BS: Shelter from the hurricane

Subject: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: mg
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 01:57 AM

If anyone needs a place to stay during the hurricane (female, no pets), I have a room a couple of hours from Portland, Oregon. Lots of rules etc. but shelter from the storm if you need it. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: pdq
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 04:26 AM

Perhaps you don't know that housing must be offered on an equal opportunity basis. No one can specify that housing is available to "women only" any more than to "Blacks only" or "no Jews". Federal law with prison time possible.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Megan L
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 04:43 AM

ODQ I do hope your comment was tongue in cheak a woman living on her own would be stupid to take in an unknown male.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: DMcG
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 05:00 AM

I doubt if it is tongue in cheek. It would not surprise me in the least if that is what the law says. The consequence is that the room will probably be offered to no-one, which is of course the one solution that no-one wants.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: alanabit
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 06:12 AM

It's a simple act of kindness. Can't we just see it in those terms?

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: gnu
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 06:53 AM

I would assume the rentalsman in this case would be a tad more lax... ie, God.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: maeve
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 08:22 AM

Amen.

mg- Thank you. If I were in need, I'd be grateful to have seen your kind offer.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: pdq
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 09:03 AM

One might hope for laws that are written by sane people for honest reasons, but that is seldom the fact. Laws are written by politicians for political reasons.

If a 55 year old woman wanted to rent a room in her house to help cover the bills, she could be charged with a serious crime by specifying what type of renter she wanted, even if she would feel most comfortable around another woman of similar age.

Tragically, if the house had a professionally-built entry ramp and were completely wheelchair friendly, she would not be able to suggest a desire for a handicapped tenent. A newspaper or online listing service could be shut down for violating federal anti-discrimination laws unless you simply say "room for rent". You can describe the room and give terms such as price and size of deposit.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: maeve
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 09:10 AM

Thanks for your clarification, pdq.

I believe mg was offering
short-term shelter for someone fleeing the storms rather than a rental.

Regards,

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: pdq
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 09:16 AM

I am not saying that the laws are right, but I suspect that the price that Mary is asking is irrelevant. I will say that she is consistently the most kind-hearted person on Mudcat. I really believe that both she and Mudcat could be in trouble if the Southern Poverty Law Center or the ACLU folks are bored or having a slow day.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Donuel
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 09:23 AM

IN Maryland 2 guest rooms available.

I remember papagators evacuation 3 years ago.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Jeri
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 10:00 AM

Pdq, she is offering a free place to stay in her home.

Could you possibly find a less lame and mean-spirited excuse to debate--somewhere else?

The debate in this thread is done.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: artbrooks
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 10:48 AM

...and a room in Albuquerque. Male or female, any shade of "white"/tan/brown/"black" welcome. No inside smoking. Must be willing to listen to "all Celtic, all the time".

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: SINSULL
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 11:21 AM

tWO ROOMS IN mAINE. nO SMOKING; NO ELECTRIC GUITARS.
sins

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: olddude
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 11:30 AM

You got my office. It is an old victorian house 5,000 sq feet. Heck I work alone and can work at home instead for a short time. At least until it blows over and things settle. I am in a small town outside of Buffalo NY. Lots of rooms. Don't care if you smoke, don't care if you bring your pets. Short term only ..

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 11:31 AM

We're a lot closer, in North Texas. By the time you've bought a ticket to fly to Portland or even ABQ, you could have paid for several hotels closer to LA or in Texas. If someone is driving we have a couple of extra beds. We have cats and dogs, so animals fleeing the storm with people would have to go in kennels.

There are lots of hotel rooms here also.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 02:18 PM

Hey, she offered a room and shelter from her heart..I was thoroughly impressed!...Take it or leave it, leave the federal government OUT of it!..We saw their last 'effort'...let people help people, anyway the can or will!! mg, Major hats off to you...God Bless you!!!!
Typical of politicos, (read: Fascists) to inhibit people from being free to help, as they are moved to!...Like we need the permission of any government to feed or house anyone in need!!!!..Shows how far your hearts have grown cold!!!!! Turn off your T.V.s and your 'news' shows, and open your hearts, and humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: GUEST,hg
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 04:41 PM

very sweet and thoughtful of you, mary....I'm relieved to have my parents off the western coast in PBC and up here with me, slightly inland in a relatively safer (re: hurricanes) environment. The flooding after Faye was pretty bad in town and the lakes and ponds are all full. Also raining off and on again today.
harpy

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 07:46 PM

Over here on the other side of the planet, some of us have been wondering how things are going for people over there.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 12:52 AM

She asked for no money so she's free to do as she pleases. She didn't ask for a rental agreement, she didn't ask for exchange for labor, She's free to tak in who she pleases, when she pleses & as long as she breaks no housing codes she can tell anyone she pleases to f&#k off, with out fear of legal reprizes. If I bring home a woman for the night & she stays a lot longer is someone gonna shout unfair because my offer was restricted to a woman of my choosing that I happened to fancy? Stay out of other people's bedrooms & kitchens. What's the world coming to.

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 02:44 AM

My thoughts are with you all and hope you all get to safety.

MG, you take in who you bloody want. Its your property and you make the decisions, not anybody else. I think you are all so kind for offering accomodation like this.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Mr Happy
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 10:40 AM

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: Megan L - PM
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 04:43 AM

ODQ I do hope your comment was tongue in cheak a woman living on her own would be stupid to take in an unknown male.

*********

It's pretty obvious this individual doesn't recognise good intentions or kindness, rather treating with suspicion, disdain; see her contribution on this thread: thread.cfm?threadid=113826&messages=63&page=1&desc=yes#2427422

************

However, I do recognise & understand altruism,& as I'm too far distant on the other side of the pond, I congratulate those folks above who've made such generous offers to potential refugees

************

On the news here [UK] I heard that the authorities won't be prepared to help anyone who hasn't evacuated the area by the time the hurricane strikes.

Sounds awfully reminiscent of Katrina time - except then the powers that be didn't warn anyone that they wouldn't be helped

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: pdq
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 11:03 AM

There are people in the US who have lost their jobs, businesses, property, even their chance for a good retirement because they advertised jobs, rental units or other services to specific groups such as "men only", "unmarried", "no children", etc. Even specifying that health conditions or age (as wanted: older couple) are definitely illegal in this country. A newspaper putting such wording in a want ad is in trouble. I am only pointing this out, so give me a f**king break. I am a libertarian (note: small "l") and I cannot see how most of this so-called "civil rights" legislation was past. It is absolutely unconstitutional and borders on Facism.

In a sane country, someone who spoke Armenian could run a want ad looking for a renter with whom he could communicate, but you can't say "must speak Armenian" in a want ad. I have said that Mary is one of the most kind-hearted people around, but some of the people who have payed a big price for "discriminating" were only naive, not evil.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: olddude
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 12:40 PM

Oh PDQ is a good person, he was just pointing out our flawed legal system with no mean spirit intended

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: pdq
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 12:58 PM

With "old" come "wise", my friend. Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 07:21 PM

Ok - now I am waiting for the usual US political blame game to start about the 'unnecessary evacuation' for Gustav... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Shelter from the hurricane
From: maeve
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 09:10 PM

Here though, we need to keep to the original intent of this thread; not politics or anything else. Just kindness offered to someone in need.