[StBernard] blighted list

[Westley Annis]

PD:
 
My statement regarding the money I have spent to repair my home did not
imply that ANYONE should spend money they don't have.  How many vacations
have you been on in recent years, when you could have been saving or
investing in your home as I did. I thought my comment was clear, but if not,
allow me to clarify:  Anyone owning property in St. Bernard should, at the
minimum, have some consideration for their neighbors and clean their homes
of food and debris, followed by on-going maintenance of their yard.  If I
had made the decision to leave St. Bernard, I would have thought enough of
my neighbors to gut my home and maintain the yard until the house is sold.
Yes, that involves some work, and in some cases, volunteer or paid help, but
with the exception of maintaining the yard, it is a one-time effort. 
 
As far as my "having the means" to repair my property, I would label that as
"planning ahead" by maintaining a reasonable amount of flood insurance.  As
a result of Katrina and our inability to return home in a reasonable period
of time, I lost my job of 34 years.  So much for big business, but rather
than whine about it I have used the time to do whatever I could to maintain
my home and my neighborhood. For example,  I have cut grass and removed
debris along the canals.  Yes, these and other items should be handled by
the parish and the levee district, but if they aren't, I complain in writing
and by telephone calls.  Eventually, something gets done. 
 
There is no reason for this parish to have the problems we are starting to
have with rats and snakes.  The clean-up effort needs to be more organized
and citizens need to be aware of what areas have been cleaned each week, and
what areas are scheduled and when.  Individual residents need to clean-up
after the parish or Murphy clean-up effort rather than allow the remaining
trash to remain.  Yes, you shouldn;t have to do this but if nothing else,
the effort will benefit everyone in the end. 
 
Finally, you asked that I not judge those who choose not to return.  If you
review what I wrote you will note that I always indicate that there is no
right or wrong decision - everyone has to make the decision they decide is
best for them and their family.  My last comments to this column were to
stress that I agree with the parish deadline and the enforcement of such,
and the fact that I have personally seen a number of neighbors that
previously did nothing, and since the parish issued a deadline have someone
managed to gut their homes, something which benefits all of us, whether
returning or not. 
 
JFR