SAFE NATURAL CURES & LIVING

Much of the country has the opinion that those who lost their homes to the wildfires in California deserve little sympathy. 

One reason is that reporters and journalists flamed the heat of their stories with mention of multi-million dollar beachfront homes of the rich and famous.  In fact, none of those homes burned. 

Most of the homes lost were of average price, owned by middle-income families.  Many people who lost their homes were not homeowners at all, but renters, so their belongings were not covered by the home’s insurance policy.  And, contrary to rumors, homeowners in California, whether in a fire-prone area or not, are required to have fire insurance in order to get a mortgage, so few of the homes were not insured. 

Another reason for the lack of sympathy for Californians is that some of the homes were located in fire-prone areas.  People wonder why they should feel sorry for anyone who dares to live in such an area.

That thinking is understandable.  People in California have wondered for years why the government (meaning everyone, in the end) should bail out people who continue to live next to the Mississippi River even though it is guaranteed to flood nearby areas on a regular basis.  Why should anyone have sympathy for those who lose everything in a hurricane when their area is hit by hurricanes over and over?  And, what about those living in “tornado alley?”

Very little of this United States is not threatened by earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, tsunamis, volcanoes, or even extended drought.  Disasters can happen no matter where we live.

And, the fact that homes in California cost more than those in many areas of the country may bother people in other states in times of tragedy.  But, it bothers those of us living in California all the time.  We live in a tiny three-bedroom house to which only recently we added a second bathroom.  For half of our monthly mortgage payment, we could buy a home in most other states that is four times the size on a lot that is ten times larger.  Californians also pay 10 times the state taxes as those in Missouri and 100 times the state taxes as those in South Dakota - every year.

We all need to count our blessings when we have them, which is most of the time, and help the other guy when he needs it.

Technorati Tags: wildfires, california, families, insurance, government, victims, natural, age

Much of the country has the opinion that those who lost their homes to the wildfires in California deserve little sympathy. 

One reason is that reporters and journalists flamed the heat of their stories with mention of multi-million dollar beachfront homes of the rich and famous.  In fact, none of those homes burned. 

Most of the homes lost were of average price, owned by middle-income families.  Many people who lost their homes were not homeowners at all, but renters, so their belongings were not covered by the home’s insurance policy.  And, contrary to rumors, homeowners in California, whether in a fire-prone area or not, are required to have fire insurance in order to get a mortgage, so few of the homes were not insured. 

Another reason for the lack of sympathy for Californians is that some of the homes were located in fire-prone areas.  People wonder why they should feel sorry for anyone who dares to live in such an area.

That thinking is understandable.  People in California have wondered for years why the government (meaning everyone, in the end) should bail out people who continue to live next to the Mississippi River even though it is guaranteed to flood nearby areas on a regular basis.  Why should anyone have sympathy for those who lose everything in a hurricane when their area is hit by hurricanes over and over?  And, what about those living in “tornado alley?”

Very little of this United States is not threatened by earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, tsunamis, volcanoes, or even extended drought.  Disasters can happen no matter where we live.

And, the fact that homes in California cost more than those in many areas of the country may bother people in other states in times of tragedy.  But, it bothers those of us living in California all the time.  We live in a tiny three-bedroom house to which only recently we added a second bathroom.  For half of our monthly mortgage payment, we could buy a home in most other states that is four times the size on a lot that is ten times larger.  Californians also pay 10 times the state taxes as those in Missouri and 100 times the state taxes as those in South Dakota - every year.

We all need to count our blessings when we have them, which is most of the time, and help the other guy when he needs it.

Technorati Tags: wildfires, california, families, insurance, government, victims, natural, age