Why does New Orleans remain deserted and affected residents scattered a year after Katrina hit the town?

Question

Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans one year ago is described as catastrophic and the costliest and deadliest natural disaster in U. S. history. The economic, political and social implications of the disaster remain felt even today. The residents who were evacuated remain scattered and have not returned to their home base yet. The measures taken by the government were awfully slow and ineffective.

Isn’t a sad and surprise situation in a country claiming to be far advanced in every thing to find the affected people still left in the darkness! Despite what it has done, the image of the present Administration in the world is one of ‘utter failure’ in handling this humanitarian issue, as it is in dealing with many others, while unduly worrying about establishing democracy in other parts of the world!
What is your take?

Answer 1

"Well, they're poor people...this is likely better than what they're used to," from Laura Bush, doing her best Marie Antoinette impersonation, on the sixth day, once His Imperial Incompetence got off his tuckus, ended his Almighty Vacation, and actually saw fit to do his "job"....getting photo-ops. O_O

But yeah, that quote says it all.

Those who CAN do something about New Orleans, see fit not to, because they *want* to see the rest of the nation slide into barbarity and rot and ruin just like New Orleans did, and we all need a good Beta Test for that, don't you know??

Those who CAN do, don't care to. You don't care about poor folks like them, or like me, generally speaking. Sure, I can get online courtesy of a donated computer (that may well have come to me with a damn virus on it, costing me an operating system), and rant and rave. But when push comes to shove, nobody, *none of YOU* have my best interests at heart, you'd just as soon sweep me, and everyone *like me* into the gutter to die like so much roadkill.

And then there are the people, like me, like my counselor, like a few others I've known, who are either poor or just not connected to the seats of power these days....those who CARE, cannot DO, or rather aren't allowed to by the Powers That Be, mainly your One Percenter CEO Class and the Politicians and Media they Own.

That is the deal right there: Those who Can, don't Care, and those who Care, cannot Do.

Sorry to rant but even *I* get tired of sounding the alarm when almost *nobody* else gives a damn.

Answer 2

People try to make Nagin, New Orleans' mayor, out to be a bad guy for saying the truth (yesterday's 60 Minutes interview). He was not criticizing NY, but simply saying that it is time to start measuring New Orleans with the measuring stick that was/is used for NY. How much was done for NY? Why hasn't the same financial outreach been made to those families impacted by Katrina (and don't tell me the $2000- $2,500 that SOME (not all) got can do anything in Bush's economy. The people in the World Trade Center were what Bush and Co. probably think of as the good, working, mobile part of his country, there lives valuable, moreso than say, common, poor, unemployed, minimum wage earning, under-educated (through no REAL fault of their own), old, etc. people (many who are minorities). Kanye West said it best: "George Bush doesn't care about Black people" His gf Condi doesn't count. Even slave owner Thomas Jefferson kept his Black mistress close by, know what I'm saying?) He doesn't care about poor people or old people (mom & dad, exceptions), either. He doesn't care about Mexicans (not counting his sister-in-law or nephew, the Latino Bush), either. He basically doesn't care about anyone but himself and others who idolize money, power, and greed.

Answer 3

In fact, Bush had a plan in place the whole time to steer that hurricane over Louisana. Actually, the city and state had ample warning and resources to get people out and years of warnings that the levies were not able to withstand a hurricane of Katrina's magnitude. This situation was simply used a means of political gain, an opportunity to bash Bush, when clearly the fault lies within the state itself (i.e. Governor of LA, Mayor of New Orleans)

Answer 4

It is a sad situation when the government doesn't help its own people because they're poor and black. The talks about razing the 9th ward of the city is coming from contractors who've donated money to various Republican campaigns, claiming that it will be unlivable. It will be livable, it just won't be lived in by the kind of people they like to see living there(rich, white people). The rise in violent crimes is simply due to the frustration over the situation that the city's residents have been dealing with over the past year(ie. no adequate relief or help at ALL), not to mention the fact that violent crimes always seem to go up whenever you have a moron like Bush in office because the rich are getting their way while the rest of us struggle and actually work to get by. What pisses me off is the fact that the media can't seem to get over some of the things that Mayor Nagin said such as making New Orleans a chocolate city(hello, he was referring to the city's rich african-american culture and history since when was that a crime?) and his most recent one comparing the relief that New York City got after 9/11 to the relief that New Orleans got just DAYS, barely even a week after Katrina hit. Something tells me that if New Orleans was as gentrified as New York City is , they would've gotten a quicker response and it sickens me.

For the police in Houston who claim that the people from New Orleans were responsible for the hike in crimes committted, get over yourselves! Quit blaming them, and maybe take some responsiblity that maybe the residents of Houston(some) also had a part in the crime that was committed(there were reports of some of Houston's residents treating the displaced New Orleans residents like dirt...some have even harassed the displaced residents, started fights, etc.). Think about it, if any crimes were committed by displaced residents, then chances are that they are frustrated with the fact that they need the help that they deserve to have.

Nagin is doing the best that he can with the rebuilding of the city and hopefully once the city is rebuilt, it won't be gentrified like NYC is.

Answer 5

what homes do you expect them to return to? how many of the people that lost their homes there were renting and the owner of the house hasn't rebuilt it or maybe is rebuilding it and the cost of rent has gone up too high for the original occupants to now rent?
how many businesses were lost and because the people lost their place of employment aren't going back because they've found work elsewhere?
yeah keep blaming the government without even having a clue of just how much devastation there is in and around new orleans, the government can't fix everything, sometimes people have to actually take responsibility for themselves also.
they came out right after wards when they were looking at the destruction and said it would take a decade or more for new orleans to get back to even close to what it was. just what the heck do you people expect? some kind of magic wand to be waved and everything is back to normal? get real and get a clue. you have no idea what you're talking about and it shows!

Answer 6

My take, is New Orleans is now being controlled by big money. They do not wish to see the poor return. So they hire legal/illegal imigrants to do the bulk of the work. They provide no assisted housing at all. This insures that the poor who fled will not return,

These are not jobs Americans are unwilling to do, these are
jobs that illegals will do cheaper, And NewOrleans can shut out its poor.

And foist its crime on surrounding areas.

Meanwhile we rebuild what is essentially ground zero. We have no hope of protecting this, the levies failed the last time, they will fail again. Duh.

Mother Nature and Al Gore spoke to us. The World as we know iit has changed, and will continue to change until we recognise and own up to our impact.

We need a better plan for America, Lord knows I was not that happy with Clinton, but he failed us as a man, not as a leader.

The economy was strong, and he was a real Diplomat.

He was open to new thoughts.

The contrast is really huge.

W has been seen with a copy of a Camu book under his arm recently, personally, I think it was a prop, ala Rove.

They have all lied to us, for a long time. It is proven.

They passed up a serious shot at taking Osama out to wage a war in Bagdad, based on.........bullshit.

They have devistated our intel services, Old and valued hands have fled, and whats left just tells them what they wan't to hear.

And so it goes,,,,,,,,,,

Answer 7

The sad part is New Orleans city planners don't really want those poor working class people back, not when they can rebuild for rich uppercrust. They are going to have a problem finding people to do those underpaid and under appreciated jobs. The Big Easy will never be the same and it is a shame. I have heard many times the it has lost it's flavor. A very apt statement.

Answer 8

Because the Bush administration did such a great job at preparing our country against disasters and emergencies after 9-11, also because everybody is too concerned with shifting blame rather than doing what needs to be done.

Answer 9

Where the city has not been rebuilt is also where there should have never been any one living. It is below sea level and has to have pumps running all the time to keep the water out. That area either has to be filled with a vast amount of earth to raise it above sea level or let go back to the gulf. People should not go back there because it will happen again.

Answer 10

Perhaps people have an understanding of the risk of living below sea level on the cost in a fish bowl.

Let's also not forget that, for all it's charm and history, NOLA has had a reputation for corruption and crime for years. Perhaps people are figuring out they don't have to live like that.

The problem that now exist for much of the country is that the crime has been exported to other cities. Houston would gladly provide buses to take a large portion of their evacuees home....