Forgotten City

I'll never forget getting the e-mail. The Dart Society was looking for volunteers to go to New Orleans and help with the rebuilding effort.

[Ginie Heppes]

Will Perreault is right. "Words, photographs, images" do not portray the damage done to the city of New Orleans and its surrounds. Neither do they convey the damaged spirit of the people who live there. I've been there three times with others from my church in Clarksburg during the past year to help with mudding out houses and cleanup. Everyone who goes there to help is overwhelmed by the amount of destruction that Katrina wrought--even now, almost two years later. Not only homes were destroyed but peoples whole lives. All community infrastructure--schools, churches, hospitals, clinics, community centers--needs rebuiding.

Much help is still needed. Please give up a week or two of your life to help the city rebuild. There are many organizations both secular and religious. Our church uses Crossroads Missions (Note: the organization our church uses is Crossroads Missions (http://www.crossroadsmissions .com/).

Thank you channel 9 for bringing New Orleans to the forefront. It needs to be in the news every week!

[Janice Troglia]

As part of a church mission, I have been to New Orleans three times, most recently in April, to work and help out as much as I could. I have made friends along with way and have cried with some. God has called me to mission work and New Orleans is "my place" to do that work. Let us all rejoice with the life that is left and the strength to help when it is called upon.

[paisleyposey]

Janice Troglia wrote:

As part of a church mission, I have been to New Orleans three times, most recently in April, to work and help out as much as I could. I have made friends along with way and have cried with some. God has called me to mission work and New Orleans is "my place" to do that work. Let us all rejoice with the life that is left and the strength to help when it is called upon.

From a transplant, God bless you!

[pragmatist]

Janice Troglia wrote:

As part of a church mission, I have been to New Orleans three times, most recently in April, to work and help out as much as I could. I have made friends along with way and have cried with some. God has called me to mission work and New Orleans is "my place" to do that work. Let us all rejoice with the life that is left and the strength to help when it is called upon.

I'll be praying for you. Lord knows New Orleans is a very dangerous place to be right now. If the thugs don't kill you, a relatively minor injury can because there is no medical care. But, His eye is on the sparrow, so I know he watches (you and) me.

[paisleyposey]

pragmatist wrote:

<quoted text>
I'll be praying for you. Lord knows New Orleans is a very dangerous place to be right now. If the thugs don't kill you, a relatively minor injury can because there is no medical care. But, His eye is on the sparrow, so I know he watches (you and) me.

We were there for the first half of January. Our Companion had a wisdom tooth abscess, and we had to take him across the lake to Slidell for an emergency room. It's like 'camping' down there. You might have to drive a little further for what you're looking for; but, it's still attainable.
Many of the stoplights don't work, they're all flashing yellow...you treat those like 4-way stops, except in NOLA, there are 4 lights at every intersection...
Like Mad Maxx, a little.

[Mike B]

I am a Tulane graduate living in Bethesda. Forgotten city? I don't think so. How much Federal and state money along with charitable donations have been given to New Orleans?
Many former residents have found better lives in other cities and will never return. Katrina was a blessing in disguise for them.

[connie]

im sorry we all gave money,went down there,sent down there.now you want us to rebuild thier homes to? what are they doing but sitting back say they have and recieve no help.i have spoken to some on-line who say its the presidents fault he wont give,how much more do you want?

[John McCusker]

connie wrote:

im sorry we all gave money,went down there,sent down there.now you want us to rebuild thier homes to? what are they doing but sitting back say they have and recieve no help.i have spoken to some on-line who say its the presidents fault he wont give,how much more do you want?

Rebuild our homes too? By "too" you imply that stuff has been repaired. It hasn't. You can blame the victims all you want, but the fact is the government tied their aid up with so much red-tape that it is impossible to get at. So President Bush can say he has pledged a trillion dollars, but it does not mean that the US citizens living in New Orleans have gotten a dime.

[John McCusker]

pragmatist wrote:

<quoted text>
I'll be praying for you. Lord knows New Orleans is a very dangerous place to be right now. If the thugs don't kill you, a relatively minor injury can because there is no medical care. But, His eye is on the sparrow, so I know he watches (you and) me.

I'm sorry but this reply is a little over the top. I've lived in New Orleans 44 years and never had a gun stuck in my face. So this thug behind every every corner stuff is hogwash. If you do not want to get murdered in New Orleans, your best bet is to stay out of the crack trade. The way this post is written one would assume that stand up citizens are being dropped by thugs everyday. That's not the case.
As for medical care all of my doctors came back and I have no trouble getting an appointment.
Of course things might be different up there in St. Francisville where you are, 100 miles from New Orleans. Don't you think you should get your facts straight before you spew this type of drivel about my city? We have enough problems.

[paisleyposey]

John McCusker wrote:

<quoted text>
Rebuild our homes too? By "too" you imply that stuff has been repaired. It hasn't. You can blame the victims all you want, but the fact is the government tied their aid up with so much red-tape that it is impossible to get at. So President Bush can say he has pledged a trillion dollars, but it does not mean that the US citizens living in New Orleans have gotten a dime.

Yes, the federal money has been available to MS residents for awhile now. Louisiana tied their up at the state level, still trying to decide what to do with it!

[John McCusker]

paisleyposey wrote:

<quoted text>
Yes, the federal money has been available to MS residents for awhile now. Louisiana tied their up at the state level, still trying to decide what to do with it!

I realize that from your vantage point in Indiana you're in a unique position to take in the local scene in New Orleans. However for those of us living in this mess, we know that Miss. was treated different for a number of reasons. Read the stories on NOLA.COM .

[1badf350]

I can't believe they re-elected Ray Nagin.

[paisleyposey]

John McCusker wrote:

<quoted text>
I realize that from your vantage point in Indiana you're in a unique position to take in the local scene in New Orleans. However for those of us living in this mess, we know that Miss. was treated different for a number of reasons. Read the stories on NOLA.COM .

I moved up here from Slidell in 94, and I go back and visit all the time, have friends and family there. That commission Blanco appointed, and that is tying up funds, is for real.

[pragmatist]

John McCusker wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm sorry but this reply is a little over the top. I've lived in New Orleans 44 years and never had a gun stuck in my face. So this thug behind every every corner stuff is hogwash. If you do not want to get murdered in New Orleans, your best bet is to stay out of the crack trade. The way this post is written one would assume that stand up citizens are being dropped by thugs everyday. That's not the case.
As for medical care all of my doctors came back and I have no trouble getting an appointment.
Of course things might be different up there in St. Francisville where you are, 100 miles from New Orleans. Don't you think you should get your facts straight before you spew this type of drivel about my city? We have enough problems.

Those aren't my "facts." They are taken from the "facts" being posted by WhiteGuyinGentily on http://www.topix.net/forum/city/new-orleans-l... .

The murders, almost a daily occurence now, are taken from the NOLA.com website.

I bow to your local, on-the-ground, reporting as all I have to go by are the news items and the posts from other New Orleans-area residents.

St. Francisvile is lovely, thank you for asking.

[Louise Stevens]

It upsets me that so many people in New Orleans are trying to rebuild without help from the government. Bush can make empty promises but these people need action from the government not false promises. The United States goes to other countries and help them rebuild their homes and lives after a disaster, but can't help their own American people when a disaster happens. There should be no red tape that can't be cut when an American citizen is in need of help.

It is wonderful that there is so many people are still there in New Orleans trying to help the fighters that are still there trying to rebuild their lives. It would be so much easier for the volunteers and the New Orleans people if the money was released to help the volunteers to effectively assist the residents that are still there trying to rebuild their homes and lives.

[pragmatist]

Louise Stevens wrote:

It upsets me that so many people in New Orleans are trying to rebuild without help from the government. Bush can make empty promises but these people need action from the government not false promises. The United States goes to other countries and help them rebuild their homes and lives after a disaster, but can't help their own American people when a disaster happens. There should be no red tape that can't be cut when an American citizen is in need of help.
It is wonderful that there is so many people are still there in New Orleans trying to help the fighters that are still there trying to rebuild their lives. It would be so much easier for the volunteers and the New Orleans people if the money was released to help the volunteers to effectively assist the residents that are still there trying to rebuild their homes and lives.

The Federal Government (not President Bush) made the funds available. Congress even waived the state and local-match requirements. I don't understand what's missing? On whom are we waiting?

[John McCusker]

This is absolutely untrue. The federal match has not been waived. There haver been bills introduced-but none have become law. The 10% match is still in place. Don't believe me? Ask recovery czar Donald Powell who has been fighting against waiving the match from the get go. You say you like literal truth? Well there it is.

[pragmatist]

John McCusker wrote:

This is absolutely untrue. The federal match has not been waived. There haver been bills introduced-but none have become law. The 10% match is still in place. Don't believe me? Ask recovery czar Donald Powell who has been fighting against waiving the match from the get go. You say you like literal truth? Well there it is.

Then help me understand what I'm missing here, please.

6/04/07 http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/7816697.html...

6/03/07
http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/06/s...

5/24/07
http://landrieu.senate.gov/~landrieu/releases...

[John McCusker]

Has Bush signed it? No!
The previous bill which contained the Stafford repeal was vetoed by W.
Again, as I stated, this repeal has yet to become law.

[pragmatist]

You are correct, John. I recall now that the President warned Congress in April that he would veto the funding bill if it contained an Iraq "surrender" date, which it did. So, he did as he promised and vetoed the bill in May, as soon as he got it.

I thought, though, that Congress submitted a revised bill, sans surrender, and the President signed it in late May.

http://www.moronosphere.com/rayinneworleans/a...

What am I missing?