and its survivors across the wide swath of Louisiana which has been tortured by the devastation he left behind. Saying in last night's speech that she stands behind our fellow citizens in the area would only have been right--especially were she to have called upon other Americans to donate to the Red Cross as has Obama. (Link below the fold).
Now for the "meat"--following is a poem I've written to commemorate the third anniversary of Katrina and the federal flood. It is in the voice of the mother of 8-year-old and 9-year-old boys who have a disabled grandmother. While it is fiction, it's based on things people actually went through during Katrina and flood and in the aftermath.
Yesterday we sat down with Athenae, who blogs at First-Draft, to discuss the awareness of issues related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita among bloggers and delegates in Denver this week.
As she states, much of the coverage of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast has come from her fellow First-Draft blogger Scout, but to us that doesn't diminish her wonderful insight.
Thanks again to First-Draft for fighting to keep these issues in the national discussion.
Actor Danny Glover, who has been a ceaseless advocate for the recovery of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita addressed delegates from Louisiana this morning.
Mr. Glover is also the producer of the outstanding recent documentary on Hurricane Katrina, Trouble the Water.
For anybody who thought Louisiana would get a far better deal from BushCo under GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal than she did under Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, they'd better think again. For Bush's pattern of abuse against Louisiana seems to transcend her politics. According to the Baton Rouge Advocate,
Bobby Jindal, angered over the increased costs that storm-wounded Louisiana must shoulder for construction of hurricane protection levees, asked Washington for more time - and a little fairness.
Under the latest war spending bill, Louisiana must kick in $1.8 billion by 2011 in order to activate $5.8 billion in federal funding needed to strengthen the New Orleans-area levee system.
Jindal said Louisiana's share for repairs to the 360-mile, federally maintained levee system, is higher post-Katrina, than before the storm. "It seems ridiculous," Jindal said, tersely.
§9(k) was created to award capital funds to public housing authorities affected by natural disasters. In the last several years, however, Congress has not allocated funds for disaster relief under § 9(k), which effectively bars Gulf Coast public housing authorities from accessing FEMA grant money when there is a pre-existing account at HUD.
Congressman Cazayoux stated:
"As we have seen too often, the biggest obstacle that Gulf Coast residents face is not the will to rebuild; it is red tape from the federal government. My bill provides a common-sense fix to HUD that improves FEMA's ability to directly assist public housing authorities trying to rebuild affordable and quality housing for those who need it. This measure is an important step in the long-term recovery of Louisiana and Mississippi."
Now before all y'all conservatives go crazy about a Democrat bashing the red tape of government ... this fits in quite well with the idea that most Democrats share that government ought to be efficient. It's not so much that it ought to be small, but efficient. For historical examples of this belief within the Democratic Party, I point y'all to then- Senator Harry Truman's "Truman Committee" during World War II, which saved American taxpayers some $15 billion in wasteful spending during the war.
Could you imagine the Bush Administration allowing a subcommittee of Congress to challenge the billing practices of KBR or Halliburton? If you can, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell ... please contact me.
And one more thing ... this is Congressman Cazayoux's first bill in the House, and it deals with helping people in a positive way. We elected another Congressman the same day to fill out the remainder of Governor PBJ's term - Congressman Scalise.
Pray tell, what was Congressman Scalise's first bill about? A resolution to express support for the designation of National D-Day Remembrance Day. That's all fine and dandy, but when you've got folks in your district struggling to rebuild their lives and their homes after Katrina, shouldn't your priority be to help make it easier for them to do so?
I know the NewOrleansbloggers have been all over it. But I want to highlight some grafs that caught my eye, as they show how Karl Rove installed Governor PBJ in the Governor's chair with the actions of the White House in the aftermath of the Federal Flood:
On Monday, August 29, 2005, at about 6:00 a.m., Hurricane Katrina slammed into the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. A category 5 hurricane until just before landfall, it was one of the worst storms ever to hit the Gulf Coast. Kathleen Blanco, the governor of Louisiana, had been briefed extensively about what to expect when the storm hit, which was why, on the Friday night before the storm reached the coast, she signed papers declaring Louisiana to be in a state of emergency. Based on what she had been told by her advisers and what she knew from being a native Louisianan, she understood that Katrina, creeping gradually toward land with sustained winds of a strength rarely seen in a hurricane, could prove to be catastrophic for Louisiana, and particularly for New Orleans.
The first evidence of Rove's involvement in the Katrina disaster occurred on Tuesday afternoon. "Rove understood what a nightmare this was for the president," Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana says, "so he went into high gear on the spin thing they're so good at in the White House. Rove had David Vitter, the Republican senator from Louisiana. I was at a press conference and David Vitter walked up to the mike and said, 'I just got off the phone with Karl Rove.' I looked at the governor and she looked at me, like, 'Why is David Vitter on the phone with Karl Rove?' I mean, he could have been talking to generals, the president himself, but Rove is just a political hatchet man."
I remember hearing in the BSM at some point that the Administration was saying that Governor Blanco had not signed the papers that would declare Louisiana to be in a state of emergency. I also find it interesting that Sinator Vitter would be more concerned with chatting with the White House's political advisor, rather military generals to help coordinate the federal government's relief mission in New Orleans.
In short, Rove was going to blame Blanco for the failure of the response in Louisiana, and to do that he was going to use Nagin. He had already set the plan in motion on Tuesday with Nagin, who, even though he was a Democrat, was so close to the Republican Party that some members of the African American community in New Orleans called him "Ray Reagan." In 2000, Nagin had actually contributed $2,000 to Bush's campaign when he ran for president.
Rove knew of Nagin's ties to the Republican Party, so more than likely Nagin could be convinced to level his criticism at Blanco and to support Bush when he could. Here was Rove's strategy: Praise Haley Barbour, the Republican governor of Mississippi; praise Michael Brown and FEMA; blame Blanco, the Democrat. It was not a stretch for Nagin. He and Blanco so disliked each other that in Blanco's last race Nagin had endorsed her opponent.
C. Ray seems to be a changed man after Katrina, at least with respect to his party loyalties. He's actually endorsed Obama, and is amazingly enough, a superdelegate to the Convention. His effectiveness as Mayor is altogether another story.
So, Louisiana, you can thank Karl Rove and the BSM for installing wonder-boy Governor PBJ in the Governor's mansion. Had they NOT played politics with people's lives, PBJ might just be another ineffective Republican congressman. Alas, we're going have to deal with him for at least 3 more years.
It turns out that presumptive Republican nominee John "McSame" McCain has scheduled a major speech to emphasize his differences with President George W. Bush for tonight.
But that's not the point of this post ... the point is that John "McSame" Bush is coming to Louisiana to emphasize his differences with George W. Bush in a speech at the same time that all the networks will be televising Hillary's speech. Does that strike you the action of someone who is being sincere? Or someone who is trying to hide those "differences"?
But even more damning ... there are no differences when it comes to John McCain and President Bush when it comes to rebuilding Louisiana ... from the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee:
But when Louisiana really needed John McCain he was off eating cake with George W. Bush. And when Louisiana needed John McCain to support us in our recovery efforts, he criticized us for wanting to eat pork.
At every turn, John McCain has opposed Louisiana's recovery efforts, from voting against $28 billion in Hurricane relief, opposing granting Medicaid and unemployment assistance to victims of the storm and funding to help small business recover. To him, it was all just pork.
"What we call an attempt to recover from the most devastating disaster in our nation's history, John McCain calls pork," James Gray, chairman of the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee said. "How in the world can we trust someone with such a misguided view to support Louisiana as President?"
"John McCain cannot have his cake and eat it too," Gray said. "He cannot dismiss our recovery efforts as pork one day and then come down here pretending that he understands what we went through.
"He still will not commit to full funding for Hurricane five levees, he just wants to use our destruction as a backdrop to separate himself from the President," Gray said. "This is not just an offense to Louisianans but to all Americans who believe that we need a President who will be there for them in times of crisis."
This is the image I want to see every single time I see a picture of John McCain ... as it was taken on August 29, 2005, while New Orleanians were fighting for their lives. Here's the caption on that photo at the White House website:
President George W. Bush joins Arizona Senator John McCain in a small celebration of McCain's 69th birthday Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, after the President's arrival at Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix. The President later spoke about Medicare to 400 guests at the Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort and Country Club in nearby El Mirage. White House photo by Paul Morse
There'll be more of this over the next few days ... as I am working on google-bombing John McCain over the next few days with allies in the netroots.
That link above highlights McCain's ties to lobbyists. Lord knows we don't need another unqualified Brownie running FEMA. Unfortunately, we here in Louisiana had to learn that one the hard way.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon informed National Guard units across the country that they needed to prepare to return to Iraq for another tour. That notification extended to Louisiana's 256th Brigade Combat Team, which is based in Lafayette.
They spent a year in Iraq prior prior to Katrina ... when they were brought home to help our state recover from the devastation of both Katrina and Rita.
While the Pentagon is touting the fact that the 256th had more than a year to rest and train, I wonder how much rest the warriors of the 256th really got, as the 256th did relief work here in Louisiana, which seems to me to be going above and beyond the normal "rest" period of the National Guard; along with all the reports of the psychological aftermath of service in Iraq and Afghanistan many of our fighting men and women are dealing with.
Regardless, my prayers go out to the soldiers and their families as they undergo their preparations.
This diary is intended as something of a rant. Because this saddens me and makes my blood boil every time I think about it.
But before I vent, here's a caveat: as I said in yesterday's diary, 9/11 tore me apart. So this is by no means intended as a put-down of the trauma 9/11 survivors went through or a complaint about the well-deserved sympathy and support they've gotten.
Rather, what pisses me off is is the fact that survivors of 8/29--whether of Katrina, the federal flood, or of Rita--have not been receiving the equal aid, synpathy, or other treatment to that received by 9/11 survivors, that they deserve. What blueintheface brings up--the fact that Daily Kos hasn't been paying enough attention to New Orleans and Katrina, is the tip of a very big iceberg involving the MSM and many politicians that has been keeping storm and flood survivors from getting the attention they have a right to receive.
I've often imagined many have been wondering why I care so much and have been so passionate in my support of New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Region from afar, after having been to New Orleans but once, over 30 years ago. And how Hurricane Katrina and the federal flood have had such a tremendous, shattering impact on me though I witnessed them safe and dry far from the sea in central Illinois. And how not only could I be well-deservedly hard on BushCo, but even take Clinton and Obama to task for not paying enough attention to New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Region. And why I feel so strongly about this I started the NOLA/Gulf Blogathons. I'll go into that in more detail below the fold--but first I'll tell you how 9/11 impacted me.
It's rare for me to have anything good to say about the mainstream media, and even rarer for me to watch a "reality show," because "reality television" isn't.
But after seeing it promo'ed Saturday night, I determined that a reality show that was going to air Sunday night was going to be "Must-See TV." Because I knew it would have socially-redeeming value. I have only kudos for the show, ABC, and all who contributed to it for because it was heartwarming and inspiring to see and left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling.
(While I do not recall fondly the high gas prices I paid working for the Lamont for Senate campaign in '06 in CT, I am unsure if drilling is the only answer. I realize it may be part of the answer, but we also need to do more than just drill ... such mandating higher gas mileage (40 mpg minimum by 2010) from Detroit automakers, investing in alternative energy sources (such as solar, wind, and biofuels), among others. I do not believe that nuclear power is the answer, as we will have to deal with radioactive waste, and where to store it. That's a headache I'd rather not argue over. - promoted by ryan)
Has America become so homogenized that we are thinking more alike regardless of what part of the country we come from? We all get the same evening news, the same TV shows, and the same radio talking heads telling us what, in their opinion, our opinion should be. Are Louisiana's interests and priorities along the same track as those expressed by locals along the east coast? I decided to take a look ...
I make it a habit of taking a road trip somewhere around the country every few months, to get a sense of outside perspectives on Louisiana, and what we do or do not have in common with other parts of the country. In New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts this week, I found the same issues on the front burner that concern many Louisianians, but often different opinions.
Katrina and Rita were catastrophes that have faded from memory, and are stories for the history books for most of these easterners. They had "moved on" from any major concern a long time ago. This might well be as much a reflection on Louisiana leaders who failed to develop a major public relations effort to keep the hurricane protection problem on the front burner.
Yesterday on a campaign stop replete with photo-ops in New Orleans, Sen. John McCain made an attempt to distance himself from the failings of the Bush Administration during Katrina and the federal flood by saying "Never again..." and spinning himself as someone who would have been more proactive than had Bush regarding this disaster.
But does McCain really represent a change from BushCo incompetence, if not outright genocide, in New Orleans? Would a McCain administration really aid New Orleans' recovery? Is McCain a friend of New Orleans, or a foe?
While New Orleans was drowning on Monday, August 29, 2005, George W. Bush visited John ("Mr. Birthday Cake") McSame to celebrate his birthday (left).
But wait there's more:
Pastor John Hagee, whose endorsement McSame proudly accepted, said God punished New Orleans for having a "homosexual parade." Watch it (at the 3:17 mark):
On Thursday and Friday, there was a NOLA/Gulf Blogathon over at Daily Kos to bring attention to the issues that folks down here are still dealing with two and a half years after Katrina.
It is the Great Forgetting. After thirty-odd months, the nation has moved on. Katrina and all that it wrought has fallen out of the national conversation. The devastation caused by both the storm and the incompetence of the government are just dim, uncomfortable memories for most of the nation.
Which is exactly how the insurance industry likes it.
The insurance industry doesn't want you paying too much attention, because what's happening on the gulf coast will probably be coming soon to a town near you. While the nation's distracted and insurance reform is now bottled up in the Senate, the industry is once again moving to protect profits at the expense of the rest of us, particularly those living on the gulf. And make no mistake: these are not isolated cases- This is an industry-wide effort.
One of the best Mississippi bloggers, Ana Maria, who writes A.M. in the Morning, notes that Mississippi Congressman Gene Taylor, has been kicking ass and taking names on this issue. He introduced a bill in the House that the insurance industry is fighting tooth and nail. As for the rest of the blogathon ... see below.
This is Part 2 of an Earth Day-themed series on environmental issues in the Gulf Region after Katrina and the federal flood. In the first part of this Earth Day series, the environmental devastation experienced by New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Region was discussed. This installment will focus on Louisiana's wetlands which are being washed away and the sinking of New Orleans and the rest of southern Louisiana.
This is the first part of a 2-part Earth Day-themed series on environmental issues in the Gulf Region.
Not only were Katrina, the federal flood, and Rita massive human tragedies, they were for reasons which will be detailed below easily this nation's biggest environmental calamity.
And their potential impacts on human health and life in New Orleans and in the rest of the affected area are still being assessed over 2 1/2-years later. More below the fold.....
Have you ever wondered why many blogs (including progressive ones) don't often pay that much attention to New Orleans in the aftermath of the federal flood, or the areas of Louisiana devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita?
As well as just, fair compensation for federal flood survivors who lost family members in the manmade disaster of New Orleans' levee breaches.
With the start of hurricane season a little over a month away, New Orleans' storm preparation and flood protection deserves a close look. These things are far more important than Wrightgate or Bosniagate. Because unlike these tempests in teapots, human lives depend on the safety and strength of New Orleans' levees.
It turns out that presumptive Republican nominee John "McSame" McCain has scheduled a major speech to emphasize his differences with President George W. Bush for tonight.
While New Orleans was drowning on Monday, August 29, 2005, George W. Bush visited John ("Mr. Birthday Cake") McSame to celebrate his birthday (left). 
