[StBernard] Returning Residents

[Westley Annis]

Sheila, 
	I don't think anybody is being vicious here.  People on both sides
need to understand that others have legitimate reasons for what they do.  If
you have decided to return, that's fine, but I'm sure you went back to St.
Bernard knowing that, for a while at least, things will not be anything like
they used to be.  Part of the decision to return is made with the knowledge
that, for a long while, a lot of your neighbors' homes are likely to be
sitting empty.  For many of us who have not returned, financial
considerations play a very large role in what we do with our property.  Yes,
we can sign up for the free gutting (I have), but because of the sheer
volume of destroyed houses, in many neighborhoods that free gutting is not
going to happen in the foreseeable future, if ever.  Other than signing up
for free gutting, for many people, it makes no financial sense to put any
money into gutting a house until all options (buyout, etc.) are clear, so
they are just not going to do it.  I do not see that as being irresponsible.
On the contrary, in my view, spending several thousand dollars to gut a
house would be financially irresponsible if I may very well take the buyout,
depending on the terms.  And, many homeowners will legitimately resist
anyone trying to force them to put thousands of dollars into a house when
the Parish has said (Duany plan) that they do not want rebuilding in that
area.  Yes, at some point the government needs to step in and force property
owners to do something with abandoned property.  But that cannot happen
until the property owner has all his options on the table.  It is not
irresponsible to wait until we have all those options before spending
significant amounts of money.  That's making financially prudent decisions.
The bottom line is, I think that those who are returning need to realize
that the condition of many so-called "abandoned" houses will not change
until the buyout plan is finalized, there is time for the buyout money to
make its way to homeowners, and the homeowners have time to act.  After all
that happens, maybe by the end of 2006, the Parish can start to go after
abandoned and blighted houses.  

CK

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David:

That is not true.  People that are returning are stating facts and seems the
people that made choices to leave are just as visious if not arrogant.  This
goes both ways on all levels.     

Shelia