[StBernard] LRA revises formula for Road Home benefits

[Westley Annis]

Geez, Revision #200...!!

Firstly, what's advised from the original plan?

Secondly, is it "first come-first serve from signing up to be seen as a
measure of fairness?

Thirdly,  according to the statement:

"If a house is declared more than 50 percent damaged by local authorities
and categorized as having "severe" damage by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, the exact level of damage to the house will not figure
into the grant calculation."

..FEMA said almost all were listed under total devestation in St. Bernard
upon their assessment on the onset paying off as a "total loss" up to its
limits. Having more than an average of 8 feet in each home proves this. It
appears that if you have 50/51%, literally you're "home free" to get money
to relocate which offers you at least that choice. If you're 49%, you're
screwed and must go back to devestation and depression. What's the truth in
gauging whether you get helped or not here? At the onset, there was hope as
to whether one chose to select what he/she needed to do to recover. Now,
unless I'm wrong, the state is commandeering/manipulating lives as a means
to their end/purpose. If you got 49% damage (and estimating a 30-60% is
going to be hell), are we facing having to return to swampmud, work to
death, and then try to sell the trashed homes at a depressed rate of 15-20%
of its value? 

What's the real deal here? Our most sincere thanks to the mighty state of LA
for having advisors prepared to help us after some of us have jumped from
bridges and buildings in anxiety while awaiting hope for a "lift up" instead
of a "knock down". Six more months of this and you can bet they'll be chaos
in the streets and desperation forcing the hands of good citizens demanding
action, complete with information that currently is without merit and
understanding. I can bet that if this happened in New York City, the
activity would be addressed hastily without the hesitation we now endure.

==jer==