[StBernard] Open Letter

[Westley Annis]

the parish, state and federal government could learn alot from the hippies
that came. i have never seen sure an organized group of people.

Judy


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

>I know da-parish.com has a wide readership. Consider this an open

>letter to citizens and their leaders everywhere who could learn from

>the lessons that Katrina has taught us the hard way-trial and error,

>hit and miss, and rules that come and go from various entities as

>government attempts to help us recover.

>

>First, a foreword.  Leadership-it's like art. Hard to define, but you

>know good leadership when you see it.  It requires effective leadership

>that produces results.  Too often we and the leaders we count on  judge

>leadership by how many hours leaders work, or how much personal

>sacrifice they put into the task, or how well they are liked by others,

>or how much passion and care and commitment they have.  But ask any

>coach and you will hear that their effectiveness as a coach is counted

>in wins and losses only. So too when evaluating our leadership (whether

>its those elected to office or those hired into a position). To be an

>effective leader requires wins and results that achieve the goal. The

>other things are qualities they possess, but not a measure of whether a

>person is effective and achieving results. The nicest coach with a long

>resume who puts in works long hours  is not effective if the athletes

>don't win games because the intended results weres not achieved. The

>coach shouldn't get defensive if judged ineffective for not winning

>games. Likewise with government leaders who take it personally if

>criticized about measurable results not being achieved. We appreciate

>their dedication and sacrifice, and hard work, but that is not how

>leadership is measured.

>

>To see St. Bernard's long-term vision and goals, go to

>www.louisianaspeaks.org. But in a nutshell, I summarize our goal as to

>restore our community as a place to live, work, and play at a quality

>no less than before the storm, with an opportunity to make it even

>better (my words).

>

>Here are just some short term goals that I consider to be the ruler for

>measuring effectiveness of leadership during recovery, in no particular

>order:

>

>Level of debris remaining on the streets

>Number of homes and businessess remaining to be repaired or demolished.

>Number of residents able to live in the community.

>Number of businesses able to operate in the community.

>Vehicles and boats remaining to be removed and disposed of legally.

>Water, sewerage, drainage, telephone, internet, cable, natural gas

>services restoration.

>Parish services restored-properly staffed local government, free and

>legal public disposal areas, traffic and street signage and lights, etc.

>Educational system restored.

>Medical system restored.

>Fire protection system restored.

>Sheriff's department restored.

>Hurricane and Mississippi River flood protectionn system restored.

>

>Without these essentials, private citizens,businesses, churches, etc.

>cannot recover.  Ask yourself where are we as we are about to enter

>month 11. I'm sure there are other key areas that you could add to this

>list. So here's my letter to other states which I am sure you have

>suggestions for more than these six.

>*************************************************************************

>**************************

>

>Dear Citizens and Leaders:

>

>Our deepest sympathy to your community upon this devastation. You now

>share our pain. Learn from us. Do not repeat the same mistakes and do

>not make waste of precious time and money and volunteer help that is

>available to help you recover. You are now the new crisis that  FEMA,

>Red Cross, Congress, et al will focus upon and we will become forgotten

>as they come to  your aid. America, an parts of our own State, have

>grown tired of our problems, laughed at our corruption and scandals,

>and thinks it has thrown enough resources at us. We in St. Bernard

>Parish will be on our own now left to recover as best we can with the

>little remaining resources we have left until the next time.

>

>

>#1 Not all federal rules will make sense or be fair or be

>cost-effective, BUT PLAY BY THEIR RULES. It is far better to get the

>results you want than to enter a spitting match with the federal

>government over who to hire, what to pay them, etc. The federal

>government holds all the cards, and your community is at their mercy.

>Play the game their way or they'll take their toys and go home.

>

>#2 Residents and businesses and non-profit property owners need firm

>deadlines. Those communities that set deadlines for cleaning property,

>declaring intentions, and taking responsibility for their properties

>will recover sooner. Those that set deadlines last or keep postponing

>them will find that property owners have put off hard decisions and

>your community will be severly blighted even a year after the storm.

>Somehow the banks, churches, franchise businesses, etc. will

>restore/demolish what they own in the other communities with deadlines,

>but yours will languish if you don't.

>

>#3 When local government passes new ordinances, they need to be very

>specific and have "teeth". Vague ordinances are subject to wide

>interpretation and cannot be enforced. They just give the appearance of

>being a tool to recovery. There must be local staffing to enforce

>existing and new ordinaces continually or you will have illegal

>signage, illegal dumping, construction of a type you do not want, etc.

>Continually publicize the community's rules that are remaining in force

>and the new ones that are created from the federal, state, and local

>level. The average citizen is overwhelmed and needs constant reminders.

>

>#4Collect  your sales taxes, collect your property taxes, collect your

>permit fees,even if at a reduced rate. If you have no source of income,

>you will not be able to provide the basic services the community needs.

>Without income, you will have to cut your government staff and lose

>essential services like a complaint department, planning and permit

>department, etc.  FEMA will not pay for routine services that your

>local government has always provided to the community. You cannot keep

>going into debt to pay operating costs.

>

>#5 Communicate with the people via all means-radio, television, paper,

>internet quickly and keep it accurate and current. When involving an

>agency that could change its rules, you have to stress that to the

>public. Today FEMA may pay for some service, tomorrow they may not.

>Make public the proceedings from all public meetings. Have one

>community official who is the spokesperson that speaks with authority

>and knowledge so the public knows that there is a leader who everyone

>is following. Make sure that leader has answers and solutions, and not

>just makes public appearances that are about how frustrated they are,

>or how the federal goverment is not cooperating, etc. That will be

>true, but what the public wants to hear is what that leader is or plans

>to do about achieving recovery goals.

>

>#6 People love the word "free". Stress that free, volunteer help is

>subject to come and go. As time passes, as it gets more physically

>difficult to do, as the attention wanes, as support services to  house

>and feed volunteers disappears, so to will the free help. Always stress

>to the public that the free help is not a promise, but a option that

>may be available for a short period of time and to relatively few

>people due to the demand.

>

>

>Deborah Keller

>

>********************