tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361101.post5796233250691992499..comments2024-01-19T03:25:56.719-06:00Comments on Thanks, Katrina: the very heart of America itselfJudy Thornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871846865461659183noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361101.post-24785319478082671332007-08-31T12:27:00.000-05:002007-08-31T12:27:00.000-05:00ONE CITIZEN:one citizen said... I have some commen...ONE CITIZEN:<BR/>one citizen said... <BR/>I have some comments about your letter.<BR/><B>* Completely fix the federally managed levees.<BR/>Where did the funds go that were supposed to mantain the leeves?</B><BR/><BR/><B>* Fully fund our expertly crafted recovery plan<BR/>Could you do a link to that plan?</B><BR/><A HREF="http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dractionplans.htm" REL="nofollow"><BR/>here you go </A><BR/><BR/><B>* Forgive the community disaster loans, as authorized by the new Congress<BR/>Why was it a loan and not a grant?</B><BR/> We'd like that answer ourselves <A HREF="http://www.lra.louisiana.gov/pr042307.html" REL="nofollow"> More discussion here</A><BR/><BR/><B>* Restore our coast and wetlands<BR/>Wonder if the local zoning city council had anything to do with that. After all you can't build without a permit.</B><BR/><A HREF="http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/14/magazines/fortune/neworleans_oil.fortune/index.htm" REL="nofollow"><BR/>This involves big oil's cooperation. </A> We know that's not going to happen in this lifetime. It's mainly because of them and the<BR/>COE trying to control the Mississippi River that the wetlands are dying. If you haven't seen it, <A HREF="http://www.hurricaneonthebayou.com/" REL="nofollow"> rent Hurricane on the Bayou. </A> <BR/><BR/><B>Does the White House(not much love for it either) need to micromanage planning and the recovery efforts. If so then why have a local gov't.?</B><BR/>The government everywhere is the culprit. <BR/>In NOLA, it's the pitiful excuse for leadership, well the same thing for the state of Louisiana.<BR/>Little by little, the city is coming back. But the New Orleans' populace has got to elect a REAL leader<BR/>and not vote for someone because of their skin color.<BR/><BR/>You make excellent points. Here's contact info for Shelley Midura<BR/>1300 Perdido Street<BR/>New Orleans, LA 70112<BR/>Phone: (504) 658-1010<BR/>fax: (504) 658-1016Judy Thornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13871846865461659183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361101.post-1768878793014022632007-08-31T11:53:00.000-05:002007-08-31T11:53:00.000-05:00From alternet.org .....most federal money -- abou...From <A HREF="http://www.alternet.org/rights/60494/" REL="nofollow"> alternet.org </A>.....most federal money -- about two-thirds -- was quickly spent for short-term needs like debris removal and Coast Guard rescue. As says Stanley Czerwinski of the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm<BR/> explains, "There is a significant difference between responding to an emergency and rebuilding post-disaster."<BR/><BR/>That has left little money for long-term Gulf Coast recovery projects. Although it's tricky to unravel the maze of federal reports, our best estimate of agency data is that only $35 billion has been appropriated for long-term rebuilding.<BR/><BR/>Even worse, less than 42 percent of the money set aside has even been spent, much less gotten to those most in need. For example: <BR/><BR/><BR/>Washington set aside $16.7 billion for Community Development Block Grants, one of the two biggest sources of rebuilding funds, especially for housing. But as of March 2007, only $1 billion -- just 6 percent -- had been spent, almost all of it in Mississippi. Following bad publicity, HUD spent another $3.8 billion on the program between March and July, leaving 70 percent of the funds still unused. <BR/><BR/><BR/>The other major source of rebuilding help was supposed to be FEMA's Public Assistance Program. But of the $8.2 billion earmarked, only $3.4 billion was meant for nonemergency projects like fixing up schools and hospitals.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Louisiana officials recently testified that FEMA has also "low-balled" project costs, underestimating the true expenses by a factor of four or five. For example, for 11 Louisiana rebuilding projects, the lowest bids came to $5.5 million -- but FEMA approved only $1.9 million. <BR/><BR/><BR/>After the failure of federal levees flooded 80 percent of New Orleans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received $8.4 billion to restore storm defenses. But as of July 2007, less than 20 percent of the funds have been spent, even as the Corps admits that levee repair won't be completed until as late as 2011. <BR/><BR/>The fact that, two years later, most federal Katrina funds remain bottled up in bureaucracy is especially shocking considering that the amounts Washington allocated come nowhere near the anticipated costs of Gulf rebuilding.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://media.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2007/feb/katrina/wherethemoney200.jpg" REL="nofollow"> Here's a little recap from NPR </A>Judy Thornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13871846865461659183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361101.post-28183205824085721742007-08-31T04:08:00.000-05:002007-08-31T04:08:00.000-05:00I have some comments about your letter.* Completel...I have some comments about your letter.<BR/>* Completely fix the federally managed levees.<BR/>Where did the funds go that were supposed to mantain the leeves?<BR/><BR/>* Fully fund our expertly crafted recovery plan<BR/>Could you do a link to that plan?<BR/>* Give New Orleans all that you have promised to Baghdad - schools, hospitals, infrastructure, security, and basic services<BR/>I don't know where to begin on that one. Go on a Junket to Iraq.N.O. will be heaven on earth after that experience.<BR/><BR/>* Forgive the community disaster loans, as authorized by the new Congress<BR/>Why was it a loan and not a grant?And I wonder how much money was wasted passing legistlation to do that * could this be considered part of the "red tape"<BR/>* Appoint a recovery czar who works inside the White House that reports daily and directly to you and whose sole job is the recovery of New Orleans and the rest of the region<BR/>Florida needed a Czar for Andrew, San. Fran. needed one for the earthquake. We need a bridge czar also.(not very funny but you see my point)And of course what we need is another politican.<BR/>* Restore our coast and wetlands<BR/>Wonder if the local zoning city council had anything to do with that. After all you can't build without a permit.<BR/>* Work with Congress to reform the Stafford Act<BR/>(I had to look it up) Didn't congress pass the stafford act? Why reform it?Don't tell me. Congress passed a bad piece of legslation. Wonder how much pork was in it?<BR/>* Cut the bureaucratic red tape<BR/>where does all this tape come from? The gov't...So the gov't is going to cut the tape that it made in the first place which will lead to more red tape which then the gov't will then cut. MORE GOV'T=MORE RED TAPE.<BR/><BR/> Consolidated and reformed the state levee board system.<BR/>* Consolidated and reformed our property assessment system.<BR/>* Passed sweeping ethics reform legislation.<BR/>* Created an Ethics Review Board.<BR/>* Hired an Inspector General.<BR/>* Submitted a parish-wide recovery plan.<BR/><BR/>All the legislation in the world is no substitute for good honest work. <BR/>Fully restoring New Orleans to its formerly unique and permanent place in American culture is this nation's greatest domestic challenge<BR/>New Orleans in all its glory is why we got in the situation that happened. Urban sprawl is what destroyed the wetlands. Poor local planning is why N.O. has become more and more exposed to the Ocean.<BR/>Does the White House(not much love for it either) need to micromanage planning and the recovery efforts. If so then why have a local gov't.?<BR/><BR/>And lastly the new hires.<BR/>Ethics Board. gov't would never be unethical would they? Remember a used car salesmen has a better rep than a congressman.<BR/>Super of Education. Try just hiring teachers.You know the people who are actually in the classroom teaching.<BR/><BR/>Maybe I'm alittle bit hard on you but you are an elected offical. When you are critical of the government you should be critical of yourself because local gov't is responsible "locally" You can't say that you weren't aware of leeve problems. I've watched Discovery channel programs on the New Orleans hurricane issue for years.It's like a San Fran. official saying what fault line? New Orleans was headed for disaster and every year the gov't breathed a sigh of relief and fixed nothing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361101.post-11918045235870010232007-08-30T19:15:00.000-05:002007-08-30T19:15:00.000-05:00oh be honest with you I don't have a google accoun...oh be honest with you I don't have a google account and don't have a web page. but I'm Scott. I have seen how the gov't wastes money and question where has 12billion gone. It is an unsubstianable position of what have people got for 12,000,000,000 dollars. To put that in perspective how many people could you employ for that much. well lets see. we're going to pay them $12 an hour. Not great but a better wage than most people make. Lets work them for one year. For 12 BILLION you could employ 500,000 people give or take. That is the big isssue and that is only 12 billion not the 121 billion promised. This is the reality of the situation. I ask you again how much money is enough? Where has it gone?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361101.post-82072804893633957792007-08-30T12:26:00.000-05:002007-08-30T12:26:00.000-05:00one more question: why do people post anonymously?...one more question: why do people post anonymously?Judy Thornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13871846865461659183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31361101.post-22882767741621052072007-08-30T02:34:00.000-05:002007-08-30T02:34:00.000-05:00councilwoman. How much debris have you picked up. ...councilwoman. How much debris have you picked up. How many neighborhoods have you patrolled. <BR/>12 billion is ALOT of money. Lets put it in perspective.That is 600,000 cars at $20000 a car. Or 2.4 million people could get a degree at a local college. How long does the gov't need to bankroll a place. How much is enough and what about the rest of the country. How much of your salary have you donated. How many of the homeless have slept on your couch. In fact how is your house. bet it wasn't flooded.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com