FEMA FATALITIES

mpallamary · Post by **mpallamary** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:28 pm

Your tax dollars hard at work......

They know about it and refuse to fix it!

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/S ... 14351.html

mpallamary · Post by **mpallamary** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:30 pm

So I ask, why isn't CLSA doing anything about this problem?

Ian Wilson · Post by **Ian Wilson** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:19 am

CLSA is not an agency. It us a collection of like-minded professionals who practice land surveying in its many iterations. CLSA is it's members.

As a member, Mike, what are you doing? What do you propose that your fellow members do? Are you volunteering to act as Chair for an Ad Hoc Committee to develop solutions?

mpallamary · Post by **mpallamary** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 6:53 am

Hi Ian, Hope all is well. I have been at this for more than 30 years with CLSA. What CLSA should do is educate people. I have made numerous suggestions to CLSA and offered to chair numerous committees. All of my offers have been rejected. Why is that? What is CLSA doing? There are folks a lot younger than me who could raise their hands. I worked hard to get this story going. I also assisted a large number of distressed homeowners pro bono, to fix the FIRM problems, including the woman interviewed in this story. I have offered to help the association more times than you can imagine. When the reporters called about this story the first time, I referred them to CLSA. I have referred several media stories I have been involved in to CLSA. I did that numerous times - more than you can imagine. No one wanted to deal with it. I pressed the local chapter numerous times and made arrangements for someone to be interviewed, to no avail. No one wanted to talk about it. It had to go through a dozen committees before a decision would be made, probably three years later. It was a wonderful opportunity for CLSA to be recognized in a positive light but no one was interested. I tried to get this issue in front of CLSA at the last four conferences but there was no interest. I tried, tried, and tried. It is time for someone else to do some heavy lifting. :) SO I ask, what is CLSA doing?

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 6:56 am

I understand what the condo owner is going through. My condo building is in the flood plain here in downtown Santa Cruz, and I am on the top of the building (3rd floor). My HOA covers the cost of flood insurance for all the buildings in the complex, but my mortgage company say that is not enough to cover my condo specifically, so they added on an extra policy to my mortgage (My HOA pays for that while they are fighting against my mortgage company).

I have had a conversation with probably 20 different people at the mortgage company. Specifically, I ask them point blank, how do they know our flood insurance is not enough, they tell me that is not what their paperwork states, I reply so our HOA doesn't have enough to rebuild the building? So you are making sure I can re build my specific condo since we can't rebuild the entire building through the HOA Flood insurance? "That is correct, sir." I pause, and reply, You do know my condo is on the top floor on top of other units? "Yes, sir" At this point I keep waiting for common sense to kick in ... it still hasn't! I wonder if they would rebuild my condo on stilts if there really wasn't enough to cover the entire building?

mpallamary · Post by **mpallamary** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:15 am

Hi Christopher, the point here is there is no common sense! I have dealt with a lot of these and I managed to get relief for folks like the homeowner on the top of a mountain who, because the lower corner of his 40 acre parcel was at the edge of a seasonal creek, had to buy flood insurance. He was 300 feet above the creek! The maps here in San Diego are so messed up you would not believe it! The surveyors should unite and educate the public about this problem. I am going to write an article about this and that problem. The consumers are getting raked on this one.

BeachBum · Post by **BeachBum** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 6:42 am

I agree Michael. I find it funny that even the banks are inconsistent with it's application.

Right now I sit in flood zone A99. What is now downtown Santa Cruz used to flood quite often (approximately once a decade since they have been keeping records). The last time was in the mid 50's, I believe it was the Christmas day flood. After this event, flood control and levees have been designed and built to contain the 100 year flood event. I believe (not 100% sure) it was designed by the Corps of Engineers. Of course since then, our thinking has changes somewhat and some modifications were done to crossing bridges and to remove sediments during the dry season. Downtown Santa Cruz and areas along the San Lorenzo River have not flooded since the levee has been built, and has held on 2 occasions that we have had the equivalent of the 100 year flood waters come through the river. Our community has yet been able to get the seal of approval that our levee system meets the criteria to contain a 100 year flood by the Army Corps of Engineers, so here we are stuck in Zone A99 with no BFE's!!

LS_8750 · Post by **LS_8750** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 11:45 am

It would be a great idea to educate the public on this. CLSA could influence local politicians to take action and get these screwed up areas corrected.

Is there a standard CLSA "indifference" template issued to its members intended to be utilized on this forum when challenging questions, or good ideas, arise?

land butcher · Post by **land butcher** » Sun May 18, 2014 2:11 pm

And people wonder why I say "Defund Govt".
Here is a prime example, they do substandard work that costs innocent homeowners thousands of dollars on meedless insurance and say "Oh, well."
Govt constantly "errors" but neither the agency or employees are ever held responsible.

Dave Karoly, PLS · Post by **Dave Karoly, PLS** » Sun May 18, 2014 5:22 pm

Yes, the private sector never screws anything up in the name of more profits.

Sometimes we need to stop being defeatist "defund government" crybabies and get on board forcing change. This is how society works best.

Jim Frame · Post by **Jim Frame** » Sun May 18, 2014 6:35 pm

Defunding FEMA would take the meat and potatoes away from a bunch of private firms that employ a lot of engineers and surveyors. I'm not just talking about the guys who do Elevation Certificates, I'm talking about the people who fly the LIDAR, establish the ground control, run the cross-sections and create the maps. Those maps didn't get made by FEMA personnel, that's all private-sector work.

That aside, the flood insurance program is so large, complex and fast-moving that undesirably large errors and even some blunders are bound to occur. Complain if you must, but let's get the problems fixed and move on. Without the floodplain management program the overall cost to the taxpayers would be even higher than it is.

land butcher · Post by **land butcher** » Mon May 19, 2014 9:30 am

If a private firm makes a mistake like this the govt is all over them to fix it and fines them, plus being sued by the public.
Any of this happen to a govt agency?
When a govt agency screws up it ALWAYS costs the taxpayers
Fix a govt agency? I tried to discuss a issue with a local postmaster - too busy to talk to me but walked right by staring staring straight ahead. Govt is so big and screwed up it can't be fixed so no one even in govt tries.
Some people can try to defend govt but bottom line is the govt can't do anything cheaper or more efficiently then the private sector because the private sector adheres to something govt doesn't use - called a profit and loss sheet.
Maybe those in govt already should be fixing govt.

As for loss of jobs, if something is needed the private sector can still provide it. Why was FEMA started, because people who insist on living in flood zones could not afford private insurance so the govt, thru EVERY BODIES, tax dollars are paying for the losses of people living in flood zones.
I enjoyed my visit to New Orleans, but anyone who lives there should have to cover their own losses, not receive govt funds. On the flip side our govt sends billions to the govt of some 3rd world toilet after a disaster, money which never gets to the people, but LOANS money to Americans.