Post Katrina commentary

[zork]

So Mayor Nagin is in prison, right? Anybody else? Check out this opinion from a responder, after the fact, who was trying to help in the aftermath:

Marc Taylor ·
California State University, Long Beach
A very sad commentary... but true. A reader is left wanting to rush in to help but left knowing that they want to be left alone. But New Orleans has so many levels of "they". After Katrina hit, I went down to try to help (a.k.a. to try to enact a construction management system and make some money). The ninth ward shocked me to my soul. It MADE me determined to help... no, REALLY HELP. Then I met the leaders of the Parishes. Then I met the city fathers. Then I met the city inspectors. They all, without exception, were blocking the help and were literally taking bids for the highest graft... shamefully and openley. The rest of the story is too long to tell and almost to sad to repeat, except that I DID meet THE PEOPLE. The people were without hope. They were the nicest people I've ever met, but they had not a clue as to where to turn next. Every system possible failed them... even the humanity system. They felt that they might have been better off washed away by Katrina like the rest of the city.

The commentary is sad... but the truest one I've seen yet.

The big question to me is where did the money go, the unprecedented 40+ billion dollars of federal aid given to the community? Is there an accounting of it or was it all Nagin and his cronies?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/new-orleans-the-week-after-the-week-after_b_8073048.html

http://levees.org/

https://www.google.com/#q=graft+ray+nagin+new+orleans

http://www.economist.com/news/unite...-new-orleans-mayor-convicted-graft-countertop