Our esteemed lawmakers

These are the scuzzbuckets voting themselves a $34,000-a-year legislative pay increase

SENATE VOTED FOR:


Senator Robert Adley
611 Jessie Jones Drive
Benton, LA 71006
(318) 965-1755
adleyr@legis.state.la.us


Senator Sharon Weston Broome
P. O. Box 52783
Baton Rouge, LA 70892
(225) 359-9352
lasen15@legis.state.la.us


Senator A.G. Crowe
195 Strawberry St.
Slidell, LA 70460
(985) 643-3600
crowea@legis.state.la.us


Senator Yvonne Dorsey
1520 Thomas H. Delpit Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 342-9700
dorseyy@legis.state.la.us


Senator Ann Duplessis

Check out little Annie's auto here
P.O. Box 3823
New Orleans, LA 70177
(504) 243-7795
duplessisa@legis.state.la.us


Senator Reggie P. Dupre
P. O. Box 3893
Houma, LA 70361-2016
(985) 876-9902
lasen20@legis.state.la.us


Senator Dale M. Erdey
P.O. Box 908
Livingston, LA 70754
(225) 686-2881
erdeyd@legis.state.la.us


Senator D. A. "Butch" Gautreaux
1103 Eighth Street
Morgan City, LA 70380
(800) 562-3204
lasen21@legis.state.la.us


Senator Cheryl A. Gray
1100 Poydras Street
Suite 2621
New Orleans, LA 70163
(504) 568-2098
grayc@legis.state.la.us


Senator Lydia P. Jackson
610 Texas Street
Suite 201
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318) 676-7029
jacksonl@legis.state.la.us


Senator Robert W. "Bob" Kostelka
Mailing:
Post Office Box 2122
Physical:
1818 Avenue of America
Monroe, LA 71207
(800) 508-5572
kostelka@legis.state.la.us


Senator Eric LaFleur
P.O. Box 617
Ville Platte, LA 70586
(337) 363-5019
lafleure@legis.state.la.us


Senator Robert "Rob" Marionneaux
P.O. Box 577
Livonia, LA 70755-0577
(225) 637-3623
lasen17@legis.state.la.us


Senator Daniel "Danny" Martiny
131 Airline Highway
Suite 201
Metairie, LA 70001
(504) 834-7676
martinyd@legis.state.la.us


Senator Michael J. "Mike" Michot
P.O. Box 80372
Lafayette, LA 70598
(337) 262-1332
lasen23@legis.state.la.us


Senator Edwin R. Murray
1540 N. Broad St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 945-0042
murraye@legis.state.la.us


Senator Ben Nevers
724 Avenue F
Bogalusa, LA 70427
(985) 732-6863
8008812749
websen@legis.state.la.us


Senator Derrick Shepherd
2009 Ames Boulevard
Marrero, LA 70072
(504) 371-0263
websen@legis.state.la.us


Senator Francis Thompson
P.O. Box 68
Delhi, LA 71232
(318) 878-9408
thompsof@legis.state.la.us

From Bayou Buzz dot com:
It is time for Louisiana to stand up and tell the legislators to quit their legislative jobs if they cannot make it. They forget to mention that they have campaign funds which they use to feather their own beds. Those are perks that the average citizens do not enjoy. There are plenty of fine men and women who will proudly take the positions of those legislators who want to raise their own salaries. No legislator should feel they are above the people and are indispensible. The people are making their own sacrifices. Now it is time for our elected officials to do the same.

I just emailed AG Crowe, my rep and asked how he could justify this travesty. Please - if your senator is up there - let them know that this will not go quietly.

I'm with Celcus on this one .

And now, for your info, here are the members of the House of Representatives who should be ashamed:


Anders, John F. "Andy"
200 Advocate Row Suite D
Vidalia, LA 71373
(318)336-5865
larep021@legis.state.la.us



Arnold, Jeffery "Jeff" J.
4480 General DeGaulle
Suite 205
New Orleans, LA 70131
(504)393-5801
larep102@legis.state.la.us


Aubert, Elton M.
P. O. Box 921
Vacherie, LA 70090
(225)265-1831
auberte@legis.state.la.us


Badon, Austin
5555 Bullard Avenue
Suite 101
New Orleans, LA 70128
(504)243-7783
larep100@legis.state.la.us


Baldone, Damon J.
162 New Orleans Boulevard
Houma, LA 70364
(985)876-8872
larep053@legis.state.la.us


Barrow, Regina
3552 Monterrey Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70814
(225)362-5837
larep029@legis.state.la.us


Billiot, Robert E.
10017 River Road
Waggaman, LA 70094
(504)431-1535
billiotr@legis.state.la.us


Burford, Richard T.
671 Hwy. 171 Suite E
Stonewall, LA 71078
(318)925-9588
burfordr@legis.state.la.us


Burns, Timothy G.
1 Sanctuary Blvd., Ste. 306
Mandeville, LA 70471
(985)624-4492
larep089@legis.state.la.us


Burrell, Roy
820 Jordan Street, Ste. 315A
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318)676-7137
larep002@legis.state.la.us


Carmody, Thomas
5916 Fairfield Avenue
Shreveport, LA 71106
(318)862-9956
carmodyt@legis.state.la.us


Chaney, Charles R.
P.O. Box 8
Rayville, LA 71269
(318)728-5875
chaneyb@legis.state.la.us


Connick, Patrick
1335 Barataria Blvd. Suite B
Marrero, LA 70072
(504)371-0240
connickp@legis.state.la.us


Cromer, George Gregory
P.O. Box 2088
Slidell, LA 70459
(985)645-3592
cromerg@legis.state.la.us


Dixon, Herbert B.
804 Broadway Avenue
Alexandria, LA 71302
(318)487-5661
dixonh@legis.state.la.us


Downs, Hollis
207 W. Mississippi Suite 300
Ruston, LA 71270
(318)251-5039
larep012@legis.state.la.us


Edwards, John Bel
P.O. Box 160
Amite, LA 70422
(985)748-2245
edwardsj@legis.state.la.us


Ellington, Noble
4272 Front Street
Winnsboro, LA 71295
(318)435-7313
ellingtn@legis.state.la.us


Foil, Franklin J.
320 Somerulos St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225)342-6777
foilf@legis.state.la.us


Franklin, A B
1018 Martin Luther King Hwy.
Lake Charles, LA 70601
(337)491-2320
franklina@legis.state.la.us


Gallot, Jr., Richard "Rick"
P. O. Box 1117
Ruston, LA 71273
(318)251-5019
larep011@legis.state.la.us


Gisclair, Jerry
P.O. Drawer 1448
Larose, LA 70373-1448
(985)798-7707
gisclait@legis.state.la.us


Greene, Hunter
11281 Old Hammond Hwy.
Building C-1
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
(225)275-8064
larep066@legis.state.la.us


Harrison, Joe
P.O. Drawer 159
Labadieville, LA 70372
(800)935-2081
harrisoj@legis.state.la.us


Henderson, Reed S.
P.O. Box 739
Chalmette, LA 70044
(504)278-6599
hendersr@legis.state.la.us


Hoffmann, Frank A.
204 North 3rd Street Suite A
West Monroe, LA 71291
(318)362-4130
hoffmanf@legis.state.la.us


Honey, Avon
8776 Scenic Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70807
(225)771-5674
ahoney@legis.state.la.us


Hutter, Nita Rusich
P.O. Box 275
Chalmette, LA 70044
(504)361-6684
larep104@legis.state.la.us


Jackson III, Girod
2439 Manhattan Blvd. Suite 207
Harvey, LA 70058
(504)361-6972
jacksong@legis.state.la.us


Jackson, Michael
660 N. Foster, Ste. A-214
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225)342-0774
larep061@legis.state.la.us


Jones, Rosalind D.
141 Desiard 3rd Floor, Suite 314
Monroe, LA 71202
(318)362-5476
jonesr@legis.state.la.us


LaBruzzo, John
3331 Severn Ave., Ste. 204
Metairie, LA 70002 (504)833-7788
larep081@legis.state.la.us


LaFonta, Juan
6305 Elysian Fields Ave. Suite 207A
New Orleans, LA 70122
(504)282-0265
larep096@legis.state.la.us


Lambert, Eddie J.
P.O. Box 241
Gonzales, LA 70707
(225)644-4947
larep059@legis.state.la.us


Leger, Walt III
600 Carondelet Street 9th Floor
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504)556-9970
legerw@legis.state.la.us


Lopinto, Joseph P.
4532 West Napoleon Avenue Suite 104
Metairie, LA 70001
(504)456-3806
lopintoj@legis.state.la.us


Marchand, Charmaine
4030 St. Claude Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70117
(504)942-7835
larep099@legis.state.la.us


McVea, Thomas H.
P. O. Box 217
Jackson, LA 70748
(225)634-7470
larep062@legis.state.la.us


Monica, Nickie
1706 Cannes Drive Suite A
LaPlace, LA 70068
(985)652-1228
monican@legis.state.la.us


Morrell, Jean-Paul J.
6305 Elysian Fields Ave. Suite 405
New Orleans, LA 70122
(504)284-4794
arep097@legis.state.la.us


Norton, Barbara M.
3245 Hollywood Avenue
Shreveport, LA 71109
318)632-5887
nortonb@legis.state.la.us


Nowlin, Rickey L.
816 University Parkway
Natchitoches, LA 71457
(318)357-7048
nowlinr@legis.state.la.us


Peterson, Karen Carter
1215 Prytania Street Suite 364
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504)568-8346
larep093@legis.state.la.us


Pugh, Stephen E.
114 Northeast Railroad Avenue
Ponchatoula, LA 70454
(985)386-7844
pughs@legis.state.la.us


Ritchie, Harold L.
302 Louisiana Ave.
Bogalusa, LA 70427
(985)730-2147
larep075@legis.state.la.us


Schroder, John M.
321 North Florida Street Suite 109
Covington, LA 70433
(985)893-6262
schrodej@legis.state.la.us


Simon, Scott M.
P.O. Box 1297
Abita Springs, LA 70420
(985)893-6246
simons@legis.state.la.us


Smiley, Jr., M.J. "Mert"
18590 Highway 16 Suite 5
Port Vincent, LA 70726
(225)698-9694
larep088@legis.state.la.us


Smith, Jr., Gary L.
P. O. Box 189
Norco, LA 70079
(985)764-9122
larep56@legis.state.la.us


Smith, Patricia Haynes
525 Florida Boulevard
3rd Floor 300G & 300H
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225)342-7106
smithp@legis.state.la.us


Templet, Ricky J.
P.O. Box 1158
Gretna, LA 70054
(504)361-6013
templetr@legis.state.la.us


Tucker, Jim
732 Behrman Highway,
Suite C-2
Terrytown, LA 70056
(504)393-5646
larep086@legis.state.la.us


White, Mack "Bodi"
35055 La. Hwy. 16 Suite 2 A
Denham Springs, LA 70706
(225)791-2199 or (800) 408-9764
larep064@legis.state.la.us


Williams, Patrick
609 Texas Street 1st Floor
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318)676-5990
larep004@legis.state.la.us


Willmott, Thomas P.
2002 20th Street Suite 204-A
Kenner, LA 70062
(504)465-3479
willmott@legis.state.la.us


Wooton, Ernest D.
8018 Highway 23 Suite 214
Belle Chasse, LA 70037
(504)393-5649
larep105@legis.state.la.us


Way to go, assholes.

Scuzzbucket of the Week

Miss Ann Duplessis

It was her bill, HB 672, that would increase lawmakers' base salary from $16,800 to $37,500. Senate Bill 672 challenges the concept of a Legislature comprised of citizens performing part-time public service in favor of representation that is compensated like a full-time job.

Cross posted from HumidCity, who cross posted from Nation of Morons

Congratulations go out to Ann Duplessis, our Moron of the Year! (So far!) Her district lies in ruins, her constituency is spread across the country, but she can tootle back and forth from Baton Rouge in her taxpayer funded Mercedes S-500 in comfort


knowing that all you working stiffs are going to be working a little harder to pay for it. We now return you to business as usual in Louisiana.

from Bayou Buzz dot com:


Legislators need to understand that they are public servants and voters are the boss. We are the ones that employ these politicians and those who vote for this pay raise can very well be fired at the next election. To all of the competent and skilled legislators who are considering a vote in favor of this bill, think again. It is the equivalent of a political death sentence.

For Governor Jindal, it is time to show courage, leadership and get back engaged in what is happening here in Louisiana. It is time to stop the grand political and media tour around the country and stop campaigning for the vice presidential nomination and start paying attention to job #1.

People are now watching and demanding that our public servants follow the will of the ones in charge, not the politicians, but the people of Louisiana. Finally the roles are reversed and let's hope it stays this way.

Amen

FESTIVALS!!!!!

I know it's gonna be hot, but these festivals cannot be missed.



Creole tomato fest


Nola Seafood Fest

here's a list of chefs demonstrating seafood recipes


Cajun-Zydeco Fest

Here's a lineup of musicians

June 13th - French Quarter.

Last year was wonderful

The N0LA Yuppies are calling it a view to do.

I call it a day of food and fun.

Here's a lineup of chefs doing tomato dish demos:

SATURDAY 6/14
FARMERS’ MARKET

12:30-1:15pm
Chef Susan Spicer,
Bayona

3:00-3:45pm
Chef Frank Brigsten,
Brigsten’s

4:00-4:45pm
Chef Dominique Macquet,
Dominique’s

COCINA LATINA AREA
(DUTCH ALLEY)
12:00 -1:00 pm
Chef (TBD)

2:30-3:30pm
Chef Jack Martinez,
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse

SUNDAY, JUNE 15
FARMERS’ MARKET
12:30-1:15pm
Chef Tenney Flynn,
G. W. Fins

3:00-3:45pm
Chef (TBD)
4:00-4:45pm

Chef Chris Montero,
Bacco's

COCINA LATINA AREA
(DUTCH ALLEY)
12:00-1:00pm
Chef (TBD)

2:30-3:30pm
Chef Glen Hogh,
Vega Tapas

PLUS:
FARMER’S MARKET
RE-OPENING!
JUNE 13, 14 & 15, 2008 — 12:00 PM - 6:30 PM
FUN!
FOOD!
MUSIC!
20 FOOD BOOTHS OFFERING
CREOLE FAVORITES!
Fried Green Tomatoes
Creole Tomato Bloody Marys
Creole Tomato with Shrimp Salad
Stuffed Shrimp with Grilled Creole
Tomato over Jasmine Rice
Creole Tomato Basil Creˆpe
Creole Tomato Gelato
Creole Tomato Cream Crawfish Pies
Blooming Onion on a bed of Creole Tomato
And more!

GET A RIPE REWARD!
Visitors spending $25.00 or more in any
of the French Market businesses can
redeem their receipts for a 5 pound box
of famous Becnel Creole Tomatoes.
While supplies last each day.
Limit one per customer.
Ripe Reward Sponsored by
Spotlighting Chefs
AMERICA’S OLDEST CITY MARKET Sponsored by
Food Booths
Sponsored by
FRENCH MARKET PARKING
ENTER AT ST. PETER & DECATUR ST.
WWW.FRENCHMARKET.ORG

Quote

"Dubai can build an island in two years," he said. "We can't build anything in 10 years. Are we really the best country on the planet? Don't waste any more money. This is fixable. We're on borrowed time. We're not doing enough to change it."


Louisiana Bluesman Tab Benoit discussing his upcoming visit to Washington DC to discuss Louisiana's eroding coastal wetlands with a panel of Congressional aides on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 17, along with Louisiana wildlife photographer C.C. Lockwood and Paul Harrison, the Environmental Defense Fund's coastal Louisiana project manager.

How dysfunctional can things get?

From
CNN dot com:

FEMA gave away about $85 million in household goods meant for Hurricane Katrina victims, a CNN investigation has found.

FEMA said some of the items were donations from companies after Katrina, but most were purchased in the field as "starter kits" for people living in trailers provided by the agency. And even though the stocks were offered to state agencies after FEMA decided to get rid of them, one of the states that passed was Louisiana.

John Medica, director of the Louisiana Federal Property Assistance Agency (contact numbers here) in Baton Rouge, said he was unaware that Katrina victims still had a need for the household supplies. Louisiana Recovery Authority Director Paul Rainwater is taking the lead on determing where this serious breakdown in communication occured.

I'm just flabbergasted at the ineptitude of everyone involved.

Worse than a Scuzzbucket

Karl Rove - destination: hell



exceprt from the link, which is an excerpt from "Machiavelli's Shadow: The Rise & Fall of Karl Rove" by Paul Alexander


Instead of supplying relief to the city, Rove had devised a scheme whereby he could blame the failure of government to take action on someone besides Bush. "They looked around," Landrieu says, "and they found a Democratic governor and an African American Democratic mayor who had never held office before in his life before he was mayor of New Orleans -- someone they knew they could manipulate. Ray Nagin had never held public office and here he was the mayor of New Orleans and it was going underwater."

In short, Rove was going to blame Blanco for the failure of the response in Louisiana, and to do that he was going to use Nagin. He had already set the plan in motion on Tuesday with Nagin, who, even though he was a Democrat, was so close to the Republican Party that some members of the African American community in New Orleans called him "Ray Reagan." In 2000, Nagin had actually contributed $2,000 to Bush's campaign when he ran for president.

Michael Homan echoes my sentiments here

Ice is for comfort

From First Draft dot com, we learn that the ever "efficient" FEMA will no longer be supplying ice in response to the aftermath of disasterous hurricanes. " Ice is no longer part of the government's response to hurricanes" said Federal Emergency Management Director R. David Paulison.



"It takes a tremendous amount of resources, and it really doesn't accomplish much, other than making people feel good because they have a bag of ice," Paulison said.

Wow.

Mr. Paulison, having firsthand experience at ground zero in the weeks following the storm, I can tell you that the ice wasn't used to make us "feel good". The ice was used to keep our food safe to consume. The days following the storm were in the high 90's with humidity close to 100%. We received our first bags of ice 4 days after the storm from the local Walmart, not FEMA, Mr. Paulison.

You assclown.

Suspect Device responds in his own brand of honesty .

I guess this comes as a "lesson learned" from the federal agency. Last July, as I visited family in Massachusetts, my sister told me of this fiasco found at a Baltimore Sun weblog

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — After nearly two years, thousands of truck miles and $12.5 million in storage costs, a cold relic of the flawed Hurricane Katrina relief effort is going down the drain.

The federal government is getting rid of thousands of pounds of ice it had sent south to help Katrina victims, then north when it determined much of the ice wasn't needed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency had been hanging on to the ice in case it was needed for another disaster, but decided to get rid of it because it couldn't determine whether it was still safe for human consumption.

"We just didn't take any chances," FEMA spokeswoman Alexandra Kirin told the Gloucester Daily Times.

The ice, held at AmeriCold Logistics in Gloucester and at 22 similar facilities nationwide, is being melted. The cost of storing the ice at all the facilities since Katrina is $12.5 million.

The Army Corps of Engineers acknowledged after the August 2005 hurricane that it had ordered too much ice because of faulty estimates by local officials. Truckers received up to $900 a day to move the ice to storage sites around the country.

Gloucester received 118 truckloads of ice that September, but 99 of those were sent to Florida in October 2005 to help with relief efforts after Hurricane Wilma. By November 2005, only four truckloads, weighing between 40,000 and 84,000 pounds each, remained in Gloucester.

FEMA contracts required disposal of the ice three months after purchase, but Kirin said the agency decided to keep the excess ice for the 2006 hurricane season. With fewer storms than expected, the ice was not needed, and the agency decided not to save the ice for the 2007 season.

She added that FEMA tried to donate the ice, but "had no takers."

"Living on the Government Dole"

Apparently my last post about the tragic incident in Lakeview yesterday brought out the ire of a resident of California Here's the link to his blog entry and here's an excerpt:

Oh, and before that, Minshew chased away inspectors from FEMA -- there to check out the run-down government trailer still on his property -- by threatening them with a handgun.

As I read this tragic tale, one of the first things I wondered was why Katrina victims are still living on the government dole in rundown trailers. It's been three years, now.



Maybe I'm being a little sensitive, but it pissed me off.
But of course, it's been three years, and I should be over it, huh?

And to those of you who think similarly to the dolt above, read this.

FEMA: Creator of Disaster and Tragedies

from the Associated Press:
Draft plan: FEMA may use trailers in new disaster


The government may house disaster victims in trailers this hurricane season as a last resort, despite promises never to use them again because of high levels of formaldehyde found in trailers used after the Katrina catastrophe
FEMA Director R. David Paulison has said there will be no more trailers while he is in office. But his deputy says that's not a sure thing should there be another catastrophic disaster.
"We're putting our head in the sand," deputy administrator Harvey Johnson said in an interview Monday. "If we had a Katrina again, there's probably no way we could respond to a Katrina without having to deploy all available options, which will include travel trailers."

fuckmooks.

Meanwhile, in FEMA's latest effort at obtaining positive press, before dawn this morning a resident of a FEMA trailer since Hurricane
Katrina was shot and killed as the Federal Agency
tried to reclaim his formaldehyde-ridden trailer.

From Yahoo news
NEW ORLEANS - A nearly 10-hour standoff with a police SWAT team ended Wednesday morning when police fatally shot the mentally ill occupant of a federally supplied trailer in one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.
Federal Emergency Management Agency workers alerted police Tuesday afternoon after a man with a handgun ordered them to leave the trailer in an overgrown, weedy lot in the affluent Lakeview neighborhood after an inspection, authorities said.
The confrontation began after 49-year-old Eric Minshew, wearing a gun in his waistband, threatened FEMA workers who were attempting to reclaim the trailer in which he was living, police said.
The man locked himself inside a partly gutted home adjacent to the trailer. Police got into the downstairs part of the home, but the man shot at them twice, causing no injuries, officials said. Authorities shot the man around 2 a.m. after he pointed a handgun at officers who tried to arrest him, police said. The man later died at a hospital.
The man's brother told police that he was mentally ill and had been untreated for years, according to a statement from Officer Garry Flot, a police spokesman.
The man's trailer was the only one visible for blocks. The whole block appeared abandoned, the houses unrepaired since the storm, their windows broken.

how many swat teams does it take to control one mentally ill man?

The FEMA inspection was a first step toward reclaiming the trailer. The federal agency has been pushing to get residents out of trailers across the Gulf Coast, in part because possibly dangerous levels of the chemical formaldehyde have been found in many of them.
FEMA spokesman James McIntyre said the agency cannot release any specifics about the case, such as when the man got the trailer or whether anyone else lived there with him.

There's more information here at the TP website.
The cracks in the mental health services in New Orleans is criminal.
What a multi-faceted tragedy, this legacy of the bumbling crooked Bush administration, the embarassing ineptittude of Blanco realm, the laissez-faire attitude of the self-serving Nagin and the farce that is FEMA.


First the story of the formaldehyde in trailers and now the agency wants to dump people out on the streets.

Some people will say that it's been almost three years, why haven't these people found a place to live? No one know the answer to this.

There are countless stories as to why people are still living in these poisonous tin cans.

Don't judge these people, folks, unless you've been in their shoes.

Another Scuzzbucket

From the great state of Illinois comes this "intellectual" editorial

Despite more than $22 million in repairs, a levee that broke with catastrophic effect during Hurricane Katrina is leaking again because of the mushy ground on which New Orleans was built, raising serious questions about the reliability of the city’s flood defenses.


So began an AP story Thursday about that sad, swampy city to our south. It begs the question: Why in the world should Uncle Sam spend billions rebuilding New Orleans?

Here’s a city that sat largely below sea level, between a big lake and a mighty river, not far from the ocean and in the middle of Hurricane Alley.

It’s a miracle that it survived as long as it did. Its destruction was inevitable. To rebuild the low-lying portions would be worse than foolish. It would set the residents up for another tragedy and more loss of life.

The Federal Government could better spend our billions helping former New Orleans residents get on with their lives — somewhere on high ground.

Levees and flood walls are not reliable protection when mother nature is on a rampage. We learned that in St. Louis in 1993.

But, Mr. Gallagher, St. Louis and all affected areas were repaired following the '93 floods, were they not? You pompous midwestern ass.

I am damn tired of this type of thinking. These self-appointed pundits have all the answers, don't they?

I'm happy so see that many NOLA bloggers have commented with great intelligence on this moron's editorial.

Bayou Liberty Pirogue Races

The 58th annual Bayou Liberty Pirogue Races will be June 1 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the St. Genevieve boat launch near the Bayou Liberty bridge west of Slidell. This is an entertaining small festival and is great for people watching.

Here are prior entries in this blog

about this event

Dumb

Greg Peters lashes out at the powers that be and then sme with a deeply felt post that gave me the same adrenaline rush as the FYYFF post of by the much missed Ashley Morris. Damn I miss him.

Go read Greg's post and you'll find out what I mean.

Hurricane Season '08

There's some chatter in the NOLA blogsphere regarding the upcoming hurricane season, which runs from June 1 thru November 30th. It's interesting to read different perspectives and news items about this six month period that takes place in the heart of summertime in the Gulf Coast.



Our governor has had his crew put together a list of things that everyone should have on hand for an evacuation. here's the website . I just checked my little rubbermaid containter and have most of the stuff ready to go. I also put all of my important papers in a neat little box with handles to easily carry it. I certainly hope we won't have to evacuate, because that would entail getting five cats into five cat carriers. No easy task.

After living thru Katrina and all her wrath and dealing with the aftermath, I'm not complascent, but I'll think twice about leaving. I'm just wondering how many trees that were weakened by the storm will meet their demise this season.

I'm with Chris over at Prytania Waterline and probably won't leave unless there's a Cat 3 or higher headed toward us.

The ever-eloquent Mark Folse over at Toulouse Street reflects on the start of another hurricane season which ends with this quote which gives me goose pimples: One thousand days and counting: why do we stay, and why do more come home each day? They come and stay because it is home, and because in the civics class, film-strip America we were all raised to believe in the government does not tell you where to live. We will do it alone if we must, Sinn Fein. It may at times be bitter-bitter, but in the end it is our heart.



Tim of the nameless blog reflects on his feelings about his whole post Katrina experience and feelings. This post pulls at my heartstrings.


The Library Chronicles details the city of NOLA's plan to "get people out" in case a storm is headed this way as well. I can already see the chaos Nagin's "plan" will cause.

here's one of the better hurricane web pages for up-to-date information

Heads Up, New Orleanians

Humid City has publised and email by Matt McBride, who is a well placed thorn in the side of the hapless Corpse of Engineers in New Orleans.

In his email, Matt discusses the necessity of the public release of a final report on the London Avenue canal load test, held last summer. That report has already been through independent peer review.

For those of you who aren't from this area, The London Avenue Canal Levee and floodwall was breached during or shortly after Hurricane Katrina in late August of 2005. This breach contributed to the flooding of New Orleans. Some has speculated that were it not for the breachs most of western Gentilly may have been spared from major flooding.


click pic for full-sized version


Quoted from Matt's email to the citizens of New Orleans:

The report undoubtedly contains a great deal of information about seepage in existing floodwalls, as that’s what the load test was all about. Getting it released would definitely shine light on what the Corps currently knows about leaks through levees and floodwalls, much more so than a press conference and vague promises of future reviews. They’ve already got the information, so why not put it out there?


good question.

thanks to Loki for the heads up

Because They Have No Words

“We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words." – from the novel Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.


I don't know if I've been living in a cave or something, but this is the first I've heard about a play about rescuing animals post Katrina. “Because They Have No Words” had its world premiere on September 2, 2006 at The Lounge Theatre in Los Angeles.




The play is now
in Chicago. It focuses on the efforts of animal rescuers and is based on co-writer Tim Maddock's personal experience rescuing animals in the aftermath of Katrina. Maddock also stars in the production.




In September of 2005, Tim loaded his car with food, water, clothing and rescue gear, said goodbye to his partner and his dog, and drove straight into the heart of one of the greatest natural disasters in our country's history. During his time in New Orleans, Tim witnessed great human tragedy and stupendous bureaucratic blunders. From the stranded animals somehow able to weather the storm, to the frantic, grief-stricken families searching for the pets they were forced to abandon, the flood of emotion was a constant reminder of the failures of a city, a state, and a nation to respond when their citizens needed them most.

Here's a link to an article about his experiences.

Thanks and God Bless you, Tim

Ghost of Katrina Still Haunts Louisiana

An excellent piece at bayou buzz dot com written by
Ron Chapman, an award winning columnist who teaches at Nunez Community College and has been a businessman and activist.

Here is an excerpt:

We have all lost that certain little something that had meaning if not real value. That one thing that makes all of our losses touch closer to the heart. That is what those who have not experienced Katrina will never understand. That sense of personal violation that never disappears. It has nothing to do with insurance, Road Home, or bricks and mortar. It has to do with an intangible sense of loss

FEMA just keeps on giving....

Sure to be one of the

worst president ever's top ten screw-ups is the lack of direction, compassion and intelligence in the handling of the aftermath of Katrina.

Under his "rule", FEMA proved to be inept to say the least.
We've all heard about the FEMA trailer formdaldehyde fiasco.
It gets better...... from this link:
Well, for those of you who have written off Katrina as yesterday's news, listen to this, the bush admin's deregulation mantra, their total lack of concern for consumer safety, their disregard for human health, their disdain for scientific data, will be appearing in a trailer park near you. These same manufacturers who were supported by government largess, these same manufactures of the trailers designed for the victims of Katrina, have been selling their products to regular consumers. ...... This was the excuse given by FEMA administrator R. David Paulison,

the guy responsible for the trailer boondoggle; that it wasn't just lack of FEMA standards, but it was do to lack of industry standards -  "this is bigger than FEMA"...Thanks to the bush administration