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Ten Humans Die In Fire at Missouri Warehouse for Handicapped
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At the Anderson Guest House, near Joplin, MO, ten old people died in an early morning fire. The second fire in as many days. There were 32 patients
and 2 staff attendants in the building at the time of the fire. 18 other patients were hospitalized with injuries.
The owner of the facility, a Mr. Dupont, had been convicted of Medicaid fraud in 2000. He owns 3 such facilities and others had been cited for fire violations. This particular home had been inspected in the past months and had no serious fire violations. The home was not equipped with a sprinkle system. Newly built homes of this kind must have sprinkler systems. The older facilities most often used by the poor however, were grandfathered to be operated without sprinkler system. Hmm?
Aerial pictures of the burned out building are reminiscent of old cheap motels which were bypassed by the interstate system. You can see many of those relics standing vacant in Florida, where I live. Outside walls were made of concrete blocks, the flooring a concrete slab and the interior walls were 2 X 4 wooden uprights with drywall on each side. Usually an open attic meant a easy path for fires to move quickly through the building from one room to another. These buildings have very low value when unoccupied and ought to be torn down as eyesores.
I can see how a shrewd Mr Dupont saw an opportunity to make some quick money. First, the Republicans want to further privatize health care for the poor. For the Federal, state and local governments, this means providing a level of health care no self respecting person in authority would dare to do. By farming it out to people like Mr. Dupont, it is a double gainer, first, to save money, and second to further erode the public’s confidence that it can do good things for its citizens by working together.
In my state of Ky, a dozen members of the General Assembly were sent to prison for accepting bribes, including the Speaker. For you who like to look up such travesties, look for Operation Bop Trot. This kind of corruption is all too prevalent in America. Most of the bribes taken by Ky legislators were $500. Per vote. If you know what to look for, it is easy to spot. I can see this kind of misconduct in the Missouri fire case. Realtors have bribed the legislators to grandfather in old buildings despite the current usage being completely different than the original use and involving people who are the least able to care for themselves, especially in an emergency. That is the very reason for the existence of such facilities. Perhaps a grand jury should indict the governor on 10 counts of murder? That would get his attention. Anything short of that will not. It will be just another day at the office.
In this case, a facility to house elderly, physically and mentally handicapped people would indicate the best in facilities, not the worst. You can already sense hanky pank afoot when you note 2 staff for 32 patients. I’ll wager the 2 staff on duty - not enough - I'd recommend one staff for each 6 people. - were minimum wage people who have little or no training how to evacuate 32 people quickly and efficiently. I do note that neither of the staff perished.
Bottom line, in the whole state of Missouri, the only person they can find to run a state funded faculty for the poor elderly, physically and mentally handicapped is a felon already convicted of Medicaid fraud? Sweet Jesus! Only in America do we do this to the least amongst us.
[edit on 11/27/2006 by donwhite]
The owner of the facility, a Mr. Dupont, had been convicted of Medicaid fraud in 2000. He owns 3 such facilities and others had been cited for fire violations. This particular home had been inspected in the past months and had no serious fire violations. The home was not equipped with a sprinkle system. Newly built homes of this kind must have sprinkler systems. The older facilities most often used by the poor however, were grandfathered to be operated without sprinkler system. Hmm?
Aerial pictures of the burned out building are reminiscent of old cheap motels which were bypassed by the interstate system. You can see many of those relics standing vacant in Florida, where I live. Outside walls were made of concrete blocks, the flooring a concrete slab and the interior walls were 2 X 4 wooden uprights with drywall on each side. Usually an open attic meant a easy path for fires to move quickly through the building from one room to another. These buildings have very low value when unoccupied and ought to be torn down as eyesores.
I can see how a shrewd Mr Dupont saw an opportunity to make some quick money. First, the Republicans want to further privatize health care for the poor. For the Federal, state and local governments, this means providing a level of health care no self respecting person in authority would dare to do. By farming it out to people like Mr. Dupont, it is a double gainer, first, to save money, and second to further erode the public’s confidence that it can do good things for its citizens by working together.
In my state of Ky, a dozen members of the General Assembly were sent to prison for accepting bribes, including the Speaker. For you who like to look up such travesties, look for Operation Bop Trot. This kind of corruption is all too prevalent in America. Most of the bribes taken by Ky legislators were $500. Per vote. If you know what to look for, it is easy to spot. I can see this kind of misconduct in the Missouri fire case. Realtors have bribed the legislators to grandfather in old buildings despite the current usage being completely different than the original use and involving people who are the least able to care for themselves, especially in an emergency. That is the very reason for the existence of such facilities. Perhaps a grand jury should indict the governor on 10 counts of murder? That would get his attention. Anything short of that will not. It will be just another day at the office.
In this case, a facility to house elderly, physically and mentally handicapped people would indicate the best in facilities, not the worst. You can already sense hanky pank afoot when you note 2 staff for 32 patients. I’ll wager the 2 staff on duty - not enough - I'd recommend one staff for each 6 people. - were minimum wage people who have little or no training how to evacuate 32 people quickly and efficiently. I do note that neither of the staff perished.
Bottom line, in the whole state of Missouri, the only person they can find to run a state funded faculty for the poor elderly, physically and mentally handicapped is a felon already convicted of Medicaid fraud? Sweet Jesus! Only in America do we do this to the least amongst us.
[edit on 11/27/2006 by donwhite]
Well I hate to sound heartless.. I mean it is a shame that the owner didn't outfit the building sprinklers. You'd think that older buildings would
have to legally be upgraded to code (whatever that is).... i.e. partitioning that upper attic area so fires can't spread as easily.
But the truth is when disasters strike it's all about surivival of the fittest... obviously old handicapped people are not the fittest. So it's natures way.
But the truth is when disasters strike it's all about surivival of the fittest... obviously old handicapped people are not the fittest. So it's natures way.
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