Kathy Kimball, Minot
I would like people to know that the Minot area flood recovery fund is not out there for all of us who got flooded.
I called to see where we were on the list (I had talked to them three times prior to make sure we qualified) and I was told because our flooded home is a rental house (we owned) that we do not qualify for any help through this program.
Now I was told this fund was for everyone, not just certain people.
We have one rental house that we kept because my kids were born and raised in that house, their measurements as they grew are still on the door frame (not in the house anymore, but we kept that piece of trim) and we like that house. So because we were responsible, made our payments on time, paid off the mortgage and kept the house and rented it out, we are being discriminated against.
We received absolutely nothing from FEMA, but we were allowed to get an SBA loan. At 60 years old we didn't plan on having house payments again, but since the house withstood what it did, we decided to go for it. The finished basement was flooded and up past the main floor windows. The only things that were saved on the main floor was the ceilings.
We are what I deem lower middle class wage-wise, so this is not an easy project financially for us, and now this.
I am so disappointed in Minot, Ward County, North Dakota and the Corps of Engineers.
The mayor and governor go to Washington to represent business buildings and the park and zoo to get more money for them, while we sit here and get nothing or a measly $30,000, but do they go to represent us, their bread and butter? No.
Have they been told lately where that money comes from that pays their fat salaries?
A lot of us have been paying taxes to Minot for 40 to 50 years, every year on time.
What a waste. You sure haven't been there for us.
Oh, don't think I haven't been thinking of a way financially to move out of North Dakota. I am certainly not proud of this place, more ashamed.
Thanks for nothing again.