[StBernard] Involuntary Demolition

[Westley Annis]

JFR,

   She signed her award two weeks before the demo and received her check 2
days before the demo. As I said, her home WAS compliant based on the
criteria in the permits office. And, let's remeber that Betsy didn't cause
the huge exodus of people or distruction that Katrina did, it wasn't
followed by another hurricane called Rita, and at the same time, most
insurance companies were a little more reputable. My grandmother lived in
New Orleans following Betsy. They lived on the corner of Magazine and
Eleanor st. While uptown, the neighborhood still had no power for 6 months,
of course they were less reliant on power like we are today. But because of
where there home was and because of the bus line, her home had power before
everyone else. So neighbors put their deep freezers in her yard and she
spent the next six months freezing blocks of water for people to keep in
coolers and fridges. We didn't have that opportunity, not with katrina. So
to try and compare the situati ons is not fair nor possible.

Wendy H


-----Original Message-----
No process will be flawless, but at the same time, consider the spur of
activity since all the "yellow stickers" have been placed on various home
that meet the demo criteria.  Everyone is blaming the road home, but what if
the program didn;t exist.  During Betsy, the only assistance we received was
our sweat equity, a 6% SBA loan (compared to the current 2.87%), and the
Salvation Army came with there trucks three times a day.  (The Red Cross
passed daily, however, any blankets or food that had were for sale. 
 
I regret that your friend's home was demolished in error, but that doesn't
mean we stop the process.  Had everyone acted sooner, we would have been rid
of all the debris before FEMA quit paying for the trash pick-up.  Empty
houses only bring squatters or other problems that we do not need.
 
Again, I understand your friends frustration, and hope that her Road HOme
money arrives soon.  (We have been waiting for 16 months now, and the latest
response was that it was at the title company, so no one can help.

JFR