During the Great Depression vs Katrina Aftermath?

Question

During the great depression people got to build buildings that were Public Works it is my understanding. My mother told me that people made these buildings with such great pride because they were so glad to work. They also got great materials to work with.

Perhaps if the people living in the areas of Katina got to be involved with rebuilding the city and working for Fema things would go faster.

What do you think? No mean answers please. No cave people. Just intelligent thoughtful answers. If people were involved in rebuilding their city.

If you look at current history of Phildelphia you can see what is going on with renewal and beauty and gardens in that city.

Thanks annie and stretch. It was nice to get some good comments. I know it is not perfect, but just a thought. At least I got your intelligent thoughts and not the usual cave grunts. Yeah it is different and we are in Iraq doing who knows what wasting money. Yeah Fema is a mess and homeland security is that an oxymoron. Yeah I think so.

Government Organization that must be another oxymoron as well. You know I do not have to tell you two. Intelligent people. Thanks for adding more about the depression. It is interesting.

Thanks Fermi and thanks Kermit. I was just putting things together in my mind from current events and things I remember about my mother telling me about the depression. She was born during it, but she told me these things her parents told her.

Many Great Answers. I love them all. I am going to put this up for a vote, so others will read your wonderful answers.

Answer 1

I have listened to my father talk about the depression for over 35 years and combined with what I know historically it would be hard not to see similarities. The depression hit on a much larger scale however, but I would not doubt that people who have suffered the aftermath of Katrina have experienced similar fates. The WPA was an important and valuable tool in rebuilding our national identity as a people of skilled and capable workers. I have seen some work done through Habitat for Humanity that would maybe be comparable, but resources are limited and being it is a charity they do not make legislative decisions regarding expanded implementation of such programs. The poor seem to be at a tremendous disadvantage in this situation and we know that rebuilding Iraq is a priority right now (look how that is going). Working as an indentured servant for FEMA makes no sense, though. FEMA has been twisted into a poorly managed Homeland Security program without the ability to deal with what you are suggesting.

Answer 2

This is a great question! The depression followed the years of social activity in which unions were formed and regulations were set to guard the public from unsafe conditions in housing and employment. Generally, the role of providing for the health and welfare of the population was thought to be the proper work of the government, particularly the federal government. So it was natural for FDR (and Congress) to fund the programs that put people to work through the TVA and the CCC - and there were probably numerous smaller programs. It won't work now because the government, particularly since the Reagan era, has been busy divesting itself of this responsibility. The "compassiionate conservatives" have, first, placed these responsibilities back onto state governments, often in the form of unfunded mandates (e.g., "no child left behind"). Meeting these responsibilities to any degree has created deficits for the states - after all, the federal government raises more money than the states through taxation. Second, these same conservative administrations have railed against "big government" and "deficit spending" (but don't even get me started on much the war on terror is costing), and somehow, over a couple of decades (Reagan's presidency, George Bush's presidency, and GWB's presidency) they have convinced the voters that that makes sense. It's essential for us to turn our thinking around and think of "big government" in a positive light. It is an entirely appropriate role for government to be big enough to take care of things.

Answer 3

Perhaps what you're thinking of is the Civilian Conservation Corps. One of Roosevelt's more popular programs. It was like enlisting in a very casual army. Workers were housed in camps and clothed and put to work performing projects that required muscle but no training. 80% of their pay was sent home to their families, and the only thing that really ended the program was when there weren't enough men to keep it going because they were all being drafted for WW2.

One of the key issues in that program was the training issue. The government was not supposed to compete with existing companies to any great degree, and if they had turned out vast numbers of people with new skills, it would invariably have brought ruin to the workers who already had such training.

So you can see part of the problem with doing the same after Katrina - if you hire a bunch of people as carpenters and to do construction work, not only are you displacing all the companies who would do the work, wanted to, and were already there, but you would be creating a huge unemployment problem in the future for construction workers.

It also bears mention that (in spite of the anomolous behaviour of our current president) most republicans are really against the idea of vastly increasing the number of publicly employed people, which is pretty much what this kind of program is. Roosevelt was a democrat; with a republican president AND congress, it probably just wouldn't happen, even if it was a great idea.

Good for you for knowing about historic parallels, though! Those times in particular were fascinating ones. Keep looking into them!

Answer 4

My yankee grandfather was in the CCC in Philly and my southern grandfather was in the CCC in Virginia. Most of the public infrastructure in our National and many State Parks date to the period of the CCC.

We no longer invest in this country. The Federal Government will spend billions trying to rebuild Iraq, when that money and those young people would be better deployed rebuilding this country.

Answer 5

The people who were involved in public works during the depression had no money, no food, and no job until FDR's new deal. Of course they were delighted to have a job and be able to eat.

Answer 6

over the final 5 years I had all started to have a transforming into style of withdraw right into a downward spiral of melancholy.. yet now with the tactic i can totally concentration my capability and ideas right into a decisive line on a thank you to make my existence extra helpful continuously. And it works like magic! i'm beginning to allure to human beings to me as quickly as back and issues have in basic terms been looking up because of the fact that then. helping you eliminate melancholy?

Answer 7

Good question, but you have to have some sort of plan, govt or organization first.....