[StBernard] From Vitter's office

[Westley Annis]

Wendy...thank you for venting...it is good to do that...from time to
time...and I would like to add...that I cannot agree with you more....You
said everything that I say...practically on a daily basis...I can honestly
say I know how you feel...I agree...it should be mandated...every member of
Congress should come down to St. Bernard..N.O. East...and the lower Ninth
Ward...to see and smell...for themselves...we should challenge them to do
so....
CHingle  



> -----------------------------------------------------

> 

> In early December I wrote Sen. Vitter about the term"Katrina Fatigue" and

> it's use, explaining they have no idea about what "Katrina Fatigue"

> was...how about waiting for insurance, hours on end with FEMA (especially

in

> the beginning), waiting on assistance, waiting on a hot meal, waiting on

and

> on and on, everyone here knows all of this. Anywho, here was one of his

> "assistant's" responses, and yet another of my own for them to take to

> Congress. For those who don't know, two weeks before Mardi Gras in New

> Orleans, there is Mardi Gras in DC for the Congressional Delegation- it is

> extremely notorious, especially Kareoke in Mary Landrieu's suite, Breaux's

> cajun pig roast, etc. Maybe we should crash the festivities, it's held at

> the Hyatt? I'm always up for a good protest/march/ etc....

>  

> From: Hayes, Daniel (Vitter) [mailto:daniel_hayes at vitter.senate.gov]

> Sent: Thu 1/12/2006 2:33 PM

> To: Wendy Ponson Hall

> Subject: Follow Up

> 

> 

> 

> Ms. Hall,

> 

>  

> 

> Thank you for your email.  The Senator asked that I follow up with you

> regarding your concerns with the misuse of the phrase "Katrina Fatigue."

I

> assure you that the Senator is keeping his colleagues in Congress aware of

> what Katrina Fatigue is, as well as who is suffering from it.  We

appreciate

> your offer to help in conveying the true essence of Katrina Fatigue.  We

> would be happy to assist you in any manner possible if you continue to

> encounter problems with FEMA or your insurance provider.  If you have

> current concerns with either of these entities, please do not hesitate to

> call or write.

> 

>  

> 

> Again, thank you for your email, and thank you for your commitment to

> Louisiana.

> 

>  

> 

> Yours,

> 

>  

> 

> Daniel M. Hayes

> 

> Community Liaison

> 

> U.S. Senator David Vitter

> 

> 858 Convention St.

> 

> Baton Rouge, LA 70802

> 

> 225-383-0331 p

> 

> 225-383-0952 f

> 

> daniel_hayes at vitter.senate.gov

> 

>  

>  

> Mr. Hayes,

>  

>     Maybe Senator Vitter needs suggest/demand that all of his collegues

> celebrate "Mardi Gras" in D.C. actually in New Orleans. While they here,

> they can see and smell the devestation, and maybe just maybe they can roll

> up their sleeves and really learn what "recovery" is like!!! Pictures say

a

> thousand words, but that stench and a sore back say a whole hell of a lot

> more... Anyone from here knows that the pictures don't do justice.

Pictures

> are a small snapshot, a window...when you stand at "Ground Zero" in St.

> Bernard Parish and see devestation EVERYWHERE, not just the snapshot, it

> really hits home. Let his collegues come sit and eat the hot meals handed

> out by volunteers with citizens who have lost everything! AND, if anyone

of

> them say they are above such doings/it's not their job, I say call the

media

> to hound their "arses." This is AMERICA'S largest natural disaster, it

damn

> well is their business to see it, smell it, taste it. so that it is not

> forgotten. Not to minimilize Congressional work, but volunteers who are

> doing more in the day to day recovery then any Congressional

Representative

> has done, outside of the Louisiana Congression. There is no war to declare

> for this disaster like 9/11, but the money that is needed is just the

same.

> Party leaderships should require that all in their delegations put in to

> "gut" 5 homes in devestated areas, roughly one week of work, they can work

> with crews/volunteers/Habitat for Humanity. They should bring their kids,

> their families, this isn't like some dirty secret, this was an act of

nature

> that needs to be shown the proper respect. Like history, for those who

> forget, are likely to repeat past mistakes. Like 9/11, we cannot let our

> guard down EVER again when it comes to "Mother Nature" in ANY scenerio.

>     SECOND, why wasn't the President brought to St. Bernard or a St.

Bernard

> liason in New Orleans? St. Bernard WAS "Ground ZERO", not New Orleans. Not

> to minimialize any other area, but WE were the least represented, the

least

> helped by the federal government in the days that followed, and we are the

> least seen today. Canadian search and rescue found St. Bernard before the

> Federal Government did....what does that say? 6000 residents that stayed

and

> were rescued, were rescued by St. Bernard Residents, not helicopters

picking

> people up from the federal government...go look at the parish website, St.

> Bernard residents picked up St. Bernardians in pirogues, shrimp boats,

etc.

> I know I am venting on you, however, MAYBE just MAYBE a copy of this email

> will make it's way into every congressional person's hands, and as I said

> before, I can also drop off 426 bags (excluding the Louisiana Delegation,

> they already know) of molded personal property so that they can see it and

> get a small whiff of what "New Orleans" is "really" like. 

>       Thanks for listening, as I am sure your ear/eyes are often strained.

>  

> Sincerely,

>  

> Wendy P. Hall

> 

> Fr