I feel the need to say this anytime a story about Katrina is written. I have never in my life seen a natural disaster that spawned so many free-loaders in my life. People siiting by their homes, bemoaning that they have not gotten anything. Well, you can sit and beg, or get off your you kow what and begin helping yourself. I lived 6 blocks from two "Hundred Year" floods on the Mississippi during the 90's. We saw entire towns and villages swept down river. Homes gone, not damaged, but GONE. These people did not sit and cry racism or any other complaint, they got up and took care of things. They went to the relief, instead of waiting for it to come to them, then going to the press to bemoan their treatment. I have seen a women in Chicago housed in a church home for one year FREE. When they told her they needed her to leave, SHE COMPLAINED. "What am I supposed to do?" I'll tell you. GET UP OFF YOU *** and take care of yourself. It is amazing to see such a large group of people think they are entitled to be taken care of. Especially when mankind has witnessed equal, or even worse catastrophies that did not spawn an entire population of freeloaders.

Rob S,please be more specific,who is this large group of people you speak of?

How about America's least-effective mayor? C. Ray Nagin? Did anyone see how, after a reporter asked him why more hasn't been done to rebuild New Orleans yet, he struck back with, "you all up in New York can't fix a hole in the ground and it's been five years." Wow, classy. I can't imagine why the local response was so bad with this type of leadership.

Raving Loon,
I do not know names or neighborhoods specifically, but after having seen hundreds of snippets on The Nightly News, Local News, CNN etc. covering the disaster, specifically people sitting outside their damaged/destroyed homes saying they are getting no assistance, I wonder how long they will sit there before getting up and taking the initiative. In Iowa, I personally knew over 100 people whose homes were either destroyed, or worse taken away by the river completely, leaving an empty lot. They were not interviewed weeks later, sitting outside their property saying the government is discriminating against and doing nothing for them. They went to the help, they did not wait for the help to find them. They took the initiative to begin rebuilding their lives. This included a large hispanic population, so this is not only about the whites who have everything. Yes, I have seen more than one "victim" interviewed over the last year saying that the relief is not being given to blacks. The people on the Mississippi as a whole rose up, and vowed to rebuild. Within 2 months, new houses were going up. People were putting their lives back together, not waiting for the handouts of others. The press did not glorify the few that thought a natural disaster meant a free ride to a new home. They covered the people of all races and religions rising up together to rebuild.
Now I agree, that the Mayor in New Orleans is basically worthless. He has done little if nothing to support his people. However, there has been enough coverage of people sitting, waiting for charity to come to them to show that the city of New Orleans has many people who think they are entitled to a new life without expending any time or sweat of their own.

In addition to that class act, Nagin you may add the people who voted for him.

The fact that FEMA mishandled this (to put it mildly) does not obsolve the local government (both state and municipal) for their negligence. I heard years ago that if a Cat 5 were to hit New Orleans directly the whole city would be inundated. I knew that YEARS ago, and I don't even live there?

Why weren't the 19th Century levies upgraded?

Why wasn't there a plan in place in the event of just such a disaster?

Bill,
Please read the About The Swamp page to fully understand why comments by local politicians (Ray Nagin) are not blogged about. If you don't have anything to add about the article please do not respond for the sake of seeing yourself post a comment.

Bill,

Again, Ray Nagin is a LOCAL politition.

FEMA-Fulltime job-To prepare for,and react to situations like Katrina.MISSION UNACCOMPLISHED!!

FEMA-Overseen by Republican Pesident DumDum.

Here's Ray-Ray's not-an-apology apology. This story gets better by the day.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060828/D8JP660O0.html

John E., Mississippi is one state over from Louisiana. They are much further ahead in reconstruction than Louisiana. All politics is local and if you try to tell me that state and local politicians don't hold more sway in terms of approving construction contracts than the massive, bloated federal government I'll get a good chuckle today.

A senate report said that FEMA should be abolished. I agree. Expecting a bureaucracy like FEMA to effectively lead a rebuilding effort is like expecting a pleasant, quick, and customer-centric visit to the DMV.

Janet, nice try, but Ray Nagin is now a national figure as a result of this disaster. You can't have a full discussion of why New Orleans isn't rebuilding faster without discussing him. He doesn't get a pass. I have plenty to add about Ray Nagin and his ineffectiveness and that's why I'm posting it. It seems like I'm not the only one. If you don't like where the discussion goes you don't have to read it.

Also, Janet, Somehow when Ray Nagin and Mitch Landrieu were running against each other for Mayor of New Orleans that merited a full article in The Swamp. That too local for ya? Why I wonder The Swamp broke its own rules for posting a story about local politics? Could it POSSIBLY be because of the national importance of the reconstruction of New Orleans?

Rob S,I,m just asking,the large group of people you referred to,are they white,yellow brown,black,or a mixture.This shoudn't be so difficult to answer.

Hmmm, a speak from the cuff, unapologetic politician? Ray Nagin and George Bush may have more in common than they think.

Bill,
Mississippi was not devastated like New Orleans was.
The levees were not up to code because the Federal Government would not give them the money needed for the upgrades.

FEMA-ran under the guidance of a person, or a cronie,nominated by George W.
Federal Government-Headed by George W.

Let the people make the call.

Raving Loon they are black. I have seen your posts, you cry racism at every chance. You are a total joke.

Chip,
Didn't I see you,and John D.aka JD
Marching up in Madison,Wisconsin this past weekend??

Hey,a white sheet for good old Chipmeister.

At least you had the stones to admit it.

I may be a joke,but i'm not a RACIST.

John E. You're right, the Army Corps of Engineers recommended that FEMA upgrade the levees around New Orleans. But it was in 1996 when Clinton was president and his appointee was in charge of FEMA. That's not to absolve Bush, he received the same recommendation and should have heeded what the Corps said, too, but to suggest that he's the only one responsible for not bringing them up to code is just wrong.

While it's true that New Orleans suffered heavier loss of life and property damage from Katrina (because it is, let's see, below sea level) the devastation in Mississippi was real, painful and shouldn't be sloughed off as "not as bad as New Orleans." I saw a presentation at the International Roofing Expo that showed casino barges that crushed whole neighborhoods on the Mississippi coast. 60,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged and there was loss of life.

I was also referring to the steps that Mississippi government (republican and democrat) has made since the hurricane to rebuild and change the way they do business. The legislature passed a bill to make the stringent International Building Code the standard for the state. Haley Barbour has said he'll sign the bill. The state has moved ahead of the insurance companies and given checks to homeowners so they can rebuild.
(http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4146800.html)

The state has also pressured the insurance industry to live up to its responsibilities for insured buildings outside of the flood plain. This is real progress.

John E,

I doubt if you'll find anybody here who will deny that FEMA effed-up bigtime!

The levees have been known to be inadequate for decades. Why is it only the Bush administration's failure that they have not been upgraded?

But more to the point, why does that obsolve local government for also having effed-up?

At the very least there should have been an evacuation and relief plan in place locally, something a litle better than shouting "RUN!" That's only reasonable. I assume that in San Francisco, for example, there is such a municipal plan for earthquakes.

Sorry, Knucklehead Nagin has to take the blame for that.

Gee, why am I NOT surprised to see the worthless human waste, otherwise known as John E., attacked me and call me a racist? No posts by me, yet I still called a name that I am not.

Anyway, to set record straight, Mississippi suffered even worse than did New Orleans. For miles inland, Misssissippi was completely wiped out as it suffered the brunt of Katrina.

Janet, the Swamp posts things on Chris Dodd, Joe Lieberman, George Allen and macaca (gee, have the Trib Swampers finally given that ship up???). Mayor Ray Nagin is a national figure and the rebuilding along the Gulf Coast is a national event.

And, when on earth, will John E., EVER make a post that actually contains one bit of intelligence, some insight, some fact, some cogent analysis? More than likely, NEVER!!!!

RobS:

Considering that hundreds of businesses have yet to return, let alone rebuild, in New Orleans, tell me: how can the residents of New Orleans "GET UP OFF THEIR *** and take care of yourself" as you demand? Where will the people find the jobs that will pay them a salary so they can have the finances to rebuild their lives? Maybe they could all relocate up here in Chicago, just like they've done in Houston. Then we can have a major increase in crime just Houston has thanks to those Katrina refugees. Is that what you want?

BC
A friend of mine was down in New Orleans in April for JazzFest and toured the city. He says he saw sign after sign of businesses advertising for jobs, offering good money and bonus incentives.

Also many businesses are hiring illegal aliens to fill unfilled jobs, especially in construction. Why? because they are there looking for work whereas the folks who are or have been residents, are not looking to fill those jobs apparently.

Sorry to bring facts and perspective to the situation here, but you asked.

How was my post racist? Raving Loon asked what color the people were that were affected. Does answering that make me racist? John E, what march are you talking about? If you infere my post as racist then you're a bit too sensative.

Little Johnny D.aka JD aka Beavis aka Butthead,

Your friends saw business's with signs out front that said NOW HIRING ILLEGAL ALIENS??

That's some real insight there.

I would have to believe you really have some friends before I believed that.

"Also many businesses are hiring illegal aliens to fill unfilled jobs, especially in construction. Why? because they are there looking for work whereas the folks who are or have been residents, are not looking to fill those jobs apparently."

John D.:

Your racism comes through even when you're not explicit about it. We all know that N.O. is and was predominately black. Add that fact to your spew, and the standard Republican "blacks are lazy" hate message comes through loud and clear.

Perhaps you might consider that the population of N.O. is dramatically down because "folks" no longer have places to live. If the folks can't live there, they can't work there. That's why there are so many jobs available.

===

John E's comment about illegal aliens being hired is a good one. One thing about John D., he's an even-handed hater.

Chip,
You paint with a broad brush. That's what I find disgusting.

Not only are Lefters the true racists in the world, but they are truly the dumbest people alive.

I did not say my friend saw signs saying NOW HIRING ILLEGAL ALIENS. Not even close. He saw signs in front of businesses pleading for help, ads in newspapers offering high pay and bonuses, etc.

However, many jobs and construction work is going to illegal aliens because they are there looking for work.

Here, maybe these will help the dumbest people alive (lefties):

http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/viewStory.cfm?recID=16269

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002929530_katimmig14.html

Burger King offering $6,000 bonuses to fill New Orleans jons:
http://sayanythingblog.com/2005/10/09/new_orleans_has_a_booming_job_market/

http://www.nytimes-institute.com/recruit.html

You see, dumb lefties, jobs in all walks of life and in all skill levels are looking for people in New Orleans. Offereing higher pay and bonuses to get them back or to get people to move there and take those jobs.

Nothing racist here, just stating fact. I know facts are foreign to dumb, incompetent, no-brain, racist lefties. Right, JohnE., the one who called a poster named "Juanito," "Juanito Bandito"???? Racist lefties?? It's an oxymoron.

janet,
What are you talking about? I answered a question by Raving Loon. He wanted someone to say who was most affected by Katrina. I answered black, which is the answer he was looking for. What are you talking about a broad brush? Serioulsy, go back and read the previous posts to get caught up. Disgusting? what is wrong with Janet? You make know sense in saying I paint, since I have done nothing but answer a question. You're a joke.

John E.

John D. and I are two different people....but we both think you are an idiot.

Chip,
Rob S. posted that Katrina spawned "freeloaders". Raving Loon then asked him to clarify what large group of "freeloaders" he was referring to. You answered they were black. It came off that you were in agreement w/ Rob S.

Chip,
Rob S. posted that Katrina spawned "freeloaders". Raving Loon then asked him to clarify what large group of "freeloaders" he was referring to. You answered they were black. It came off that you were in agreement w/ Rob S.