[StBernard] Katrina-Rita State Holiday?

[Westley Annis]

AP: " Lawmaker wants to commemorate Katrina, Rita with holiday"

Jer: It's no wonder Katrina Fatigue is killing a proper recovery process as
victims who deserve the consideration only receive stares, condemnation,
animosity and discontent by those who believe ALL have properly moved on,
recovered fully or showing their disgust toward we victims.

Newspaper letters to the editors, coffee house chat, and online discussions
are siding against the victims portraying all as money grabbing, handout
seeking and work-dodgers.

Now one has to ask, since this lawmaker hails from the N'awlins crowd and
his constituents blowing stale smoke in his ears for a "holiday, day to
party, march or parade" -- what's the repercussions/fallout as a result of
any legislative law giving victims of New Orleans (of course, this act had
not St. Bernard Parish in mind when those in his district parleyed for what
they deem a commemoration for the 2 storms? Did anyone ask parish officials
how they felt about giving a day off (which many feel would be more of a
party in the streets with music, dancing and revelry) to the city.

Having a day of remembrance to those who lost their lives is appropriate
perhaps (a mass or ceremony to pray for their souls/loved ones). But
regarding the liberals who live in New Orleans--this would not be solemn
enough. A "day off of work" would be one step further to filling out the
rest of the 290 or so other days to stay home and avoid a work day (no
doubt, paid holiday at that).

Wouldn't it be a "cruel and calloused" gesture for legislators to ignore and
show their disagreement toward such a passage of the bill?

Juan needs to help his community get the funds it needs for recovery and
cease trying to establish a "second-line" party "band-aid" in place of a
genuine plan of recovery.

As St. Bernard Parish is in close proximity to N'awlins, it not only
receives tourism and tax dollars from the overflow, it also receives the
negative press this kind of gesture will be sure to produce. America and
neighboring parishes doesn't need a third black eye, when we've already two
from Katrina and Rita? Aren't we sickened enough knowing/while our wounds
are taking a significant excessive amount of time than what these
non-victims anticipate it would take to recover properly?

--jer--

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Lawmaker wants to commemorate Katrina, Rita with holiday
by AP

BATON ROUGE - A state lawmaker from New Orleans has filed three bills that
could make state holidays out of the anniversaries of hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, which devastated the Louisiana coast in 2005. 

The bills by Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, are to be considered in the
regular legislative session that starts March 31. 

One bill would make Aug. 29, the anniversary of Katrina, a state holiday
commemorating the devastation and recovery from both hurricanes. 

He also has filed a pair of bills that would designate Aug. 29 as a state
holiday in memory of just Katrina and Sept. 24, the date Rita hit, as a day
of commemoration for that hurricane. LaFonta said he will leave it up to the
House to decide whether the state should have one or two holidays or none at
all. "There is not a day that goes by that people don't think of them,"
LaFonta said.

http://www.juanlafonta.com/index.html