The long path to recovery that Fort McMurray is still struggling along since the massive fire in 2016 would be instructive for officials in California. Someone there should be giving the Alberta Emergency Management Agency a call. Without a doubt, there would be many practical lessons and much advice to share. The response from the Canadian Red Cross, among many other organizations, and the generosity of Canadians trying to help in whatever way they could was pretty splendid.
1
I'm sorry if someone else has already said this--I skimmed through the comments quickly--by why on earth doesn't Walmart open the store building itself to their displaced neighbors, instead of letting them freeze in the parking lot? Close the business for the time being, forfeit the $$$ from the usual obnoxious Black Friday "doorbuster" scene, and truly demonstrate their professed Christian values. Hmmm? Why not?
6
I posted on FB that I would temporarily let my second bedroom in Hollywood to anyone displaced in the Southern California fires. I drove to Woodland Hills with police cars blaring in the next lanes to donate blankets, towels and clothes. There has to be a way for us to help each other as neighbors and I wish someone smarter than me would figure it out. It can't be all about money.
1
Butte Cou9nty is one of the poorest in the state, it is an agriculture and ranching county with farm workers at minimum pay rates. Many of the people in Paradise are retirees living on Social Security and small pensions. Home were inexpensive and many were manufactured ones, and there were some mobile home parks. There are not many motels between Sacramento and Redding, Red Bluff and Chico are the biggest towns, not tourist towns.
So there is just not much alternative housing for these refugees. It is getting cold her just north of Sacramento, not North Dakota cold, but cold by our standards. Just getting enough emergency supplies to Chico is a logistics nightmare, only one highway connects it to the South, CA99, and much of that is two lane. The SF Bay area is 300 miles south, the railroad used to stop there but not for years.
Once you leave Yuba City, CA70 is fruit farms to Oroville , and CA99 the same, then walnut orchards to Red Bluff. and many miles west to I5 more farms. The counties north of Sacramento comprise 25% of the states land and 3% of its population. There are a few wealthy people in these counties but most incomes are below the state median, they vote hard core Republican. Now the county will have even less income form property taxes. State Senator Jim Nielson makes a career out of insulting Gov. Brown.
3
Three days of Alice Walton's dividends could provide a mobile home for every one of these people.
8
This is a big chance for the billionaire Tech Co's in Silicon Valley to redeem their image and spend some of their billions on the hapless victims of this tragedy. Holding my breath.
9
Trump believes the fires were not caused by climate change they are revenge for California flipping Orange County from red to blue.
3
Walmart is known for letting campers sleep over night and even use their restrooms. They know these are their customers and without them they would fold.
Note, unlike the Katrina crowd, these people are not complaining.
Their stoicism is a good example of how the west was won.
Hard working people
5
If there is one thing that comes through very clearly here, it is how close to "homeless" we actually are, no matter how well-off we think we are. Everyone living in their nice "upper middle-class" four-bedroom, three bathroom houses should recognize that they are just a fire away from being in the same place as all these people sleeping in cars and tents. These fires have wiped out thousands of homes, and displaced thousands of people... its not just hurricanes and earthquakes in other countries, and far away. A disaster can happen right near anyone, and a disaster can happen to you, yes, even you... so compassion and some charity are just an investment in good karma. 'Red state' and 'Blue state' don't make much difference when the fire comes through. We're all Americans, I hope we all help these people as much as we can.
39
I agree that it'd be nice to see Zuck or Bez make a nice (tax-deductible) donation to help these people they share the state with.
However if disaster victims are now dependent on the generosity of the wealthy, we have much bigger problems.
10
We should start building a fleet of thousands of firefighting tanker drones filled with water or fire retardant and place them strategically throughout the state. Then, when a fire breaks out, hundreds of them could be dispatched to go put it out before it gets out of control. Some of them could be designed to just release their load directly on the fire while others could be equipped with hoses to go after hot spots. And, they could be programmed to reload themselves at the nearest lake or reservoir when they are empty.
6
This is an signed editorial by Simon Romero, a classist strike for the have-nots, n-o-t a news story:
" . . . the blazes are also laying bare the economic inequality that distinguishes the state, as shallow-pocketed survivors grasp for the kinds of ad hoc strategies commonly seen after disasters in the developing world."
2
A ticket out of the fire area and six months’ rent and income seem like the best thing our government can offer fire refugees. I’d like my taxes to pay for that. Money makes taking decisive action possible for most people. It will take years to construct homes and businesses in or near Paradise, California. The best thing for many refugees would be to get real cash and move away for 1-3 years while tending to their insurance claims and fire-related losses from afar. Forget blankets and tents and go for a ticket to a better place in the short term. There are few jobs or resources near Paradise for a population if 52,000 suddenly homeless and sometimes destitute people.
7
.CA has a population of 40,000,000.if this event increased our total homeless to 170000 from the current 135000 it is still a tiny number, and a low percentage of the total population. CA is very alluring for homeless due to tolerance, benign climate and good social services. However, we need (and more than pay for) federal dollars in an event of this magnitude. Our citizens deserve this! That said, some of the people at the Wal-Mart parking lot are not event victims. Help may be needed for them as well, but let's keep the facts straight.
1
Building Codes like the Chicago brick only code is a place to start.
2
@northlander
No, brick structures are often banned from construction in areas prone to earthquakes (i.e. all over California).
4
Where is FEMA when you need them? Oh, that's right, Trump took the FEMA money for the illegal immigrants at the border who he has stuffed in tents. It's disgraceful that more is not being done to help the people who lost everything through no fault of their own.
21
After reading this article I am saddened and actually fear for this country. First, it is hard to imagine loosing everything in a matter of hours. Second, I have often wondered how people in the news in third world countries managed in addition to feeling their pain and NEVER imagined I would see something like that happen here in America. Enough of the culture wars! These are American citizens and individually and especially at all levels of government we must do better!!
11
It doesn't feel like there is anything much being done, in a systematic way, with either helping the survivors or discovering who is most likely not alive. 1,000+ people unaccounted for which is very, very frightening to me that the number could possibly go that high. This was a lot of older people in Paradise and it's staggering to think they could be gone. But I feel like nothing is being done. Why has there been no in depth questioning by the press on what the system is. I know they are going through the homes meticulously and working hard. But.....something still doesn't seem right on that front.
This is a monumental tragedy and my heart goes out to all those who will need to take it a minute at a time to get their lives back together. There will be a high need for resources for these people, but where is it? What is our government doing for them now?
Trump talks nonsense, gibberish and the governor of the state stands mutely by because he can't dare to offend the buffoon because Trump might withhold much-needed money from him.
Oh, for a leader. A real leader. This man is incompetent and mean and really not bright at all and he lies. He lies all the time. Having Trump as our 'leader' just makes everything a thousand-fold worse.
It makes my heart just break. For the survivors and for all of us who must continue with this incompetent man as our president.
14
If we cannot properly take care of American citizens displaced by this horrendous natural catastrophe in California, how can this country be expected to admit and protect thousands of non-citizens waiting at the California border seeking our help? What a disgrace that victims of this fire are now living or should I say merely existing on a Walmart Parking lot.
13
@AFC, sadly more time, effort and money will probably be spent on housing and caring for, not to mention legally administrating, policing and processing, those on the border for any indeterminable amount of time than those Americans up in Northern California. My cousin up in Santa Rosa lost his house to a fire there over a year ago and its rebuilding is now finally underway. This is not a problem that goes away overnight or after the fire is finally put out.
1
@AFC America actually has the resources to aid the fire victims in CA., the hurricane victims in the FL panhandle, and has the resources to help rebuild the power grid in PR, while at the same time fulfilling it's legal and moral obligations to asylum seekers at the Mexican border. We largely underwrote the rebuilding of Europe after WW II, while containing the Soviet threat to the West. Our generosity made us great.
The answer to the question you pose--how can
America protect and help all those who currently stand in need?--is a matter of allocation of resources. The stockpiling of wealth by corporations (and ridiculously rich individuals) has grossly distorted our society and set the vast majority of us at odds with each other as we are forced to scramble for the most basic necessities of healthcare, education, and a decent place to live.
How the one percent continue to sell us the same snake oil--that there isn't enough to go around in the wealthiest nation in history--amazes and enrages me at the same time. The fact that they all just received the "biggest tax cut in history" (for them--yes!. For the rest of us-- nothing of the sort) should be the last straw, and yet most of the people I talk to only want to rail on about the "invasion" from our southern border. Folks--those people aren't your real enemies. It's the mega-rich and their politician allies you should be wanting to protect yourselves from--thank god so many upstarts will be joining the new Congress!!
10
What people need most following a disaster, natural or otherwise, is information about what is available in terms of short term assistance. In the aftermath of hurricanes, getting information to people can be very difficult with phone lines and cell towers down, power out and some or all radio stations off the air. In this situation, sharing information about what FEMA can offer the survivors should not be nearly as difficult because while the disaster zone is large, other areas are up and running.
Again and again when I have gone into hurricane disaster locations (Puerto Rico, Texas and N. Carolina most recently), the lack of a fulsome response to meet the immediate needs is apparent. Government and volunteer, non-government agencies have their own schedules to respond and, in many cases, the effort does not spool up fast enough to meet the needs at hand.
Here is a concrete suggestion:
Someone who lives in or near Chico could simply go to the FEMA website, copy the pages about what they plan to offer and take that information to the tent encampment. Make copies and distribute them. Likewise, someone from the local government could visit there as well and detail the plans for a response. There is no need for people to wander around in the dark without a clue.
12
Why are there no questions about FEMA in any of these articles about people made homeless?
One article said a woman couldn't get her application from FEMA approved, because Paradise is inaccessible. Why is the area not accessible to the federal agency that's supposed to be equipped to deal with emergency situations? How can FEMA get access immediately, so people can get aid? Can journalists ask that of local, state and federal officials? (Or, I hate to ask, is FEMA stalling purposefully?)
Why is FEMA mentioned in the news after every hurricane, but not for these large fires?
We've heard about slow FEMA response in Puerto Rico. Is that happening in the states too? Is FEMA compromised for the entirety of the U.S. under the Trump administration? How did FEMA respond to similar situations in previous administrations, compared to the Trump administration?
I thought Trump approved federal aid for these fires. What does that pay for? What does not it not pay for? Does it help these people who lost their homes?
These are all fair questions to ask. I have not yet seen answers.
11
@Deb: I agree. The lack of real information about resources and what is happening in real time on the ground to help people is beyond bizarre to me. And why isn't FEMA everywhere helping people? Trump thinks he can plop himself down, wave his hands around and say, "This will never happen again" (malarkey - it will happen next year and it's still happening now in other parts of the state), talk about raking the forest and 'doing things'. It's all gibberish and everyone knows it's gibberish and yet nobody pins him and his administration up against the wall and force them to answer questions such as yours. It's just unbelievable.
These people need advocates. They are totally in shock and will be for some time. They need great help and they are not getting it.
15
As a former New Yorker who lived through 9/11 there comes a time when it becomes abundantly clear that those who were in fire zones and have not made contact with family or friends or shown up in local hospitals or shelters most probably did not make it out alive.
It would also seem that the major technology companies that are based in California could use their expertise to help locate the missing.
Also, the federal government can set up temporary housing so people do not have to live in tents in parking lots. In the past they have done so for victims of hurricanes in Florida. For this the Democratic state of California is at the mercy of the intensely hyper-political Republican Trump. Seeing how he treated Puerto Rico after hurricane Irma I fear he will do as little as possible.
24
@KJS: It was very difficult having to watch Jerry Brown keep his mouth shut, knowing if he said one word that Trump would find offensive, he'd have his monies cut off.
Trump is a mobster. He's the major terrorizer of Americans. "Do what I want, say what I want to hear, or.....nice, little family ya got there, it'd be shame if something bad happened".
That's how I feel about this president.
16
The mayor of Chico, the town next to Paradise that was spared the fire, has many Unkind things to say about California. He thinks he can be the big savior and Trump or the private sector will come to his rescue.
Chico will soon see a massive change in their city. The town of Paradise was already full up with low to no income residents who lived one step close to poverty. The demographics show many Trump voters. We shall see how this plays out for the Mayor of Chico when he comes face to face with the face of Trumps make America great again crowd.
These are the same people who now call themselves refugees. Chico will be forever changed by these refugees and I hope it's for the better with a large dose of sympathy.
6
The experiences these people went through are simply horrendous. They are the survivors but their troubles have just started.
Not only have they lost everything - lives, property and community - they are about to be victimized again.
The stocks of PG&E and Occidental Energy - both owned/controlled by BIG international investors - plummeted after the fire because PG&E lines caused it. Irresponsible "investors" were afraid they would have to pay for the lack of maintenance and system upgrades that would have prevented it so they quickly sold their stock.
The California energy regulator panicked when he saw the stocks sink and quickly said PG&E would not be held responsible - that RATE PAYERS could be billed to pay for the damage.
What? It is criminal. BIG investors take over OUR resources for as much profit as they can siphon off, refuse to maintain the systems WE THE PEOPLE depend on, destroy people' lives and the environment and do not have to pay? WE THE PEOPLE - who they stole the resources and wealth from - have to pay for their destruction?
What's wrong with this picture. Everything. WE THE PEOPLE must DEMAND that OUR governments take back control of critical services like power, water, transportation, etc, create excellent jobs for people to run/maintain them and manage them for 99.9% of us.
NOW is the time - before they can destroy OUR lives and environment even more.
35
There has been a report that these people are refusing to go to FEMA & CA Office of Emergency Services shelters that are providing food, medical assistance, & support. These people do not need to complain about not having basics. They can get them at the shelters. They just want publicity. Like those who won't evacuate during hurricanes but then call demanding to be rescued.
2
I guess you’re unaware of the Norovirus outbreak at many of the shelters. Dozens of people have been hospitalized.
8
@Nostradamus Said So...These people are in a terrible state of shock. You don't make the best decisions in that state. They are terribly unprepared for the loss of literally Everything, as would I and many others be.
They need loads of support and compassion and clear guidance by well-trained helpers. The shelters have to be clean, well-patrolled and well-staffed. CA should at least be able to do that. Lots of people are trying to help but it feels chaotic, which it is. And be ready to flee, anytime, anywhere.
7
@Nostradamus Said So
Unfortunately, your comment is harshly judgmental and varies from the facts at hand. I can readily understand how people don't want to be in a mass shelter where getting any sleep would be difficult with people up all night coughing, babies crying, etc. Have you ever tried to sleep on a cot with 500 people in a big room or gym? Some people had their cars destroyed, too, so even going to another town would be difficult.
Most of those displaced are just trying to do the best they can in a very difficult situation. They deserve our sympathy, understanding and support.
15
Interesting lack of coverage of President 'Forest' Trump's inane forest management solution to 'Rake your Leaves' LIKE the Finns do. Compare it to CA Governor Jerry Brown's warning to the Nation that extreme fire events are the new "abnormal" in California that will take years and billions of dollars to adjust. If we now have a Leader so dense he can't see the forest for the trees how will we find the will needed to respond to immediate desperate needs of the thousands of newly homeless facing bitter cold and snowfall in Paradise.
14
@Emma Jane President Trump came here to show support and just be here for the people who have lost so much. He is not an expert on forest management and will of course delegate those responsibilities. Governor Brown and governor elect Gavin Newsom were there with him to survey the damage first hand.
So lighten up with the 'gotcha!' over everything he says. Thinking out loud is just his way and his supporters here appreciated the visit.
1
@Emma Jane
During his visit to Paradise, Trump called the town “Pleasure.” He was corrected and continued to call it Pleasure. How deeply he cares!
9
I know it's still relatively early in this disaster but where is FEMA? If they are going to be useful in an emergency then they should have the capacity to rapidly...rapidly, set up a tent camp. The kind with big tents, lanes, portable toilets, food tents, community tents, safe play areas for kids, and even school tents. This sort of thing is done all over the world. Systems exist to make them work. Where is the Federal EMERGENCY Management??
148
@kathleen This is your federal government in the era of Trump.
37
@kathleen:
I think that after Katrina many people are AFRAID of becoming involved with FEMA.
see:https://grist.org/politics/people-are-still-living-in-femas-toxic-katrina-trailers-and-they-likely-have-no-idea/
5
@kathleen
Our tent cities are filled up with Latin American refugee children because the private-for-profit prison/detention/refugee human livestock and trafficking industry selling shares on Wall Street and booming now thanks to thousands of children in stock, paid for by US taxpayers, have not been offered lucrative amoral contracts to "house" these American refugees.
With no profit to be made by private human trafficking contracts, why spend money on these Americans?
California voted against trump and cannot expect care. they are "treasonous", "disloyal" and "the enemy".
It's citizens must expect punishment.
At least until the profit gap is filled.
21
Someone needs to get it through Trump's head that this event was NOT a forest fire.
He keeps harping on about "forest management" and yesterday told the American people to do what the Finns (don't actually) do.....rake the forest floor.
Seriously, it sounds like a joke but isn't. See: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46256296
12
"With reliable information in short supply, dark rumors and speculation spreads easily in the tent city and other places where evacuees are camping."
I heard on NPR a FEMA official state that the agency did not have plans for a disaster of this magnitude: this many people burned out of their homes.
I guess it would be safe to say that FEMA ("Emergency Management" is in the name) would likely not be of much use in a nuclear missile attack on a US city... or cities.
15
I am among the 99%, and helping people like the fire evacuees is what I want my taxes used for. You will never hear me complain about paying taxes. Like others who have written here, I am appalled at the lack of coordinated effort to help these people, many of whom do not have a reserve of financial resources. The feds and the state can do better. According to the SF Chronicle, efforts are now being made to find shelter. The first rain of the season is arriving on Wednesday--good news for the firefighters but life threatening for anyone forced to camp outdoors in temps approaching freezing at night.
102
One gets the feeling that too many California heads are buried in the proverbial sand when it applies to how and who will provide timely, safe, long term solutions for these evacuee refugees numbering in the thousands. Shouldn't surprise anyone though considering how neglectfully California treats its' homeless population.
California may be considered a blue state politically, but when you have a state which is the home base for monster capitalised corporations including (but not limited to) Google, Facebook, Apple, who conveniently (and legally) send their billions in earnings to shady overseas financial institutions to "protect" themselves from Uncle Sam using it to properly fund disaster relief, this is the result, a broken federal and state relief system, in which everyone is waiting for someone else to pick up the funding slack. I also must include celebrities- on the uber wealth list
Just. simply. outrageous.
22
@RLC,
The whole balance of the economy, wealth, income and what is owed by the wealthy, the poor, and everyone in between, for civilization to continue is missing. Congress writes the laws and they have hardly written anything that is unalloyed for the needs and expressed wants of The People, rank-and-file Americans. Even the ACA which put something like 28 million Americans on the health insurance bus was a giant give-away to big pharma, big insurance, and big hospital corporations -- just look at their stock prices since the ACA was enacted and implemented.
California is unique only in so far as it's relatively wealthy as states go; the problems exist there and in every state of the union to some extent or another.
8
"Mullen got a look at a site on the eastern shore of Guantanamo Bay - opposite the terrorist detention center - where the US military is building a new refugee camp that would be used in the event of a sudden, major influx of refugees in the area. Initially the camp will be designed to hold 10,000 refugees and is scheduled to be finished by June.""
There's always the above cited, long-forgotten 10,000 capacity refugee center.
https://www.jpost.com/International/Joint-Chiefs-chairman-Close-Guantanamo.
For years I have been trying to find out what became of this, completed in 2008 according to this story, originally AP,
Joint Chiefs Chairman: Close Guantanamo", Robert Burns, AP Military Writer, Jan 14, 2008
At the time I had questions:
How are "refugees" assigned to Guantanamo as opposed to facilities on US soil?
Can any American citizens or legal residents be designated refugees?
Will this "refugee camp" serve some other purpose -- such as an offshore prison for American citizens -- or merely stand empty if the "sudden, major influx of refugees" does not materialize and the camp is not used for US citizens?
Who profits? What corporation has the no-bid contract for building and managing this "new refugee camp"?
There's huge tent-camps & prisons-for-profit money to be made here in human livestock &trafficking -- as with the thousands of refugee children 'detained' this year.
Why listen to US refugees' "suffering tapes" and videos when they can be disappeared?
8
I don’t understand this rich Country being unable to be prepared for this “ announced “ emergency .
Where is the Federal Government “ first aid “ to help the numerous victims of this catastrophe?
It looks like another Katrina human drama .
21
Our government's response to these fires and hurricanes is of major importance. This is no time for trumpian lectures about forest management. Send in the Army and whatever groups are necessary to help these fellow Americans!
15
It's not the worst place to be homeless. Right now there are lots of jobs nearby in the Bay Area. The weather is cold but will warm up greatly in March. All you need is a car and a good credit card to weather this storm.
Long-term, it is more difficult. In August 2013 I found myself penniless in California. Buying a cheap camper on credit, I congratulated myself for finding an instant housing solution. Unfortunately 4 years later I'm still living in it.
Many of the available jobs are here today, gone tomorrow. Only the young, skilled, and wealthy with savings can afford a house. Money is very tight especially if you like to eat. At present I'm not sure how long this will last.
If you've really lost everything, consider moving someplace where the cost of living is low, at least for a while. California is a beautiful place with many opportunities, that part is great. Meanwhile, secure jobs are few. There is money to be made but you can't bank on it.
27
@Kevin:
Great advice (rolling my eyes)....if these people just have a car and good credit.....
OMG.
15
Lots of jobs in the Bay Area. Great jobs if you have a college degree and experience. Otherwise service level jobs that pay minimum wage in an area where housing costs are through the roof. (If you can find a place to rent).
Please.
Many of these people will have to move to another state, and how will they get there if they have no money and just the clothes on their backs?
16
Woody Guthrie said it best: California is a Garden of Eden, a paradise to live in and see/but believe it or not, you won’t find it so hot/if you ain’t got the do-re-mi
14
The UNHCR has contracts for tents for $1200 that are far sturdier and more livable than backpacking tents. Perhaps the state needs to stockpile these for wildfire victims.
27
In a matter of days, the US Army established a tent city to defend the country against an "invasion" of poor asylum seekers, but they cannot be sent to California to do the same for citizens down on their luck? Where's the California National Guard? FEMA we already know we can forget about in the era of Trump (unless one of Donny's golf courses is ever threatened by fire or flood).
68
@mls
California voted against trump, hence it is "treasonous" "disloyal" and "the enemy"
He will send troops when they organise a protest or try to caravan out of the state ( California does not send us its best people, etc. )
Any state or city or county that did not vote for trump can expect to be blamed for all disaster and punished, minimally by withholding aid.
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES - The First Question he Asks:
Did they vote for me?
Same as he asks about appointees to high, sensitive, vital positions.
IMPEACH
14
@lkent He visited Paradise because Butte County DID vote for him!
1
In one day, California's homeless population went from 134,000 (25% of all the homeless in the entire nation) to around 161,000 -- assuming all 27,000 of the residents of Paradise are now homeless. Many of those will not stay homeless as they'll be taken in by friends or family, or have insurance or resources for temporary stays while they rebuild or find another home. But some will be homeless for a while, and it's quite possible a good number of those will join the ranks of the long term homeless in the state.
We badly need people with vision to see that the homeless problem can't be solved city by city, or merely with homeless shelters, which is the principal approach that is being taken now. We need state and federal programs to provide low cost housing to all those in need.
A great deal of brilliance, creativity and intellect goes into designing new electronic devices every year, toys, basically ---things that people dont' actually need. Why not start putting some of that ingenuity and smarts to work where there's a real need.
90
@Oakbranch Long Beach, CA and surely other ports are full of containers. Containers can become homes. How can innovation create clean, insulated container homes quickly from unused containers? How can state officials designate places to put these homes on land, quickly?
We don't need more entertaining apps from Silicon Valley.
17
Give a man fresh air and he breaths for a day; teach a man to breath on his own and he breaths for a lifetime.
1
It's getting late but there's still time to get Thanksgiving Dinner to these suffering fellow Americans. It would be great if all those food trucks in CA could convoy up there with dinner.
What if Trump got those military on the border to bring dinner and head the line serving folks himself. He could use the redemption. That would be fine for everyone.
11
@etfmaven
There will be Thanksgiving dinner for all evacuees.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.actionnewsnow.com/templates/AMP%3fcontentID=500768332
1
I am intrigued that someone didn't think this could happen "in this country" when we all (or so I thought) saw what happened after Hurricane Katrina. Or maybe he meant he didn't think this could happen to white people in this country?
37
@Anne
Precisely.
Notice the blond refugee in the picture...of course she's female so second-class, but...and veterans are too, but...
and the state as a whole voted against trump.
3
@Anne:
You're forgetting Harvey, Irma, Michael, Florence.....oh yeah, forget Maria, that hit Puerto Rico....
My point is there have been MANY other natural disasters since Katrina.
They affected all types of Americans.
4
This is a terrible reality!
Trump could send all those troops to the border but not dispatch one platoon to Calif. Take a look at the people in these pictures, these are the Trump types but they are still US citizens and deserve better than they are getting.
Giving a Trillion $ tax break to business was the GOP way of preparing for national emergencies. Yet, it would be nice to see Mr Bezos, Zuckerberg and others do some community service where it is badly needed.
Not to leave out any, lots of these people surely could be doing more to help themselves rather than just complaining about not being given. Often, the best hand you will ever find is located at the end of your own arm.
All that said, I do hope for the best for each person out there.
4
@WorldPeace2017 Jeff Bezos could solve homeslessness using just a fraction of his net worth. Let's hope he steps up to the plate and becomes a hero.
19
@WorldPeace2017:
Just what do you expect "these people" to do?
Most escaped with the clothes on their backs. And whatever money was in their pockets.
Don't Americans deserve to be helped after a natural catastrophe?
5
@WorldPeace2017 and they will all vote for him again even after insulting them & threatening to withhold aid. He can't afford to release money for aid because he is too busy spending it on his rally trips & golf weekends & Melania's Paris shopping.
2
Can you please put up a list of links to help with donations for these people living in California and affected by these fires?
As other Americans already mentioned there is an obscene inequality in California and I'm wondering where are these company bosses hiding during such a critical time for so many?!
Oh, right, they are making their daily bank runs$$$$$. Just dog eat dog living the GREAT American Dream! The misery coming so close to Thanksgiving there makes me cringe from the heartlessness of it all.
And what about family members? Mother, father, sister, brothers, since all these people are not orphans who came into this world with no family ties or friends. Makes a grown woman cry and turn red with shame at what my country has become: inhumane!
13
@C T:
How many "middle class" or working class relatives could pull you and your family out of this tent city if you had lost everything?
12
And has our Congressman LaMalfa been here to visit? I bet not.
4
There were a few stories in the media yesterday that homeless and derelict Californians were taking over the tent cities and social services meant for those citizens whose homes were destroyed by the fires. Where is the reporting on this?
3
@paul I read a story that mentioned a homeless man in the Walmart parking lot in Chico, but no, homeless folk are not"taking over" tent cities. The already homeless may be there, but taking over? I searched online and found nothing that even comes close to what you are relating. Perhaps it was a Daily Caller article?
6
@paul
because people do not include links to stories they read as they thus fail to spread the word and complain about the news story they are reading doesn't mention it.
@paul
An article in our local paper this weekend said that only 10%of the people at the Wal-Mart shelter were evacuees from the fire. The others are homeless from Butte County and elsewhere who have come to benefit from these services.
1
I blame these people for not raking better.
24
@Gene Cass
Ha! Like Trump says the Finns do right? So clueless he is.
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@Gene Cass
Rake America Great Again....
2
Maybe someday we’ll have politicians of sufficient integrity to not let embarrassments like this happen.
If these were bankers, the politicians would be falling over each other attempting to help.
8
I'll bet that if they wanted to, AirBnb could find a bunch of suitable temporary housing for all of these folks and even remit their housing costs. It would be a pittance to them and it would result in a bunch of good PR for the company.
But something tells me that might not happen.
1
Actually AirBNB has responded in a very organized outreach to owners asking for them to consider donating their units to wildfire victims (and for other disasters).
https://www.airbnb.com/openhomes/disaster-relief
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@Kevin:
AirBnb consists of private homes and apartments rented out for short periods by the owners. It is not some giant corporation.
6
That was one of the first things that happened. Do your research.
1
Many of the comments here are rightly upset with Washington for abandoning these people in a Walmart parking lot. However, it seems to me that the people interviewed are not interested in moving to shelters, maybe because they associate them with FEMA or other governmental assistance programs (one person talks about viruses, which I suspiciously associated with race & class assumptions about shelters). Perhaps the Walmart parking lot offers a sense, however illusory, of independence or off-the-grid community which nonetheless has access to clean bathrooms and a big supply of relatively inexpensive food and goods.
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@MP
It could be a little of both this and that. Many shelters are full.
5
@Bull You are correct about this. Plus, one shelter experienced an outbreak of norovirus, which is very serious, especially for the elderly.
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@JLD:
Norovirus is also very hard on babies and young kids.
5
I lived in California for years and love the state. I spent a lot of time in Butte County and near Clearlake, an area which has also suffered from wildfires. I consider myself a progressive and generally approve of the political climate in the state - although rural areas can be as red as anywhere in the country.
But the obscene inequality so clearly visible in California shines a cruel light on the political reality. If progressives cannot improve the lives of the most vulnerable state residents, that speaks volumes - does it not?
We've seen how easily California won the general economic competition with Kansas, when one state went full-blown progressive while the other went full-blown tea party. But a great economy that benefits only the 1% is the opposite of progressive.
It seems that when it comes to the majority of Americans who aren't filthy rich, it's heads you lose, tails they win, no matter what is coming out of the mouths of those with all the power and money.
100
That our fellow citizens are sleeping in tents in a Walmart parking lot is a disgrace. Meanwhile Jeff Bezos makes millions of dollars in one DAY. On a month's salary he could put all of our fellow citizens homeless through no fault of their own in trailers (FEMA says they are dealing with 700 other federal emergencies) with running water, electricity, and food until they get back on their feet. And where is fellow California resident Mark Zuckerberg? He could write a single check too and help every one of these people.
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@Julie
... or our government (we the people) should take care of these disasters on our own. Although it would be nice for the uber-wealthy to help out, we the people should have the resources to carry out policies that we want to, without having to beg the 0.1% for it.
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@MH
And our tax system should be sufficiently progressive to enable us to do that (and perhaps slow somewhat the formation of uber rich).
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@Julie
Obviously, charity is not the answer. Where is FEMA? FEMA has trailers.
21
Isn't this what each state's National Guard is for? Governor Moonbeam, do your job. These people are desperate. All of those fabulously wealthy Silicon Valley companies can spare to donate some $$, or do they not care about what happens 60 miles to the east?
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The nomad future reaches the lower 48 - ready or not. I wonder how long it will take US financial and political leaders to start saying "climate refugees".
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It's crazy that these people are living in a Walmart parking lot! For those who owned their homes, wouldn't their home owners insurance provide funds for temporary housing? I know mine does. For everyone else, most communities have local charities that will help them get set up in a new apartment, help them find a job. The American people love a cause. The surrounding towns will help pull these people up out of their despair. I would not wait for the Feds to help; they are slow and unreliable.
4
@Ana Paradise was not a wealthy community and many people may not have had home insurance. Over 50,000 people had to evacuate so it has been difficult to find places for everyone in the surrounding towns and cities. Believe me, many charities are here helping out, as well as insurance companies. FEMA is also here, signing people up. It is a huge disaster and will take months and years for things to return to normal here. Should the feds do more? Probably.
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@Ana
Do NOT depend on Insurance Companies to rush in and provide assistance. Whatever your contract with them says ....
.. you are on your own until they sort through the mess .
Even then Major companies like Progressive and Liberty Mutual / SAFECO are notorious for sandbagging legitimate Claims made by their longtime , loyal "Premium Payers "
12
@Nancy Oriol you cant get a mortgage without homeowner's insurance. strange.
4
The army could set up a tent city with medical facilities and cafeterias in a day. Why aren’t they there? Oh, right, they’re laying razor wire on the border for THAT emergency.
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@Patricia Sears I don't have posts because I am 75. But this is what I wanted to say, Patricia. This is "a disgrace" as Donald would say. Fix it now.
Send the 5,000 soldiers and their tents there today before the rain.
16
@Patricia Sears As a Canadian, I am appalled at the lack of help for these people. I do not recall Canadian government doing this little, whether at the provincial or the federal level when there has been a disaster on Canadian soil. Trump has all these troops at the border, but cannot send help for these people? Or to help put out the fires? With all the wealth in California, why are so many homeless or without a safety net?
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@Judith Goodwin When trump said it was a disgrace he was blaming the people in California who voted against him & wouldn't rake their leaves. He is the disgrace.
10
When it comes to wealth concentration and the "not my problem" attitude towards the poor, California might be the reddest state of all.
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@George Campbell
And you know that how?
In the SF bay area we have hundreds of aid organizations, many trying to get food, clothing, housing to those tragically affected by the fires. If it isn't in your local paper/news or the NYT, it doesn't mean they don't exist.
18
@George Campbell You consider red states to be the worst offenders against the poor, and that is probably true. However, California pours billions of dollars into support services for the poor, and voters just approved major bonds for affordable housing for veterans and low-income residents. In San Francisco voters approved a proposition to tax big companies who make more than $50 million annually, with those revenues going to affordable housing. Grass-roots efforts throughout California are happening to donate major dollars, goods and services to those stricken by the fires in Northern and Southern California. California takes care of its own, and for that matter, its federal tax burden takes care of those red states that boast of low taxes and then hold out their red hands for the federal dole.
19
I get the feeling that Washington isn't very interested in what's going on here. trump's weekend visit to CA had all the feel of someone just checking a box.
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@Phil Hurwitz:
And he is obsessed with "raking the forest floor" as the Finns (don't ) do...
And he is still convinced this was due to a forest fire (it wasn't).
See: (funny!):
Seriously, it sounds like a joke but isn't. See: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46256296
4