[StBernard] Where's Jerry

[Westley Annis]

"I am starting to miss Jer emails. Are you all right out there Jerry. It may
be the mother in me, but with someone who has shown depression like he does,
well I am just worried. Hope you are on vacation. Sue"

**Thanks Sue, for your concern. I was down 10 days in the parish and I found
little vacation time there. After a near heart attack from the heat and
exhaustion, I decided to throw in the town and return. The parish has its
duty to do and I'm afraid  they're really not very good at doing so these
days.

For example, the Times-Picayune reported:

"Demolition group threatens pullout - Red tape blamed for St. Bernard
delays"

http://www.nola.com/stbernard/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1150526226149320.xm
l&coll=1

Wat da heck does this mean??? Are we to interpret we're turning off the
little help we have left with ineptness? I can attest to this. I spent the
entire week trying to contact a department (and also tried other dept's but
was unsuccessful, except for the Economic Development/Tourism numbers). Has
everyone decided to take business time, collect their paychecks and work on
their humble abodes while on duty? Must be quite lucrative employment to get
paid while handling private matters. Imagine no one answering phones, no
main number anymore to call (278-4200), few people to offer help when needed
and now the rest of the "good guys and angels" are thinking about calling it
quits because they're getting "red-taped" to death when it should be the
other way around--breaking your neck to encourage good folks to continue
their mission "with OUR blessing". Incredible and probably the first time in
history that someone deep in "sh_ _" should act so independent as to chase
away or bite the hand that feeds in such a magnitude of a disaster.

On the flip side, I waved heavily to an "enterprised" tour bus passing my
home while I suffered in the heat of 99 degrees. Both sides of the coin:
Will they go back and be encouraged/touched by our struggle/what they
witnessed or are they simply a curious lot who love to be entertained? Of
course, I hollowed "Please send money" while it passed, but I don't know if
the "seeds of misery" will deliver anything fruitful.

--depressed, bothered and bewildered.

==jer==