If You're Not Outraged, You're Not Paying Attention

When I lived in Key West, this phrase was a frequently seen bumper sticker. I thought it was great. Stuck one on my moped. But I'm starting to think differently.

In the past few days, my phone mail and email inbox have been flooded with people talking about the "news" about formaldehyde in the FEMA trailers, sending me links to stories about some of the people I know on the Gulf Coast. Some people who contacted me are working hard to fix the problems; some people are outraged, some people are just calling to make sure I saw the national attention placed upon what I and many dedicated others have been writing about and following for almost two years. Outrage now feels like a luxurious emotion. Unless it leads to action, it has no room in my playbook anymore.

On February 14, 2008, CDC director Julie Gerberding urged residents into "safer housing as soon as possible." That is a great idea. What is less clear is how they will move and to where they will move. Setting aside the issue of elevated rents that in other situations might be considered gouging, or insurance premiums that are either out of financial reach or not being written in some towns, there are not enough safe physical structures on the Gulf Coast in which to move FEMA trailer residents. So unless FEMA and the CDC are prepared for full scale relocation of the magnitude of the Trail of Tears, there needs to be more than the head of the CDC urging people to move.

We don't need outrage or blame on the Gulf Coast: We need plumbers. We need electricians. We need builders who are willing to build apartment buildings and houses for a reasonable profit so that the approximately 38,000 people lving in FEMA trailers can have a safe, healthy roof overhead. Maybe we need new financial programs, like a 40 year mortgage so that the monthly payments are manageable, or creative shared living options that work for the elderly who are on fixed incomes of $603 per month.

The news cycle is already subsiding. The news trucks are already traveling to the next hot spot. Every day that Congress does not take action is another 24 hours that kids like two year old Michael Huckabee are exposed to another 24 hours of formaldehyde.

Outrage: if it doesn't move you to act, it's a luxury we can't afford.