Thanks! Most of our problems have been directly related to the city, our city manager, the mayor and council. I swear they all act like total idiots,showing their backsides at every chance. First the mayor on TV looking "catatonic" and telling us to all stay away, barricading the causeway and then saying there were snakes everywhere.

My brother has to elevate his house 11'. The house next door to him, sits 3' lower, doesn't have to be elevated. The house across the street, 4' lower, lots more damage, doesn't have to be elevated. The 2 story, not hardly damaged house 2 doors down has to be torn down. The one story with minor damage has to be torn down. What's the difference you ask? The house across the street hired an appraiser to say the house was worth more than the city said it was, result? It is no longer considered substantially damaged! The house next door? He has a friend that works for the city who got his permits for him. The two story house? Noone is saying what's going on there but the owner is not known for playing nice with city council. There is a house, in a wealthy neighborhood, that is currently being re-built. It does not have to be elevated, it is not considered "substantially damaged". The only thing that remains of the original home is the slab, the walls blew out, the brick blew off and the roof collapsed. They just finished the new framing. It's all in who you pay off, who you married or your address here.

I'm so disgusted, the city put a huge garbage dump on Broadway but won't let FEMA put trailers there because it will "look bad". Maybe they didn't notice the destroyed houses, marina, the boats in the middle of 61st, the missing chunks of the Seawall, the collapsed houses, the debris lining the streets, the lack of power to almost 1/2 of the island..... the empty abandoned hospital.....
BAH!
Tally Ho!

I know how you feel! Things were so bad in my hometown when I left I'm fairly sure the mayor was and ex con. If he wasn't he should have been (I lived in the same neighborhood and was the same age as his son.)The stories I heard about him would singe your ears! He was a pervert with a thing for underage girls.
Later,the next mayor was an ambulance chasing jackal that was FAMOUS for his irritating commercials "My name is R. Rex Parris and I'll FIGHT for you!!!" (He looked and sounded like a freaking rat). I just couldn't believe ANYONE would vote for Mr.Irritating Rat face! I don't know who's in office here in DFW and I don't want to. If Rat face and Pervert were in office back home I'm thinking ignorance is bliss!!! You're in my prayers too! PJ

Hi Tally,

I made a commitment for a donation to one of the organizations you mentioned in your other post. Is there anything that can be done to specifically help you?

The older I get, the more corruption I see. I know it's rampant in the home building industry.--Gave up trying to fight it because I didn't have the money to give to the state legislature the way the big home builders do. This is NOT to say that all homebuilders are bad, but some are...

I believe you when you say it's who you've paid off or are married to...Why does it have to be this way?

Long-range, the ones that are required to adhere to more strict standards could eventually be better off than the ones who aren't. But if you don't have a bunch of money to rebuild according to those strict standards, it's not going to do you any good. Personally, I couldn't live like that, on an island where your house can be destroyed by hurricanes or your life can be in danger on occasion. But that's me...others can probably handle that fine, so good for them.