Comments on: Not Enough Tears in the Whole World

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Thanks for keeping the focus on our plight. I am also one of the lucky ones: still have an apartment and a job. So far my landlord has not raised the rent to astronomical levels.

I am concerned that middle class people will not be able to live in New Orleans. It will be a shame if only wealthy tourists can afford to live here.

We have the classic chicken or the egg scenario: which comes first? levees/rebuilt houses, people/essential services etc. the list could be as long as you can imagine?

Who in thier right mind is going to invest $100,000 or more on a home if you are not sure there will be levees, homeowners insurance, schools, grocery stores, any number of everyday services we all take for granted.

So you rebuild your dream home but it is worth 1/2 what you put into it and still there are no levees.

We need Federal money to save New Orleans. Lets face it, we were a poor state before this all happened we need bold intervention and a bold plan. We do not need empty promises (thanks ever so much Preznit).

New Orleans is a national treasure. New Orleans is one of the most wonderful cities in the world. We must save it.

By: Robert M

Robert M — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I actually saw something good on FOX News Cable the other day. The 7 o’clock guy was in a town in MS consisting of Army housing. It was permanent tents on platforms built where the town inland from the beach once stood. All I could think is this is compassionate conservatism. Americans living in not even double wides!
I want them to keep showing these facts to their supporters. I wonder how long they can hang their hat on President Bush and the Republicans.

By: TheaLogie

TheaLogie — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Amen, ReddHedd.

And now I hear from skippy that the destruction has been too much emotionally for some, that we must now count suicides long after the event into Katrina’s death toll.

By: anon

anon — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I know Redd-Hedd has a lot on the legal commentary plate, and also has heavy playing-with-that-cool-toy-stove-with-the-kids duties ahead. But, along with some other commenters, I hope that she (she, right?) will find time to keep tabs on the legal tricks that will be used for the class and ethnic cleansing that will take place.

I heard one of those year-in-reveiw pundit fests last week. One of the reporters talked about the developers’ plans to turn $50,000 properties into $500,000 properties, and to make it a another Las Vegas (oh, great, I think one is enough). No one else on the show seemed to consider it even interesting. We won’t hear a peep about what will happen in the big media.

By: bablhous

bablhous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It’s all about the money and the power, folks.

The gov’t is deliberately dragging its feet to stress the poorer people to abandon any plans to return, Then, wide-eyed in feigned and saddened shock, they will reluctantly announce that, despite all of their efforts, the people apparently don’t care enough to return to their own city and they have no choice but to condemn the ‘abandoned’ properties and sell them to developers in order to ’save’ NO. Another case of destroying something to save it — for their friends and allies.

Any bets the developers were on board before the water stopped rising?

No, New Orleans will be rebuilt - to, for and by the crooks in control of this country.

And if we don’t like it, so what?

Who cares what we think? Not our ‘government’.

By: MarkH

MarkH — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

After 9/11 we knew how many (even who) had been killed or was missing. What’s the story for post-Katrina NO and Gulf coast?

How many dead?
How many missing?

By: bob h

bob h — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Imagine how things might have been different with President Gore: FEMA not downgraded, top-notch managers like Witt in place, perhaps even some work on the levees, people not abandoned to their fate. When will someone point out to these Southern baboons that there are consequences to electing people who do not believe in government?

By: siun

siun — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

AikeaGuinea – you might contact the Common Ground folks with your question – I know that Starhawk, in one of her essays linked above, mentions that they were referred to the Souther Baptists when they were trying to identify who in the municipal or fed govt was picking up trash.

By: AikeaGuinea

AikeaGuinea — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I just returned from spending Christmas with my Mom — a Katrina evacuee — in Dallas. We drove to New Orleans to see the remnants of our old house in the Ninth Ward.

The landscape is terrible and I hope to have pictures up on a website soon.

I’ve been looking for reports on possible malfeasance (sp?) by churches. I’ve heard from my Mother, aunt, and others about churches donating furniture, funds, and other resources to evacuees only on condition that they join their churches. Many (if not most) of these resources are provided to these churches from the federal government.

To me, this sounds like a violation of the government’s “faith-based” charities program.

Anyone find any stories about this, or have heard of other evacuees facing similar situations?

By: Rod

Rod — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Amy Goodman has done a great job of covering under-reported NOLA issues. Besides the missing elderly and disabled there’s the huge problem of missing children.

Problem is, there are just too many isues around New Orleans and this agonizingly slow rebuild. That why I did a book, Katrina & The Lost City of New Orleans. You can find out about it here: http://www.lulu.com/content/170780

Let’s pray for the best for my city.