Over 2 years ago George Bush stood in Jackson Square andpromised the “federal government will undertake a close partnership with the
states of Louisiana and Mississippi, the city of New Orleans, and other
Gulf Coast cities, so they can rebuild in a sensible, well-planned way.” The past 2 years have shown it to be anything but.
Ray in New Orleans has been posting on the progress or apparent lack thereof on the homes he helped to gut in NOLA. One of those is the home which theFirst Draft Krewe helped to gut…
Ray reports this on that property as of now…“The flooded car has been towed from the driveway, and the valuables we
salvaged (including the old blue wheelchair) have been moved inside,
but other than that, this is a house being consumed by flora and fauna.” (Photo here)
Ray has worked on “around 17” homes and reports a similar lack of progress on almost all of those which he returned to view recently.
Marshall Plan or lack thereof
The facts of Katrina have been recounted many times over–90,000 square miles of damage and destruction, 300,000 homes damaged or destroyed, 80% of New Orleans flooded, over 1700 dead–a breadth and depth of sorrow and suffering that when viewed first hand leaves most to recall the scenes of bombed out WWII Germany and think only a Marshall Plan could begin to bring healing and rebirth. Of course it did not, has not and likely will not occur. In its stead the federal government wrote a check and neatly tied it in red tape. In its stead has been an unfolding of piecemeal actions lacking any semblence of comprehensive planning, leadership or result. In its stead what has been offered is bootstraps, a concept alternately applauded (for MS) and sneered (for NOLA) yet grossly relied upon with tragic consequences for all. And I mean all of America.
Perhaps it is harsh but when members of the UK show Top Gear traveled through the Gulf Coast and when seeing the shocking devastation in New Orleansthey asked:“How can the rest of America sleep at night knowing that this is here?”
America
It is a good question and one that presumes Americans do know. Given the lack of press coverage, lack of opinion polls, lack of
information, spin and yes misinformation that comes with less and less
frequency from the government on the recovery of the Gulf Coast–it is nearly impossible to tell what Americans know. Yet the question remains and in fact it strikes at the heart of America because in the land built by, of and for the people, the presumption is that Americansshould know. Of course weshould also know of war, extraordinary rendition, habeus corpus, wiretapping, torture…everything done and not done in our name. America asks much of us in that way. And more. For not only should we know but we shouldcare and we should act. It’s quite a responsibility to say the least. One which we each try to strive to meet in our own way. Mine has become to write of New Orleans and I harbor no illusions on that front. Most days I don’t know that it does a bit of good but I could no more stop than I could stop being an American. For it is in New Orleans that I have truly realized the meaning of America.
If you want to know more, read on for A Tale of Two Blocks…
Continue reading “On America, progress, empty lots and empty promises”
