[RavenMaverick]

Can anyone tell me why in America (supposedly) the wealthiest country in the world, New Orleans still looks the way it does today?

The new Stimulus Bill was signed last week. Tons of money for everything else BUT some of the things, areas, people, etc. That really need it.

I am amazed that in today's society that New Orleans doesn't look a lot better than it did a few years ago when Hurricane Katrina hit. It is understandable that it was something that would be impossible to change overnight, but seriously??

I don't get it. It seems to me that New Orleans has been overlooked. Except of course the wealthiest (french quarter) and most tourist attracting areas. The government has to have that big tax revenue yeah? Forget about the other areas. Is poverty there an issue? If this had happened in DC, New York, San Fransisco, would it have rebounded (with the government's help) faster?

I am just sick that something else can't be done.

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[Mr. Asterisk]

Damnit. You just had to resurrect certain feelings in me towards this collage of a topic right before I already told my hypothalamus that I'm going to call it a night. My fingertips will have to be patient to share what the message delivered to them feels about the socio-political-economic monster known as Katrina and her b*stard child that was so un-wanted that it was given a four-letter acronym for a name.

[RavenMaverick]

Sorry... I thought you told your hypothalamus you were calling it a night a while ago!

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[jdoc77]

Please have a talk with your pineal gland too!

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[RavenMaverick]

Please have a talk with your pineal gland too!

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LOL! You know I had to Google that.

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[southjersey786]

First of all America is not the wealthiest country in the world, if it was we wouldn't have a large deficit, second if you look at any country in the world they are going to have problems, third the wealthiest countries are in the middle east, they barely have any deficit-because they have black gold........

[wnm]

Because we are only interested in making it look like we are doing something, while we individually try to accumulate as much wealth and power at the expense of everyone else.

[thinkamp]

well obama is an i d i o t..he already put us in more debt then bush did! frikin great!


yay now i get to pay it off as well as my kids and as well as my grandkids!

[wnm]

You mean the $3trillion in tax cuts and over $1trillion for the war in Iraq?

[golfnut]

The reason N.O has not and will not be addressed is because they feel there is no sense in pouring money into a poverty and crime ridden area that will go under water again.

[Mr. Asterisk]

The reason N.O has not and will not be addressed is because they feel there is no sense in pouring money into a poverty and crime ridden area that will go under water again.

The reason is that you say? No...that is a scapegoat excuse that happens to be backed by legitimate scientific-evidence. However; science isn't needed to justify/explain the aftermath of Katrina...simply look at human dynamics at its most animalistic to do the explaining.

New Orleans has been addressed; it just hasn't been fairly dealt with. Acknowledgment of something is far different from acting on something.

For many of the local-state-national governmental entities...Katrina was a natural 'displacement' that did the job for the people (politicians) who didn't want to do it themselves for fear of backlash/image tarnishing; among other things.

People ask; well what about the residents who lost their homes in the lower 9th Ward and other outlying areas in Katrina's destruction...where do we place them now?
The answer was simple; the burden of taking in the exodus of displaced residents was put on the shoulders of cities such as Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte and various other cities strewn across the south. Sure; some people ventured to states outside the south...but the majority didn't.

It's not that these displaced residents didn't get some form of assistance (however meager it in fact was)...it's just that there was a contingency-clause on the assistance: the contingency was that they couldn't pretty much ever call New Orleans home again. How can they call New Orleans home again when their homes were never re-built...instead they were either boarded up or demolished...kind of like the city and nation saying: "Good riddance; thank you mother nature for coming through for us to get the job done."

As I mentioned in the first paragraph of this post; scientifically it's proven that New Orleans as a city is sinking year after year...land is losing way to encroaching water. If you've ever been to N.O.; at some parts of the city you can stand on the street looking at the lake (Lake Pontchartrain); and literally the water-level is higher than the street...the only barrier holding the water up and from toppling onto you and the streets...are the levees. New Orleans is a city that can be compared to sitting inside the middle of a bowl...everything else up and around it is water. However to say that this undisputed scientific evidence of the sinking of New Orleans is A / THE reason for what unfolded because of Katrina's aftermath...is a bad joke in denial.

Among the handling of Katrina; there are MANY things that should not justifiably exist in America...hunger and homelessness being two of them. I would include 'racism' on that list; but racism is the sadistic and demonic monster that...in a very dark way...makes America and the world spin on its axis.

I cut you; you bleed red. You cut me, I bleed red.

[squiddaddy]

Who cares?

Like Golfnut said, why dump more money into a $hithole.

[tiffanybailey]

I want to know why people thought it was ever a good idea to develop that place in the first place. Like golf just mentioned, you can easily see that the water level is higher that the land in some areas. Why did someone not say "Hey we probably shouldn't stay here unless we want to drown." I don't get it.

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[Mr. Asterisk]

I want to know why people thought it was ever a good idea to develop that place in the first place. Like golf just mentioned, you can easily see that the water level is higher that the land in some areas. Why did someone not say "Hey we probably shouldn't stay here unless we want to drown." I don't get it.

Actually...give credit where credit is due/owed .

To answer your question; New Orleans offered (as it still does) an additional venue to the U.S. for providing an excellent port for ships to bring in goods/materials/resources/etc. Because of this natural port-resource; a thriving city and economy formed around the port. Over the years; oil pipelines were brought from the Gulf of Mexico into New Orleans' ports as an easily accessible tap to the supply line. As the population, infrastructure, economy and the contribution to the nation grew from the region...the area became more established and thus is New Orleans as we know it today.

[zarzamora_hermosa]

Can anyone tell me why in America (supposedly) the wealthiest country in the world, New Orleans still looks the way it does today?

Can anyone tell me why in America, one of the world's most educated countries, people consciously choose to move to and live in locations that are almost guaranteed to experience some kind of natural disaster? When one moves to such a location, it is like assumption of the risk.

[Mr. Asterisk]

Can anyone tell me why in America, one of the world's most educated countries, people consciously choose to move to and live in locations that are almost guaranteed to experience some kind of natural disaster? When one moves to such a location, it is like assumption of the risk.

Wow; you're missing the point...we're not talking about why people have settled down in New Orleans (which I touched on in my prior post)...that's a whole different angle to the discussion.

We're talking about the reaction/handling/approach to the aftermath of Katrina.

Btw; I wonder what qualifiable facts you're using to say that America is 'one of the world's most educated countries'. I'm purely curious as to what variables/parameters you're using to say that.

[editionfws]

I did hurricane cleanup there, it was horriable. the people who still lived there were assholes towards us, and we were trying to help them! Our truck got broken into 4 times while we were there. Luckly we didn't keep anything in it. The people who still live there don't seem like they want help, and ruin it for the people who do want help. And as mentioned above, it's below sea level... It's going to happen again. But then again if they know it's going to happen again, they'll probobly build more shelters etc.

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[RavenMaverick]

Can anyone tell me why in America, one of the world's most educated countries, people consciously choose to move to and live in locations that are almost guaranteed to experience some kind of natural disaster? When one moves to such a location, it is like assumption of the risk.

I know people have moved there, BUT what about the ones who have always been there?

I guess my downfall is the ability to feel empathy. I never considered it a bad thing.

Years and years ago New Orleans was "made" safe by the government and thier levees. There are people that live in New Orleans that have been there since birth and are now elderly.

How do YOU pick up and move to something you have never known. How at 75 or 80 can you (if born in virtual poverty) afford to start all over then? Some with no family, no other contacts. Why should they not be able to trust the government when they say the levees will hold?

I understand that not all residents are elderly, not all of them have no other option. But how can you deny the suffering that occured there and then deny again the same sympathy/help that better more affluent people would have recieved if it had occured somewhere else?

I have a really hard time seeing the footage of the dead layed out in the streets and the government screwing up aid and rescue then saying... "Well, sucks to be you! Shouldn't have been living there to begin with. You only got what you deserved." I have an even harder time imagining someone else being able to do that.

Maybe it's me. Maybe I am just not hard enough. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing? I don't want to live to see the day when I look at others with no compassion for thier plight in my heart.

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[RavenMaverick]

I did hurricane cleanup there, it was horriable. the people who still lived there were assholes towards us, and we were trying to help them! Our truck got broken into 4 times while we were there. Luckly we didn't keep anything in it. The people who still live there don't seem like they want help, and ruin it for the people who do want help. And as mentioned above, it's below sea level... It's going to happen again. But then again if they know it's going to happen again, they'll probobly build more shelters etc.

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I am sorry you got treated like that when you were trying to help. It is a shame that some ruin it for others.

New Orleans is below sea level. The government should not ever imply again that the levees are safe. Which they did again this past hurricane season.

When I talk about getting them help, I am not automatically advocating an entire rebuild of the area. I would just like to see the government step up for those that need it. I am sick that Obama can give GMC millions of dollars (to waste sponsering the Super Bowl) and not allocate any funds for N.O.

Like it or not. They did promise help,but after the spotlight faded so to did the charitable attitude of "The Man".

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[golfnut]

The Katrina before and after was handled poorly by our government. I feel horrible for all those Americans who were treated as though they didn't matter. Our government can still right many of the wrongs that occured by simply saying sorry and doing something about it. The time for talk is gone. I don't claim to know what the right thing to do is. That's why we have a governing body. Do your job, Obama.

[RavenMaverick]

The Katrina before and after was handled poorly by our government. I feel horrible for all those Americans who were treated as though they didn't matter. Our government can still right many of the wrongs that occured by simply saying sorry and doing something about it. The time for talk is gone. I don't claim to know what the right thing to do is. That's why we have a governing body. Do your job, Obama.

Your post was my point only shorter.

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[Mr. Asterisk]

The Katrina before and after was handled poorly by our government. I feel horrible for all those Americans who were treated as though they didn't matter. Our government can still right many of the wrongs that occured by simply saying sorry and doing something about it. The time for talk is gone. I don't claim to know what the right thing to do is. That's why we have a governing body. Do your job, Obama.

'Do your job, Obama'??

We're (at least I am) talking about the handling of Katrina soon after it passed. If my recollection serves me right; Obama wasn't President then. To say that the government can 'right many of the wrongs'...is easy. Sometimes a situation has to present itself to truly know both what has been learned from past experiences; and to know the competence/understanding/caring/fortitude in the form of actions of the leader even if there hypothetically were no past experiences to draw from.

[just txt and calls mam]

america was a credit rich country but not a cash rich country.

I hope it's as it is because they over developed onto a lot of flood plains and will not do it again, the synical may say because it affects the blacks more than the whites, if this was the case this SHOULD change now with Obama in

Or it could be developers are keeping it that way in order to clean up at a later date when it's cheap

[gotblackberry]

'Do your job, Obama'??

We're (at least I am) talking about the handling of Katrina soon after it passed. If my recollection serves me right; Obama wasn't President then. To say that the government can 'right many of the wrongs'...is easy. Sometimes a situation has to present itself to truly know both what has been learned from past experiences; and to know the competence/understanding/caring/fortitude in the form of actions of the leader even if there hypothetically were no past experiences to draw from.

I have a question for you. Who was the mayor of Louisiana during Katrina, who was the governor of Louisiana during Katrina? Is it really the federal governments job? Or do you think the state/city should handle it? I feel like the democrats just used this as a ploy to bash Bush as they did with everything else, when in reality they don't do anything to help either.

[golfnut]

'Do your job, Obama'??

We're (at least I am) talking about the handling of Katrina soon after it passed. If my recollection serves me right; Obama wasn't President then. To say that the government can 'right many of the wrongs'...is easy. Sometimes a situation has to present itself to truly know both what has been learned from past experiences; and to know the competence/understanding/caring/fortitude in the form of actions of the leader even if there hypothetically were no past experiences to draw from.

What are you bickering about? Obama is pres. NOW and can still do something about it. Would you rather him do nothing?

I have a question for you. Who was the mayor of Louisiana during Katrina, who was the governor of Louisiana during Katrina? Is it really the federal governments job? Or do you think the state/city should handle it? I feel like the democrats just used this as a ploy to bash Bush as they did with everything else, when in reality they don't do anything to help either.

I haven't the slightest idea or care who they were. I'm more concerned who they were NOT. When a problem of that magnitude comes along, our government should step in. Just like they step in for other countries we don't give a crap about. Good enough for them, good enough for our states.