Sad story about Katrina evacuees

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I almost feel guilty posting this, as it's probably going to result in some unfair generalizations and stereotyping, but this is just. . . pathetic. I'd think, "geez, I get relocated to New York for free - golden opportunity to make some serious money and get my self the hell out of the cycle of poverty in New Orleans!", but I guess not everyone thinks that way. . .

http://www.nymetro.com/news/intelligencer/17161/





This winter, FEMA put up over 300 Hurricane Katrina evacuees in New York City hotels. Almost all of them have gone back to their lives, their jobs. But not Theon Johnson. He’s currently sprawled out watching Halloween 5 on one of the two full-size beds in his room at the JFK Airport Holiday Inn. He is one of four evacuees still living in a hotel in the city.



The others left in February and March, when, after spending more than $500 million, FEMA stopped paying for hotel rooms housing some 40,000 evacuees across the country. That left many scrambling for places to live. But thanks to the city’s squatters-rights law, evacuees here were safe. Their rooms weren’t paid for, but since they’d been in them for more than 30 days, the hotels couldn’t just kick them out. Only a judge’s order could evict them.



And Johnson, 49, isn’t that motivated to leave. For one thing, AMC’s in the middle of its “Thrill Me” marathon. Next up, Gothika. “Halle Berry,” he says with lazy lust. These days he’s usually up all night—it’s hard to sleep on an empty stomach. When he has to, he’ll go outside and beg for change, but he doesn’t really like that too much. Most days he just showers and gets back in bed, showers and gets back in bed. Once a week he and another evacuee, a diabetic named Larry, walk to a church off the Van Wyck and get canned goods. When Johnson’s caseworker, Sharon, comes around, she gives him some bus passes and maybe a few bucks, but she’s getting frustrated. “They sit around on their butts watching TV. There’s only but so much I can do if they’re not willing to help themselves.”



After being flown here for free back in September, Johnson’s been at the Holiday Inn since Super Bowl Sunday. On April 21, the hotel served Johnson with three notices of occupancy termination, saying that it would begin court proceedings if he wasn’t out by May 9. He wasn’t, so it did. If the court boots him, Johnson could end up in one of the city’s homeless shelters. He’s been broke for over a month now. FEMA sent him $9,000 in housing aid, but he spent it all on booze, cigarettes, some clothes, and food—partying, mostly. “I spent my money just the way I wanted, and I think [fema] should send me some more,” he says. But it won’t. Johnson’s caseworker says FEMA offered to buy him a ticket home to New Orleans in February, but he didn’t take it. FEMA won’t now. So he’s stuck, at least until the Holiday Inn pays him to leave.



Attorneys with the Legal Aid Society have been negotiating a buyout deal for Johnson and the remaining evacuees, and expect a settlement—he heard about $1,200—imminently. He says he’ll use the money to get a room for a few nights and have some fun before flying back to his little house in New Orleans’ Third Ward. But for now, Gothika’s on. “Halle Berry,” Johnson says. “Halle . . . Berry.”

[Nathans_Dad]

Sounds like we need another government program to help out these poor, disenfranchised folks...

Laughable that the government is going to "settle" with him for $1200. Hello? Get a court order and kick his butt out for free!

[bleucamaro]

What I don't understand is why the Holiday Inn folks don't just turn off the power and water to that room, and remove all the furnature. It might be some fairly cheap motivation to get this bum to move. roof and walls != free cable TV.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
I almost feel guilty posting this, as it's probably going to result in some unfair generalizations and stereotyping

Gee, ya think?

[Instrument 41]

They can keep him. We got plenty of that already, even before Katrina...

[Moses]

Originally posted by bleucamaro
What I don't understand is why the Holiday Inn folks don't just turn off the power and water to that room...

Can't do that legally, but I'll bet you could turn off the cable TV.

[Dantilla]

Originally posted by bleucamaro
What I don't understand is why the Holiday Inn folks don't just turn off the power and water to that room, and remove all the furnature. It might be some fairly cheap motivation to get this bum to move. roof and walls != free cable TV.

Landlord/tenant laws usually won't allow things like that. If they did, they could find themselves facing big fines and paying huge damage settlements to the poor "victims" they weren't nice to.

[cashflyer]

A solution in two words: An unfortunate, however tragic Hotel Accident...

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
I almost feel guilty posting this, as it's probably going to result in some unfair generalizations and stereotyping...

How so? I didn't see any reference to race/color - only a reference to age.
I'm sure he is just an up-and-coming attorney who just needed some R&R time.

And he deserves it. In fact, the government should be ashamed that they cut off his funding. After all, he was displaced by mother frikkin nature... not from any fault of his own. The government should be paying him whatever it takes to help him regain his sense of self-worth and to motivate him back into being the upstanding pillar of the community that I'm sure he once was.



...has anyone seen my bong? I just had it a minute ago....

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by techweenie
Gee, ya think?

I didn't see any stereotyping going on...

Heck, I just figured he was another ignorant redneck from the south who voted for Bush...

He isn't??

[bell]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
and have some fun before flying back to his little house in New Orleans’ Third Ward. But for now, Gothika’s on. “Halle Berry,” Johnson says. “Halle . . . Berry.”

i want to see the look on his face when he gets to his little house and finds that it's been aquired by a "flipper" or not there at all

screw him......what goes around comes around.

[RickM]

Originally posted by Moses
Can't do that legally, but I'll bet you could turn off the cable TV.

Turn the cable off on him? He'll probably rip the room to shreds before he leaves in retaliation.

[Joeaksa]

Turn off his cable and take the battery out of the door lock. Next time he goes out, he is out for good. Kick him out on the street where he belongs.

[911S Targa]

I spent my money just the way I wanted, and I think [fema] should send me some more,” he says. But it won’t. Johnson’s caseworker says FEMA offered to buy him a ticket home to New Orleans in February, but he didn’t take it. FEMA won’t now. So he’s stuck, at least until the Holiday Inn pays him to leave.

Who cares. Just another lazy, money spending loser. He isnt any different then the millions of dollers lost over all of the scammers who ripped off the system. They should move him back to his filth in NO.

[red-beard]

Originally posted by 911S Targa
Who cares. Just another lazy, money spending loser. He isnt any different then the millions of dollers lost over all of the scammers who ripped off the system. They should move him back to his filth in NO.

You mispelled it. It is spelled "Billions". With a "b".

Yeah, well, I'd rather him stay in NYC. We have enough Katrina evacuee problems here in Houston. Someone hurry up and fix NOLA so we can send them home.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by red-beard
Snipped.....Someone hurry up and fix NOLA so we can send them home.

OMG that was funny!!

[red-beard]

Hey! I'm serial!

[Tobra]

Originally posted by techweenie
Gee, ya think?

you make me feel sorta sorry for you sometimes, actually, a lot of the time

Originally posted by red-beard
You mispelled it. It is spelled "Billions". With a "b".

Yeah, well, I'd rather him stay in NYC. We have enough Katrina evacuee problems here in Houston. Someone hurry up and fix NOLA so we can send them home.

Just out of curiousity, do you happen to know how much the crime rate went up in Houston since the evacuated NO population there?

[red-beard]

Violent crime is up over 50%, with a 35% increase in murders. The only "good" news is that a lot of the increase, is Katrina Evacuee on Katrina Evacuee.

Gang violence between Houston and NOLA gangs is way up and there is a lot of news about High School violence between Houston residents and NOLA evacuees.

[sammyg2]

No, it wouldn't be fair to kick him out on the streets. I say we put him in in a clean place with a cot and 3 square meals, also known as jail. After a month or so of that, then let him fend for himself. Vagrancy is a crime and this guy deserves punishment more than anyone I have ever heard of. Look up "lowlife" in the dictionary and it has his picture next to it.

An extremist person I ran into a while back said that the hurricane that hit New Orleans (home of mardi gras and sin) could be likened to God's wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah.
I figured he was just being his usual crazy self, but maybe he was on to something. If he is, better stay out of San francisco. He say's that it's next.

[Nathans_Dad]

Did someone mention NOLA??

Guard troops ordered to New Orleans
Mayor Nagin asks for help following bloody weekend

Monday, June 19th

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Acting at the mayor's request, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Monday she will send National Guard troops and state police to patrol New Orleans streets following a bloody weekend in which six people were killed.


Yeah, that Nagin is doing a bang up job over there....is the city chocolate yet?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/19/neworleans.shooting.ap/