im from new orleans, do yo believe the goverment and the people have stopped caring about recovery in the gulf

Question

specifically do you feel that the responses could be better in New Orleans

I know the people have to rebuild themselves but do you think that officials whither local or fedral could have had a better response

Answer 1

Unfortunately it isn't a hot topic anymore, so America doesn't care that much about it... It was tragic and it still is, but it could only play fodder to the false sympathies of a pseudo-culture bloated on it's ego and only concerned with superficial big-bang effects instead of actually caring for so long. Unless you can convince a terrorist to make the Mississippi delta a target on their agenda, America will never care about New Orleans again... It doesn't have a flashy 'look we're helping people' sign around it and there's nothing about it that looks mega charitable or particularly 'fashionable' about it so Americans don't care, there's no huge publicity stunt available from any angle.... New Orleans has been left to itself, because Americans are stubborn selfish pigs. Sorry to say but unless you re-build yourselves, you'll never recover.

Answer 2

I really don't know how to respond to your question. My brother lives in Florida, and he doesn't understand why New Orleans got so much help and why nothing has been accomplished; I also have an uncle that lives in New Orleans. Thankfully for him, his residence wasn't destroyed, though he had to be out of it for a while and then when he returned they were without power for a good long time and it was NOT pleasant.

What I see that's different about New Orleans from other natural disasters is the destruction of a city, but not just in the physical sense. People were in fear for their lives, not from a tree falling on them once the storm had passed, but from a neighbor or roving thief that might have a weopon - someone that wanted what you had or what they thought you had. It was a total breakdown of society - law and order. Can you imagine watching bodies float down the street or pushing someone out of your abode that had died because you had no where else for them? What about huddling in the dark, listening for footsteps or hearing screams? Survival mode. THAT'S what dollars can't fix.

Yes, things could have been handled better. The Weather Channel had been talking about this scenario forever - why wasn't there a better plan? My anger isn't toward the people trying to put their lives back together - it's toward those that should be leading the charge rather than moaning and complaining, and those that took and took and took, cheating New Orleans, the government and yes, the tax payers.

One Dead in Attic (Chris Rose) is a book - a collection of newspaper columns that I think might give others a better picture of what happened in New Orleans. Have people stopped caring? For the most part, yes. Perhaps if we had a few more documentaries out there that told the "whole" story, we'd be able to understand a little more. Are you in New Orleans now? What could you add?

Answer 3

I don't believe the goverment stopped caring. What I think has happened is the people don't care enough. New Orleans is not the only place that's had a really bad natural disaster. I know it was one of the worst for anyone in a while but places like Florida and other places have had smaller ones back to back on each other. The difference is Florida residents rebuild themselves and most people in New Orleans expect others to hand over the money and do the work. At some point they need to take responsiblity. If they continue the way they are they will never have homes again. I'm not bashing New Orleans by no means because that's home for me to. It's just the facts. Everyone needs to be thankful for the help they have gotten and pick up from there on their own.

Answer 4

No I don't think the government has given up, it is just so much money has been given to New Orleans already and plenty of it was wasted, misused. There is more going on in the US than just New Orleans. Many of the people from New Orleans have moved to other states and been given free houses, free furniture,free clothes, free food, free utilities, free vehicles.
I don't get it. When I was in a tornado the government didn't assist me at all. When my house was hammered by baseball size hail and all my windows broke out and my roof had to be replaced the government did not assist me. When fire raged and melted all the utility lines and I didn't have any electricity for 2 months, the government didn't give me a generator, or replace my freezer full of meat. Nodda, nothing.
Here in this state where the people live in areas that might flood every 10 years, the government doesn't come to the aid of anyone whoes house flooded. Plus the insurance companies will not cover them.
The only time the government helps, is when a entire town/city is destroyed. That is discrimination. Why don't they help the individuals? Where's my handout? Where's my free house? Why are my tax dollars being used for others and not me?

Answer 5

From where I am over the big pond in the UK the news reports suggest that you've been hung out to dry and I seriously pity you all for it. The new stadium is a real kick in the teeth when people's homes are still completely wrecked, families are still split up and many don't see anyway of returning to New Orleans. The plans for rebuilding New Orleans are faltering and it seems like the poorer areas are being ignored in the hope that those communities will just give up and not return - money is talking.

But you guys have a voice in a democracy. Get out there and make yourselves heard and make sure that if more isn't done that people remember it when they go to the ballot box. I wish you luck.

Added: PS, just in case people are wondering what I know over in the UK - I read international news religiously and there was an excellent documentary on over here about the aftermath just a couple of weeks ago that brought things bang up to date.

Answer 6

I'm British so can't comment really.

But from what I have heard and seen and also read on this site, America doesn't really do very much to help its poorest and most unfortunate,

I am constantly reading comments on here from Americans saying "I work my *** off, why should I support some lazy sucker blah blah" when asked whether they would not like to have Government sponsored healthcare and social housing in America.

It seems in America that if things go badly wrong for you, you either have to go without or appeal to charity. Most charities are massively overstretched and some only give to certain grouyps (ie religious charities) and can't relaly help much. At least ithe UK if something like this happened, the victims would be medically cared for and probably rehoused in social or council housing.

So I do feel very sorry for the people of New Orleans.

I beleive the American government should be looking after its people and making sure all the victims are rehoused and given medical care and benefits to get them back on their feet - but hey that would mean you hard working rich Yanks giving some of your tax money to the "lazy suckers" wouldn't it and what would I know I'm a Brit and you're much better than us blah blah blah.

Answer 7

New Orleans has a Mayor, Louisianna has a governor. Why do people think that the U.S. government has responsibility for everything. Why aren't the local officials taking responsibility for what happens and how problems are resolved in their own territory?

Why is New Orleans so different from all the natural disasters in other states?

Perversion runs wild during Madri Graz and they profit from it but they want the Federal Government to assume responsibility for their welfare.

Bottom line: the Federal Government cannot carry the full load.

Answer 8

They could have they should have but they were not. It is a horrible tragedy the way our government was so slow in assisting our own people. I am not sure what is going on now, however, i do know that over the summer Churches from all over my small town sent many bus loads of youth and whoever wanted to go to New Orleans on a missionary trip to help clean debris. Now all of those children are back in school and in college. I pray for all of the victim survivors of Katrina. That was a shameful situation, not the storm the after math. New Orleans is one of my favorite places in this country. It will rise again. Good luck and God bless

Answer 9

I don't want this to sound mean. But the govt is not responsible for your house or your life. I say pick up a shovel or hammer a nail and start rebuilding.

Why does everyone think someone else should do the hard work for them.

Look at San Fran and the Chicago fire...2 cities devastated destroyed, those cities were rebuilt by the inhabitants ..not the Govt.....so far 200,000 was spent on every resident....

Compare N.O...too Mississippi......no comparison....MISS is so far ahead......

N.O.was a liberal trap......keep people so dependent...they can no longer take care of themselves...and the CORRUPTION IS EVERYWHERE.

Answer 10

I'm not sure how much more cash can be poured into NO. Florida had 6 hurricanes plow through it in 2005. Somehow, they managed to rebuild. What's the difference? Business paid for their own reconstruction in Florida. When NO becomes more business friendly, it will rebuild in a matter of months.