Here is the government’s site listing all the relief efforts and future expenditures for Katrina’s victims. “President Bush continues to follow through with the Federal commitment to “do what it takes” to help residents of the Gulf Coast rebuild their lives in the wake of the disaster.” This is a clue to what you will find here at the Dept. of Homeland Securtiy Site.
I have been asking everyone I run into for their take on the Katrina disaster and what they think needs to be done. The answers I received were not what I had expected. Upper middle class to upper class persons (Republican’s mostly) thought the remaining problems related to the displaced moved to Texas and all the ungrateful complaining they were doing. “No wonder Texas wants them out.” The more liberal minded were surprised/shocked after looking at my photos, videos, and hearing my personal observations, that the situation was as it is. They really did not understand the damaged areas were still in need of cleanup and their personal knowledge was limited to plans their Church groups had for providing cleanup assistance later this summer or donations they had made and what they had seen on the evening news.
The mid to lower (economic) class people tended to feel the governments failures were directly related to rich peoples views about poverty and racial isssues. “They do not care, they want those people to suffer”. “If it were a bunch of whites stiffs they would be there helping more”.
I came across this article by Robert Radujko-Moore, Ph.D. at My Spaces that expresses a common opinion I heard a lot.
Bold-Face Katrina Immorality
Let’s Get Past Diluting the Disaster with Words
Yet Once We Know Who The Enemy Is, It May Be Us“The majority of displaced citizens are black/African Americans. From Willie Lynch to the “Jim Crow” laws and beyond, racism is a fact in the United States. A lot has changed, yet from sea to shining sea there is nothing like the South.”
Well folks, the people I saw were young, old, short, tall, white, black, employed, on public assistance, not on public assistance, middle class, upper class, and poor. Katrina apparently did not differentiate or discriminate when delivering her blow. The few I conversed with were friendly and upbeat. The exception was when we became semi lost in New Orleans and – well – I had a few moments of being afurd (nerd scared) – but that is another story. ..
With Delay exposed and George Bush the known as the “Head Leaker” will people listen to the “liberals” now. After all we have screamed, protested, and written about the corrupt, money hungry, out of touch with the ordinary citizen administration. Tax cuts for the Richest, Iraq, Social Security plans, Katrina, cuts in medical coverage and other social programs, ummmm. ..
I don’t know why but I just thought of a few lines from Fiddler on the Roof (Tevye): “Dear God, you made many, many poor people. I realize, of course, that it’s no shame to be poor. But it’s no great honor either!”
I’ve had the same questions you have about this. There are two blogs I’ve followed since Katrina hit — http://timsnamelessblog.blogspot.com and http://dancingwithkatrina.blogspot.com/.
The second one focused much more on Mississippi than New Orleans in the beginning because the reporters were from Mississippi and rode the storm out really close to the edge.
I try to hold myself back from making blatant judgments on people, but I honestly believe it is the perceived lack of “political capital” in those states that allows the Bush administration to pay lip service and not much more. This administration seems to put their attention where they see the best payoff or where their personal agendas lead them with little regard for what’s best for suffering people across the country.
This disaster was the perfect opportunity for the best and most creative minds to come together and make something new and innovative out of an incredible disaster.
Had it happened in Malibu or Santa Monica or San Francisco, you can bet there would have been a concentration of resources put to the task.
Never mind that our Iraq folly has left us stretched for money, resources, time and mindshare — it would have happened.
It is the maltreatment of the Katrina victims that I most despise about this administration. I didn’t think I could despise them more than I did when Iraq happened, but I was wrong. Seeing a city underwater and people dying for lack of rescue, seeing devastation wrought on two states and the utter arrogance displayed by the administration sealed their fate.