Newsweek: A Katrina Brownout - Local pols think the WH blew off rebuilding

[Pirate Smile]

A Katrina Brownout
Local pols think the White House blew off rebuilding New Orleans. Behind the latest battle to get it right.

Frustrated New Orleans residents march through the heavily damaged Lower Ninth Ward

By Evan Thomas and Holly Bailey
Newsweek

Feb. 20, 2006 issue - In America, there are always second acts. One of the most breathtaking was on display last week on Capitol Hill, where former FEMA director Michael Brown—the much-ridiculed goat of the federal government's sorry response to Hurricane Katrina—was magically resurrecting himself as a heroic whistle-blower. Testifying before a Senate committee, Brown declared that he had informed the White House and the Department of Homeland Security of a levee breech on the day of the storm and warned that "we were realizing our worst nightmare." He scoffed at statements by administration officials, including President George W. Bush, that they had been left in the dark by FEMA and only learned of the severe damage the day after the storm passed. "Baloney," Brown said.

Katrina is the storm that just won't blow away. Local, state and federal officials are still blaming each other for failing to react to the hurricane when it hit and then failing to come up with a workable plan to rebuild New Orleans. Meanwhile, great swaths of the city lie wrecked and moldering. While the politicians have postured and dithered, New Orleanians who lost their homes in Katrina have been left in the lurch, caught in a long-running drama of raised—and dashed—hopes.

A happy ending is still possible. "I think this problem could be solved in 20 minutes," says Walter Isaacson, the president of the Aspen Institute and vice chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "It's low-hanging fruit and not that expensive." Isaacson, a New Orleans native and former Time Inc. editor appointed by Gov. Kathleen Blanco to the panel overseeing the state's recovery plans, estimates that $3 billion, plus about $5 billion already in the pipeline, will bail out the owners of the roughly 220,000 homes destroyed by Katrina. Given that Congress has already agreed to spend $85 billion on Katrina relief, the cost does not seem insurmountable. But first, the White House and Louisiana pols will have to overcome bitter partisan sniping and racially charged gamesmanship.

For a time last fall, it appeared that Richard Baker, a Louisiana congressman, had come up with a plan that would help homeowners swept away by the storm. The Feds would give them 60 percent of the pre-Katrina value of their homes, enough for most to rebuild or move on. But in late December, as the Baker bill seemed headed for passage by Congress, the White House balked. Bush barely mentioned New Orleans in the State of the Union address, and in early February, Donald Powell—an old Bush friend appointed by the White House to act as federal coordinator for rebuilding the Gulf Coast—attacked the Baker bill as bureaucratic and profligate in a Washington Post opinion piece.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11299330/site/newsweek/

[stepnw1f]

1. Bush Allowed This to Happen

I hope he pays for this as he should. You lurking Bush supporters better start hiding your faces.

[Merlot]

2. Why only 60% of the value of their houses?

Is that how it's normally done in a disaster? I guess it's better than nothing which is what they have right now. But if they only get 60% how can they rebuild? Does insurance put in the ther 40%?

And then there's the price of clean up which I gues the govt' pays.

At least it would have been a start...how did bushco justfy not paying this to at least get things started for people?

[pitohui]

7. because it was a GOP proposal, that's why 60 percent

in days gone by i always heard the usual price of mitigated homes was 75 percent, it is enough to let people start over and not crush them for having bad luck but not so high a guarantee that it would reward developers for building on swampland and then be guaranteed 100 percent buy-out from gov't, which would create incentive for fraud

60 percent is lower than the standard but -- baker is a republican and he has said the plan was meant to pay for itself, people would receive 60 percent of their equity to start over elsewhere, and the property then could be re-sold to developers, as i've said in other posts, this is delusional, land worth nothing pre-katrina is worse less than nothing post-katrina

the reality is that much of the land in question is utterly unsafe and worthless w.out better and costlier levees which it is now clear we have never had and i suspect this is why * stabbed baker in the back after first hinting he would support the plan, bush dont want to fund the levees

the reason i support baker or another plan to buy out people and let them start over is simple--people were told by the army corp of engineers we had a cat 3 levee and people built or purchased based on this promise

katrina was a cat 3 at new orleans, it turned out the army corp of engineers lied and the levees didn't stand, and the people's homes destroyed thru no fault of their own and thru no bad choice of their own

therefore to my mind the federal gov't is to blame and in all fairness the federal gov't needs to pay these people a fair price

as the current atlantic hurricane cycle is projected to last another 10 to 50 years, the people living in areas not protected by proper levees need to be given money and allowed to go elsewhere or else be provided w. sufficient funding to elevate ea. house, which will supposedly be around $35K on average

[gratuitous]

3. Haven't they figured out this administration even yet?

The corrupt Bush administration is, and always has been, all show and no go. When Bush wants to roll up his sleeves and mis-button his shirt for the bright lights and the network cameras, he's right out in front. Then he walks away from the podium and never gives it another thought. Remember his one day economic summit in Waco? He couldn't even be bothered to sit in for the full day. The war in Iraq? Is that still going on? Didn't he call "mission accomplished" on that? Mission accomplished, dammit!

Louisiana may have gone for Bush in 2004, helping him be re-elected, but there's nothing it can do for him now.

Maybe they all ought to file lawsuits like Trent Lott just did. Seems when liability caps hit the GOP, their lawsuits against those caps aren't "frivolous."

[acmejack]

4. They need to be careful fooling with these folks

They have little left to lose & they are really getting pissed! I had a long conversation with a couple at the VA Friday (The VA is a great place for long conversations) from the Ninth Ward. They were absolutely convinced that the levee was taken out and not by the storm, either.

I fear if the Government continues to play games with these people they will run out of patience & I for one will not blame them. The media and the GOP seem to be starting to set them up as a bunch of people wanting handouts, while we know that's not the case. But they seem to be trying to paint them as with an unsympathetic brush now & throw them onto the street. They may start something they are not prepared to deal with. I for one would join the New Orleanians if they were to act.
jack

[babylonsister]

5. K&N for exposure about the total ineptness of DHS, FEMA, etc. nt

[Demeter]

6. Of course They Are Right---Bush Did Blow Them Off

he's not a detail man, you know. Anything under 1 Million net profit is a detail.

[DeltaLady]

8. Here are some specifics about how ineptitude

and lack of coordination are impairing our efforts to rebuild.

1)FEMA has warned us that we stand to lose coverage under the National Flood insurance program unless we raise our homes to comply with new elevation standards. Those "standards" have YET to be announced; they keep postponing the date when the "new guidelines" will be forthcoming. Some are rebuilding anyway, but for others like myself who sustained over 50% damage the choices are non starters. According to the City, per FEMA if you sustained over 50% damage you must comply with the new standards or bulldoze. (You cannot obtain the permits necessary to repair/rebuild.) Some are successfully (?) fighting their damage assessments by going to City Hall with photographic evidence that their structures are under the 50% margin. In turn, the City is being lenient in re accessing damages. This however could affect the homeowners long term ability to obtain the necessary flood insurance protection because if you are "below" the new standards, insurance prices will be calculated thusly. This in turn will force those brave souls into yet another "no win" situation where flood insurance is price prohibitive. In the meantime, those of us who are awaiting the new guidelines are in limbo with the clock ticking away. We have one year from the date of the disaster to comply - although compliance requires an ICC grant for funding to raise our homes and getting one requires yet another insurance company/FEMA dance with them approving initial funding then requiring inspections for the balance. The top grant is 30K, which, while sounding like a lot of money is not nearly enough to raise a house which is built on a slab - those estimates run to $100,000. or more! Luckily, some of us have homes which are on "raised" foundations. In the interim, the state has passed more building code requirements...so those of us following the "legal" route may in the end, not be able to rebuild at all.

2)Like thousands of others, I am awaiting a trailer. FEMA is completely aware of this and has done little to nothing. Why are they still here?

3)Promised federal monies have not materialized, not for the homeowners nor the City. While cleaning out my home (ha! moving out the trash) I saw a group of young people cleaning the "neutral ground" (grassy center of a divided street - I live on a Boulevard) and went to speak with them. The group of mostly former local college students (Xavier and SUNO) were unable to find jobs so were working "for the City" for $6. an hour. The problem, they explained, was that they had no idea when they would be paid as the City had no funds for their salaries. They were doing it FOR THEIR CITY, God bless them.

4)Developers have big ideas for the future of New Orleans. They dream of cash cows and white domination. Under the auspices of "non-profits" these thinly veiled opportunists (the bulk of their funding comes from a membership comprised of developers, real estate firms, banks and the like) have their own agenda which is at odds with what most citizens want. Some politicos have embraced their concepts for things like a "smaller footprint" for the city and an elevated rapid transit system. This is hogwash! We want New Orleans back and streetcars will do nicely. The last thing we need in a big ticket upgrade when most Orleanians don't have BASIC necessities, like housing.

I will wrap this up with a final nod to FEMA. For those of us who are "under insured," they are supposed to offer grants up to $26K (minus any other monies FEMA has doled out for emergency aid) for rebuilding assistance. Although my flood damage assessment is $132K and my insurance only $86K, myself and thousands like me have been told we don't qualify. This is not true! I have the page from the FEMA site which states that we are entitled. Everyone I have spoken to is receiving the same reply - "you were somewhat insured so make do." We are appealing, but I view it as yet another roadblock which is deliberate. I think they are hoping most haven't read the FEMA regulations and give up. I'd like to personally throttle one of them and I'm 57 years old and in poor health. To say I dislike them is to be kind. I DETEST them, all of them who are keeping myself, my neighbors and my city from recovering.

A pox on all their houses!

[Merlot]

9. Delta Lady...you are amazing!

I can't believe what you and your other NO neighbors have been through. And it seems the huricane was not the worst of it. Dealing with your govt is. That is so sad.

But you write really well, and I would suggest sending your letter to newspapers and TV stations. I know the media and bushco wants to forget about NO, but we can't let that happen. And I think most people would be digusted at how the gov't is treating y'all. I know I am.

Good luck to you...and try not to throttle anyone!

[DeltaLady]

10. I'm just an old N'awlins kinda gal

but I thank you for your encouragement! I will try submitting this, but to be honest I've never had an opinion letter published. Perhaps they find my candor difficult to swallow? It would be easier if I could work on my "take no prisoners" approach I suppose...:dilemma: