The Violence Worker!

Different Priorities

Back last August, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin handed the Parish Coroner, Frank Minyard, a million dollars of your money to build a monument to the 1600 or so people who died from hurricane Katrina related causes.  The goal was to have it built by this coming August 29th, the third anniversary.  As you might expect, nothing was done.  Hopefully, given the city's reputation for corruption, that money is still sitting in a bank account somewhere drawing interest.

From the Dallas News:

During a second-anniversary ceremony, Mayor Ray Nagin shed a tear, gave $1 million in taxpayer money to the project, and delegated management to the city coroner.

"This is an example of the dead helping the living," said New Orleans Parish Coroner Frank Minyard. "The underprivileged African-American community suffered worst in this storm, and we have to make sure for the next storm that it doesn't happen again. Hopefully, this memorial will be a reminder of that."

But 10 months later, what could have been an inspiring focal point for New Orleans has dissolved into a project that is forgotten, frustrated and delayed.

Where is the project at today?

Two days after The Associated Press asked about its status, LSU signed off on a city permit to allow topsoil clearing, but no date was given. Workers later drove a pattern of stakes into the ground and drew an outline with fluorescent paint.

It's a start, but that is all.  It isn't even a good start really. 

I think it would be really interesting to see where the money has been spent so far and how much private money (allegedly this is supposed to be funded primarily by donations) is in the bank.  I'm not saying that anything illegal is going on, but this is New Orleans and I'm just sayin...

Seriously, regardless if the money is being used well or disappearing into black holes somewhere, it's a colossal waste of taxpayer money.  It's not that I am against some kind of memorial for the victims.  It's an age old tradition.  We seek closure and that is one of the ways we find it.  Usually that's the last act, the finale after we've cleaned up the mess and rebuilt.  To allocate a million dollars of tax money to this project before even half of this mess is cleaned up is an insult and a travesty to those still trying to recover.

I'm not even sure why we are wasting money even trying to rebuild parts of the city when in all likelihood, we will be doing it again before too many years have passed.  Even still, to divert money to a this project instead of using it to strengthen the levees or help rebuild housing, or even hire more police is ludicrous! 

I think if I were the mayor, my priorities would be a little different.

VW

Are We Spinning Out Of Control?

A few days ago, there was a piece that circulated news outlets that has been on my mind.  It was an opinion piece that asked if the US was spinning out of control.

Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.

The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault. Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that's chipping away at America's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance.

In some ways we are spinning out of control.  Weather and floods happen with varying frequency.  We get beat up for awhile and then things seem to level off.  It's not the first time floods have battered the Mississippi heartland nor is it uncommon for the south and southeast to be battered by hurricanes.  We've lived through droughts before and we've survived earthquakes in the past.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  It's enough to depress even the most cheerful among us. 

The writer's of that piece are most likely liberal.  It's surprising then that they would write that last paragraph.  It amazes me that they can write such an insight and then go on to suggest that it's the government's fault for not fixing everything.

And that is my point.  We are spinning and if we don't get some kind of handle on things, we will soon be out of control.  It's not the disasters that are propelling the spin, it's the nanny state.

America's "can-do, bootstrap approach" is disappearing because we are increasingly demanding that the President and Congress take care of us.  The dirty truth is simply that they cannot and as long as we expect them to take care of us, we will continue on this downward spiral.

When Katrina happened, government at all levels was cited for a myriad of failures.  Never mind the devastation was just not New Orleans.  Katrina affected an area the size of Minnesota.  Whole towns disappeared. But should you reasonably expect the government to give you immediate aid?  Should you expect the taxpayers to completely rebuild your life at no cost to you?  The problem with Katrina was not just one of government failure, it was also one of individual failure times thousands.  There are still hundreds of people living in hotels on our dime almost three years later!   There is no "can-do" here! 

Anyone who expects any government aid within in at least the first 72 hours is delusional, I don't care how well oiled the FEMA machine appears to be. 

Gone from our collective consciousness are the words of President John F. Kennedy:  " And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."  More often than not, people aren't asking the the government to do anything - they are demanding it and threaten to hit the streets rioting if they don't get it.

What did we do 50 or 75 years ago when a disaster hit?  There was no FEMA.  There was no organized government relief effort. 911 hadn't been invented.   We relied upon each other.  We came together as a community and did what we could do.  We banded together as Americans because as Americans, we could rebuild. 

I'm not saying that government doesn't have a place.  Certainly, with the advent of such things as FEMA, we've been able to do more to save lives and rebuild quicker.  The problem is that now, we expect government to do it all.  Why can't we set up some sort of program based upon the Habitat for Humanity model?  Let the people rebuild, but let them help.  Most people can do at least something to help themselves.

Sadly, we are no longer that nation that will do that.  We have lost our sense of community. There are pockets of America that still believe in doing for themselves and still have the ability to pull the community together, but they are fewer and fewer.  The people affected by the Mississippi floods are doing it.  Sure they are getting help, but they are also doing a lot for themselves and helping each other as they sandbag the levees.  Most of the rest of the country now expects a total free ride. 

We are spinning and all the Democrats are offering is to spin us that faster.  The lesson of JFK is forgotten and we never learned this lesson from President Reagan:  "Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." and this from President Ford:  "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

The only way we will regain control is a return to our roots of self-reliance and less dependence on the handout.  I'm not sure if we will ever be able to shrug off big government.

I fear for our future.  I fear for my children and I especially fear for my grandchildren.

VW

Why Leave?

Your tax dollars are still paying for Katrina victims to live in hotels and motels.  They live in the relative lap of luxury with apparently no incentive to move on.  They sit in air conditioned comfort in their room with the temp set at 60 degrees, or they go down to the pool and lounge around to beat the Gulf Coast heat.  They get three meals a day catered in.

From NBC Channel 15 in Biloxi:

The scorching heat puts many at the Quality Inn poolside, but for Gwenester Malone, she chooses to beat the heat by setting her thermostat to sixty degrees. Malone's room for the past three months, along with three meals daily, have all been paid for by taxpayers.

"Do you work?" asked NBC 15's Andrea Ramey.

"No. I'm not working right now," said Malone.

Malone says she can't drive and it's too hot outside to find work within walking distance.  "Since the storm, I haven't had any energy or pep to go get a job, but when push comes to shove, I will," said Malone.

Why should she?  This woman is admitting she isn't even looking for a job!!  It's too hot and she hasn't got any "energy or pep"!  How sad.

One gal is apparently had enough:

Just a few blocks away, Kelley Christian also stays at a hotel for free. She says she's not taking advantage of her situation, but admits it's easy to do. "It's too easy. You know, once you're there, you don't have to pay rent," said Christian. "I kept putting it off and putting it off and now, I'm tired of putting it off."

She says she'll be out of the hotel and in an apartment by the end of the month. Push came to shove for Christian when police found a meth lab in a hotel room directly below her.  "All kind of people in white suits pulled all kind of chemicals out here. There was enough to line up about three cars worth of chemicals. It scared the heck of me," said Christian.

Well at least push arrived at shove station for this woman, but what about our other gal?

As for Malone, she says she's not seeing any drug activity at her hotel. It's too nice she says. Why would she want to leave?

Indeed!  Why would she want to leave.  She is a free room with free food!  It doesn't get any better than that, I suppose. 

Apparently FEMA wouldn't disclose how many people are getting this service and probably with good reason.

Realistically, FEMA  probably sees it as cheaper than a dozen ACLU lawsuits if they try and push them out.  You know that would happen the minute FEMA tried to assert some reason into this mess.

Ten to one Malone complains about the maid service.

VW

But Bush Isn't Running!

A liberal group wants to raise over 8 million dollars to defeat Bush in the next election.  The problem is, Bush isn't running.

WASHINGTON —  A liberal advocacy group plans to spend $8.5 million in a drive to make sure President Bush's public approval doesn't improve as his days in the White House come to an end.

Americans United for Change plans to undertake a yearlong campaign, spending the bulk of the money on advertising, to keep public attention on what the group says are the failures of the Bush administration, including the war in Iraq, the response to Hurricane Katrina, and the current mortgage crisis.

This borders on the psychotic!!!!   This is Bush Derangement Syndrome at its lowest and most vile form.

OK, they don't like Bush.  Old news.  What it is is a waste of money and time, but that matters not a whit to the moonbats.  All they have is hatred. 

They want to hammer on what they perceive as failures. But why don't they raise 8 million to actually help people.   Maybe they could do Katrina relief.  They could repair a bunch of homes or help rebuild one of the 22 fire houses in New Orleans.  They could use it to help some wounded vets.  They could use it to help buy some healthcare for some sick kids.

But liberals don't do that.  They raise money for politcial causes so that the Democrats can spend YOUR tax money on those things.

Liberals don't really give a damn about Katrina victims.  They just hate Bush and they are willing to waste 8.5 million bucks to prove it.

VW

Bye-Bye Blanco

Last night, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco announced she won't be running for re-election.  Good.  The woman is incompetent.  She's as much or more to blame for the Katrina mess as anyone.  She failed to implement the state's evacuation plans and immediately afterward tied up federal aid in the form of troops for hours while she played politics.  Her "Road Home" program has slowed billions of federal aid to a snail's pace.  Recent polls have showed that she is about as popular as a skunk at a garden party.

"I am doing this so we can work without interference from election year politics," she said in a televised appearance from the governor's mansion Tuesday evening.

Which is politico speak for "I don't have a snowball's chance in Hell to be re-elected."

Now, if they can just get rid of that albatross known as Ray Nagin, New Orleans might have a chance.

VW

New Orleans: The Road OUT

As promised, another installment in my discussion about New Orleans and the problems the city faces in trying to rebuild and indeed, whether they even should rebuild.

There is a news item that caught my eye late yesterday about New Orleans.

New Orleans on Brink of Exodus

NEW ORLEANS Feb 9, 2007 (AP)— New Orleans is a city on a knife's edge. A year and a half after Hurricane Katrina, an alarming number of residents are leaving or seriously thinking of getting out for good.

They have become fed up with the violence, the bureaucracy, the political finger-pointing, the sluggish rebuilding and the doubts about the safety of the levees.

"The mayor says, `Come back home. Every area should come back.' For what?" said Genevieve Bellow, who rebuilt her home in heavily damaged eastern New Orleans but has been unable to get anything done about the trash and abandoned apartment buildings in her neighborhood and may leave town. "I have no confidence in anything or anybody."

A survey released in November found that 32 percent of city residents polled may leave within two years. University of New Orleans political scientist Susan Howell, who did the survey, said more will give up if the recovery does not pick up speed.

I can certainly understand the frustration, but at the same time, I get the feeling that people think that only government money should be used to rebuild.  AFter reading this article (it's a long one), I'm left with the feeling that private efforts to rebuild are not even considered, or at least not with any sense of urgency or seriousness.

Blanco's Road Home program, born 10 months after the storm, has been vilified by politicians and civic leaders as too slow to distribute $7.5 billion in federal aid to buy out homeowners or help them rebuild. As of Feb. 5, Road Home had taken 105,739 applications and resolved only 532 cases, granting $33.8 million. At the current rate, Road Home would take more than 13 years to complete.

To be fair, I would assume they are trying to take steps to make sure the money is dispersed properly and to people authorized to have it.  The feds, criticized for not helping quickly, sped up the handout process and consequently discovered a bunch of the money went to some who shouldn't have gotten it.

So far, the federal government has earmarked about $750 million for infrastructure projects. The state homeland security department, charged with distributing the money, has given out only about half that. The governor said the city has been slow to complete the paperwork.

It was that kind of back-and-forth that prompted Ken White and his wife, Kathy, to give up and move to New York last year.

"We came back a month after the flood and thought about what we could do to stay and rebuild, but it became apparent to us it would take a long time and be very difficult," said White, who was director of emergency psychiatry at Charity Hospital when Katrina hit. "We were appalled by the ineptitude of government on all levels."

Mr. White doesn't realize it, probably, but he hit the ball out of the park with his observation about government ineptitude.  By their very nature, government bureaucracies at every level are extremely inefficient at handling the tax payer dollar.  Red Tape is the product of regulation. 

Now I ask again, is it really worth rebuilding?  If you read the entire article, it's seems like rebuilding is a fool's quest.

The crime problem is impossible.  Years of Democrat corruption coupled with two sizable hurricanes almost back to back has led to the current situation where crime is out of control and little or no hope of controlling it without resorting to KGB tactics.

I'm well aware of the historical significance of New Orleans, but common sense says that if it's broken beyond reasonable repair, it really isn't worth fixing.

And another thing.  Let's say we do manage to get a handle on the murderers and violent crime, what happens in a few years when we have to go through all of this again? 

New Orleans is fast becoming a third world crap hole.  If it is to survive in some way, the neighborhoods will have to be broken up and the people relocated and the criminals locked away. If we leave it as it is now, we may as well just build a fence around it and forget it. It's obvious to me that the residents of the poorer neighborhoods really can't or won't help themselves by helping the police.  The state might help by sending in the National Guard, state police and an army of prosecutors but I doubt Blanco has the political will or the resources to do that. 

Really, seriously, maybe the bulldozer's blade isn't such a bad idea. 

VW

Post Katrina New Orleans

Post Katrina New Orleans (NOLA as it is often shorthanded) is a huge mess.  The estimated population is roughly half of what it was before the storm.  Entire neighborhoods are still uninhabitable and gangs run the streets.  The police complain that they have over 200 less policemen, but they also have half the population and they are supplemented by 360 National Guardsmen and State Police.  Just the other day, six unrelated homicides took place around the city in one 24 hour period making a total of seven for the year; today being the 7th.  Showing that you can use statistics to prove anything, city officials pointed to the fact that the number of homicides were actually down by significant numbers.  There were only 161 homicides last year compared over 250 in previous years.  The problem is that makes NOLA murder rate the highest in the nation at 81 per 100,000.  The national average is around 12 - 13.

It's not all gang related. One of the victims in the recent one night citywide murder spree was a local independent film maker.  Her MD husband, a Canadian, ran a low cost clinic serving the poor. He was shot while holding their two-year-old child during a home invasion robbery.  The doctor is going back to Canada after he buries his wife.

Many former residents are coming back as evidenced by the glut of U-hauls in the city, but some are coming home, seeing the chaos and deciding to leave permanently.  Doing a little research on U-Haul's website, it will cost you a bundle to move to NOLA.  I used my city and Erie, PA since it's similar in distance. (Forgive the formatting)

                               

FROM	TO	MILEAGE	COST
Tacoma	NOLA	2875	$3,675
Tacoma	Erie, PA	2822	$1952
NOLA	Tacoma	2875	$1276

Aside from that, many returning to NOLA are not finding employment or safe housing.  The state is holding up negotiations with the the feds insisting that the Federal Government pay for everything and FEMA is asking that the state chip in 25%.  There is still an estimated 200,000 to 210,000 evacuees out there.  No one knows who wants to come back and what a cut-off time should be.  In other words, at what point in time do we say, "You've been gone too long."?

Another problem is rebuilding and who should pay.  The Federal Government wants to limit where and what type of housing is built.  Mayor Nagin has taken what is called a laissez-faire stance concerning returning residents advocating they should be allowed to go back to their neighborhoods.  Most professionals agree that many of the homes in the old 9th Ward and other areas hardest hit are not habitable and shouldn't be lived in.  Today, ACORN, a left-wing organization often involved in registering voters (and often caught doing it fraudulently), says their own survey conducted by some Cornell students disagrees, saying the all the damaged areas, except those closest to the levee break, are habitable.  Given that ACORN was dropped from the original planning process because of conflicts of interest, their assessment probably bears a hypercritical eye.

The problems are many and there are no easy solutions.  NOLA is known as "The Big Easy".  The corruption in that part of Louisiana is legendary (and it's all Democrats).  The gangs are so entrenched and so intertwined with daily life, it's possible nothing can really be done.  In talking about the recent spate of murders, the police say there are witnesses to some of them and  they won't step forward.  They upped the rewards by $1000 for information, but no one is talking.  A huge problem is the justice system itself.  Only 12% of those arrested for murder ever see any prison time.  Is it bad judges, lousy prosecutors, inept cops, corruption or a combination of all four?  One other suggestion would be to bump-up the number of police and guardsmen patrolling the streets to the point that you couldn't stand anywhere and sneeze without one of them saying "gesundheit".  Clean out the fever swamp (called the justice system down there) and if need be, in the interim, find ways to charge the worst of the worst in Federal courts.

People need to realize that NOLA will take a long time to heal and rebuild.  Just throwing good dollar after bad won't change or help. There needs to be a fundamental sea change in how NOLA and Louisiana does business.  If the state can't clean up the corruption, than the Feds need to step in.  Just moving people back with no jobs and into substandard and/or unlivable housing and into gang and crime infested areas makes no sense.

The tax base in NOLA can't support the city now and probably won't be able to for some time.  The city must find a way to donsize to the bare bone.  With out massive quantities of federal and state money, NOLA would have to close.  This cannot be sustained.

The President, through FEMA, has to stop playing nice.  Give people a time limit to move back and just don't move them in like cattle with no place to go.  Some people may have to just bite the bullet and not go back. 

None of this should be construed to imply the fixes are easy or doable in the short term.  It's going to take a lot of money, time and perhaps the most precious commodity of all, common sense, if NOLA is ever to come out of intensive care.

VW

News Stories used:

Isolation, decay greet some returning to New Orleans homes

ONE-WAY DILEMMA New Orleans evacuees are facing another hurdle to return home: the cost of renting a moving van or truck has gone through the roof

Murder rate soars in New Orleans

NOLA.com Newslog

The Final Word.

Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated is written by a guy from southwestern Louisiana and actually lived in a FEMA trailer for several months.  He has a great blog and I try to check in at least once a day.  He has a post up titled:  "Final word on New Orleans and Katrina".

In a passionate and coherent rant, Mostly Cajun lays out who dropped the ball in Louisiana.

The fact is this: New Orleans is mostly a disaster because of decades of neglect. It isn’t a lack of money. Enough money has gone through New Orleans to encapsulate the city, but after being siphoned off by corruption and being diluted by silly spending on frivolities meant to buy votes, the money wasn’t spent on levees, and instead of intelligence in city planning, construction was allowed on ever lower “land”, land kept dry only by the forces of man. and with Katrina, man’s forces failed.

Read it all.  It's not long, but well worth your time.  And while you are there, check out the rest of his stuff.  You'll have him bookmarked before you're done.

VW

I Drove My Chevy To The Levee and the Levee was Breeched.

I’m so tired of the George Bush fiddled while New Orleans drowned song, I could puke.  And if you have half a freakin brain, you should be tired of it too. 

First of all, it’s a lie.  The MSM keeps repeating the lie like good little sheep.  The fear was for the levees to be overtopped by storm surges, not completely washed out.  One could argue semantics I suppose, but the fact remains, the levees were expected to stand.

Second is the idea that it was the burden of the feds to save everybody.  It’s ridiculous on its face.

Third, why do Nagin and Blanco get a complete pass? 

I’m not saying Brown and company didn’t screw things up royally, but so did the local and state authorities. 

Nagin never even put in place the local evacuation plan.  Hundreds of millions of dollars of transit buses and school buses that could have been used to evacuate people sat idle and were consequently ruined because the local and state authorities were incompetent.  Now, of course, you and I are replacing all those buses for them.  The New Orleans Police Department was useless.

Blanco hemmed and hawed and worried about sending in Federal troops, delaying needed aid.  No one seems to care about that.

And they don’t.  Never mind that Blanco is an incompetent boob and Nagin isn’t much better.  The MSM has it in for Bush so it’s his entire fault.

Never mind that it just wasn’t New Orleans.  At least New Orleans is mostly still there. Many towns a little further east are gone.  It just wasn’t New Orleans.  An area roughly the size of Minnesota was devastated.   The size of Minnesota, for God’s sake! 

I’ve said this before and I will say it until people start to get it.  If you think the federal government is going to save your worthless hide in a natural disaster, you are stupid.  I don’t care who the president is, you are stupid if you think they will be there to pull you and your family out of the mud.  You might get lucky.  You might win the lottery too.  If anyone comes at all in the first 72 hours or so, it will most likely be local or state authorities.  If you rely on them, your chances might be better, but keep in mind, if you got beat up in the disaster, chances are a big part of their resources did as well – especially local. 

I primarily blame Nagon and Blanco.  They completely ignored their own damn plans.  But I also blame many of the people of New Orleans. First of all, they know they live in hurricane alley.  If you live in a hurricane prone area and you are not prepared and you have a job, then you get what you deserve.  Sorry, but that’s the way it is. 

I live in an earthquake and volcano prone area.  Mount Rainier dominates the eastern sky of Pierce County.  It is still considered to be an active volcano.   If that thing blows, it’s going to take out half the county as it heads for the tide flats of Tacoma via the Puyallup River.  Orting, Puyallup, Fife and several other communities will be gone.  Tacoma will be completely cut off from the north and east.  Five years ago, we had a large quake. Had it been a little closer to the surface, it could have caused a lot more damage.  Instead of a few injuries, there could have been several hundred dead. 

It’s up to me to prepare for that, not Bush, not Queen Chrissy the First, not Mayor Baarsma.  ME! 

I’m tired of people whining George Bush didn’t save them.  Shut up and figure out your own life.

Thanks to Beth at Blue Star Chronicles for Open Track Backs

VW

Check Out Time

I’m torn.  On one hand, I know it must be a horrible experience to be displaced because of Katrina.  On the other hand, I know that living in a hotel on the tax payer dime has got to end at some point.

How much is FEMA’s fault and how much is the recipients fault is probably anyone’s guess and both sides probably are culpable.

But at some point, you have to move on.  I can only imagine the horror of losing everything I own.  However, I can imagine that I would be doing all in my power to right my ship and get sailing again.  If FEMA was jacking me around, I’d be doing what I could to straighten out the problem, but I would not want to stay at government expense one more day than is absolutely necessary.

NEW ORLEANS -- Thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees staying in hotels at government expense may be able to extend their stays beyond a Feb. 7 deadline, federal officials said.

As tragic and as devastating as Katrina and Rita were on the people of that region, there comes a time when you have to take a certain amount of responsibility for your own life and family and do what it takes to return to some degree of normalcy.  You may not be able to return to you old life and pick up where you left off, but you can start again. 

Along with FEMA, there are dozens of local, state and non-governmental agencies involved in getting these people back up and productive.

There are exceptions, I’m sure, but I’m thinking many of these folks still hanging on to the government teat are in no hurry to leave and they or some attorney will keep finding a sympathetic judge that will continue to order stays.

VW