Katrina Evacuee Won't Work, Won't Leave

[Dowple]

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. <!--end paragraph-->

<!--begin paragraph-->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.
<!--end paragraph-->

<!--begin paragraph-->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.”
<!--end paragraph-->

<!--begin paragraph-->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.


More (http://www.newyorkmetro.com/news/intelligencer/17161/?imw=Y)

Ah, the good life
http://newyorkmetro.com/news/intelligencer/katrina060529_560.jpg
<!--end paragraph-->

[Lubbock]

Head exploding! Head exploding!

[Riverboat]

Most days he just showers and gets back in bed, showers and gets back in bed. Well, at least he's a CLEAN bum.

[Charity]

Turn off his cable, water, remove linens, change the room key and get this lazy bum out of there.

[Wyatt_Junker]

Here's a picture of the new government living spaces. They even come with an in-built self-feeding mechinism for whenever you're just too lazy to lift your fork to your own mouth.

The government will be releasing them very soon.

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/sketch/womb.jpg

[Kathy29]

He thinks FEMA should give him more money!

That's the problem. FEMA gave him money to begin with. There should be NO money. Not a dime.

[The_Sonarman]

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.

"...my money..." he says, and he thinks fema should send him more.

Well, he isn't spending "fema's" money. He's spending "our" tax money.

Only in America.

Hmmmm.... We're not talking pregnant women, or women with small children. We're talking about someone who appears reasonably fit and healthy, blowing $9,000 "survival money" on things other than food and clothing (ie. booze and such), and now he expects more.

I feel sorry for whatever city gets saddled with this person in the long run.

This also points out a screwy "law" on the books in NYC. No doubt, similar insanity exists in other major cities.

Why do I find myself completely unsympathetic?

[routerider]

Here's a picture of the new government living spaces. They even come with an in-built self-feeding mechinism for whenever you're just too lazy to lift your fork to your own mouth.

The government will be releasing them very soon.

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/sketch/womb.jpg



Finally an abortion I don't mind allowing.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

I think I heard about this fellow on the Neal Boortz show. I don't understand why they can't just go in and haul him to jail.

[TechnoPrincess]

And there are people who can't understand why support for the people of NO aren't getting popular support anymore....

[Borgia]

You know, this is a guy that the left AND right can agree on.


Loooooser!!

[DesertFox]

What a mean-spirited bunch. This poor man didn´t ax to be bornd! Youse juss pickin´on him cuz he black. Racism!

[Lubbock]

Oh, I think I would go a little further tha loooooooser . . . but it would no doubt, get me banned from this site.

[Borgia]

Oh, I think I would go a little further tha loooooooser . . . but it would no doubt, get me banned from this site.

I am not one prone to use expletives or name-call but this guy really deserves it.

*&(%$**#@$%#@$

There, now I feel better.

[Lubbock]

&*^%#$(&%((^$@$

And now I feel better, too.

[Wolfcounsel]

One little piss-ant welfare bum is causing all this, but wait until a few more million foreign welfare bums crawl here from the south. The liberals will be wringing their hands and wailing and weeping and gnashing their teeth and tearing their clothes and pooping in their pants for a chance to help support the poor cockroaches with more taxpayer money.
:whine:

OOPS! Don't mean to detour the thread. I say, someone should just shoot him.

[DesertFox]

Bang

[Dowple]

One little piss-ant welfare bum is causing all this, but wait until a few more million foreign welfare bums crawl here from the south. The liberals will be wringing their hands and wailing and weeping and gnashing their teeth and tearing their clothes and pooping in their pants for a chance to help support the poor cockroaches with more taxpayer money.
:whine:

OOPS! Don't mean to detour the thread. I say, someone should just shoot him.

Just wait until the mexican parasites start cutting in front of the line ahead of the "urban" parasites. Race war is coming. Black versus brown.

[Rhino]

It's not his fault. He's just partaking of the benevolence of the laws passed by New Yawk City. There are millions more like him in this country who would do the same if the opportunity presented itself. Fortunately, most cities aren't as stupid as New Yawk. The hotel should be billing the city for this guy's stay. After all, they caused all this.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

Wyatt_Junker:
Here's a picture of the new government living spaces. They even come with an in-built self-feeding mechinism for whenever you're just too lazy to lift your fork to your own mouth.

The government will be releasing them very soon.

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/sketch/womb.jpg

:unsmile: Those living spaces aren't safe. Murder is legal there.

[gnome]

A smarter relief funding method would probably help in future situations. Something where the people receiving aid don't get handed cash--to use the funding for housing assistance, for example, they go and get housing, and their LANDLORD collects from FEMA.

You still have trouble with people milking it I suppose, but at least that way they can't spend the money on booze and toys.

[Wolfcounsel]

"A smarter relief funding method would probably help in future situations." --gnome

Like I say, the "get off your fat, lazy ass and find some work and stop mooching off the taxpayers" method comes to mind.

[Rhino]

Like I say, the "get off your fat, lazy ass and find some work and stop mooching off the taxpayers" method comes to mind.Ooooo! You mean, hateful, unfeeling conservative, you!

[Timberwolf]

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...*click...shunk...click* Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...okay, okay...I think he's quit floppin'...you can stop shootin', now.

Overkill? Yeah, probably...but, it'll send one heck of a message to every other free-loadin', lazy, scumbag who's wasting OUR tax dollars cuz s/he's to friggin' lazy to go get a job.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Wolfcounsel
Like I say, the "get off your fat, lazy ass and find some work and stop mooching off the taxpayers" method comes to mind.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Ooooo! You mean, hateful, unfeeling conservative, you!

Hmmm . . . so what does that make Timber? :biggrin:

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...*click...shunk...click* Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...okay, okay...I think he's quit floppin'...you can stop shootin', now.

Overkill? Yeah, probably...but, it'll send one heck of a message to every other free-loadin', lazy, scumbag who's wasting OUR tax dollars cuz s/he's to friggin' lazy to go get a job.

http://www.freeconservatives.com/vb/images/icons/wave0000.gif

I know, I know!

Motivated, :evilgrin:

[Rhino]

Hmmm . . . so what does that make Timber?An intolerant, mean, hateful, unfeeling conservative.

But with good aim. :D

MotivatedThat too.

[gnome]

"A smarter relief funding method would probably help in future situations." --gnome

Like I say, the "get off your fat, lazy ass and find some work and stop mooching off the taxpayers" method comes to mind.

Sounds great, but I was referring to how to keep the aid given for immediate and justifiable need, from being squandered.

[Rhino]

Like a voucher system.