Life In These United States: Still getting FEMA'ed

[infrogmation]

For those who ask how things are going, some recent stories from the Katrina district coming up on one year on:

Those FEMA trailers? You know, the ones some folks have been waiting almost a year to get, and other folks who've already managed to rebuild at least part of their homes into livable condition have been waiting months to have hauled off their lawns. Yeah, the ones intended for short term temporary housing immediately after a disaster, that started being delivered in quantiy at the start of the following year's hurricane season, and that people in them have been advised to get out of and go into the ruins of their gutted homes if there's a stiff wind for safety.

Turns out FEMA just realized that there may be a problem with most of 'em being opened up with just a couple of keys. (more)

Some National Guard troops sent to help have been helping themselves by robbing locals (more)

When FEMA announced it would stop the not completed task of hurricane debris pickup in his district, Congressman Boustany asked why. FEMA said they didn't have to say. (more)

The Army Corps put new pumps on the drainage canals whose collapse flooded the majority of the city. First test didn't go so well. (more)

"Six months after the Army Corps of Engineers was given about a billion dollars to raise sinking levees and rush unfinished hurricane protection and flood prevention projects to completion by September 2007, none of that construction has started anywhere in the metropolitan New Orleans area." (more)

Comments

&*(^&^%&^!!!

[asienieizi.livejournal.com]

I read NOLA every day, St. Tammany news every week and still, this stuff has the ability to both overwhelm me and make me livid at times as if I've just heard it. If my frustration is this high I can't imagine what level yours must be at. Maybe it's time for
a good old fashioned 1960's style protest at the grass roots level.

[petalbreeze.livejournal.com]

For the past two nights, I watched Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, and I cried both nights, thinking of all my friends who live (or lived) in New Orleans. What they lost is far beyond property. The have lost their home, if they are unable to return. Not just their physical home, but spiritual and cultural as well.

People in Lee's movie were right...FEMA is a new curse word!

[entheos93.livejournal.com]

"While the incident is a black eye for the National Guard, it will not change the good working relationship between the Guard and the New Orleans Police Department and should not take away from the crime deterrent provided by the soldiers, Police Superintendent Warren Riley said."

Of course, why should it bother the police? They've been doing that for years.

I suspect it was military of some kind that camped out in my house and went through everything and stole stuff. I think this, because they took weapons, but nothing immediately useful, just the really collectable antiques- like guns they don't even make ammo for anymore. Plus, they didn't touch any of the copious food and water, but drained the place of every last drop of alcohol- a sure tip-off of an occupation, says my ex-army friends. They also had books out that they were apparently reading, that seemed like the type that would appeal to military brats- like military history and erotica. Plus, it seemed like the door had to have been bashed in somewhat professionally, like with one of those battering rams they have. They managed to smash the whole doorframe without breaking the glass in the door. They also picked the back lock by inprovising a tool out of an antique candlestick, I guess for access to the backyard and the barbecue.
In any case, they left everything nice and wide open for alot of water damage from Rita, and further vandalism- not to mention me living in my neighborhood with nobody else there, no streetlights, and no doors I could shut or lock or windows I could close. Thanks, guys.