wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Jim Pharo from NY, NY August 29, 2007 - 02:10PM

  It's so rare to hear Brian let down his almost-always values-free facade and allow some of his own passion to show, as he did this morning on the topic of poverty in the US, which he called a "damn shame."

  He was surprised that the fallout from the Katrina story did not elicit a greater national focus on the on-going disgrace of Americans in poverty.

  The US is no longer a society that, in the main, cares about other people. We have become a self-focused, isolated and essentially juvenile nation. In our name, our governments, our corporations, our civic organizations have all abdicated any role for collective caring. The only model that has any vitality in our society today is the model of enriching oneself.

  Gone are the concerns about how society as a whole is doing. Gone is the commitment to use our nation's wealth to help those who need it. Gone is our commitment to treat all people with respect and dignity.

  The good, kind and generous America of bygone days is in fact bygone. We are not that nation any longer. By any reasonable estimate, our military is responsible for the deaths of a half million Iraqis, and the displacement of millions more. Americans seem both well aware of these facts and perfectly ok with them.

  There was a time when I was surprised to learn that Americans didn't seem to care about others. Sadly, that time was a while back, and since that time, I have seen little evidence to indicate that caring is on the march.

  
  
• [2] Jeana Nordstrom from NYC August 30, 2007 - 09:38AM

  I was stunned listening to the misinformation on your show regarding Katrina relief.

  Here are some numbers:

  Amount spent so far 127 billion (the GDP of the entire state is only 141 billion.

  24 Billion on schools and homes.

  7.1 Billion US Army Corps of Engineers.

  Please note the murder rate is 40% higher than before Katrina.

  Not one person calling into your show mention the elections in which the same noneffective leaders were reelected.

  Your callers said NO claims have been paid.

  Please note "GAO: FEMA Paid Up to $1.4 Billion in Bogus Katrina Claims

  Fraud and program abuse allowed by FEMA during the beleaguered agency's response to Hurricane Katrina costs taxpayers over $1.4 billion, according to a General Accounting Office (GAO) report released yesterday. "

  [ More results from www.doi.state.ms.us ]

  Katrina at Two Years: $40.6 Billion Paid on 1.7 Million Insurance ...

  In regard to non-slab claims, 2,660 policyholders have requested reevaluation. The company reevaluated 2,579 of those claims and made offers totaling over $23.8 million.

  Some 1,591 policyholders accepted those offers and have been paid over $15.9 million.

  I was asked to join a fact finding group for a university to study the logistic failures in the region. I did not as the group's leader was ranting anti administration's failures before the study.

  Huge numbers of false claims have been paid and the process is hard for everyone.

  
  
• [3] Jeana Nordstrom from NYC August 30, 2007 - 09:40AM

  Read the NY Sun today regarding money spent in the region.

  I tried to send you facts but your site keeps crashing and losing my info.

  $127 Billion has been spent my the gov plus claims have been paid.

  Your callers were awful and wrong.