Stop selling us on drinking the Kool-Aid of sequestration! This is a bull Crap scam pressed by Obama (the Renegger) It was his deal now he's saying we're all gonna die he has a $15 billion dollar increase in his budget! NO reduction in spending. the patch plays right into his lies!

We should be offered 105% of pre-flood home values by FEMA & Gov. Christie, too!

"Gov. Cuomo said yesterday that 169 of 192 residents of Staten Island’s storm devastated Oakwood Beach have taken him up on his offer to buy out their Sandy-ravaged homes.

"The people who live in the battered neighborhood have been enticed by a deal that will pay them 100 percent of their damaged home’s prestorm market value — plus 5 percent if the homeowners stay on Staten Island, Cuomo said. The feds will pick up 75 percent of the tab."

The state could resell the homes to those who can afford to raise them, or pay big bucks for flood insurance every year, or demolish them and build new homes. Those sales would more than pay back the state's 25% share. How about it, Gov?

Sounds as if we really don't need a State government after all. It's all up to federal agencies and local politicians neither of which have surpluses in their bank accounts.

And love the rocket scientist who thinks this State's economy won't be impacted by the storm. I know. It's all George Bush's fault. Christie is a heck of a fast learner.

The government should just plow them down and recycle the wood for boardwalks so that the sierra club is satisfied. The people can be relocated to internment camps out west under the homestead acts there is plenty of unused land. Just be careful if you want a sewer system you may upset some of these tools from holmdel that have sewers but dont want anyone else to.

Small business owners in Ocean City Nj will never see a dime.

I think they should plow the houses down with we the soon to be removed and bankrupted, in them. All we have gotten is more unreachable rules and regulations that will force way too many of the middle class into poverty unnecessarily. This is the Governor who said that the residents' voices should be heard. By whom? Nobody has listened to us for four months.

Chris, ole boy is now OFFICIALLY a GOOD ole boy!
Soul sold to the devil!

The problem is the Senate, who refuses to pass a budget.... so they can spend limitlessly!
Start with the cadavor,Gazillionare Lautenburg and that child scewin Menendez (Oh, darn, did I forget to pay you back that $58k, for that trip to the Dominican Republic?)
as 2 useless gravy train riders! Useless- as descibed in the dictionary...

The Gov. thinks he can keep passing off everything on someone else. He passed state aid for the towns off to the towns , now as a result of his policy and his "2%" CAP ON TAXES MY TAX BILL IS UP $1200 in 3 yrs . Two yrs since I saw a rebate and now a delay and the cost of sandy . His acceptance of the FEMA maps is the low point of his administration !

Methinks he may be an Obamacrat in disguise. It's the last two words that really bother me.

I can still remember one of the first news broadcasts made by Christie right after the storm occurred. He said to a little girl who was upset about the damage "Don't worry, the adults are in charge now". meaning the parents. I as a parent of a completely flooded out home in BHW have NEVER been in charge. Those who are in charge are Christie, the flood adjusters, the insurance carriers, the federal government and our elected township officials. I am being told what i can and can't do with my own property, i am being told i can have this, but can't have that. I am sick to death of everything. I am being made to jump thru hoops just to have my house back to the way it was prior to the storm. Even then I am still being shafted by everyone involved. I have done everything that i have been asked to do. I have researched everything. I have a flood policy with full coverage and more than enough to cover my substantial loss. Here i am sitting more than 4 months after the storm still waiting to settle my claim and still waiting for the flood adjuster to be fair about my repair costs. Funny. I used to like Christie. Yesterday i had a republican volunteer knock on my door asking me to sign a petition or something to reelect Christie. Before I slammed the door in her face, I reminder her that he was one of the reasons i was so miserable to begin with. This whole ordeal has been a real eye opener for me and how my local, state and federal governments really work.

I don't particularly like any politician. But people need to stop looking for help. Help yourselves. One guy here is asking the state to pay 105% of home value pre-sandy to
Relocate. Another is saying accepting FEMA maps is wrong. Guess what, can't afford to rebuild? Try moving. Living by the water is a luxury, not a right. Frankly NJ is out of hand with over development on the water. Hopefully many of these people will not be allowed to rebuild. Certainly not if they can't pay for it themselves.

He is asking for that particular amount because that is exactly what Governor Cuomo is arranging for those whose homes were lost to Sandy on Staten Island. But Governor Cuomo did not abdicate to FEMA the way Christie did.

The Fema maps are out of date by 30 years and no one can afford to either rebuild or repair in the V zone attached to any areas on the western side of a Bay that is at its very deepest points 10' down. That labeling which is new means that most likely there isn't an in-compliance home on the entire western coast while some parts of the barrier islands that are on top of the ocean have been given much gentler codes and treatment. Four houses in my neighborhood voluntarily built on 10' pilings and came through the storm dry. Now, however, that isn't good enough for Fema who wants us to go up to 13 unnecessary feet at a cost of at least $100,000 per house.

We all paid heavy insurance premiums for our homes and in return Fema passed out SBA (?) LOAN applications so that instead of insurance money we would be adding another payment on top of our existing mortgages and our taxes will go way up as will our flood insurance which this go round proved to be a joke - and not a funny one: it was a scam.

It is a luxury but the price now means that only the super rich, the one percenters, will be able to live even on this western shore of a Bay. And again, we have paid heavy taxes all the way along and are being given the Catch 22 shaft of all time.

Mr beem ,you are missing the point entirely we are not rich people on the west side of the bay,but sub middle class longtime taxpayers who have struggled to build our "dream houses" at the shore .We are not looking for help to rebuild from fema only the insurance which was paid for by some. Now we are being asked to further elevate our homes .I have 8 steps up to my door and am elderly. To elevate to fema height would require 15 steps and 14 ft pilings not very practical .V-zone has a ring of death about it for the shore . Oh ,I suffered no loss from sandy except for my vehicles .It is not charity we are looking for ,only fairness from the state and feds. Try going to "stopfemanow.com " and see our issues !

we have become the whipping area. many other communities in other states received better treatments an the maps might not have changed so drastic as our.the problem is all the good old boys club never stopped spending.all of them spend like they own the funds,an they do,they vote on spending ,giving to one group or the others.perhaps they need to be tossed out by all of Americans.we are still the bigger group by numbers.lol

But the reason we are the whipping area is that the Governor quickly delegated his responsibilities and powers to Fema where none of the other Governors did. Those other Governors have been busy tamping down and out some of Fema's more inane requirements for rebuilding and repair while our Governor from the get go just signed all of us up to report to Fema.

Campaigning seems to be his thing but it really isn't a talent that is needed in a time of crisis either here or in Washington where he seems to think he is heading.

If SANDY was in FLA Marco Rubio would have all money he needed within days after the storm..

The Governor is actually smart...making the federal government pay for just about everything so New Jerseyans don't...Not saying its right...just smart. He takes the responsibility off of him to give it to someone else!

...as they say: "the proof is in the pudding" You listen too to many politicians BS?

I would like to know why anyone has to turn to the government for any of the costs. That is what insurance is for and these people have been paying...the government needs to do something about making these insurance companies pay up and what happened to the billions in donations? Between the red cross, 2 major benefit concerts and every restaurant and store asking for donations...where is it all???

@ Alicia78,in the case of flood insurance, the insurance companies ARE the government. The insurance companies you refer to are service providers for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which essentially renders flood insurance socialized. As to charities, all too often they act the government does, picking meat from the bones and leaving only a carcass for their ultimate recipients, be they a victim and/or a taxpayer. Same thing really.

www.stopfemanow.com

Hanging off a hook in my closet, I have a pair of jeans with four pockets. One for the municipal government; one for the county government ;one for the state government;and, one for the federal government (rear pocket). Each pocket wants money from the other pockets. If when the jeans have worn out and are in need of retirement,and the pockets are all empty, what difference does it make who took what from whom?

The insurance companies write the policies for flood insurance using rate table and rules and regs that they provide. the rpoblem is that there is a disparity in rates when you compare. Why? Because many companies, even big ones like State Farm and Allstate don't do a lot of flood, so they do not know HOW to write the RIGHT policy based on the information at hand. So, if it is not written correctly, you wind up with a premium that is incorrect for your home at a rate that is probably too much. I spoke with my agent today. Details coming in another post following this.

First, if your home was built BEFORE Flood Maps were put in place (1974) you are grandfathered in and will NOT have to raise your home or face exhorbitant premiums (for homes that were not destroyed); Second, if your home was built after 1974, you should ensure that your policy is rated at the time it was built in accordance with the rulkes, regs and elevations AT THE TIME IT WAS BUILT. If it was (like mine was) I will NOT have to raise my house and my premiums will NOT go thru the roof. Lastly, if you house WAS destroyed or severely compromised and you have to rebuild, you HAVE to comply with the new elevations. This makes sense and not sure why anyone would NOT want to raise it. I hope this clears up all the mis-information that is going on out there. The key is to have a carrier who KNOWS how to write flood insurance plicies so you get the right coverage at the right/best price. I have $260k for my home and another $70k for contents. My premium? $733 per year. If you want someone who knows how to write the policies, contact The Flood Insurance Agency, (406) 755-2838. I've had them for a decade. they know their stuff. I do not work for them and I will not get paid anything for this. I am only trying to help those affected because I have MANY here in my neighborhood who need help.

@GB Shore, I hope that you are correct, but that is not how it was explained to me. My understanding is that pre FIRM and Post FIRM (after '74 and not substantially improved) are being phased out incrementally until they reach their full actuarial rates (which is an amount that NO ONE can seem to tell me). I called FEMA (oh about fifty times) and they told me to call the NFIP, who in turn told me to call FEMA and on and on... Is it any wonder there is so much confusion out there? I have consulted my own agent, but I think I will contact yours and hope they will take a moment to confirm what you are saying. That would at least be some partial relief for some.

Two questions @ GB, what is your effective BFE relative to your advised ABFE? And, in what zone?

GB might be correct ,but when you want to sell it the new people will not be grandfathered in. You should be prepared to live there until you die or sell it so low that it will be considered a knock down and it can be built to new standards what ever they may be. I would call this agencey and get it in writing not by someone over the phone who may not be working there in the near future and you know how that goes, this is what you get. He is not working here any longer , the reason being he was giving out the wrong info----Get it in writing

You're welcome Proud. Thanks.

Here are some rate table I found. The first is from the NFIP. The second is from a gooogle search about flood rates released by Nags Head, NC but references the Briggs Water Act.
http://www.nfipiservice.com/Stakeholder/pdf/bulletin/w-12028.pdf

http://www.nagsheadnc.gov/vertical/sites/%7BB2CB0823-BC26-47E7-B6B6-37D19957B4E1%7D/uploads/2012_NFIP_changes_12-17-2012.pdf

I'm, as well as others are soooo confused by all these old rules, new rules, no flood Ins. vs Flood ins, and getting screwed....The bank won't release funds YOUR ins. co payed , that was because YOU payed the premiums ( It's YOUR money- not the banks) If the bank payed the premiums , then they can hold the money, but NOT when I payed the bill !!!!!! This IS America , not IRAQ ( which we payed for come to think of it ). Now WE need help , so how much is IRAQ sending back to NJ...Look into that Sen. Menendez , in between your trips la la land of the young Ho's..the D.R. via Fla.

Googled; Flood Insurance Agency and the info I wanted came up for the Condo. unit , as they cover the Build , but from where ( the outer , 2x4's and sheathing ) I need for sheet rock into unit ...

@1stcav, call the number I gave you and ask for Justin, (406) 755-2838.

Monmouth County residents: In at least one Shore town, councilmen are confronting the hardships imposed by FEMA, asserting that the bureaucrats mandating those astronomical expenses should pay for them! http://brick.patch.com/articles/brick-officials-feds-should-fund-all-house-raisings

Flood-zone homeowners in NY are being offered buyouts -- with 75% of the cost paid by FEMA. The prices are at pre-flood values. (FEMA's erroneous maps, over-reaching house-raising elevations and exorbitant annual insurance costs have devalued our houses 30% to 50%!)

All along the Shore, there's a grassroots uprising against the 2012 Biggert-Waters Act that empowered FEMA to cause more damage than Sandy did: StopFemaNow.com ==> or ==> Facebook.com/StopFemaNow

Come to a 1-hour meeting this Saturday, March 9th, 3PM at the Silverton First Aid Squad, 86 Maine St. (like the state), Toms River.

Residents of all coastal towns are invited. Up to 20% of all US residents are affected by FEMA's expanding flood zones and onerous requirements and expenses. Our voices will be heard from Trenton to Washington!