[StBernard] Condemnation/Mitigation Issues

[Westley Annis]

Response to Carol Hingle
 
While many of your comments are understood about levee protection and the
MRGO there is something that your comments do not take into account.  The
MRGO and levee protection system are issues that locally we have been
battling for years - your comments suggest that the local movement to start
making some decisions is tied to corruption and other insulting matters of
government officials is an unfair attack.  The entire rationale behind
moving people along in the decision making process is to assist in the
redevelopment as the opportunity arises.  The deadline (which is March 31st)
doesn't create a penalty for residents who are not in a position to make a
decision and provides a structure for properties to be monitored for
cleaning and repairing.  If one chooses not to take any action and secures
the property so that it doesn't look blighted or a nuisance then the
property can sit as long as it is maintained.  By March, much of the demo
and gutting will be largely underway and info about things such as the Baker
Plan and other plans will be better known.
 
The facts about levee protection is it is being rebuilt to cat 3.  The MRGO
is not being dredged but the ultimate fate of the MRGO has not been
disclosed by congress.
 
While frustration is understandable, broad sweeping attacks may include some
that may not deserve such.
 
Craig Taffaro
 
-----Original Message-----

Question?

How is it that the Parish Council is giving home owners a deadline to decide
whether or not they will re-build or demolish? Let's see...all of our lives
were turned upside down...inside out...homes...gone...jobs gone...a lifetime
spent working and sweating for what...
Hmmm...let me decide now...

How about we give "them" a deadline on building levees for cat 5 huricanes
before we spend our hard earned money on returning ...only to possibly lose
everything again next year...or the next. 
We trusted in our government officials....thinking that we were pretty well
safe from such a catastrophe...as we learned the hard way....we were not
safe from a cat3..We have lost almost all of our protection...and some is
being frantically put back together!  
Why did government officials allow the ship channel(MRGO)  in the first
place...officials were warned that MRGO was a very bad idea...it was dug any
way...of course the ordinary person... that live, work, and spend our hard
earned money have no say....we are led like lambs to slaughter...we not only
believe our officials, but we trust that they will do the right thing...for
our (the publics) safety...In the end...all that counts is big
business...what's in it for the deep pocket corporate... money
grubbing...don't give a care of who is hurt in the process...CROOKS!
We are told that there would be some companies that need to relocate, and
200-300 jobs would be lost...well how many homes and jobs,  not to mention
lives were lost by this disaster. One life lost...is to much!
We need better treatment than we are getting...we, the people need
answers...we read and hear many different reports...on buyouts...raising
homes or not raising homes...how the hell are we suppose to decide by
January 31, 2006...when we have no direct answers...

Carol M. Hingle
Oakridge Park