The ignored nonrecovery of New Orleans

Despite media reports that New Orleans is recovering nicely from Hurricane Katrina, there are still parts of town--like the poverty-stricken Lower Ninth Ward--where recovery is far from the reality. Instead, condemned houses like this one, or entirely overgrown lots, are the norm.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

NEW ORLEANS--Don't let anyone ever tell you that New Orleans is doing just fine three years after Hurricane Katrina.

Sure, it's true that some areas of the city, like the French Quarter or the Garden District, seem back to normal, with swarms of tourists, drinks flowing, and the leisurely pace and laid-back attitude the city is famous for on full display. And it's also true that there are parts of town where you'd never know anything bad happened.

But in the Lower Ninth Ward, the poverty-stricken part of New Orleans that took the biggest hit from the 2005 storm and the floods that followed, a sign I saw on Sunday perhaps sums up exactly what is going on there:

"Tourist," the sign exhorts, "Shame on you, driving by without stopping. Paying to see my pain. 1,600+ died here."

This sign, in the Lower Ninth Ward, is aimed at tourists who come through the neighborhood on bus tours and is meant to remind those visitors that Hurricane Katrina exacted a horrible human cost that was largely paid by residents of poor areas like this.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

The truth is, the Lower Ninth Ward is an unmitigated disaster area, a wasteland, a battle zone, an abandoned community, and a national shame, all rolled into one.

For block after block after block, in any direction, the area is still, even today, in ruins. No matter how much anyone wants to sugarcoat the situation on the ground here in the Big Easy, no matter how much the city wants to convince the tourists that all is well, it isn't even close to OK.

And it is far from the only district of town that is still suffering. During two days I spent driving around New Orleans as part of my Road Trip 2008 project, I saw neighborhood after neighborhood where boarded-up buildings abound, where empty lots stand out starkly between rebuilt structures, and where groups of nicely redone dwellings are across the street from shells of houses that in other cities would be seen as embarrassing blights. Here, they are business as usual nearly three years after Katrina smashed into this city.

But compared with these areas, the Lower Ninth Ward still stands out.

If you've never seen anything like this, you can't really prepare for it. I'd heard people whispering that the reality here was very different than the picture being spread in the media, and I wanted to see for myself.

It was worse than I even imagined. This is a huge area that was once jammed with housing, and people. To be sure, the housing was poorly constructed and living conditions no better. Today, the dominant feature is weeds taller than most people. Buildings are few and far between.

Reconstruction and recovery? Not so much.

You can debate the reasons behind this all you want. But whatever is responsible for this, one thing is clear: This is a significant area of a major U.S. city that will likely never come back.

And, to make matters worse, what recovery there has been is under constant threat as any future hurricane that hits New Orleans could easily cause further disastrous flooding, as the protections put in place since Katrina are by no means yet up to the task of protecting this area against a similar catastrophe.

Before I could see all this, though, I met up with Sakura Kone, who coordinates media and event relations for the community group Common Ground Relief.

Kone suggested we meet at the Wesley United Methodist Church, a house of worship that was built in 1838 by slaves and which was badly damaged during Katrina.

The sanctuary at the Wesley United Methodist Church, which suffered heavy storm-related damage during Hurricane Katrina. Though it wasn't flooded, its roof was badly damaged and it later incurred severe leakage that ruined the floors. The community group Common Ground Relief is working to renovate the church, which was built by slaves in 1838.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

Unlike much of the city, this wasn't flood damage. Rather, the church's roof was battered by the hurricane and ever since has leaked whenever it rains. That means that in the three years since the storm, the place has suffered through all kinds of water damage, toxic mold build-up, and general disrepair.

Now, the group is attempting to renovate it, employing a series of volunteers, many of whom live there, to do the work.

The idea is also to coordinate Common Ground Relief's skills training here, the idea of which is to give community members carpentry, electrician, and plumbing education, to name a few. But the group is largely on its own, said Kone, with no help from the New Orleans city government.

That means renovating the church is a slow process because of Common Ground Relief's few resources.

But the group is working hard to help the disadvantaged and often displaced residents of New Orleans get back on their feet, even if the efforts are painfully slow.

For example, in the Lower Ninth Ward, Kone explained, Common Ground Relief has helped residents get back into houses that were all but destroyed by the calamity that flooded in with the storm surge driven by Katrina and the breached levee that is just adjacent to the district.

And while it's true that here and there, a few remodeled houses stand out amid the ruins of the entire neighborhood, they are few and far between. Literally.

Much more common here are weeds, abandoned lots, destroyed structures, and the sense that you're in the middle of an apocalyptic wasteland, not a former urban neighborhood.

One thing that really struck me as we drove around the Lower Ninth Ward was how hauntingly quiet it was. This was a neighborhood of 30,000 people before Katrina, and now you can drive for block after block after block without seeing a person or a moving vehicle. It sort of looks like a park, given how overgrown the weeds are here, but when you remember that this was a jam-packed neighborhood where most of the nearly 2,000 people who died in the disaster lived, you snap back to reality.

And it's important that America and the world not forget what is going on in the Lower Ninth Ward and in other heavily damaged parts of New Orleans. What most people see on TV these days from the city are images of tourists partying during Mardi Gras or Jazzfest or of sporting events going off as per usual.

And those are good things, to be sure. It's definitely crucial that the city has some fully or nearly recovered areas, as one of the major industries here is tourism, and New Orleans needs visitors' dollars.

But the less the image of the destruction that's still everywhere is spread around, the less people will care about helping--or about ensuring that such a disaster doesn't happen again.

In the Ninth Ward, most houses were simply swept away. Today, nearly three years after the hurricane, it is more common to see empty lots with weeds than rebuilt houses. Those houses that still exist are frequently condemned. The community group Common Ground Relief estimates that just one in 10 of the 30,000 pre-Katrina Lower Ninth Ward residents lives there today.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

In the meantime, however, groups like Common Ground Relief are working hard to help the people who are least able to help themselves--the poor, mostly African-American people who have little choice but to play the very bad cards they've been dealt.

To be sure, there are many efforts afoot from outside the city to help.

For example, actor Brad Pitt has pledged to raise tens of millions of dollars for new housing in the Lower Ninth Ward.

But when you see the scale of the problem, you realize that that's just scratching the surface. And that's why the skills training that Common Ground Relief is offering people is so needed: So people can take it upon themselves to start working on infrastructure.

Common Ground Relief is also organizing what it calls a Community Adoption Program, Kone said. This is a plan to get people who can afford to do so--either in or out of the city--to adopt houses, churches, or even whole blocks, and help pay for their renovation.

The group is also offering free legal advice to residents, an important resource given that many people are facing onerous deadlines or regulations regarding the condition of their houses. For example, the city of New Orleans is requiring all travel trailers to be off people's property as of July 1 unless they file for an extension.

Similarly, there are regulations about how damaged or destroyed houses are boarded up, violations of which bring daily fines of hundreds of dollars.

But with insurance money hard to come by, many residents have no other way to occupy their land or fix up their dwellings according to city specifications.

Another problem, Kone said, is that the wetlands adjacent to the Lower Ninth Ward have been eroded over the years due to neglect by the city and industry that allowed salt water to seep in. The result is a loss of a first-line of defense against flooding.

So Common Ground Relief is working hard to plant millions of plants in the wetlands to try to strengthen the soil for the future.

Still another problem is that vast areas of the city that were flooded have poisoned soil due to the mercury, lead, arsenic, and asbestos that came in with the water. So Common Ground Relief is also working on what Kone called bio-remediation, a process of planting sunflowers, mustard greens, and mushrooms that can draw out the poisons.

This is profound, depressing, and stunning stuff. It's amazing to think that nearly three years after the disaster, a prominent U.S. city still has massive areas that are nowhere near recovered.

But there is hope, even if it is only a spark. And for people like Kone and the residents of the Lower Ninth Ward who are still there, or who have come back, that has to do for now. Because that's all they've got.

Coming Thursday: A look at the projects the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has under way to increase hurricane protection in and around New Orleans. Please stay tuned to this blog and to my Twitter feed for more Road Trip 2008 stories and photo galleries.

[stepyourgameup]

I see no reason why people would want to rebuild in an area that is actually below sea level. Another Katrina will happen again sometime in the future and all the rebuilding will be for not.

[dsstroud]

I agree with you. I personally do not believe they should rebuild there. Maybe they could turn it into a national park or something and the federal government could compensate homeowners for their property. Many of the people that lived there have moved on to other cities and are being presented with new opportunities and a fresh start. I think to drag them back into a poor neighborhood, just to make us all feel good, is not the correct approach.

[pakojoe]

... be for naught.

[bioliberty]

Did you know that Washington DC was a swamp before it was built? Is that worth rebuilding if it flooded? New Orleans was established long before there was a United States of America. It was the birthplace of Jazz and blues and has contributed greatly to the American way of life. You would rather have all your shrimp come from indo china? oil come from over seas? Where do you think most of America's fish and oil comes from, Texas? Wrong! It comes form Souther Louisiana! Or are you really saying the people who were most effected by the effects of building the intercoastal water way (Mr. GO) are not worth the effort? You would be wrong there too. I clear lots in the lower ninth ward for folks who are rebuilding despite ignorant statements like yours. These are the most humbal, honest people I have even met. They don't want a hand out just a hand. And people like you and in our government would rather turn there backs to the whole mess. It is sad to read such ignorants. You should be ashamed!

[mjconver]

Don't be so naive, this is economics 101. If that area deserves to be rebuilt, then it will happen by itself. I'm tired of my tax dollars going to waste.

[Chameleon81]

Bla bla bla, Human life is not as simple as your eco 101 course. Even the economics itself is not as simple as introduction to economics. This is a result of not being a social state. (It has ups and downs.) Every poor and unhappy person would show a high potential to waste your tax dollars because of the raise of the crime. So instead of wasting tax dollars plus losing one of loving ones as a crime victim I suggest you to support your own country's people and show some sympathy.

[The_Decider]

I see you either slept through econ 101 or never attended college(most likely). Econ 101 is not based on whether something deserves to happen and reducing this to a number game is cold indeed. Given that, I think it would be foolish to rebuild there, move the residents to a safer area and rebuild there.

[bioliberty]

Your tax dollars are going to waste in Iraq! Over a trillion of them. Your fellow countrymen and women are being killed for lies. And you complain about your tax dollars being used to rebuild America's infrastructure. What the hell is wrong with you?

[BIGJIM72]

Why not drive over to Mississippi where the storm really hit and see all the positive things that are happening?

[friendofjimmys]

as a louisiana resident, i'm so sick of hearing how mississippi was hit too, and they're doing so great.
you're missing the point,
new orleans wasn't destroyed by katrina,
it was destroyed by the flooding after katrina. there was another hurricane the next month called rita, a cat 5 that destroyed south west louisiana and caused rising waters that flooded the 9th ward. new orleans was full of people living in poverty. those people were renting, often with government help.
that housing is gone now. the south west that was damaged by rita is recovering nicely as mississippi is, but new orleans is different. new orleans will never recover from katrina. it's population will never be the same. the condos will keep going up,
and it's old residents will stay in texas, b/c the only
people rebuilding are not building housing for the poor.

[mcallery]

Do you really want to know why Mississippi has done so much better? It's pretty obvious - Casino revenue! Not to mention the governor was incredibly intelligent and purchased insurance against the Casinos going out of business and it paid off big time when Katrina hit.

[bioliberty]

Yes the storm really did hit Mississippi. It was the fact the Army Corps of Engineers build Mr. GO that caused the problems in New Orleans. And they are going to be closing it. If a similar storm comes to New Orleans after the inter coastal water way is closed the likelihood of a levee breach will be much less.

[Rabbid_Wolf]

I do not see any reason for the rebuild either, most of the residents haved moved to other cities, like mine, in which the crime rates have skyrocketed in the violent crime catagories. The FBI used to say that New Orleans was the most violent city in the US, I bet they can no longer state that because all those criminal punks haved moved to all the smaller comunities north of New Orleans. They squeal with glee over the easy pickin's in places where people used to not have to lock their doors at night, but now have to install steel reinforcement.

[friendofjimmys]

they're not rebuilding for the residents you're talking about and i don't think the people who can still afford to live there miss them terribly.

[Galaxy5]

stepyourgameup is right. We should let the Dutch know that they need to move out of their below sea level country.

Seriously, I don't think people realize the critical infrastructure that is still in and around the New Orleans area. One of the largest ports in the U.S. - a major grain, coal, coffee, cruise ship, and rubber terminal. One of our oldest cities, rich in culture and history. You can no more "not rebuild New Orleans" than you can "not rebuild the midwest" simply because the Mississippi overtopped her banks over the past few weeks.

I think most of the defeatist tripe like stepyourgameup's comment comes from media-shaped ideas of the Crescent City. I'm glad Daniel took a more honest look at the Lower Ninth and brought us a picture of New Orleans the mainstream media has been too cowardly to follow up on. I think Katrina scared the beejeesus out of a lot of big media types - that's why they never go back. Good thing Daniel did.

[dsstroud]

Last time I looked NO was still there and all the industry is still there. I think the cost of rebuilding that neighborhood far outweighs the benefit. If the infrastructure had been built to Dutch standards, the neighborhood would still be there, but it wasn't and they will not build it to that standard now, so there is no reason to bring the people back to an area that is prone to flood again.

[Renegade Knight]

I suspect the Dutch Politicians listene to their engineers. NOLA and Federal Politicians didn't. Nor would they again. When it gets expensive (and it will, the City is still sinking) again and it's time to revise the systems that keep the city somewhat (but not perfectly) safe, some other priority will suck up the money. We will walk this path again. No Thanks. Re-Build on High and Firm Ground.

[ewsachse]

stepyourgameup - your comment is ignorant and narrow minded. Do some research about the history of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta before making such uneducated comments.

What about the current flooding in the mid-west around the Mississippi River? There must have been some reason why people settled around a huge river that has the potential to flood over. Of course there was, but you have to understand the history of this country.

With your type of thinking, why would anyone want to settle on the Earth where a meteorite might fall from space and crash into the ground? Everything has the potential to kill human settlers. Should the all just give up and cease to exist?

[Renegade Knight]

They were right. To use your anology. You don't build below ground zero if you know where ground zero is. If it's all the same risk, it doesn't matter where you build. Speaking of flooding. The last round of major flooding FEMA started a new policy. Rebuild in the flood zone and you won't be getting flood insurance. Move. In California they build to withstand earthquakes. That's the cost of living there. It's however borne by the individual owners. Not the public as a whole.

[sM42]

After the flood of '93 the government refused to provide flood insurance to much of the low lying areas most devastated by the flood. They don't want people living in areas that are prone to flooding. Why on earth should they let people rebuild the Lower 9th Ward? As the writer mentions, it's likely to flood again. Is there a shortage of other neighborhoods for people to build their homes in New Orleans? Is there a real need, other than nostalgia, to rebuild in a flood zone?

[Lerianis]

Yes, there is a real need. Frankly, New Orleans is filled with some of the most beautiful history the United States has. That is the main reason why they want to rebuild New Orleans: they don't want to lose that history.
Now, as to the poor people coming back there? No, don't let them come back. But if someone can afford to build a house there, let them come in.

[robvme]

New Orleans was an open sewer before Katrina. Why bother with it? It is run by contractors making a buck and the longer it drags out the better. I can't think of any reason to restore a city that smells like vomit and urine. I mean, how stupid is it to build something below sea level? If you are going to do it, then maybe New Orleans should consutl with the Netherlands and get a clue.

[mcallery]

I've love to see Robvme come down to New Orleans and make those comments. Two things, first, you'd find a city much cleaner than it ever has been, second, you likely wouldn't make it back out without stuffing your face with some of the best food in the world. if you want to criticize the poor job the government has done to help New Orleans, fine, but don't criticize those struggling to rebuild what they call home!

[bioliberty]

The ocean is almost a hundred miles from New Orleans. The ocean did not flood the city, the Inter coastal water way did.

[rucknrun]

I don't hear the same sense of entitlement from the people in the Midwest losing everything due to the floods. I also don't see many celebrities showing up there to help build the levees.

[Sumatra-Bosch]

Helloooooooo. Does anyone actually believe that there was ever any intention of letting New Orleans survive Katrina - or be rebuilt for the diaspora?

As soon as Rove saw the satellite image of the storm he knew exactly what to do to turn Louisiana into a solid GOP state: nothing. Let the Democratic voters drown or move away. Easier than shooting them or paying for caging programs.

Rove, like most guys in that kind of job, are demographers by trade. He knew the opportunity at hand and played it masterfully.

Then he went to lunch.

[smokified]

Your a ******* idiot. I hope you realize that some day.

[dsstroud]

That is silly. You should return to DailyKos. They are missing you there.

[Lerianis]

Actually, he might be right. I hate to say it, but he might actually be right on this subject.

[bioliberty]

Well as sadistically true that statement might be. WHat is also true is that the City will rebuild. With or without government help. It was here long before America was founded. It will be here long after the United States collapses under it's imperial wait.

[LunaticSX]

A lot of commenters seem to be forgetting/ignoring the fact that the destruction of the wetlands was one of the reasons hurricane Katrina had such a devastating impact in New Orleans. The city survived many other storms over hundreds of years before this one. Katsina was simply the breaking point after the neglect and ongoing willful destruction of the natural protection New Orleans previously had against such events.

[Renegade Knight]

Yes and No.
The wetlands had a mitigating effect. They had nothing to do with the simple fact that NOLA (and the wetlands actually) are sinking and all the manmade systmes in the world can only stave off the day the city is abandoned to it's fate.

[doctorj2u]

I want to let the posters below know the truth, even if they will not listen. I am a New Orleanian, still living in the area and my mother lives a block from the beach on the Missisiisppi Gulf Coast. In a way, one of the posters was partially correct in that the recovery in part is based on economics. If you were a poor or lower middle class, your recovery was very hampered. You had to wait on government or charitable assisitence. (or in other words, charitable assistence since there is no such thing as government.) If you were middle class or well off, you could charge card your recovery. In all cases, no recovery could take place until government did its job of providing new flood maps, repairing poorly built levees, and fixing destroyed utilities. There also is a matter of permits. The area in this picture was the LAST to get utilities. Also the poor were given a one way ticket out of New Orleans. It is difficult for them to come back, esp. because of the lack of affordable housing. As to Mississippi doing better -what a joke! Come to my mother's community and say that with a striaight face. Are slabs and trailers better? I see heroism everyday, but if your prejudice and ignorance keeps you from seeing it, enjoy the country you have created. One of suffering and abandonment. I did not take a penny from the government. I have volunteered in 3 communities in two states. I have donated thousands in labor and services. I am also ASHAMED to be an American because of people like the posters on this thread.

[Penguinisto]

Err, why would you want to go back? I ask this because I lost pretty much everything I had (save for what would fit into an old pickup truck) in Iowa during the 1993 floods. I moved somewhere else with what little I had left. I'll be damned if I'll ever live in Iowa (or at least that particular piece of it) again. If I'd lost everything I owned in Katrina instead of Iowa, I doubt that my decision would've been any different. I didn't have credit cards back then (or any real credit to speak of). I had to do it the hard way, with zero government assistance after the danger passed. I forge my own fate, for better or worse - I don't believe in waiting for Daddy Government to do it all (nor --I hope-- are the majority of folks there, else the place is likely to remain a wasteland for decades to come).

[Renegade Knight]

I'd be ashamed to help my neighbor rebuild in a flood zone. I'd be happy to help him rebuild on higher ground. In CA I'd really not be thrilled to help my neighbor build on sand and would suggest bedrock. You can find this concept in the bible.

Everthing we build is temporary. Some more temporary than others. Wisdom isn't always popular. Merely right.

[NOsean]

Daniel - There were other levee breaks equally severe as what happened in the 9th ward. We lost houses all over N.O. not just in the 9th ward. Yes, my thoughts and prayers are with the 9th ward but they are also with those who 'lost' as well. Don't 'highlight' only one area in N.O. as it is extremely poor reporting and is not an accurate account of all that is working in N.O.

rucknrun - the Midwest and Katrina are 2 different problems.

robvme - Stupidity at its best.

stepurgameup - More stupidity.

...and N.O. helped the Netherlands in their research an building of their flood protection infrastructure. However, our own US gov and can't do the job correctly.

[Galaxy5]

Here come the trolls. "People in the midwest aren't so entitled....blah, blah". People in the midwest aren't stuck in four feet of water with nowhere to go. Nor are they impoverished working poor for the most part. I love the dog-whistle relativists who are so quick to judge the midwest versus New Orleans without taking into account the geography, population density, ability/time to evacuate, or demographics into account. Sure, if you forget about all that stuff, Katrina and the midwest floods are exactly the same! Especially if you just don't like poor whiny (black) people!

[Penguinisto]

Dunno if it would even be worth it on any scale. Not to discard the obvious human suffering, and yes it sucks that the folks living there are stuck in a nasty situation. OTOH, it would likely be more economical and easier to simply help relocate the folks who cannot otherwise continue living there. I mean, the money is far better spent in buying out the landowners who are left, and helping them buy a new home elsewhere. I'm not saying this lightly. The land is below sea level. New Orleans is in a bad area overall - there is no comprehensive flood control (in spite of media proclamations), and there isn't likely to be any - it would be too expensive to implement and maintain a proper flood control system. For whoever mentioned Holland as a parallel, you forget: Holland needs the land (2/3rds of their land is below sea level), they don't get hurricanes in Holland (only the relatively lesser-powered Winter storms off the North Sea), and the whole area was built up and is governed with flood-control engineering in mind. None of these conditions apply to New Orleans. The whole anti-bush blame-game and conspiracy theory set is, well... stupid. Whoever gets the job next won't magically make it all go away, and New Orleans was (ineptly) run by local government leaders who weren't exactly Bush's cronies, and were more than eager to deflect the blame for their decades of neglect and mismanagement. ---------------------------------- So here we are... wondering 'w+f' to do with the place. Best answer: relocate. Move, and/or help them move. No one is going to blow the billions of dollars necessary to shore up an area that will promptly go under again come the next Cat 5. hurricane. No insurance company with any sense would cover any new construction there - at least not without demanding a hefty premium. No business with a brain would even dream of setting up shop there. So why not buy out the landowners and give the place back to Nature? It would be cheaper, more humane, and would save us all the headache of having to deal with it all again come the next hurricane.

[Cobralord]

The people of NO are recieving the fruits of the leadership they elected over the past fifty years. Enough with the BDS Rovian conspiracies already, if they were that smart, they'd be working on Wall Street. Corrupt local officials cynically manipulated levee money for pet projects FOR DECADES!, and when disaster struck, ran to other states, let their people suffer, and blamed the feds for their own negligence and incompetence. FEMA just writes checks!
http://lonestartimes.com/2005/09/04/the-ray-nagel-memorial-motor-pool/

The feds, while taking 3 days to get there (which is what their pre-Katrina guidelines stated would be their response time) had to provide assistance not only to NO, but to an area the size of Great Britian! Their biggest mistake was in assuming that the Mayor of NO would be a clone of the Mayor of NY and actually be competent. Instead local officials like Congressman William "Cold Cash" Jefferson diverted rescue personnel to save his bribe money! And he's slated to win re-election!
The primary reason Gov. Blanco lost re-election was that she couldn't figure out how to spend all the billions of dollars the feds gave Louisiana to rebuild.

So no more money to NO until it gets responsible leadership (of which Gov Jindal seems to be) but Nagin is clearly not.
And honestly why would you rebuild below sea-level anyway. If you insist, you should either not be eligible for home insurance, or have to build one of those Dutch style floating houses
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/04/02/dutch-floating-homes-by-duravermeer/
that rise with flood waters.

[friendofjimmys]

blanco didn't run for re-election.
get ur facts straight.
she was a democrat in a republican state.
she was only elected the first time because of the huge
black voting blocks in new orleans and a white population
in north louisiana weary of electing her indian oponent. with the black poor still
out-of-state and horrible media coverage, she wouldn't have
had a chance. it had nothing to do with an inability to spend federal dollars.
don't comment on things you don't understand.
thanks.

[Seaspray0]

And yet I am also reminded of the following... The govenor of LA not signing the forms in a timely manner which delayed the entry of the national guard, the shooting (even at hospitals), the looting, the abandon of those residents for any sense of decency, the mayor giving one of the most racial speeches I've heard on "Chocolate Town"... and much much more. I live in Houston, TX and our mayor and our city extended the biggest humanitarian effort to New Orleans by housing tens of thousands of refugees, providing medical care, food and aid and all set up in less than 24 hours. Ssince that time, the general consensus here of having to deal with them for several years... they were rude, vile, inconsiderate, had no respect for anyone but themselves, and their only priority has been "what can they get from the government for free". Why don't you look at what they have been given so far. They've lived rent free for over a year, they've been given thousands in aid per person and when a job fair happens, none of them showed up looking for work but by God they have money for the bling around their necks. And now a recent request for billions of $ to rebuild New Oreleans... someone decided to add it up and it amounted to over 1 million PER HOME! Now lets look at what's happening in the flooding in ohio. I don't see people screaming "do something for me; where's my government money". I see people helping themselves, no shooting, no looting, neighbors helping neighbors. Enough is enough for new orleans and their residents. May it rot in peace.

[The_Decider]

Why am I not surprised at your blatant racism? You should change your name to Rush or Bill.

[Lerianis]

Get your facts straight: most of those people didn't 'show up' for that job fair you are talking about because they were not qualified for 99.999999999% of the jobs in question being offered there.
THAT is the main reason why people today are not bothering to go to job fairs, as I don't bother: not worth your time if you are not qualified for the jobs in question.

[smokified]

Some people seem to have the point figured out here.

The places that have been rebuilt actually have the money to be rebuilt. More better off areas of the city more than likely carry better insurance and have more financial room for events like this. Unfortunately those that lived in the country's toilet chose not to work hard and put together better lives for themselves and they got what they had coming to them. It is not the rest of the world's responsibility to cover for people who chose not to put themselves in a better situation in life.

I know it is sad that people died and had to loose their homes, but that is nature. That is just the way it goes. The United States did not create Katrina, nor did terrorists or criminals. It was nature doing what nature does. Those people had warning and the vast majority of them chose not to take the warnings seriously and they got bit for it.

Thousands of people lost homes and property and lives recently in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa...the flooding is now taking tolls in Missouri and all other low lying areas along the Mississippi river. Why does this seem to not be a big deal?

It seems to me only the stupid lowlife society that was wiped from the New Orleans areas would be dumb enough to try and blame somebody for a hurricane.

[friendofjimmys]

stupid lowlife society?
what a great person you are.
last year a hurricane threatened key west and
only about 15% evacuated. were the other 85% lazy
low lifes that weren't as smart as you?
stop smoking that stuff.
it's making you sound stupid.

[doctorj2u]

If there are requirements for citizenship, such as elevation or you liking our politicians, please let me know. I will stop sending the $1000 a week I send to the US governemnt. I will send it to the government that will help its citizens and not leave them abandoned.

[sciontcya]

Lord.
It's as simple as looking at the people and how they live.
It IS valid to compare as some in this country - thanks to the likes of Jackson and Sharpton - live in perpetual poverty and handouts.
What do you expect them to do?
They've been brainwashed into thinking that CAN'T help themselves and are victims.
And that's how they live and die.
Sorry, but it's true.
You can say "you hate poor blacks, etc." all you like.
Won't change the reality.
What will?
Get rid of the low expectations for minorities and hold them accountable - it's a good start.

[Lerianis]

They haven't been 'brainwashed' into anything. The fact is that even when someone on welfare or other public assistance tries to get ahead, they are always being kicked down by the stupid rules for that public assistance.
I have seen it with my aunts, my cousins, etc. - basically, half of my mothers side of the family, and they are WHITE.

If you REALLY want to help these people get ahead.... make it so that they are not automatically kicked off public housing assistance if they get a job that makes only 6.25 an hour and is NOT reasonable to pay rent for ANY apartment or home in this country.
Raise the minimum wage to a point where they can afford to get off welfare and other assistance......$12 dollars an hour seems like a good starting point for that, because everyone agrees that is the BARE MINIMUM for a person to survive without public assistance with no children in this country.
Start encouraging females to be on birth control at age 7 or earlier, if not MANDATE it, so that females can still be sexually free while not having to worry about raising a child out of wedlock (though, I have seen people raising children IN wedlock who don't do very well, so that is not a sure thing, one of the reasons why I am for getting RID of marriage).
Start paying women for having children. Yes, I am serious here: start paying them for having children and raising them, because they are raising our 'next generation of workers'.