Letters to the Editor If you would like to send GCN a letter, Email at: News@gulfcoastnews.com. Filed 9/29/08 Dear Editor: Despite the fact that my retirement savings have dropped 29% in the past four quarters, I am strongly against the president's plan to prop up the financial institutions that created the mortgage backed securities debacle. I ask that the Senate not vote in favor of this proposal. I believe that the support of US debt, such as Treasury bonds and such, would warrant intervention. However, this pre-emptive strike, a continuation of Bush Doctrine, is very troublesome in that the Fed, top economic advisors, and respected academicians don't have any means to determine what will or will not happen with or without intervention. History has shown a tremendous amount of resiliency in the capital markets since the 1920's. Let's not jump to conclusions until we actually know what we are going to treat. If the effect on homeownership is of great fear, push for a proposal to allow homeowners to to shift, tax-free and penalty-free their retirement or 401K funds into their home investments, eliminating a mortgage or moving an account from non-performing to performing. Really what I want is a program that will benefit the millions of people like me. Allow me to payoff or re-negotiate my mortgage to reflect the economic times. I don't want the Wall Street executives patting themselves on the back claiming a multi-million dollar victory at taxpayer’s expense.
Frank Underwood ____________________________ Dear Editor: Well, it's something that was going to happen, the taxpayers of this country are up in arms about the bailout. That is, just about everyone except those who are going to receive severance packages - more than everyone makes in a lifetime. Now, I ask those in Congress, why give severance packages to those who brought the companies down? Guess, it's so they will co-operate in the bailout - no severance pay - no bailout. What blackmail. And we are letting them do it. I ask congress, to look at this carefully, we can't afford this, # 1, and # 2, why are you using our money and our children and grand children's money to pay off bad decision makers? Get rid of the bums, take over their businesses and get everyday people plus experts to help put it back together. Remember, those "smarter than thou" folks who were overlooking this, didn't do their jobs either. So don't depend on them to watch the hen house, get plain, ordinary citizens with common sense to help out. It will make a difference. And I hope when loan modifications, etc. are worked out, we get the money back in the treasury, let the homeowner's pay back Uncle Sam and let the lender's, with strict guidelines and complete disclosure, get back to business. No more "funny" loans, no more stated income loans, no more loans with credit counseling. Everyone should have to take at least an 8 hour course sanctioned by FHA. No one should be above this and if they are, they are usually the ones who belly up along with the poor old soul who just lost his job.
Lorraine Santos
Received
9/13/08 I am asking the council NOT to approve the millage rate that is recommended by the Mayor . The administration will argue, why not? We are not raising your taxes and our millage rate remain the same. Well if our property values had not just gone up with the new property reappraisals I would also agree. Don't we all know some values went up as much as 50%.That will mean more dollars for taxes than last year. Only a politician could argue that a bigger tax bill is not a tax increase. Did the Mayor and his administration crunch the numbers to see how many more dollars most would pay in taxes. Yes, well how much? No, why not? Ask any citizen if there tax bill goes up do they consider that a tax increase? We have a lot of retired, people on social security or disability. Any increase will be felt. Another problem I want addressed is why can't property taxes be more equitable. We have several tax credit apartments and single family homes in this city already, some occupied, some still being built. They are not paying their fair share of taxes, I understand the desire to attract new business. You on the council are supposed to protect the interests of all your constituents. Here is example that I am obviously aware of. My husband pays about 2000 on a fourplex he owns. The apartments on 28th St with their tax credits only pay about 22000. So about 10% more but they have 50 times more units . How is that even remotely fair? Again Council Members, if millage rates remains the same as requested , tax bills will increase for everyone in the city who pays property taxes. This is directed to the President of the council. Mr. President, I have sent you several questions. I have never received an answer. The questions were not rhetorical. I expected the courtesy of an reply. Are you above answering just ordinary question from citizens? This is again directed to the entire council. I noticed a new logo that was in an ad in the paper, and on a water tower. I was at a council meeting when it was voted down. Can you explain how this was allowed to happen. We still don't have adequate water and sewer throughout the city, yet you want to spend 9.5 million on water meters. Let's get the basics done first, and then worry about the electronic water meters. What good is that going to do when people don't have adequate water and sewers? New meters were put in the Orange Grove area and bills actually went down. So the projected 10% increase may not be a reality. The new grant for housing. Already I have heard that some city employees want to use the money to purchase houses, not in Gulfport, in one of the neighboring cities. I hope that is just a rumors, is it? What safeguards will the administration implement to insure the money is appropriated correctly. This grant was given to the city to stimulate home ownership for low to moderate income families in Gulfport. Thank you for listening, I expect answers to my questions or would like the reason no one wants to answer them.
Lorraine
Santos Received 9/12/08
Dear Editor, RE: Photo Essay Keith and Gara Gillentine: Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate you sharing this with me, and for using Gulf Coast News to help get the information out. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I couldn't do these things that I do were it not for the latitude I get from Mayor Holloway, who, by the way, was a resident of Oxford around 1960. I also have a good technical person, web consultant Renny Sherman, who has set things up so even an idiot like me can transmit them to the world. Anyway, thanks again for the feedback. Vincent Creel Received 8/22/08 Dear Editor, Received 7/5/08
Dear Editor:
Received 6/13/08 When I first read the story concerning FEMA's icy idea, I was in disbelief. Mary Hudak's statement was the coldest remark I've heard in awhile – one that left my jaw dropped for about five minutes. However, the remark is one that manages to reflect the overall pattern of stupid ideas perpetuated by FEMA since DAY ONE of Katrina. . . ideas that have added to the delay of people getting back into their homes! First of all, I find the Hudak remark quite insensitive, unmerciful, and down right stupid. Ice as a comfort? Well, yes, to a degree, especially if you're able to create a Mint Julep out of the leftover thickly humid hurricane air. But, I dare Hudak to position herself outside in the Mississippi sun with 90+ degree temps, 100 percent humidity, and a heat index of God-knows-what without ice! As if people don't have enough to worry about during hurricane season, they now have to add some ice straps to their bootstraps lest they have to spend a week in the humid heat of a storm's aftermath before help arrives. In addition, John McKay's remark about being disappointed but understanding that "they're trying to save money and help our country get out of debt" is lacking real thought. For example, I have a small freezer. If I put 2 or 3 gallon jugs of water in it, where will my food go? Not everyone has a huge side-by-side, or a deepfreeze with extra space. Generally, people unable to evacuate are the ones who cannot afford to do so and also the ones who would probably be renting and/or living in small houses or apartments with smaller refrigerators. Now suppose that you are riding out a hurricane and you have your 3 gallons of frozen water, known as ice, which you put into a large cooler (that you had to go buy with your last few dollars), and then the storm worsens and you have to decide whether to get into a tree as your house is about to disintegrate. . . should you save the cooler and the ice as you try to climb off of the roof into the tree? Can you hold the cooler and hold onto the tree? Maybe you could ride the surge on top of the cooler thus saving yourself and the ice? As for debt, I ask why is Laura Bush helping to raise billions for rebuilding Afghanistan when we can't even help our own coast get the job done and why is it that since 2001, the U.S. has given $21 billion and now we're dedicating $10.2 billion more?! Why is it that no one is saying anything like: those Afghans want everything handed to them, they want the government of other countries to give them a house and build a school for their kids, they're lazy, they just need some bootstraps and resilience and then they can help themselves. Why the double standard concerning "handouts?" When thinking of debt, apply that mindset to other countries and the Iraq war instead of our own people who are or will be in need and then decide what to do about "debt." When our very own people become caught up in the aftermath of a hurricane, they aren't the ones responsible for getting the country out of debt by not having ICE available to them because it's suddenly considered a "comfort" item by FEMA and Mary Hudak and the country needs help in getting out of debt!
Gara Gillentine
Received 6/7/08 Received 5/28/08
Dear Editor: Received 5/25/08 Dear Editor, I welcome the action by Congressman Taylor, and for his interest in Amtrak's Sunset Limited serving coastal Mississippi. I would point out, though, that while the $1 million is welcome and would be useful to getting more frequent service, all that is needed is Congress to tell the Amtrak Board to do the job with the money that they've had sitting idle since Hurricane Katrina, and start running the train! Please convey the thanks of all those who live in Congressman Taylor's district who are waiting for restoration of service TO Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Thusly reinstating America's only transcontinental passenger rail service.
Allan Thomas Received 5/25/08 Dear Editor: I
would like to thank Congressman Gene Taylor for his efforts to restore
the Sunset Limited Amtrak service to the Mississippi gulf coast. With
gas prices hitting new highs and threatening to wreck the worlds
economy, a passenger rail link is vital to our tourist industry as well
as the travel options of our people. I would encourage Rep. Taylor and
both of our Senators to provide for the restoration of a dual track line
that existed in the 1960s. This would allow higher passenger rail use as
well as higher freight traffic. All the coast cities that have Amtrak
stops should begin preparing their train stations to accommodate the
traffic. Received 5/24/08 Dear Editor:
The Dedeaux Road property that the City of Gulfport purchased, 10 acres
for $1,585,000, breaks down to $158,500 per acre. The original asking
price was $1,750,000 for the ten acres, which breaks down to $175,000
per acre. The City of Gulfport needed 6.4 acres to build the new
community center and FEMA insisted that it had to be on the front of the
property. The lot size for the "old" Charles Walker site was approximately 386304 sq. ft. or about 8 + acres. The Mayor kept saying that FEMA requires the city to purchase the same amount of land that the Charles Walker originally sat on. When is this Mayor and administration going to start telling the truth. Please Google Charles Walker Community Center and read all the information that FEMA has posted on the web site. Very interesting and not much was told to us, the taxpayers who eventually end up paying for all this stuff. It's the usual lies, lies, and more lies that come from City Hall and probably the only city council person who actually knows the truth and does not share it is the council representative from that Ward. I am enclosing a copy of the plat for this property so you can see what the "old" Charles Walker Center's property looked like and the measurements. Charles Walker could have been built on the northern part of the property or where the new West Side Community Center is now being built. What a waste of taxpayer's money!!! D. J. Best, Gulfport Received 5/21/08 Dear Editor: This is in regards to the many Katrina Cottages that were not used for the designated purpose and who did they go to. I and I am sure a lot of other people would like to know where they went and under whose authority. Also this cottage programs caseworkers seem to have a problem contacting the very people they were hired to help. I had applied and was assigned a caseworker. After trying for many times to get this person to contact me I as of yet have not heard from her. It seems that it would be better for all concerned that funds appropriated for disaster relief be used for that purpose. Maybe in the future an independent organization that had no ties to the community or state should be the ones to administer the program as there seems to be a lot of shortfalls with the people handling things now and not just at the local level.
Thank you Received 4/11/08 Dear Editor, It was nice to hear and read about Senator Roger Wicker working to help the Mississippi Gulf Coast continue to recover by successfully extending GO Zone Legislation that was set to expire. This legislation has and will continue to help struggling home and business owners to get on their feet by offering tax incentives. He has been on the Coast on numerous occasions and Katrina Recovery was the main topic of his maiden speech in the United States Senate. It's good to see that Senator Wicker is following up and delivering results for us. Now, maybe Congressman Taylor can get it through the House. These days there are few politicians who actually do what they say they are going to do. I believe Senator Roger Wicker is someone who we can depend on and trust as we continue to recover from Katrina.
Wendy
Barthe Peavy Received 4/2/08 Your article on health care dated 3/26/08 was right on target. I am so glad that someone is saying publicly what we have been trying to get across for over two years. There are people who have no access to health care here in South Mississippi as they have no health insurance, OR cannot afford to pay the deductibles, OR cannot afford to pay the rising co-pays OR cannot afford prescriptions OR they are underinsured as they thought their insurance covered their care, but did not. Our free medical clinic opened in response to Katrina and stays open because many Coast residents still require free health care. How can they possibly rebuild their homes and lives when costs are rising? You were correct ... very often they do not seek medical treatment (because of economics), postponing care until they become very ill and end up in an emergency room. Since the state of emergency was not renewed in January, the Mississippi Medical Board of Licensure has refused to issue temporary medical licenses to out-of-state physicians who were traveling to our clinic to provide free medical care. We are operating solely with 3 retired local physicians for 2 1/2 days a week. Prior to the MS Board's refusal, we had at least one physician offering services five days a week from 900 AM until 500 PM. I had to call and cancel physicians who were scheduled to serve in our clinic the remainder of January as well as February and March. How disappointing for our patients and others who came to volunteer in our clinic. We appreciate your efforts at being our "watchdog" for recovery. Keep it up. Tell the real story then perhaps things will change for the better for all Coast citizens. God bless you, Received 3/30/08 To the Editor: The developer (DDR) of the property on the northwest and southwest side of Dedeaux Road along Hwy. 605, wants the city to change their text amendment on the B-2 zoning to protect their property. According to Larry Jones, Urban Development Director for the City of Gulfport. A so called "public meeting" was to be held on Thursday, March 27, 2008 during the regular planning commission meeting. Boy, a "public meeting" during a regular commission meeting, sure is a first!!! The changes where given to the members just a short while prior to the meeting for them to read, digest, have questions ready to ask, etc. so it could be voted on at the meeting. There was no time allotted for the public to speak, maybe because they hoped no public would be there. The new changes where about 8 pages long, single spaced. If there was a notice in the paper regarding a public meeting it had to appear in the legal notices in very small print. The only people there where the ones from the city or connected to the city who where asked to be there. David Nichols, former city employee stated he was asked to be in attendance (I think he said asked by the Mayor) to answer questions. Funny, not one person who has B-2 zoning was in attendance. This text amendment affects their property. This notice should have been in large print, a separate ad in the paper equal to the Duany ad that appeared in the paper. And with zoning changes, letters should have gone out to all owners of B-2 property. Could it be, the Mayor and the city administration does not want property owners to have input in the changes. Sure sounds like it to me. Purpose and intent of this change is attached to this letter. And I hope Gulf Coast News prints that as a separate news article. If the people who own or purchased the property on Lorraine (now 605) and Dedeaux, did not like the zoning, requirements, etc. then why did they even consider developing it. Is it to protect us, as there's very few homes around this area, or is it to have control on what a building looks like? Does the city want the franchise businesses to change their logo to suit what the administration wants and what they think their logo should be like (should Target get rid of their red bullet on their building?). This should not be shoved down the property owner's throats. This should be done democratically by noticing owners about the meeting and sending them a copy of the text amendment to read and digest so a meeting with dialog from everyone can be held. Or does the city not want that. At the planning commission meeting, this item was not voted on, thank goodness, it was moved and seconded to have a workshop wherein the planning commission and city council could go to the table and discuss this change. The public meeting was put on hold until a workshop is held. I the administration now going to allow a public meeting, or will they railroad this change down everyone throats with a legitimate hearing. Will the city attorney speak up for the citizens rights, or will he cow down to the administration. We'll see. D. J. Best, Gulfport
Received 3/13/08
Received 3/5/08 One would be hard pressed to find a president of the United States with less experience in foreign affairs, the economy, or national security than Obama. Yes, his slogan has been that change and hope is more important than experience. Of course, he would not be able to use experience as his slogan since his, especially as compared to Hillary’s, has been very little. Suppose you just became elected President of the United States of America and you had two choices for Secretary of State and for Secretary of Defense, Hillary or Obama. If you were in your right mind, Hillary would be your choice. So, why vote for a person who could not fill those positions? Would you hire a principal of a school who has never taught? Would you hire the CEO of your company who has never worked in that industry? If your answer is no to these questions, then why would you hire a president without experience. Let’s be real.
Sincerely, Received 3/5/08 A matter of experience. A matter of experience, or lack thereof, has been a major area of focus and debate in conjunction with the current presidential campaign. It has been mentioned many times that experience matters much more than having just a vision for change. Then there are those that contend that the experience does not matter and that all you need is a vision. In line with the matter of experience, I would like to ask the following; Has there been a major corporation wherein a junior executive, with less than four years on the job, has become the CEO of that corporation? Has there been a reputable Law firm wherein a junior Lawyer, with less than four years on the job, has become a full partner or was assigned a major case for that firm? Has there been a Police Department or Fire department wherein a rookie officer/firefighter, with less than four years on the job, has become the chief of Police or the Fire Captain? Has there been a major media outlet, such as a newspaper, magazine, or news outlet such as CNN, where a junior reporter, with less than four years on the job, has become the Editor in Chief or an anchor for the news? The list could run on. The major point here is that in each and every case experience does matter. Across all aspects of our society, it has been proven that those with the experience on the job are those that have earned the right to move up into a position of leadership. Therefore, it is also true with decidedly the most important leadership job in our country, if not the world. To be the President of the United States requires experience. Having a vision for change is a good thing. Not having the proven experience to see that vision carried out is quite another. With the current state of our nation, the job of our next President will be one of the toughest in history. The rising deficit, our declining economy and jobs market, the meltdown in both the financial and housing markets, Global warming and its potential impacts, the immigration crisis and the War in Iraq and Afghanistan, are just some of the critical challenges that our next President must address. It is going to take much more than just a vision to take on the issues facing our nation and its people. It is going to take experience, a lot of experience. I urge that the people of America consider this fact as they continue with the process of choosing who is to sit in the Oval Office come next January. As I have stated vision is a good thing. It has been at the heart and soul of our nation since the founding. It took great vision to challenge the powers of the time and give birth to the oldest democracy on our planet. However without proven experience the vision would have been lost. Experience does matter. Regards, Ken & Georgette Marshall Received 2/21/08 Dear Editor: FEMA is working aggressively to expedite occupant relocation to more suitable and long-term housing following the results of preliminary air quality tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our first priority is occupants with health concerns and those most susceptible to health risks such as the elderly, households with young children and those with respiratory challenges. This expedited relocation is part of our ongoing efforts to close all group sites and relocate families by June 1, 2008.
FEMA applicants relocating to apartments because of formaldehyde concerns will not be required to pay the $50 per month increase on their rental unit until September. This was scheduled to begin March 1. Each family occupying the 111 units tested by the CDC in Mississippi will receive the specific results for their home, and all other occupants may request testing. FEMA caseworkers will continue to help residents identify alternate housing and access information that can lead to self-sufficiency and a sustainable future. Occupants with formaldehyde or housing questions should call FEMA at (866) 562-2381 or TTY (800) 462-7585. FEMA operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CDC specialists will respond to health-related concerns at (800) CDC-INFO. More information is available at www.fema.gov or www.cdc.gov. Occupants with health-related concerns are encouraged to attend any of the Public Availability Sessions that will be conducted by CDC specialists. FEMA representatives will be available to discuss housing options with occupants on an individual case basis. Sessions are scheduled for the following:
Mon. Mar 3, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Mon. Mar 3, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Tue. Mar 4, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Tue. Mar 4, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Wed. Mar 5, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Thu. Mar 6, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Thu. Mar 6,
6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sidney L. Melton
Received 1/27/08 Without GCN, political stories with bite would be nonexistent, as evidenced by the bland reporting of WLOX and SunHerald. Please keep up the sharp investigative reporting that should lead to a journalistic excellence/service award. You already have one from me.
Jim Pankey, USN (Ret.) Received 1/18/08 Received 12/21/07 The proposed expansion of the Port of Gulfport will forever define the quality of life of the residents of the Gulf Coast. Never has our community faced such a monumental turning point. If allowed we will have opened the door forever to economic development without regard to quality of life. To have given the plan to fill 112 acres of the Gulf and dredge a 700 foot channel any discussion or consideration is a tragic disregard for the future health of our community. In the last two years we have as individuals and as a community been force by hurricane Katrina to reevaluate our priorities. Should we not take stock in th e simple beauty of our Coast and vow to place protecting that beauty at the top of our lists? When the winds of storms come and go we are left with the damage that they inevitably leave in their wake. The question before us all is what damage is worse and longer lasting that of the forces of nature or the foolishness of man. I beg of anyone that agrees with this assessment regarding the proposed port expansion to speak out to all concerned and be heard from the warm Gulf waters and sands of our beautiful beaches to the cold concrete and steel structures of our state capitol. The true evaluation of economic development is not the quantity of dollars produced, but the degree of quality in which our lives are enhanced.
Randy Tarver Received 12/21/07 Hello all, I came across the story you ran on the new drug card and I would like to let you know that it really does work! I was skeptical, but I went to the site and printed it off to use and let me tell you I was able to use it at Fred's and I got about half off on my meds. This is great news, especially since my Mother is not doing so well lately and has to take so many prescriptions. It is good that some body is doing something to help us out. Thank you and happy holidays. Greg Free Drug Card Available for Mississippians to Help Lower Drug Costs at Pharmacies - GCN Received 12/16/07 I cannot believe anyone would support Brett Warr as a possible appointee for Trent Lott's soon-to-be vacated seat. We need a Strong, Intelligent, and Formidable force in that seat! This man cannot get anything done in the City of Gulfport, with MILLIONS in Federal money resources available. How's he going to help us in Washington? All he's done so far is get new facades on the fronts of empty buildings (at least one of which his family owns-or used to) and have proto-type lights put up on Hwy. 90. He may have gotten a few other piddly things done, but not enough to garner news. And now people want him to represent us in the Senate? This is old time politics, and daddy will be behind the scenes pulling all the puppet strings! Appointing him would be the worse possible thing for Mississippi in the Senate. BTW, I am a die-hard Conservative/Republican and a Southern Baptist, just like Warr, but the man CANNOT do the job. If anyone noticed, he broke the state seat belt laws in his campaign commercials by being filmed riding around in his truck with his kids STANDING in the seat of the moving vehicle. Instead of getting ticketed for non-use of seat belts and endangering the lives of his children, he gets elected mayor!
There is so much inside squabbling amongst him and the City Council, one
wonders that if he can't get along with 10 or less people, how is he
going to do all the schmoozing required in
Washington
to get anything done? Mrs. LB in BSL Received 11/19/07
To the Editor:
Editor: Here is a GCN
story where you can find the links to the maps:
Received 11/18/07 Okay can someone tell me why there is so much concern about the MEMA cottages being offered. My Father in law lost his home and was told he would be able to receive a cottage to live in and get him out of the FEMA trailer he is in. He bought some land (which is in the annex area of Bay Saint Louis). He cleared it and was trying to put the cottage on it and was denied by the city. I just don't understand. How can the city turn down people the right to live on their property. He is a veteran and had worked hard until he got hurt. He is now receiving Social Security and wants to get on with his life. If the city could get off of their high horse and look at each case separately maybe people will return. The reason according to the news is that people are worried about their property dropping in value because of these cottages. That is the problem here---- do you want cottages where people can live and start paying back taxes or do you want empty lots and the upnose in the air people paying more taxes for their property. I just don't understand I thought this was America where we can live here freely without prejudices. Guess it doesn't work in Bay Saint Louis.
Name Withheld, Received 10/15/07 To the Editor: I recently came across a posting on a hurricane-related on-line bulletin board that criticized news reports saying that 98% of the coastal population had returned to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The poster described this claim as a kind of “horrible attempt” on the part of the media at making it seem like things here are getting back to normal. My response, based on my own perhaps less-than-scientific observations, is that I think there are really two separate questions here. First, has the population of the Mississippi Gulf Coast returned to close to what it was prior to Katrina? And second, have things returned to normal? Being here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since just after Katrina, I would say that -- depending on how you define the "Coast" -- the answer to the first question may very well be "yes, or close to it." And the answer to the second question is a definitive "no, not even close, nor any end in sight." I am not a Katrina survivor, but in some ways my perspective is perhaps the next best thing (acknowledging that there is a huge gap between the two). I watched the horror of Aug. 29 and the days that followed unfold while still living in distant Montana, and realized I needed to do something. My initial visit to the Coast -- all the way from Dauphin Island, Alabama, across Mississippi, to New Orleans -- was in October, barely five weeks after Katrina, when things were still very much in crisis stage across the region. I relocated full-time to the Coast in November 2005, and had the experience of living in a tent in Pearlington (Ground Zero for Katrina) for months, then in my van all across the Coast for several weeks thereafter, and then on my "new" office floor in Biloxi while waiting for some sort of housing to become available. And I have suffered many of the privations of others on the Coast due to the way the economy and powers that be have failed to address many of the problems that continue to keep this area down and people in a state of stasis. So while I in no way can claim any of the trauma, heartache, irreparable loss, or life devastation as those who went through Katrina and lost so much, I have been here through virtually every post-storm stage and have shared and experienced some of their struggle and hardship. And I have heard story after story after story (as does anyone here who scratches anywhere below the surface) of heroism, strength, and horror. In some ways, on the most superficial levels, things almost seem normal now on much of the Coast compared to how it was in the days immediately following Katrina. Roads have been reopened (even two lanes of the bridge across St. Louis Bay, which was wiped out by Katrina), many businesses and some houses have been rebuilt or repaired, major casinos have opened in record time, and many people are back at work. Judging by the traffic on the roads, the population has certainly rebounded, though the blocks inland from the beach or the bays remain mostly denuded of houses and lives. What has happened is that there have been major disruptions in the population. Many original inhabitants are still living in FEMA trailers two years after the storm, or they have moved miles inland to northern parts of the coastal counties and into the next tier of counties. Meanwhile, judging by the number of Louisiana license tags on the roads, many people have moved into Mississippi from New Orleans and environs. And there are many newcomers to the area -- some legal and all-too-many illegal -- who, like me, have arrived post-Katrina. I think the news report that inspired the on-line thread in fact showed all too clearly the devastation that remains largely un-rebuilt in the wide swaths of land inundated by Katrina's deadly surge. It is no exaggeration to say that one can go for hundreds of miles, from Alabama across Mississippi and Louisiana and into Texas, and see hardly anything but slab after slab after slab along that entire stretch of coastline hit first by Katrina and then by Rita. The vision remains overwhelming even today. I think that many people around the country fail to perceive that this destruction has not been remediated, and is unlikely to be remediated for years, perhaps decades, to come. Sometimes it is almost comical, like the time recently when I was on an elevator at the IP Casino in Biloxi on may way to yet another GO Zone conference. A visitor on the elevator suddenly spoke up, asking, "Does anyone know what hurricane hit here?" There was utter silence among the people on-board, as each of us tried to evaluate whether this guy was joking or serious. I finally determined he was serious and was first to reply: "Uh, Katrina . . . ???" To which this bewildered visitor replied in apparent awe, "Ohhhhhh." I have had people telephoning for insurance companies in Pittsburgh ask me if we had hurricanes in this area (I'm not making any of this up). And many people I have spoken with have assumed that most things are back to normal here. What is truly astounding to me is the extent to which the response of governments on every level, from the federal, to the state, to the county/parish, to the local level, have failed to remediate many of the most pressing issues still confronting literally tens of thousands of people whose lives were smashed to pieces by the storm. And this is despite the massive outpouring of spending that (as the Biloxi SunHerald article noted) would have been enough to build two new $150,000 houses for every displaced family on the coast and buy them a new car besides. And therein lies the rub: Who has really benefited from all this money? For the most part, contractors (some major, like Bechtel and Halliburton, others not so major), insurance companies, banks, trailer manufacturers (Indiana, home of the RV industry, was the big winner of Katrina money at least in the initial stages), and let us not forget government bureaucracies and bureaucrats. A lot is made of fraud, but the so-called "legitimate" recipients of so much of the money dwarf the fraudsters, and still the people who need the assistance the most have gotten little, if anything, for their trouble. I think in general recovery, such as it is, truly is far more advanced here in Mississippi than in Louisiana (where I also have first-hand experience of the devastation), where things really are in a terrible shape in many places. And that is a major reason why Mississippians tend to pride themselves on the progress they have made compared with their neighbors to the west where rampant corruption, incompetence, and just plain mismanagement have retarded the recovery even more than over here. And the efforts and struggles of many in both states are nothing short of Herculean. Meanwhile, I think it is safe to say that there could be a whole lot more done over here, too, and that in many cases local governments have been more of a hindrance than a help, whether through a general lack of imagination or a regressive commitment to doing things the way they were done before the storm to, in some cases, a fairly obvious plan to discourage poor former residents from returning to their homes near the coast in favor of more upscale new residents and pursuits. I visited parts of Turkey two years after the major earthquake that devastated that country in the late '90s and was shocked that many people were still living in trailers and tents. And yet here we are in the United States of America, the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth, and two years after Katrina tens of thousands of people are still living in trailers and are otherwise displaced from their homes. And there is no resolution in sight. I think our response to Katrina really goes to the heart of what kind of nation, what kind of people, we are. I have said from the very start, do we wish to be like a Bangladesh, a Nigeria, or any number of Third World countries where people are left to fend for themselves, or are we an America where we help each other out and pull up those who, through no fault of their own, wound up being devastated by a natural disaster? The many thousands of volunteers and the millions in private donations that have poured into the Gulf Coast are tributes to that better America. Unfortunately, despite what may have been lofty intents, the official response has failed miserably and, unless there are major though unlikely adjustments, will continue to fail. We pride ourselves on our efficiency, but I am afraid that efficiency is little in evidence in these parts, unless efficiency is judged by moving enormous amounts of money and effort to pursuits that to a large degree miss their mark (or what should be their mark). I think part of this mismatch was summed up by a statement issued by FEMA immediately after this year's devastating tornadoes in Kansas. "We want people to know we're here for the long term," the statement said, or words to that effect. And that is exactly what is wrong. FEMA and all the other agencies should be there to get people back on their feet and back in their homes in the shortest possible time and let them get on with living their lives and charting their own destinies, as is the American way. Having a paternalist bureaucracy malingering in their towns and their lives for years on end is not what they want or need. Get in, get on with it, and get out -- that should be the guiding principle, not how long we can stay and how much money we can pour down drains that do not put people back in their homes or in control of their lives. And that is my (perhaps long-winded) view of the situation from here on the ground on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Frank J. Yacenda
Received 9/12/07
Received 8/30/07 In April of 2006, I joined my first mission team and traveled to Pearlington, MS. to do some recovery work with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (http://www.pcusa.org/pda/). I discovered your site when I was researching my trip and have continued to use it as a valuable way to keep an eye on a place I have come to call my second home. Thank you for doing the work that you do. I am returning with a team in October and can hardly wait to get on the ground and start working. I watched the anniversary coverage and as good as it was, it didn't do justice to a part of this country that boasts some of the strongest and kindest people I have ever met. In Pearlington, there are some women at the First Baptist Church that feed all the volunteers everyday in the church hall. I have to say, I looked forward to this each day with gusto. Sure the food was amazing, but it was the spirit that hooked me. These were folks who had suffered losses in the storm, yet felt compelled to spend their time and energy making us feel welcome during our stay. There was hugging and singing and praying...boy, did we feel welcome. Tears ran down their cheeks as they thanked us for leaving our lives behind for a little while so that we might help them. All the while, I couldn't help but think that I was actually getting so much more than I was giving. They generously offered the gift of grace every day. Please let the great people of the Gulf Coast and especially my friends in Pearlington know that they are not forgotten and as long as I have a voice, I will spread the word that when the South rises this time, it will be glorious!!!
Respectfully,
Received 7/20/07 Thank you,
Eddie Blanco Received 7/20/07 Thanks for including the link to WLOX-TV's
recent coverage of the forced closure of the acclaimed God's Katrina
Kitchen's volunteer services on the Gulf Coast. A colleague also sent me
AP's coverage of the story.
Received 6/24/07 Many readers likely are unaware that life as we know it in this country may be changed indelibly and irreversibly based on votes to be taken this week in the U.S. Senate. Further, Mississippians should know that their esteemed U.S. Senator, Trent Lott, has taken it upon himself to lead the charge in bringing about this change, supported neither by the vast majority of Americans nor Mississippians. Where and why Sen. Lott went off the tracks on the ill-begotten Senate Immigration Bill is a matter of conjecture: Is it playing-up to a lame-duck President, a bow to big money interests pushing this legislation, or a way to make a misconceived mark for himself at career's end? Regardless, the result may well be the undoing of honest, hard-working American citizens and legal residents. One letter writer says we should close our eyes, ears, and mouths and put our trust in the good Senator. Never mind that democracy depends on voters doing just the opposite -- this advice leads to selling this country down the river once and for all. Meanwhile, Sen. Lott denounces talk radio: "We have to deal with that problem." And amendments to moderate the bill's worst elements? "No big deal -- you just pitch those before you get to the Rotunda." Sen. Lott is, however, right about one thing: Something must be done. What must be done is that this monstrous "Grand Compromise" be brought down, once and for all, and for our government to follow the will of the American people: Enforce our borders, and enforce existing immigration law. Doing that will stanch, if not stop, the flow of illegals into our country, will eliminate the magnet of easy jobs, and will cut off the taxpayer-supported social services sustaining the illegal community. The majority of illegal aliens will then self-deport themselves whence they came. Let us be sure that Senators Lott and Thad Cochran hear this message loud and clear. Sincerely, Frank J. Yacenda
Received 6/20/07 Unbeknownst to Mississippi, the state is in the eye of the nation's immigration policy storm. That's because Senator Trent Lott is the key GOP vote-counter and persuader. The senator's goal is to secure enough GOP votes to combine with those of the Democratic majority to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to limit debate (prevent a filibuster) on the Senate's immigration bill, S. 1348. This "cloture" vote would open the way for a final vote in which only 50 votes would be needed for passage. But a grassroots rebellion is frustrating Senator Lott's efforts: "Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem." (June 14) A North Carolinian — who recently lived in the Los Angeles metro area, I side with the grassroots. There will be unwelcome consequences from this nation-transforming legislation. Perhaps Harvard professor and labor economist George Borjas (a Cuban immigrant) said it best in a May 17 piece in the National Review: "The economics (of the bill) are relatively simple. Low-skilled immigrants are admitted in huge numbers driving down the wages of blue-collar workers . . . Meanwhile, the social costs associated with education, health care and welfare expenditures will explode and be largely socialized." "The primary beneficiaries will be social, economic and political elites who manage to reap the benefits of mass immigration while insulating themselves and their families from the consequences. …(They) don't have their livelihoods, not to mention their children's education, threatened by mass immigration, but they will acquire the cheapest pool cleaners, housekeepers, and roofers in the Western world."* In weighing whether to support the Senate immigration bill, Mississippians --- and Americans --- are, in effect, asking themselves this question: Do we want to develop an extensive cheap-labor economy? Is it a good idea to follow southern California's lead?
Tom Shuford Received 5/22/07
Keith, I am a truck
driver/poet from Bay St. Louis, who works in a Gov.
sanctioned sweat shop industry. The general public is
completely unaware of the the US Government's role in
the long-haul trucking industry. They regulate, and
therefore sanction the worker abuse which moves our
entire economy. I am very sensitive to the issue of
globalization, immigration, and worker abuse here in
the US. I enjoyed your article
The Silent War
tremendously. It is so terribly important for people
like yourself to keep hammering away because the flock
is asleep, as you are surely aware.
Received 5/22/07
Received 4/19/07 Received 3/16/07 Greetings, We were recently in Gulfport to see what if anything was being done in your area. We were appalled at what we saw, every place we looked was heart-ache. Something MUST be done about the present administrations gross mishandling of the greatest disaster too hit our USA. We all know this is the greatest bunch of inept idiots to be in Washington in the history of our nation...it would be very interesting to know where the millions & millions of dollars went that was meant to restore the Katrina Victims. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, and lets hope some one some where gets their head out of their rump and does something positive in the Gulf Port area. We are sick and tired of hearing these politicals pointing fingers at one another while our southern friends are suffering so. Rex A.Ebnit Sanford, Mi Received 3/12/07 Keith, My wife and I have had a sail boat at Long Beach harbor for the past 11 years. We live in Meridian, the boat was our weekend home at least twice a month until we retired a few years ago, the visits became a week or two. We enjoyed the people we met from Waveland to Long Beach, we felt like part of the community (home away from home). Katrina, Katrina was the storm no one could imagine. It was far reaching, all the way to Meridian. We are back at Long Beach, and happy to say a lot of people we knew are building back. After Katrina GCN was our main source for news. Thanks for the bridge update today Loren Received 3/11/07 |