One of the first things I do in the morning is check out the news on the Internet. This morning I head over to the CNN.com page, and click on this link about Pensacola Beach. My brother lives there... well, not there on the beach, but in Pensacola itself. Anyway, the link takes me to a video with a woman standing on the beach, houses in the background. She is a reporter.

"This is the Florida dream, to be able to live right along the beach, and the people who do live here are willing to take the risk that comes with that dream."

She goes on to describe what those poor people suffered through when hurricane Ivan came through last year. She is standing in an empty lot, though she has to tell you it's an empty lot, because it is right there within seconds walking distance of the water. The people that had a house there have left the lot empty... good thing I guess, considering Dennis is lumbering up the west coast of the panhandle, bearing down on them in the same fashion Ivan did last year. Those houses in the background are there because this is a residential neighborhood. It is prime beach real estate.

You probably aren't wondering, because you haven't seen the video, why there aren't hotels here. After all, this is the perfect place for putting up one of those monstrosities in an effort to separate the affluent from their money. They aren't there because nobody is that stupid... stupid enough to build a huge complex like that in a place that is in imminent danger of flooding most of the time from storms just like Ivan and Dennis.

Apparently some are... not stupid enough to build a hotel, but enough to have a house here, potentially to be damaged or knocked down whenever one of these storms comes through. Later in the video she talks about a poor lady that just renovated the inside of her house and replaced all the furniture because of Ivan. They show video of the place inside, it's beautiful with real wood paneling, everything spanking brand new. It should be, because it is. The homeowner is a trooper though, the reporter triumphantly proclaiming that these two storms are 'no match' for this woman. During the short interview, the homeowner states, "Yeah, a lot of people like to see it knocked down so they can put up a brand new beautiful home." She isn't like 'that' though, she likes her little 1950 cottage, and she is determined to keep the house intact.

Earlier in the clip, the woman reporter directs our attention to the house across the street from the empty lot. There is a house there, but it is not livable. It doesn't look vacant though, there is a huge RV in the front driveway. She mentions in passing that 100s of these things have been provided by the government to people in similar situations, people whose homes were left unlivable by Ivan. She describes the RV as 'not so great'. The thing is as long as a school bus!! Supposedly it's not so great because those poor people can't live in their 1950s cinder block house, and they've had to endure it for a whole year!! Those poor, poor bastards.

This poor bastard is going to leave, is probably already gone, but he is determined to return, because these people love this lifestyle according to the reporter. After Dennis has been through, possibly knocking down the house and the RV, he will return to build again. So, why, you may be asking yourself, doesn't the guy take the RV to save it? Well, it's not a mobile home, it's a trailer type, and the guy would have to haul it away. He can't though because his Subaru station wagon parked out front probably can't carry such a load. What the hell though, it was provided by the government, so who cares?

Are you getting the picture? Why in the fuck would these people bother?! If storms are just gonna come through and knock down their shit, is it worth living there? People can spend their money on whatever they choose to though I guess. If they've got the money, why not? I guess when you are independently wealthy it doesn't matter.

Well, that's just it, these people can't really afford to do this, but they can afford the costly insurance. It must be costly, right? I mean, what insurance company would give insurance to these people time after time? Is there really an insurance company stupid enough to do that? Yep, there is. Well, not really. Remember the RV? 100s were provided. Provided by the government, which means they were paid for with taxpayer dollars. The insurance paid for them, but the insurance is subsidized by the US government.

Subsidized housing? Isn't that for welfare queens? That's what John Stossel calls them in one of his books. He is one of them too! Or used to be anyway. He had a place on the beach in CA, and rebuilt with guvvy subsidized insurance.

So once again back to the video. The reporter talks about the risks involved with living on the beach that these people are willing to endure. What fucking risk?!?! There is no risk. If shit happens, and we all know it usually does, hence the phrase 'shit happens', WE WILL TAKE UP THE SLACK FOR THEM!!!!

This is what opponents of welfare scream about when they talk about reform. They aren't looking to take food out the mouths of the grandma Millies of the country, they are looking to plug this black hole of subsidized housing for affluent people.

Here is also a good candidate for the new eminent domain interpretation. It would be in the public's best interest to take this land and put in a parking lot. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper than constantly rebuilding homes for these assholes living on the dole....