Katrina Victims Will Not Have to Vacate Trailers (get to buy them for $5 instead)

New York Times ^ | June 3, 2009 | Shaila Dewan

[Clink]

One does wonder whether the “victims” will complain about the trailer they are “buying”.

Not only that, when some of them are diagnosed with some type of normally occurring ailment (meaning subject to the law of averages in the general population) they will sue us, the taxpayers, for "causing" their illness. Bank on it.

[dirtboy]

The problem is that they CANNOT be sold for auction by the government. They used to (we watched tons of these auctions). but someone decided that they have a formaldehyde problem and the sales stopped.

Not the case here. From the article:

The smallest travel trailers, which do not meet the government’s definition of “manufactured housing,” and any units whose formaldehyde levels exceed safety standards, will not be sold.

[1066AD]

Plenty available here:

http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/

[SJSAMPLE]

I thought I’d seen continuing sales/auctions just a month ago?

Formeldahyde is commonly used in these trailers (for quite some time) and should dissipate relatively quickly after manufacture.

However, the companies (many of them here in Indiana) were making them so quickly, they didn’t have time to “air out” before being shipped to NOLA and vicinities.

[AlexW]

“the disaster that keeps on giving.
How many cities have been hit by hurricanes and are still getting massive funding for it nearly a decade later?”

As I have often stated, Katrina was the most “OVERBLOWN”
disaster in history. It is still being used as a PR prop for Nagin’s chocolates.

[rawhide]

$14.492 for each family. That is quite a chunk of my tax dollars.

[GeronL]

there are still people living in hotels at government expense complaining about the food they didn’t pay for.

Its just crazy

[nina0113]

Those trailers are taxpayer property and should be returned for auction.

Do you think they're fit to be sold at this point?

[nina0113]

One does wonder whether the “victims” will complain about the trailer they are “buying”.

They already have - after Katrina, some group hauled one to Farragut Square in DC to demonstrate to all the passers-by the terrible level of housing we were providing to the poor little victims. I suggested that they take that trailer up to one of the Indian reservations in Minnesota or the Dakotas, where I've seen people living in burned-out cars. I assured the speaker that they'd be glad to have it.

[netmilsmom]

WOW!

Thanks everyone! We may be getting a new trailer!

[Never on my watch]

I don't care if this sounds cold hearted.

To all those who live in hurricane zones, flood plains, beach-front property, mudslide prone cliffs, a wild fire areas:

I am not an insurance company! Call State Farm or GEICO.

I am not a rescue agency! Plan for your own evacuation. Stop putting our brave first responders in jeopardy for your laziness.

Don't ask me to bail out your corrupt politicians! You voted for them, you are stuck with them.

I am not here to preserve your regional culture and historic districts! You want to live there, you take care of your interests.

Oh, and clean up after yourselves!

[Oldpuppymax]

Trailers? These hard working victims of circumstance are going to be required to live in...and indeed PAY for TRAILERS!! How icky! What a cruel fate. Clearly the ACLU, the Black Panthers and ACORN should take a stand and demand beachfront condos!

[netmilsmom]

Look at the trailers in post 23.
People are bidding thousands for trashed trailers.