What do you in the US think of the Katrina situation?

Question

Two years now since the disaster and so much is left to be done. Why it takes so long to get the money to where it's needed is beyond me. All those trailers sitting in a parking lot rotting away when people could have used them. Billions of dollars sitting around not being disbursed except into someone's pocket. Let me in there....I'll straighten them out! Better yet, let's send Goldwing!

Thanks, slk29046 for a different perspective.

Answer 1

I am a Red Cross volunteer, I was in New Orleans to assist those who were affected. Additionally, we in Charleston, SC had 649 families relocate here. I worked with FEMA to insure that all the people were contacted by them, called them in to sign the necessary paperwork, assured them that getting rejected for an SBA was a GOOD thing, because that opened the doors to getting grants that did not have to be repaid. I went to our National headquarters in Washington, DC to work on the long term unmet needs program (Means to Recovery) to review cases to get more funding for them
I can assure you that there are SO MANY programs out there
Three is quite a bit of paperwork to fill out and people fail to do so. Everyone from Habitat for Humanity, to the Amish are rebuilding houses, but it does take time. There is a program that all charitable organizations can access to see what the client has received so we don't duplicate services and spread the funds more equitably. Salvation Army, Goodwill, Luthern Ministries, Catholic Charities to name just a few, the governor of LA also has a program, the Road Home just to name a few, there are a lot!.
In reviewing cases, many people received a rather large some of money, but they misspent their money or didn't save it. People received rental assistance for up to 18 months , food stamps, other services, furniture, replaced vehicles. Many people divorced and now need two homes/furniture, etc as opposed to one . There are also educational benefits available if you can't find a job or have relocated to another area of the country , job service agencies. New Orleans was NOT built in two years, therefore it cannot be rebuilt in 2 years. It takes time, I realize that rents have increased as well Many years after hurricane Andrew, certain parts of Florida still looked ravished, give it some time.
I and other service agencies did uncover fraud by certain individuals trying to cash in the system, so agencies are being cautious. There is a certain, and necessary amount of paperwork to confirm that people actually live in the affected areas.
I would like to add that the people who were affected needed to fill out a "recovery plan" to get more funding, many failed to do so. The governors plan would disburse $50, 000.00 to help rebuild their homes, this is in addition to the FEMA funds and any insurance benefits they may have received, they could have a FEMA trailer put infront of their previous homes while they rebuild. The utility companies also would assist the real residents of this area by providing them with copies of their August 2005 utility bill to verify that they lived there, this was to aid them in getting additional funding. I also researched property bills to assist them in their recovery. People also have the duty to assist themselves in getting the necessary paperwork completed, make a plan, build a future.

My personal thoughts, Katrina didn't create as many problems as the breached levees did. New Orleans misspent the funds they had to repair the levees that they knew were at risk to put in another golf course.There had been a practice session with the busses to get people OUT of the city, but NEVER utilized.

This is the first time that poverty hit Americans right in front of everyones eye's, previously, it had been swept under the mat and ignored. What happened in New Orleans was an atrocity! It Never should have happened, they had a plan to evacuate the city and never did so, calls were NOT made, service and community agencies were NOT allowed into New Orleans, people were sent back while human beings suffered and died. It was a horrible, horrible mistake. I am sorry to all the people whom were affected, I know many, each story is riveting, each story shows our vulnerability as human beings., each story shows the supreme power of over coming vast difficulty, the human strength and spirit is powerful but it is up to the individual to make it happen!!!!.

Answer 2

The second disaster from Katrina was the poor news reporting after the storm with regard to the recovery programs and the damage that needed to be fixed. None of the levees which were breached were built or operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. They belonged to the Orleans Parish Water and Sewage Board. The Feds got the blame,even though over $500 million had been given to that board over the years to do its job. The Feds took heat for ot sending in troops and supplies with certain Naval units, even though there was no request for that from the Governor or the Mayor of New Orleans.
Now the Feds are taking heat because the money which has already been allocated to the State of Louisiana seems to be moving down some "mollasses highway" of bureaucratic incompetence towards the areas which need relief. It's indicative of two things. First, the entire governmental structure from Baton Rouge to the Lower Ninth District of New Orleans is filled with corruption and ineptitude. Secondly, despite FDR passing away over 60 years ago, a lot of people in this country think of the President as some sort of "Federal Wizard King". That's the same group which has never read Article II of the Constitution to find out what the President's job is.

Answer 3

I saw a report about Katrina on TV this morning. It focused on New Orleans and the fact that many people who had no insurance were still living in government trailers waiting for the Federal government to make it all better while those who had insurance have either been paid off by the insurance companies and have moved on or have been paid off and have rebuilt.

I feel sorry for those who weren't wise enough to purchase insurance prior to the disaster but don't think it's fair that they should be bailed out for their lack of responsibility while those who acted responsibly and purchased insurance get nothing.

And, don't tell me these poor people didn't have enough money to buy insurance. I saw a study the other day that said most so-called "poor" people have a car, two color TVs, a home they might be paying on, a microwave, furniture and a lot of other things. Their life style is not lavish but they are not starving and spend at least some of their "disposable" income on alcohol, tobacco and entertainment.

I realize there are cases where the poor are exceedingly poor, and there may be such cases among us here. My income falls well below the poverty line but I make sure I have insurance on my home and my car. And, I do this by scrimping in a few other places. But, for the most part, the poor in America are pretty well off compared with the poor worldwide and are only considered poor because the government sets the poverty level so high.

I don't know why the government is dragging their feet disbursing funds but suspect it may be because many of the people applying for them don't deserve them. I was stationed at Ft. Polk in Louisiana during the '50s and early '60s while in the army. I have to tell you that virtually everyone in that state is corrupt and on the take in one way or another. When I say everyone, I really mean it. It seems they all had some gimmick, some way to tap the public till. I was absolutely thrilled when I got out of and away from that fetid swamp. I swore I'd never, under any circumstances, ever set foot in that corrupt place again and would automatically distrust anyone from there until they proved themselves trustworthy.

Answer 4

The ball was initially dropped in Louisiana, when federal aid was turned down. By the time they were willing to accept federal assistance, the situation had escalated.

It was handled very badly at all levels. First of all, the city was built beneath sea level, and because there had never been a storm there of that intensity in recent history, nobody believed the levee would fail.

While I realize people were grief-stricken and shocked, most have moved on and taken up life elsewhere. Smart move. This can happen again. I know some can't, but there are too many still on the public dole who could be doing something for themselves.

Answer 5

Specific to New Orleans - I am sorry, but a community that re-elects a Mayor as spectacularly incompetent as that one gets what it deserves.

As for the rest - The largest natural disaster in US History - what did you expect? Did you seriously believe that competence and government go hand in hand? Where has your head been all these years?

As a broad generalization - we got exactly what we voted for. As Government expands and expands, do you think that bigger Government gets better at what it does, or worse? (Hint: it gets worse).

Pause and think about how an inept bureaucracy is going to administer some sort of national health care system - swallowing 1/6th of the US economy. Look at Katrina and THINK about what's going to happen. Now THINK about the lullaby you are being fed by wacko liberals who claim THAT is the solution to all our healthcare woes.

And this is why we are....

The Stupid Nation.

Answer 6

Its a very sad situation. I know from having personal contact with hundreds of victims and families that this has been handled deplorably from the top official right on down to local government. I could really go on a tangent about this. I was in the thick of this for months day and night. Im sorry to say we dont have the padding in this country that we think we do and the sad part is no one really cares.

Answer 7

The amount of money poured into New Orleans and surrounding areas is disgraceful! It is estimated that every person who lost their home could have had TWO to replace the one with the funds that have been issued...yet so much of it is missing..Hmmmmm, politics as usual. I am so damned sick and tired of the Federal Government...and, as a unit, it never seems to learn...but then, it seems the American public doesn't learn very quickly either.

Answer 8

It is a disgrace and more should have been done by all of us and the government let them down so what does that tell you if that happens in our neck of the woods?

Answer 9

instead of active interference / intervention they act with masterly inactivity. so we get so angry with the malaise tts inherent with bureaucrats/politicians. why? we ask. why cant they hv a task force with trusted pple or an ngo to clear the red tapes and move quickly. its sad indeeed as theres still lots to do and its not fast enough.
ya we shld go in and straigthen things out for them. this will frighten them as they will be out of a job!!

Answer 10

I'm embarrassed to be an American right now. With Katrina, the Iraq war and the fact that we now have 49 million American without health insurance..........

Bush is going to go down as the worst president in history!