Jahandar

That just irks me. Hell, it doesn't even have to be for taxes. Someone could just decide that giving your land to someone else (an apartment developer, for instance) would provide greater "public benefit" than you selfishly using your land for your own home.

I thought I'd share my perspective on this. My family and I live/lived in Biloxi. What is left of our home will be unfit for habitation for months, and most of the possessions left inside are gone or destroyed. What response do I expect? From the government, we expect the services we've paid for. The government (through its police, firemen, first responders, etc) should make reasonable efforts to continue doing what they're in place to do, help those still in danger, prevent looting, etc. Where they are unfit or lack the numbers, as seems to be the case now, I am glad to see the national guard and military being employed. It cannot be denied that this use of the military is directly in the interests of Americans, and in my opinion, this falls within the proper role of government. Beyond this, there are the extra things the government will pay for (someone mentioned some FEMA supplemental flood insurance program, for instance). I think this goes beyond the proper function of the government in an ideal society. However, while my family has insurance and probably won't qualify, I can't begrudge anyone who does seek this aid. Unfortunately, this is the society and mixed economy we live in, where we (all Americans) are forced to pay for these programs, and many of us are forced to rely on them in cases like these. Perhaps if people didn't have to pay for all these extra programs, they might have been able to afford more insurance, or at least would have had the opportunity to invest the money for a little extra financial security in case of an emergency. At least we can derrive some comfort from the fact that the money is going where it was intended. From fellow American's, I could not ask of anything. Our misfortune does not place obligations on the rest of the nation. That said, it is touching to see the compassion and voluntary contributions from individuals across the nation.