, "professor" Jacob would dye his hair green and paint his fingernails black he'd be a shoe-in appointment for the jotato regime.
Ah Katrina... My Aunt and Uncle lined in Slidell, LA during that storm and they have many stories regarding FEMA and how they had clipboards and an "honor" system on to who got checks... Needless to say many, many folk took major advantage of that and took multiple checks. What a fucking joke. More great government agencies at work!
Old men whose homes floated away got nothing. :-(
Nothing worse that someone telling you...we are from the government, and here to help you.
Thanks for putting this out there John!!
People only need to help each other when they can't help themselves. If you can't help yourself, you get what's coming to you.
Paper & pencil pushers are not & should never be confused with do-ers. Never confuse goverment or its workers with compassionate, helpful or kind.
..."they've been doing it for two hundred years."
Well said.
'We're from the government and we're here to help ' Reagan called the 9 scariest words
Thus is a great perspective just like a vast majority of John's reports are.
Love this video. After a disaster neighbors helping neighbors. That's the way it was fifty years ago. And still pretty much true. But the government is trying to change it and be the sole provider of relief. Why do it if the government will do it for free.
We had the CDC/NIH/FDC all "prepared" for a pandemic for about 20 years before COVID. They should have had very precise and detailed written procedures on how to respond to the pandemic, just as businesses have in such situations. What did they do? Act as if they were completely befuddled by the virus, how to respond to it. Was there not a procedure such as "how to repatriate American citizens after the start of a pandemic"? Should have been. How did they repatriate the people on that cruise liner? Pure chaos, which was the same way they reacted to Katrina ....."just wing it by tossing money and resources at it and hope for the best." SMDH
My favorite is the massive hospital ship that docked at NYC and only saw 1 patient.
The ironic thing is that the government requires certain businesses to have contingency plans for virtually any situation that may occur. We must prove to the government that we review our plans at least once per year and that we actually practice recovery at least once per year. These are plans that commence immediately upon recognition that an "event" has occurred. If we don't succeed in reviewing or practicing our plans as required, we can be fined or penalized financially.
I guess you missed that big report on the news that told of the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on getting a plan in place, all written down. And then nobody bothered to use it! That is exactly what happened
The 11 words you never want to hear are, " I am from the government and I am here to help".