[StBernard] DEMO's

[Westley Annis]

jer:
 
You have a right to your opinion as I do mine.  The key difference is that I
still live and pay taxes in St. Bernard.  For every person that claims that
they have received no notification, that their property is not listed on the
parish web-page, or whatever, there are ten properties that will be sitting
idle for years to come, depressing the values of adjoining properties and
probably depressing the neighbors that have to look at the abandoned
property every day.  
 
Where you (unreasonably) expect the parish president to examine each and
every property scheduled for demolition, instead, I suggest that any
homeowner that is not in their home at this point in time visit the parish
government complex with paperwork and pictures in hand and make sure that
their property is not scheduled for demo.  I also would ask for a written
confirmation from the person that they speak due in government.  Last, the
day after my visit I would send a certified letter, return receipt, directly
to the person they speak with, confirming the agreement.  A few hours effort
and less than $5 in postage would provide all the protection anyone could
ask for.
 
While I agree with you that everyone is not on the same economic level,
there are many of us that struggled through all the hurdles and the
financial obstacles to return home.  I, for one, have no problem having a
neighbor taking longer than 3 years to repair their home if there is any
evidence of repair, and yes, I agree that the crew scheduled to perform the
demolition should visit the site prior to the scheduled demolition, attempt
to make (reasonable) contact with the owner, stick a notice on the door, and
take a photograph of the property, providing same to parish government for
immediate review and, if there remains any questions as to whether repairs
are being made, delay the demolition until proper notification can be made
to the homeowners.  
 
Unfortunately, there is never a solution that pleases everyone.
 
JFR


	-------------------------------
	       "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--