Should FEMA Sell Tainted Katrina Trailers?

**Sourdough** · 03-14-2010, 11:21 AM

First we need to RAISE the Federal Income Tax to pay for building them in the first place, and bump up the Federal Income Tax a little more to cover the cost of destroying them.

Well at least they don't have Radon Gas.

Everyone involved, government employees and private industry management employees should receive promotions, and pay raises.

**Winnie** · 03-14-2010, 11:24 AM

I hope you all don't take offence and I am including my own Govt in this, but I'm constantly stunned at the outright stupidity of the "buyers" for Govt. A lot of this is their own fault. By suddenly flooding the manufacturers with orders it's pretty obvious that the first thing to go is QC(no offence Ken). Some manufacturing companies are out and out thieves producing poor quality goods and charging the Govt top dollar, others take on these jobs out of desperation to keep their order books full. Either way, it's QC and the end user who suffers. Having said that, I would rather have walked away and slept in a tent before I'd have let Winnie jnr so much as look inside a "dwelling" such as that shown in the photo.
Then again, being made homeless/poor is no excuse whatsover to allow your home, however temporary to get in that state in the first place.

**Ken** · 03-14-2010, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Winnie

I hope you all don't take offence and I am including my own Govt in this, but I'm constantly stunned at the outright stupidity of the "buyers" for Govt. A lot of this is their own fault. By suddenly flooding the manufacturers with orders it's pretty obvious that the first thing to go is QC(no offence Ken). Some manufacturing companies are out and out thieves producing poor quality goods and charging the Govt top dollar, others take on these jobs out of desperation to keep their order books full. Either way, it's QC and the end user who suffers. Having said that, I would rather have walked away and slept in a tent before I'd have let Winnie jnr so much as look inside a "dwelling" such as that shown in the photo.
Then again, being made homeless/poor is no excuse whatsover to allow your home, however temporary to get in that state in the first place.

These problems would have been avoided entirely had they contracted with Crash and me (Q.C.) to inspect each trailer for the reasonable cost of $100 per unit.

**Justin Case** · 03-14-2010, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Winnie

Then again, being made homeless/poor is no excuse whatsover to allow your home, however temporary to get in that state in the first place.

I agree Winnie,, Maybe she was waiting for the FEMA maid ? LOL (only 1/2 kidding)

**Justin Case** · 03-14-2010, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Ken

These problems would have been avoided entirely had they contracted with Crash and me (Q.C.) to inspect each trailer for the reasonable cost of $100 per unit.

(Over Qualified )

**Winnie** · 03-14-2010, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Ken

These problems would have been avoided entirely had they contracted with Crash and me (Q.C.) to inspect each trailer for the reasonable cost of $100 per unit.

I quite agree, just think of all that money flowing into the coffers of DOC(well you are WSF QC afterall

)

**BLEUXDOG** · 03-14-2010, 07:36 PM

My folks lived in one of these trailers for almost 9 months. There was a phone number you could call and someone would come out and help you with problems you were having with the trailer.

A lot of these trailers were name brand travel trailers with slides.

When we bought our travel trailer it took us a couple of weeks of airing out to get the fumes out of the trailer.

These trailers were to help people while they "Helped" themselves.

The pictures you are looking at are typical of the "You owe me" attitude after the hurricane. I guess we owed a clean up crew too.

**Rick** · 03-15-2010, 12:20 AM

When you read about folks living in them for 5 years the first question I ask is "Why?" Why one earth would you want to do that? Of course, if you're life has been one of handouts this may have been the best thing to come along in a while.

**Old GI** · 03-15-2010, 09:08 AM

After Hurricane Ivan (in 2004), FEMA had a sales site for trailers in my county. Most were really torn up. That photo was a mild case. Some had toilets ripped out, wiring ripped out, flooring removed, etc. and the filth was terrible. Survival would have to be at stake for me to spend one night in one of the used ones.

**rebel** · 03-15-2010, 09:24 AM

No accountability on several levels.

**canid** · 03-15-2010, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

According to a Washington Post article back in 2007, the average cost to purchase these trailers was $18,620 each.

Winnie - This will give you an idea of what it looked like.

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Here are some awaiting disposal. Believe it or not, these were dragged from the Gulf Coast to just outside Cumberland, MD. This is just 1000 of the 100,000 purchased.

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You all may be surprised to learn the current administration is proposing to send these trailers to Haiti. Yep.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ers-for-haiti/

i find that to be the height of idiocy. haven't we designed many, more cost effective short term emergency shelters throughout the generations?

not to suggest that they are the best solution, but even with the prices of steel these days, wouldn't good old fashioned quonset hut type structures be like 10x less wastefull? a simple structure like that could just as readily be fitted with low cost, modular amenities like tiolets, sinks, stoves, etc.

maybe i'm on the wrong page here.

**Old GI** · 03-15-2010, 11:16 AM

Short term???? There's a place for accountability to start.

**canid** · 03-15-2010, 11:24 AM

by short term, i nean non-permanent.

obviously we wouldn't want to leave a bunch of quonset huts in the superdome, it would impede gameplay...

**2dumb2kwit** · 03-15-2010, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by Old GI

Short term???? There's a place for accountability to start.

Check this story out. It's from back in May, but it's an eye opener.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may...fema-trailers6

Post-Katrina trailer residents fearful as eviction day looms
FEMA, having pushed back its deadline several times, says the last 4,600 dwellings must be cleared by May 30. But many occupants are poor, ill or elderly, with no place to go, housing advocates say.

Though federal law prohibited FEMA from providing emergency housing for longer than 18 months, officials repeatedly extended the deadline in acknowledgment of the scope of the destruction. At the same time, some local governments -- worried about blight and eager to move on -- used zoning and permitting rules to pressure trailer residents to get out of the units and into more permanent housing.

In Louisiana, housing advocates point to state programs that have done little to help. A much-touted plan to build tiny, permanent "Katrina cottages" -- funded with millions in federal money -- has not produced a single unit.

A $869-million state program, also federally funded, targeted more than 18,000 damaged rental units, but had resulted in fewer than 1,200 repairs by late March, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper.

**oly** · 03-15-2010, 01:00 PM

This is what I envision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUauH...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faUBb...eature=related

From what I hear is that some folks don't know that the black water tank needs a little water in the bottom or crap will stick to the bottom and build up.
Just the thought turns my stomach.

**canid** · 03-15-2010, 01:07 PM

i'd live in one of these; i've stayed in worse:
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this one is touted as costing $100:
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**Justin Case** · 03-15-2010, 01:13 PM

Whats the last Pic ? Looks like Balloon boys back yard ?

**2dumb2kwit** · 03-15-2010, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by oly

This is what I envision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUauH...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faUBb...eature=related

From what I hear is that some folks don't know that the black water tank needs a little water in the bottom or crap will stick to the bottom and build up.
Just the thought turns my stomach.

Soooooo...would that make ****alagmites or ****alactites?
I always get those two confused.