Katrina: A look back

I refer to Iddybud who wrote on the OAC blog a very good analysis, entitled: Katrina: A Moral Wake-Up Call Still Unanswered.

On the night of August 28, 2005, we heard warnings on the television about a storm named Katrina whose sheer size had become devastatingly clear. It was said that it might be "the one" that many had feared would someday drown New Orleans. The next morning, it seemed as if New Orleans had dodged the worst-case scenario after having had experienced the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record. Then the word came in that the storm surge was too much for the levees and that they were failing. If we were lucky enough to have been out of the storm's path, many of us will recall being glued to the television, watching the horrific story play out before our eyes, as millions of Americans watched and mourned for their fellow citizens in the days that would follow.

As on 9/11, the day the levees failed in New Orleans was a day were reminded of our common values as American citizens. Concerned Americans generously donated their talents, their money, and their time to helping the people of the Gulf Coast. The media's coverage of the aftermath of disaster from the deadly storm reminded us how well we work together as one America. Although citizens from all walks of life were affected by the tragedy, we were shocked and perhaps ashamed to have met the faces of so many Americans who had been living in what seemed to many of us to be another world - another America - long before a hurricane had come along to displace them. We witnessed the injustice of poverty in our nation as we learned of thousands of Americans who were stranded in New Orleans because they had no way to escape Hurricane Katrina. The class differences we've seen, in not only the level of devastation, but also in the overall rebuilding and recovery in New Orleans over the past year has served to reinforce Senator Edwards' "Two Americas" message.

Read the rest here.

Well said, Iddybud. Amen

Prosense at the DU has posted links about the state of NOLA today. Discouraging, but JRE did say last year it would take decades to rebuild as he was there within 2 weeks after the levees broke.

Facing South blog (which interviewed JRE earlier this summer) has an interesting perspective about Katrina and its tragedy. They maintain that the tragedy is still happening to due fraud, red tape, and that for the exception of certain stalwart groups, such as Jesse Jackson, NAACP, and guess who was among that list, John Edwards, progressives forgot Katrina survivors too.

A new Census Bureau report is out and the number of uninsured climbed up closer to 47 million. The only cheery short of news is that poverty didn't go up--it's not going down either. John Edwards issued the following statement in response to this report:

The horrors of Katrina were a terrible wake-up call to the vast majority of Americans about the millions of families in our midst who live in poverty every day, all across our country. Katrina should have been a defining moment in the fight against poverty - the American people's desire for change should have been matched by action from this Administration. But it wasn't. And a year later, we see the result of the Administration's inattention and neglect - stagnation. The number of Americans living in poverty remains unchanged at 37 million. A year ago, the President said we have a duty to confront poverty with bold action, and then he turned a blind eye once again. If the President won't act, I hope the American people will - talk to your church or synagogue or mosque, contact a local charity, anything you can do will make a difference.

"Just as alarming, the number of Americans without health care coverage grew to nearly 47 million. These families are already living on the edge and just one health care emergency will make it even harder for them to make ends meet. It is time for this Administration to finally take action, to stop the growing divide between the wealthiest Americans and the millions and millions who live paycheck to paycheck."

Lastly, ACORN is sueing FEMA on behalf of Katrina survivors. just got this PR about 30 min ago from Charles Jackson of ACORN. I'm proud JRE is affiliated with this group and stood with them last month.

WASHINGTON, DC - This morning the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) filed suit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in federal district court in the District of Columbia for failing to adequately explain to hurricane evacuees why their housing benefits are being terminated. Approximately 7,000 evacuees stand to lose their housing as of August 31 unless the court acts.

Katrina survivors assert that FEMA systematically fails to explain why benefits have been denied and what evacuees may do to fix any problems with their applications for continued housing assistance. Instead, FEMA sends form letters to evacuees that only contain a cryptic computer code or phrase that refers to a reason for each termination of benefits.

The suit alleges that the reasons for termination remain vague even after the computer codes have been deciphered, and that for a half-century, the Supreme Court has consistently required agencies to clearly explain their reasons for denial of benefits in time to allow affected individuals to appeal the agency's decision. Survivors of Katrina and Rita deserve this basic due process.

"Anyone with a $299 computer can mail-merge an explanatory paragraph into a form letter," said Texas RioGrande Legal Aid attorney Jerome wesevich. "By using a computer code instead of the English language, FEMA has made what appears to be a deliberate attempt to place barriers between desperate families and the housing that Congress said they should have."

When evacuees call in response to a letter denying benefits, FEMA representatives strain to clearly state the reason for the termination. The process has forced evacuees to run in circles to obtain documents that may not even be needed, and some evacuees have even been given entirely different reasons for the denial when they call FEMA at a later time.

"We stand today with evacuees all across this country who have done everything within their power to put the pieces of their lives back together," said ACORN representative Debra Campbell. Ms. Campbell is the leader of the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association that has over 5,000 members.

ACORN is represented by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (Jerome Wesevich 915-241-0534) and Public Citizen Litigation Group (Michael T. Kirkpatrick 202-588-1000).

The lawsuit and supporting exhibits can be found at Public Citizen.

What hypocrisy--and Our President and his wife are in New Orleans today, in remembrance of what?

Slideshow of 9th Ward, NOLA

Tags: Iddybud, John Edwards, JRE, uninsured, health insturance, poverty, ACORN, FEMA, Katrina survivors, Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Public Citizen, One America Committee, Benny's World