[StBernard] DEMO's

[Westley Annis]

Jer you are one of the most INTELLIGENT people I have read on this forum
since it was created!!!!  My sister is being thrust into this demolition,
she was never notified, nor contacted about her home beings demolished.
It's a beautiful two-story near Paris Road, or it was before Katrina she is
a divorced single mother and has to do this on her own.  The only reason we
knew the house was going to be demolished was because they tore up her front
yard ripping out pipes.
 
The amazing part is, all of the blighted, houses before Katrina that were
eyesores and never maintained, were NEVER TOUCHED!!!!  I for one lived
across the street from one for almost 8 years, it was not touched until
someone else bought the property and redid the home.  Now because of
circumstances beyond our control, and not having the financial means to live
and rebuild at the same pace as many of the fortunate ones, people are
facing having there Pre-Katrina appraised $200,000 homes torn down to be
left with a $30,000 lot.  Who wins here?  It's sick.

Bianca

-------------------------------	
	"I am surprised at the lack of favorable comments relative to the
demolition
	of condemmed homes in St. Bernard.  I know that I am not alone in
praising
	Craig Taffaro for getting the demolitons moving again.  --JFR."
	
	Jer Responds:
	
	Overall good? It's probably the best IF the one who gets ripped of
his/her
	home is not in that number. It must be noted that not everyone in
the U.S.
	is at the same economic and financial level. If one is surprised at
why
	there are a "lack of favorable comments" instead of condemnation, it
is
	because those who wish to see others lose their home (and in this
example)
	it was overwhelming to even envision this occurring in America. 
	
	Does one laugh when the bulldozer is ripping apart one's home? Does
it
	matter whether the home was owned for 1 year or 30 and have it
leveled when
	bad luck dictates a person's finances who cannot meet time limits?
	
	I'm not rich by any means either, and if I spent $50,000 trying to
get a
	home into any livable condition and cannot keep up with others who
have a
	greater means, I'd bring this one into the courts up to the Supreme
Courts
	who would lend an ear. I'd bring in the national press to expose
what is
	broken in America.
	
	I certainly, and I'm sure everyone else would LOVE to be on the
losing end
	of this argument where one has to choose to eat and pay for medical
expenses
	and are in the awful position of struggling to pay for restoration
beyond
	what I was able to afford.
	
	No one personal is at the same critical juncture simultaneously. And
we're
	sure, if there are some who are fortunate to have the extra
money--that the
	underprivileged would God-willing bless them for their generosity.
	
	To those who can help the poor or the hurting homeowner after this
disaster,
	then by all means do so to avoid hearing about a wrecking ball
happening in
	any neighborhood.
	
	I would tell you this. If I were a councilman in the neighborhood,
or the
	Parish President, I would attend every home in the parish where one
tends to
	lose his/her home to the wrecking crew and determine the
individual's
	situation on a case-by-case basis. To me, it's cold as the Artic
Circle to
	remove one's domicile during this hellish nightmare in which we've
been
	placed. 
	
	--jer--