Here's an email I got from my friend in the UK named Philena. (Imagine that!) Anyway, since you can't believe everything you hear on the news.. I thought you may wan't to get 1st hand testimonies into what's going on down there.
Things are starting to come out about the New Orleans disaster. Congress is investigating the administration. Of course this is an election year, so probably nothing much will be done, but they'll look like good guys in the process.
My neice has moved back to New Orleans. My brother took some things down for her at New Years. He said it is a ghost city. People can't come back to rebuild because there are not services such as electricity, housing in many areas or stores to suppy people with things to use to rebuild. He saw a lot of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Authority) trailers to use for temporarily housing being pulled down the highway by people with regular pick up trucks when he was returning home to the St. Louis area.
The New Orleans city government in conjunction with the big realtors want to make it so that people have to give up their homes and land if the whole neighborhood doesn't rebuild in 4 months--a huge land grab by the greedy from the victims. I know people are fighting that and hope they can get it overturned.
This is probably the result of a recent Supreme Court case that said state and local governments can seize your land and give it to private corporations who will put "economic developments" such as hotels, chain stores, malls, etc that bring in more tax dollars than your home would to the city. They decide how much you will be compensated and you have no choice.
My cousin and her husband who lost everything except their lives are moving to Maryland on the East coast to live near their daughter who is having a baby. They have been living with one of their daughters who lives in Louisiana. The east coast will be an entirely different experience for these Southerners!
The people of New Orleans are so strong and positive. I admire their stamina. They plan to have Mardi Gras this year. Of course, that has it's down side in that it is forcing homeless hurricane victims out of the hotels. I hope to hear "Laissez le bon temps roullez!" (Let the good time roll!), a favorite saying of New Orleanians, again soon from everyone down there.
