[StBernard] Craig - any word on trailer in FEMA park?

[Westley Annis]

Craig,
 
I am addressing this to you as you are the point man on housing according to
your proposal on the parish website.
 
Any word **yet** on a FEMA trailer requested by me to be placed in a park?
 
When calling the 888 # in Baton Rouge all you get is "delay with contractor
in St. Bernard".  Meanwhile I am sitting in Alabama...waiting...  but
probably not much longer.
 
My mother and I desperately want to return to St. Bernard to rebuild and
because it is home.  We have money from flood insurance and other funds to
rebuild our house.  This is money that would go to contractors, plumbers,
electricians and others in St. Bernard Parish.  However, that being said, I
can't do a damned thing when I am 300+ miles away and with an 80 year old
parent.
 
Several week ago I was helping a gentleman here in this h otel look at
developers' websites in the Ft. Worth looking for houses.  His wife said she
was not returning to St. Bernard and so they have now moved on to Texas,
staying with their son while they house shop. 
 
There are some really nice planned developments in the areas surrounding Ft.
Worth, from what I saw, and of course, Texas has no income tax.  I am/was a
federal employee and can probably find a job there in the DFW area.  I asked
my mom how she'd feel about living in Texas and she said we lived there
before when my father was in the military and she said all she was concerned
about was being buried back next to him when her time comes.  
 
With all this in mind, here's a couple of questions:
 

*	Are there any commercial trailer parks open so I could go buy a
trailer (bigger than travel size), haul it down there and have it put up? 
*	Can you give any realistic timeline on when folks *might* be able to
get placed in a FEMA park if they were on the list for those?
*	If I have to (sigh) are there any restrictions on going to buy my
*own* travel trailer of whatever size and placing it at our house?   I'd try
to get the biggest travel trailer I could to fit across the lot instead of
down the driveway.  

I've got a very limited timeframe in which to decide what to do, i.e. hotel
ends 03/01/06.  I've bookmarked a few realtor/developer websites for Ft.
Worth.  I have a feeling that with a call or two I could probably arrange a
house purchase and temp quarters if we build a new house  with little or no
difficulty; probably staying in apt while house is built.
 
Craig, I am not yelling or grousing at you personally, but rather because
you read/respond on this list.  There is a big disconnect between local
government/state/fed with this recovery.  There should be a mindset of "just
do it" but the b.s. is getting in the way.  Every time I see those freakin'
16x80 ft trailers in Arkansas my blood pressure rises 20 points or more.
Flood plain?  Gimme a break!!  Not enough workers w/Flour Daniels to install
faster?  **Get more**  No available land (haven't heard that one yet) then
the A&J Meraux Foundation *should* be letting all those acres of land in the
pasture and by the old drive-in be used.  I'm sure they'd be compensated by
FEMA.  If not, it's supposed to be a foundation that benefits the parish and
the "directors" should be willing to allow the land to be used.
 
As D. Keller said, I don't think the Feds (Bush/FEMA) care anymore.  Dubya
got in front of Jackson Square lit by generators and did his photo-op.  They
don't want to be reminded of how madly this was managed.
  ;
And, as much as I'd like to be back in my old house (new and improved after
renovations), time is running short (esp.for the 80 yr. old mom here! <g>)
People have to make decisions on what they are going to do.  It's just a
damned shame that because of gov't foulups, they can't do as they'd wish and
return to their homes.
 
Also, congratulations on the birth of your new son!  
 
If you wish or need to contact me, Ashley has my cell #.
 
Jim York