[StBernard] houses not demolished

[Westley Annis]

"..despite the objections of a few who don't believe that
3.5 years is enough time to make sufficient repairs with a plan for
completion to satisfy the parish requirements.--JFR"

Jer Responds:

I would like to challenge this "3.5 years is enough time" on two fronts and
perhaps more as I think of it:

Firstly, forced demolitions don't only affect the outcome with the obvious
procrastinators who sit back and wait for Armageddon. It also affects those
who have yet to get funding from any source including Road Home, SBA,
government grants and so forth. Beyond what people think there are other
problems besides still waiting on funding: There is a severe recession going
on, and unlike many of the lucky, blessed people, some have lost their
source of income. Call it bad timing or whatever, but it's increasingly
worse than last year.

I've got my funding thankfully, so the demo situation doesn't affect me.
Still, I can't condemn others who have fallen into hard times and get kicked
while down.

Secondly are errors of rushing though the process assuming everyone is in a
perfect real-world situation. They're not and must be given the benefit of
the doubt as downtrodden or have begin the process whether it's quick enough
or not. There are even lawsuits to challenge the expedited demoing of error.
Who wants their homestead demoing as in the case of improper or inept
wrongdoing to the citizen.

For some, yes. 3 1/2 years is not enough and for some 1 year was enough. For
some 10 years is not enough to because of medical and emotional problems
which directly affected their means to full resolution of recovery
processing. Jobs beyond Katrina are still being lost so recovery is that
much more unfortunate.

Thirdly, to those who needed good rented/leasing places: Many which would
have already been accommodated had not the N'awins and illegal crowd come
into the picture to scoop up existing property rentals and buyouts at
bargain prices to speculate in the financial scheming of things, etc. I'm
sure with rental properties in N.O., they were scooped up immediately and
the overflow sought our parish (and still is according to lawsuits vs. da
parish over apartment and four-plexes, condos, etc. to receive liberal
policies of quotas and "fair (although unfair) housing to those who aren't
from the area but want a piece of it.

Wouldn't it have been a dream if Katrina would have missed our hometown
rather than devastating our homes and lives? My prayers continue even though
there are many who believe prayer is for the weak, the mentally infirmed and
the non-liberals. For me and half the country, we still believe
unconditionally that punishment is just and swift not on earth, but
thereafter when the real accounting gets tallied.

--jer--

-----------------------------------------------------
The tab will have to be picked up by the parish (taxpayers), but a lien will
be placed on the property so that when (if) it is sold, the funds will be
collected.  This is specifically why so many of us have pushed to get the
demolitions moving, despite the objections of a few who don't believe that
3.5 years is enough time to make sufficient repairs with a plan for
completion to satisfy the parish requirements.
 
JFR