What they are not saying about New Orleans

[Texas Transplant]

It's really amazing to see and hear all the info about the aftermath of Katrina (especially since we couldn't see/hear any of it in Canada, till last Saturday). Really a tragedy.



However, it's very interesting to watch all the 'politically correct' talk that has been going on. Really not surprised that the news media (in general), are not pointing out that in Miss. and Ala., people are trying to put their lives back together, and for the most part have been very thankfull of the help received so far. In LA, it's a different tune.



Now, to the specific point(s) that have become very clear, and NOBODY is really talking about. For the most part, all of the city there that has been flooded, will likely need to be razed (dug up, burned, bulldozed, etc.) before any rebuilding takes place. Over and above the fact that most buildings will be comdemned due to structural problems, the bacteria and disease that is now indundating those homes, will need to be eradicated - along with some amount of the soil (I suspect).



However, virtually nobody wants to talk about that. And they sure don't seem to want to talk about the complete failure that the City and State Goverment (N.O. and LA) have been in planning and/or disaster recovery.



The other things that continues to simply amaze me is that they keep saying it's a 'mandantory evacuation', yet it's up to each individual on whether they want to leave or not. Then it can't be 'mandantory'. It's optional.



I certainly hope that all that can be saved, will be saved and that the displaced population of the area is able to get back on their feet. While I have some real serious reservations what the Federal Goverment should and should not pay for (meaning you and me), I do believe that providing some of the short term relief as they are doing is the right thing (specificially the $2,000.00 debit cards). Simply no way to get these folks back headed in the right direction.



Tex

 

[Ken Neeley]

The sad part is....most of these people were not going in the right direction before the hurricane.

The good part is....maybe some of them will straighten themselves out.

 

[JAMES MOORE]

Doubt it Ken: people who receive free handouts usually don't appreciate what they have.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Only thing that Katrina did is expose what was already there and has been for decades

 

[fatrap]

Sadly giving most of these folks a free $2000 will just lead them to blow it then they'll be just as bad off.

fatrap

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

I have always wondered how they could make people leave their own property. There was a disturbing image this morning of Army or N.G. troops kicking in the front door of a really nice house. No water around it at all. So these people locked up and left when they were supposed to and not their fron gate and front door are sitting wide open.



Bill

 

[TrepMan]

Fatrap - Heard on the radio today from a store WORKER that someone came in and paid for $250+ of a X-box, games and extra memory with the $2000 debit card! The store worker, the talkshow host (Neal Boortz) and everyone else was SOOO mad!!!



Yup, and a LOT of folks will SCAM us (remember its OUR $$ they are passing out, since WE pay taxes) every time!

 

[Larry Harp]

I did hear about the total bulldozing of whole areas that may be necessary today on NPR. The cold hard fact is, that after sitting in the bacteria/toxic waste stew that many of the centuries old wooden structures have been soaking in for what will end up being several weeks, will definitaly be ruined beyond all hope of restoration.



The same reporter also explained why New Orleans sits below sea level when other coastal cities such as Miami, New York, and Los Angles remain above sea level. It's because the ground that New Orleans sits on is aluvial silt washed down for centuries by the Mississippi River. The city was above sea level when the French founded the city over 300 years ago, but it has sunk because of the soft soil. Without the levies the river would wash more silt in to keep rebuilding the surface back to above sea level but the levies prevent that. He said that because of the levies preventing the silt from reaching the delta that an area of land the size of Manhattan Island is lost to the sea every month!! Centuries ago there were barrier islands with forests that would have served to protect New Orleans from hurricanes.



NPR also reprorted that Mayor Nagin had no real legal authority to make the citizens evacuate. He can order evacuations all he wants to but the cannot enforce it. Something the state legistature should have taken care of years ago.



One more thing....if you give somebody a gift to help them get back on their feet, don't tell them how to use it. Are you going to tell them to get the plain Shredded Wheat instead of the Frosted Mini Wheats, the cheap white tube socks instead of the Fruit of the Looms? Just let it go those people have been through enough without worrying about what you think of what they buy with their little $2000 handout. If you're worried about your tax dollars being wasted, I can give you a list of bigger wastes of money than a New Orleans storm victim buying an X-Box. That's just my opinion....I could be wrong.



Harpo

 

[Michael Snow]

My curiousity comes in the Red Cross. There's been a truly OBSCENE amount of money donated and I can't imagine they could ever run through just the 35 million or so that Wal-Mart and the Walton family has given. Then again, I've never tried to feed a quarter of a million folks either.

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

If you think that is bad, you should hear what they are saying in Europe about the US, the President etc......



The scope of this is the size of England, correct? I am a bit out of touch.