Don't Assume

[klassylady25]

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1646611_1646683,00.html

There were many things that lead up to the results of Katrina and many things that you cannot not possibly understand about that area unless you lived there.  New Orleans carries it's own mentality and not all good.  A wonderful place to visit, but over the years it has changed.  It's not the place my husband grew up in, or his mother, or grandmother.... At one time it was a good place to live.  Give-me, give-me attitudes exist while little to no motivation to get up out of the mud.  Slum lords, people fixed on government welfare and lack of incentive has created a slow moving wheel.  If you want to see socialism at it's finest New Orleans is one of the places to go.  I will not say that all the people are broken in terms of no incentive, many are and will rise from the ashes, but that which is getting reported aren't those.

I truly believe that those houses that you see abandoned are just that - abandoned.  Some took it as a sign and opportunity to change their lives and when they left, they didn't look back.  All the houses are accessible to retrieve precious possesions, so why hasn't it been done.  Have you ever thought that maybe the tennet, owner just never wanted to go back.  Stop and think.... Both my brother-in-laws went back.  Tommy went in, picked up his things and moved here.  Jimmy went back to finish his last 2 years of work before retirement.  He lived in a FEMA trailer, while his wife refused to allow the government on THEIR land.  The government offered to buy a track of land from them..... for a very hefty price but Anita refused, saying it's mine... mind you it's a piece of poop.... but by golly it's hers.  This mentality goes on all the time.  People want the government to fix every thing.  Folks we are the government.  Where do you think the monies come from?  The rest of the gulf coast is working to pull themselves up from the bootstraps and you don't hear about that, but you continually hear from the 'squeaky wheel'. 

Personally, I wish the media would give it a rest.  I'm tired of hearing the woes without hearing the solutions.  Lastly, politics in New Orleans is alive and well... and it's not like anything you can imagine.  You know when I was a girl, the city of Shreveport would build lovely new roads and in the middle would be a detour, because it couldn't be decided who would build the bridge.  Like DUH, can't we all play together nicely and get the job done.  New Orleans and the surrounding parishes can't decided what it wants to do.  Believe me, those that can, get it done.  Those that won't even try look for a way to get one more thing from someone else.  Are there poor in New Orleans, yes, and that will never ever change.  Those are the ones that I knew Hurricane Katrina hurt the most.  Natural disaster makes no preferences between the rich and the poor.

I'm going to step down off my soapbox. 

[glennab]

Hi Candy

Much food for thought in these articles.  Thanks for the reference!  I'll be doing a lot more reading.

Lon has gotten first-hand perspective from one of his engineers, who left New Orleans after Katrina, while his parents stayed and are trying to rebuild.  So many stories...

Glenna

[sanbie]

Mmmm very interesting reading...you would think that with todays technology things would be done the correct way...But once again it all returns to money...

Sanbie

[cmpentecost]

The "TIME" magazine articles were really interesting.  Gave me a new perspective on a lot of stuff in the N.O. area.  Thanks for sharing this Candy.

Christine

[Tess (Tassie D)]

Thanks for the story Candy. I would suppose there are many places that have been rebuilt as well as the derelicts. It would be nice to see them as well.

[Ausimax]

 Hi,

I would suggest that those going on the Biloxi trip pack their mud boots and something heavy to carry.
With Hurricane "Dean" lurking in the Caribbean you may just coincide, a nasty looking storm from all reports we are getting out here, and just coming up to the 2nd anniversary of Katrina.


Max

[glennab]

Hi Max

Dean is indeed a nasty storm, a Category 4, but the prediction is for it to hit Mexico and possibly the southernmost tip of Texas.  I think (hope) we'll be fine in Biloxi.  Of course the darn things are so unpredictable that you never know.  Say a little prayer for the team!

Hugs!

Glenna

[John]

Here's a picture I took of my girlfriend Christine when we drove through Biloxi back in June of 2005... to those of you heading down there, I'm interested to know if this big shark head survived or if it was rebuilt after the storm... keep an eye out for it, you can't miss it!   :funny: