Judge Orders Bush Administration to Resume Paying for Katrina Housing

[GonzoReiter]

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! contains the following lyric in "Many a New Day":

"Never have I wept into my tea
Over the deal someone dole me..."

Hammerstein was famous for writing in the vernacular of his characters and the play takes place at the turn of the 20th century.

(Note to czech: this sort of thing is more my area of expertise. I have no idea how to fix NO, but I get more upset when Halliburton is on the dole than I do when its some poor person from the 9th Ward.)

Oklahoma was a revolutionary musical drama, their treatment of "Green Grow the Lilacs" was ground breaking in the use of song and dance and the resulting stage to film production is a classic, IMO.

off topic, I've wondered if you followed the influence of Adam Rose in this past election and the possibility of similar activists? <-- a PP topic, if you care to respond.

 

[czechmate7]

Is everyone into musicals too!!!! Geez..... I'm starting to really feel out of place!!!

I need a dictionary just to decipher Nova's post!!!!!!!!!!!!

:loser::loser: now I feel like a 2 time loser!!!!

 

[GonzoReiter]

Halliburton is a pretty big outfit in S.La (especially in my hometown, less than an hour south of NO)....how about this....the more work that is given to Halliburton the more jobs it creates in LA and many people who lost their jobs in NO are now gainfully employed @ Halliburton? Would that be ok?

that would put you near Venice?...the end of the world?

I don't think anyone here could/would compare the LA Gulf coast and oil field jobs provided by Halliburton in Judge Perez' territory to the boondoggles of Iraq...

 

[Nova]

Oklahoma was a revolutionary musical drama, their treatment of "Green Grow the Lilacs" was ground breaking in the use of song and dance and the resulting stage to film production is a classic, IMO.

off topic, I've wondered if you followed the influence of Adam Rose in this past election and the possibility of similar activists? <-- a PP topic, if you care to respond.

This will make czech feel better: I have no idea who Adam Rose is. I'm running tonight (going to one of those musicals that czech doesn't know - LOL). Of course, I know who Mama Rose is and I knew the musical comedy actor George Rose and worked with him personally.

I'll try to look up Adam Rose tomorrow.

 

[GonzoReiter]

This will make czech feel better: I have no idea who Adam Rose is. I'm running tonight (going to one of those musicals that czech doesn't know - LOL). Of course, I know who Mama Rose is and I knew the musical comedy actor George Rose and worked with him personally.

I'll try to look up Adam Rose tomorrow.

I've been plogging him, somewhat...I'll PM yas a link. Enjoy the show tonight...always a pleasure doing the discuss thang with you.

 

[czechmate7]

that would put you near Venice?...the end of the world?

I don't think anyone here could/would compare the LA Gulf coast and oil field jobs provided by Halliburton in Judge Perez' territory to the boondoggles of Iraq...

No, that would be Houma....People actually live in Venice??????????

 

[GonzoReiter]

No, that would be Houma....People actually live in Venice??????????

I was going by your "South of NOLA"...Belle Chasse, Happy Jack, etc. I spent many an hour driving down that road to catch a gulf of mexico crew boat before I shipped out to Viet Nam...back in the day.

Houma, eh? good country and good people there, Laissez les bon temps roulet ...Thibodaux, Chackbay, Montegut, Bourg, etc. I based out of the old Blimp field there for a while ... back in the day.

 

[czechmate7]

I was going by your "South of NOLA"...Belle Chasse, Happy Jack, etc. I spent many an hour driving down that road to catch a gulf of mexico crew boat before I shipped out to Viet Nam...back in the day.

Houma, eh? good country and good people there, Laissez les bon temps roulet ...Thibodaux, Chackbay, Montegut, Bourg, etc. I based out of the old Blimp field there for a while ... back in the day.

Do you mean The Air Base? You know it's still there....with business all along it of course. Still have the base housing too (used by ARC now) Rest of my family is in Morgan City and Berwick...headed your way!!
Wow...that must of been some time ago, ah?
I'm not sure if Venice is still there....didn't that road leading there wash out?

 

[GonzoReiter]

I was under the impression, earlier..that you lived in or nearer NOLA than Houma...

In case you didn't now (this is from my latest visit): One can drive down Hwy 23 until it just doesn't exist anymore. Pretty much all of Venice and Buras are gone, with the exception of things related to oil and fishing. Plaquemines Parish had a direct hit from Katrina. The Bush administration has decided that they will not request money to rebuild the levees in Plaquemines. In fact, the USACE has floated the idea of re-routing the Mississippi river, thus laying Plaquemines to fallow.

The current administration has decided that these people and their lands are not worth saving. Like I said this past summer, what's the difference between Louisiana and Hiroshima?

Japan rebuilt Hiroshima.

 

[czechmate7]

I was under the impression, earlier..that you lived in or nearer NOLA than Houma...

In case you didn't now (this is from my latest visit): One can drive down Hwy 23 until it just doesn't exist anymore. Pretty much all of Venice and Buras are gone, with the exception of things related to oil and fishing. Plaquemines Parish had a direct hit from Katrina. The Bush administration has decided that they will not request money to rebuild the levees in Plaquemines. In fact, the USACE has floated the idea of re-routing the Mississippi river, thus laying Plaquemines to fallow.

The current administration has decided that these people and their lands are not worth saving. Like I said this past summer, what's the difference between Louisiana and Hiroshima?

Japan rebuilt Hiroshima.

I can get to NO in about 45 minutes from Houma...St Rose/Destrahan bridge will put you out right there in Kenner off of Williams.
I thought I saw pics of the Hwy leading to Venice...I'm surprised Grand Isle made it ok...I guess it was on the west side of the storm eh?
Didn't they talk one time about re-routing the Mississippi through the Atchafalaya? Morgan City is all but a ghost town now...just a glance off of the new highway they just built.
You know, I was thinking about all this hurricane business earlier and thought to myself...what would have happened if David Duke had been Governor during all this mess?????

 

[Marthatex]

How much Federal monies haven't been used yet, and is there an outline for using them? Not sure about that but I do know that NO has paid back money.

Are insurance companies coming through with their payments to owners yet; I know that's been a hangup - hence delay in declaring federal monies for certain projects. Some. Most, no. They are lowballing everyone. For the money they say they want to give, not many can rebuild on it.

How much was raised by charities and what is it being spent for? Ask Red Cross. A portion of every dollar spent went to their admin.

Are the levees being repaired properly and will they hold? Is it worth it to rebuilld the houses? Yes and yes. They are putting in flood gates, making the canals taller and better reinforced. From my understanding, it wasn't that the walls were not strong enough but that they were designed poorly and the upkeep was not done right. The water got between the canal walls and pushed it out. Not every house has to be redone but I think the ones that can, should be.

Are the houses and buildings being redesigned and rebuilt for higher ground?
Yes. New buildings have to be up to the new codes from the get go. Older houses, if they aren't already built with flood proofing have to be raised to meet the new coding.

Are job training programs being offered to those displaced from their jobs in New Orleans? Are jobs being recreated? Some jobs are being recreated. The construction business is booming obviously. Places that didn't have as much damage are busy. I'm not sure about the training programs but I'll ask and look around. If not, there should be! Sadly, the fishing, shrimping and oil business took a beating.

Are families being encouraged to stay together, rather than be displaced to other cities where they may not be able to make a living or adjust? Not really.

Are people who lost their famlies being given psychological treatment; are the elderly being placed in appropriate facilities? No on the psychological treatment. I'm not sure about your second question. Like are there nursing homes open? Prolly. Many? Doubt it.

Are hospitals and other facilities being rebuilt and reopened? There were 11 hospitals. Another just opened not long ago and there are now 3.

Why haven't many neighborhoods or ruined homes been even cleared out? Red tape, red tape, red tape!!!! No people!! Some folks are just now allowed to even enter some neighborhoods to get whatever they can salvage. No equipment, no time after working, No help....lots of reasons. AND they will no longer pick up debris after Dec!!

Why on earth hasn't more been done in 18 months? Lots has been done. Not many boats in trees anymore. No limbs covering everything, blocking streets and in houses. Not as many blue tarps everywhere. Palm trees have been replanted. Buildings have been torn down, shopping malls leveled and bulldozed. On my street I was told that out of the 12 houses, 11 had tarps and trailers, now there are none. We are East of NO and got hit pretty hard with winds. Not many big old pine trees any more. Most were snapped off mid tree. I still have a pretty blue small tarp on my chimney, looks all festive! The piece to fix it has been ordered....in JUNE. It might get here by Crimbo. No worries, we haven't even had to have our heat on yet.

Here on the Northshore there are houses being built by the hundreds. One subdivision near me has 136 new homes. I won't be able to afford one but I'm sure someone will.

You just won't hear about the good stuff. That don't make good news, that's boring news.

I thank the Lord every day I didn't live in New Orleans when Katrina struck; but who knows, something could happen to me, we have tornadoes here all the time.

I'd not wish it on anyone, but you are right, natural disasters happen everywhere.

Well THANK YOU for answering those questions, sweetie! I just put them up off the top of my head; certainly didn't expect too many answers. Sounds like alot of good has happened, but still alot of negatives.

For the record, my family hailed from Northern Louisiana - Minden/Shreveport area. My grandfather had a radio show there. I lived in Baton Rouge for four years, attended University Lab School, and loved it.

Regular visitor always to New Orleans, but haven't been back since the tragedy. One of my best friends here is a displaced New Orleans girl with the famous accent we share; calls me MAHTHA, she's a Jazzercise instructor.

Louisiana will always be and always is a part of my background and my heart; though I don't know that much about its goings-ons anymore.

God bless you and yours who are still struggling through this devastating tragedy.

 

[Marthatex]

Sorry you had to learn. Some of us do it naturally. (Sarcasm and hyperbole, I mean, not writing.)

Belly laugh.

 

[windovervocalcords]

Yeah, but you see it just doesn't sound as pitiful.

cynicism n. An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others.

That's one explanation. That I deliberately attempted to make the situation of the displaced Katrina evacuees more "pitiful".

The truth is that trailers are on my mind because of the radio news report I heard that 30,000 are still living in FEMA trailers in Mississipi. It was an honest mistake I made confusing the two stories, the one in this thread and the one I heard this morning on the radio both involving housing and FEMA and displaced Katrina hurricane evacuees.

But any and all kind feelings toward Katrina evacuees you can muster is to your own benefit as well as theirs.

"Pitiful" has a bit of an edge to it, doesn't it? Wishing others to not suffer sounds worthwhile to me.

 

[windovervocalcords]

"The Houston Area Survey showed that two-thirds of Houstonians thought Louisiana evacuees had caused a “major increase in violent crime.”[size=-1]53[/size] The crime rate indeed increased following the hurricane, but only a little; and only a minor part of that increase could be attributed to the often desperately poor New Orleanians.[size=-1]54[/size] Sweeping generalizations about a “criminal element” from New Orleans simply do not apply to the vast majority of evacuees. In Houston alone, there are major economic benefits brought by the new residents. These families have contributed to double-digit sales tax revenue increases, spurred the housing market, and brought $150 million in loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.[size=-1]55[/size]

Mainstream media portrayed poor African Americans who did not evacuate New Orleans as criminals from the first days. Many media-fueled notions—such as rampant looting, shooting at rescuers, and countless rapes in the convention center—turned out to be unsubstantiated and false. Still, many media outlets continue, months after the hurricane, to vilify the displaced and characterize them generally as criminals or deviants. An article in City Journal, which touts itself as responsible journalism and “the nation’s premier urban-policy magazine,” titled one recent article “Katrina Refugees Shoot Up Houston.” The article refers to a “uniquely vicious New Orleans underclass culture of drugs, guns, and violent death,” explaining that “it’s bad news for cities like Houston, which inevitably must struggle with the overspill of New Orleans’s pre-Katrina plague of violence.”[size=-1]56[/size]

In the future, only by attending carefully to the perspectives of oppressed Americans can the United States ever expect to see improvement in the direction of real democracy. Attending well to those perspectives will enable us to understand that the survival of the United States, and indeed of humanity, requires us to see and act beyond the boundaries of our own racial group and social class interests. Just before his assassination by a white man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote that all human beings live in a “great world house,” in which we must find a way to go beyond individual selfishness and group dominance: “From the time immemorial human beings have lived by the principle that ‘self-preservation is the first law of life.’ But this is a false assumption. I would say that other-preservation is the first law of life precisely because we cannot preserve self without being concerned about preserving other selves.”[size=-1]58[/size]

http://www.monthlyreview.org/0706lavelle.htm

 

[julianne]

Funny, but I'm talking about something else entirely. Here's but one example:

Did Katrina evacuees bring more crime to Houston?
You won't find any public officials in Houston who will say, "Crime is up because of the Katrina evacuees." That's not smart politics. But you will find plenty of Houston residents who feel that way.

To tell the story of how the massive influx of evacuees has affected crime in Houston, we decided to visit the Fondren neighborhood in the southwest part of the city, because this is where many evacuees wound up settling.

The mainly working-class neighborhood, which consists mostly of low-rise apartment complexes, was plagued by crime long before Katrina evacuees arrived. But officers who work this beat say they've seen a significant spike in emergency calls since they got here. One officer told me, "Oh, we're a lot busier."

Across Houston, there have been a series of high-profile crimes involving Katrina evacuees. Houston police say evacuees have been victims or suspects in about 20 percent of the city's homicides, more than double their percentage in the population. This is leading to a feeling among some Houstonians that perhaps the evacuees are wearing out their welcome.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2006/02/did-katrina-evacuees-bring-more-crime.html

If the Fondren neighborhood was a crime ridden BEFORE Katrina evacuees arrived, it is only logical that a mass influx of people will drive the crime rate up. I think that would happen if the mass influx of people came from NO, Chicago, or Timbuktu. It's obvious to me that there would be more emergency calls from a place with 30,000 people than say, from a place with 20,000 people. The last paragraph says that across Houston, police say evacuees have been VICTIMS or SUSPECTS in 20% of the citys homicides. That statement doesn't really say much----being a victim is entirely different from being a suspect. Of that 20%....how many were the victims? Last time I checked, being a victim of a crime isn't akin to being an actual criminal. I'd like to know WHY the author factored in those VICTIMS of homicide to try to prove a point that evacuees are responsible for so much crime.

I realize that you just pasted the above article. I hate when things are written so one-sided--I know this is probably a transcript. It's made to APPEAR like everything went to hell when the Katrina victims arrived, yet the so called "facts" to back up the claims are worded so cryptically that essentially we are left with empty statements and no facts.

 

[BhamMama]

Regular visitor always to New Orleans, but haven't been back since the tragedy. One of my best friends here is a displaced New Orleans girl with the famous accent we share; calls me MAHTHA, she's a Jazzercise instructor.

You are welcome. And honey, you are welcome anytime! I may be a backwoods Bama girl but I learned some mean down home cooking from my cajun cousins. Coffee is always on and I'll put some more rice on the stove.

I never picked up the accent much. Most everyone thinks I'm from Texas. I don't have a twang though, bit slower than that and I sadly have that mush mouth thing going on sometimes. My family laughs at me cause I slaughter street names still lol I'm a hick lol

 

[julianne]

Appreciate reading everyones viewpoints on this topic. This is intensely personal to me---not really going to delve into the specifics, and I'm not really in the mood to even dance around the facts as to why, just know that it was and is very personal in many ways and on different levels.

Just want to add my opinion on a few things.


* Yes, the trailers are not safe. Yes, they are tiny. BUT, they are shelter. Basic shelter. When you don't have anything else, you thank God for what you've got. As shitty as they are, huddling your family together under a tree or freeway overpass for shelter is even shittier.

* Yes, NO was crime-ridden before Katrina. I can assure you that while there were crimes being committed by residents, you must also take into account the fact that NO was known worldwide for being a touristy, party spot. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the US and other countries flocked to NO to wallow in booze and party. Just the aforementioned (another post) CNN transcript showed, when you add a mass influx of people to the mix, crime will and DOES increase dramatically. Then add mass amounts of liquour and binge drinking from spring breakers, suburbanites fleeing their mundane day-to-day lifestyles to "live it up" and party in NO......you're going to have a ton of crime. Can't be blamed on all the residents. There's a reason that LE in New Orleans had to more than double their force and presence during Mardi Gras.

* All of the posts on rebuilding and the community helping each other are great, wonderful ideas......and it IS being put into practice. It is painfully slow because you need the materials to rebuild. Raw materials cost money, and lots of it. Getting rid of the debris and garbage sounds simple enough, right? Just get rid of it. Those in other parts of America that have garbage and trash collection come twice a week, rain or shine, always on schedule cannot fathom why it is so hard and painstakingly slow to clean up. There are STILL, to this day, STILL parts of NO that have not seen any sort of city refuse services, trucks, or manpower AT ALL since Katrina hit. Many other parts of NO, refuse collection is so sporadic that it happens once every 6 weeks IF THEY'RE LUCKY because city services are overloaded, underfunded, and just generally lacking when it comes to cleaning up after the nations worst natural disaster. So, the piles and piles of stinking and rotting debris remain.

* I cannot sit back and say that the government should stop helping these people....my fellow human beings. I'm not going to get into a rant about the government, but anyone who thinks that Katrina aid wasn't incredibly mismanaged by the government just doesn't have enough information. Period. There are many, many instances and reasons and specifics I could quote, from OUR government knowing waaaaay beforehand that the levee breeches were a very real possibility & not delegating funds to bring them up to code BEFORE a tragedy could occur, to them sitting around or vacationing while our fellow AMERICANS were dying, dehydrating, and stagnating in the Superdome.

For those that just don't really know.......sit back, close your eyes, and just TRY to IMAGINE your entire neighborhood, community, city--essentially your entire life, being erradicated right before your very eyes, your beloved friends and family members dead bodies floating away beside you. Imagine not only the PHYSICAL results of such a tragedy, but the MENTAL and EMOTIONAL results. Try to imagine if you wouldn't be living in a mental fog, emotional rollercoaster of despair, disgrace, anger, sadness, and complete sensory devastation for many many months afterwards. Completely shellshocked for months. It's very easy for those who don't truly know to simply say "OK, times up. Dust yourself off and move on." Just IMAGINE. Then open up your eyes to your nice, dry, warm home, with running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, full refridgerator and dry carpet under your slippered feet. Be lucky you only have to imagine.....I can assure you there are thousands upon thousands of souls who WISH Katrina was just their imagination. When it's not YOUR reality, it's easy to sit back and say what should be done and when it should be done.

Come on, guys.....I'll be the first to say that there are many things and people that I have becomed hardened to in this world. Horrible things and people that really DESERVE my hardness. This isn't one of those things, and these aren't those people. The day I can look at this with a hardened attitude is a sad sad day for me, and quite possibly the day I lose all traces of humanity.

Again, just my opinion----please do not think this is aimed towards any poster(s) in particular, because it isn't. As I said, this is VERY personal for me, and I just wanted to weigh in with what I feel and think for what it's worth.

 

[BhamMama]

Appreciate reading everyones viewpoints on this topic. This is intensely personal to me---not really going to delve into the specifics, and I'm not really in the mood to even dance around the facts as to why, just know that it was and is very personal in many ways and on different levels.

Great post Julianne!

 

[Straitfan]

Guess we all have opinion's about this, bottom line it was a disaster, one can't blame government for a disaster happening. While my heart aches for any and everyone effected by it, it will not change what happened. There have been numberous horrific disaster's going way back in time, (prior to DVD's) and people dealt with it, that is all that anyone can do. And I am sure there will be more in the future, just law of nature.. (BTW, I have not read through the post, so please don't blaime me if I am out of line.)

 

[natasha-cupcake]

No one is blaming the government for the natural disaster. The fact remains that there was a devasting MANMADE disaster that occurred after the hurricane and for that the government most definitely deserves blame. I am a solidly a-political person with middle of the road views so my remarks are not at all aimed at any political party. But I have to say that I was physically sickened by the feckless response occurring at all levels of government in the days following the hurricane. To deny that our government failed miserably in responding to this disaster is an uninformed position.

The day I saw those haunting images of suffering Katrina victims ignored by everyone from the President on down was the day I realized my government would not be there for me, in the event of a catastrophic occurance. A scary thought.