Some people who came back to New Orleans are now choosing to move out of the city. The city is slow to deal with basic infrastructure and crime is still a headache. Perhaps Nagin should spend more time focusing his efforts on dealing with the basics than trying to deflect attention away from his shortcomings by showing how slow rebuilding has been at Ground Zero with insensitive remarks.
New Orleans is complaining about the difficulty in tapping federal aid because of the red tape involved. The city has to spend its own money in applying for the aid before it is disbursed; which is designed to cut down on fraud and misapplication of the funds to items other than those that should be funded by the federal government.
For every repair project, city officials must follow a lengthy application process — and spend their own money — before getting a dime of federal aid to fix at least 833 projects such as police stations, courtrooms, baseball fields or auditoriums.Should this process be expedited so that the affected communities can rebuild faster? Well, given the problems associated with the FEMA disaster relief credit cards, where recipients spent the money on items completely unrelated to the disaster - from purchases of lap dances to sex change operations, some kind of oversight appears warranted. Yet some states did a better job in demonstrating that there were proper checks on the appropriations process. For example:
Residents don't care much what the cause is. They're just tired of crater-like potholes, sudden drops in water pressure and debris-clogged storm drains.
"We're not asking for a lot. At this point, we're just looking for basic services: power, gas, water. Sewer that doesn't back up into your house would be nice too," said Jeb Bruneau, president of the neighborhood association in the Lakeview area. "Whatever the snafu was, the result is Joe Blow Citizen isn't seeing the effect of that federal money."
Louisiana eventually expects to get at least $25 billion in federal money for rebuilding projects, including everything from levee repairs to homeowner assistance. Of that money, $6 billion to $8 billion will be doled out statewide to repair broken roads, schools, water pipes and countless other problems.
But to get the money, the city — and other agencies such as the Sewerage and Water Board, the Regional Transit Authority and Orleans Parish School Board — must fill out worksheets for every construction project.
The worksheets are submitted to FEMA, which determines whether the project is eligible for federal aid. If approved, the federal government releases the approved money to the state, but the local government fronts the money to have the work done. After that, the local government can submit receipts for reimbursement.
The money for the homeowner program was slower to arrive in Louisiana than in Mississippi because Mississippi was quicker to submit a plan that demonstrated checks and balances on the funding.Many of the problems in Louisiana can be traced back to the 'leaders' in Louisiana - Gov. Blanco and NOLA Mayor Nagin. All the same, housing remains a major priority in Mississippi as it does elsewhere along the coast. Housing stocks were devastated by Katrina, Rita, and Wilma and hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced as a result of the storm damage.
While many media outlets push stories showing how the disaster affected the Bush Administration, less attention is put on the state and local governments that have to cope with the situation on a day-to-day basis. Yes, the Administration has suffered as a result of the slow perceived response, but that is exascerbated by the failings at all levels of government to deal with the situation and to be prepared for natural disasters. Billions in federal aid remains available to be tapped, but as we've seen, state and local government application for the money is varied in its efficiency.
The Sun Herald and the Times Picayune will have a running expose on life in South Mississippi one year after Katrina hit. So does the New York Times, New York Post, and other outlets like MSNBC whose Rising From Ruin series details the efforts of areas in the Gulf other than New Orleans.
Cehwiedel has been on top of the hurricane relief efforts with the Carnival of Hurricane Relief. There have been 52 editions since the hurricane came out, so check it out.
UPDATE:
The Army Corps says that it still hasn't completed repairs to the levee system and Governor Blanco has said that if a hurricane heads towards the city, New Orleans residents must get out because there's no guarantee that the flood protection systems will hold. This news comes on the heels that Tropical Storm Ernesto heads into the Carribean. The news that the Corps hasn't completed repairs comes even as the Corps missed the June 1 deadline for repairs and shows just how badly managed the flood control systems around New Orleans have been.
Mayor Nagin now claims he wishes someone else was Mayor? Well, doesn't that beat all. He could have chosen not to run, but did so. Nagin really ought to keep silent on these matters as every time he opens his mouth he does something to remind us how awful a leader he has been.
Meanwhile, ABC News looks at the economic fallout from Katrina a year later. One area of concern is the lack of progress in replacing the nearly 200,000 homes destroyed by the storm. Part of the problem relates back to the flood control situation, as well as insurance company issues and red tape. It's a slow process, and as someone who has visited Homestead Florida where Andrew made landfall in 2004, I can tell you that damage from these storms remains to this day in the form of empty lots, damaged buildings, and trees that still suffer the marks of that storm a decade later.
Technorati: flood aid; hurricane katrina; katrina aid; slidell; biloxi; gulfport; pascagoula; nagin; blanco; barbour.
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