Comments on: Why You Should Care About New Orleans http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/ News and Opinion on Politics and Media Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:12:35 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: 12 Stories to Read at Florida Progressive Coalition Blog http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/comment-page-1/#comment-380335 12 Stories to Read at Florida Progressive Coalition Blog Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:54:38 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/#comment-380335 [...] The latest on hurricanes: Why Now - Two Years On, Why Now - Tropical Update, Ybor City Stogie - Nationwide Is Not On Your Side, and Pensito Review - Why You Should Care About New Orleans. [...] [...] The latest on hurricanes: Why Now – Two Years On, Why Now – Tropical Update, Ybor City Stogie – Nationwide Is Not On Your Side, and Pensito Review – Why You Should Care About New Orleans. [...]

]]> By: GarryInNola http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/comment-page-1/#comment-379811 GarryInNola Wed, 29 Aug 2007 19:23:19 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/#comment-379811 Trish, Yes, I heard of the toxicity in the trailers and all that FEMA has agreed to do; and that was only after major public outcry, was to stop selling the trailers that have already been used. Who knows what the formaldehyde level was in the trailer they were using? Even though it took FEMA nearly a year to deliver their trailer they picked it up just 2 weeks after my niece told them that she no longer needed it. Thanks for your concern and best wishes. I really appreciate it. And here's one final FEMA anecdote. A woman I worked with at the time Katrina struck lived with her parents in their home just 3 blocks from the 17th Street Canal breach in the Lakeview section of New Orleans. They evacuated prior to the storm's arrival but when they tried to come back and found out that the water level had been up to the roof of the house & that a car crashed through a wall and came to rest in their living room they called FEMA for assistance. They gave the FEMA rep their address and explained as best they could what had happened and the extent of the damage. FEMA told them that they did not have enough damage and were not eligible for any assistance. Only on appeal were they granted FEMA assistance. They had a car in their living room but that wasn't enough for FEMA! Trish,
Yes, I heard of the toxicity in the trailers and all that FEMA has agreed to do; and that was only after major public outcry, was to stop selling the trailers that have already been used. Who knows what the formaldehyde level was in the trailer they were using? Even though it took FEMA nearly a year to deliver their trailer they picked it up just 2 weeks after my niece told them that she no longer needed it. Thanks for your concern and best wishes. I really appreciate it.
And here’s one final FEMA anecdote. A woman I worked with at the time Katrina struck lived with her parents in their home just 3 blocks from the 17th Street Canal breach in the Lakeview section of New Orleans. They evacuated prior to the storm’s arrival but when they tried to come back and found out that the water level had been up to the roof of the house & that a car crashed through a wall and came to rest in their living room they called FEMA for assistance. They gave the FEMA rep their address and explained as best they could what had happened and the extent of the damage. FEMA told them that they did not have enough damage and were not eligible for any assistance. Only on appeal were they granted FEMA assistance. They had a car in their living room but that wasn’t enough for FEMA!

]]> By: Trish http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/comment-page-1/#comment-379806 Trish Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:52:57 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/#comment-379806 But you know about the toxic trailers, right? http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2007-07-25a.asp Maybe someone's considering a class action suit. If not, they should be. Everything that happened to you and your family is inexcusable in the country we were brought up to believe we lived in. Maybe that land is gone and no one wants to admit it. Good luck. But you know about the toxic trailers, right?

http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2007-07-25a.asp

Maybe someone’s considering a class action suit. If not, they should be. Everything that happened to you and your family is inexcusable in the country we were brought up to believe we lived in. Maybe that land is gone and no one wants to admit it. Good luck.

]]> By: GarryInNola http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/comment-page-1/#comment-379801 GarryInNola Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:23:55 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/#comment-379801 Trish, I just realized that I failed to answer 2 of your questions. Sorry. We have not contacted our elected representatives. I will find out who they are for St Bernard Parish. But as I said earlier, almost everyone knows someone who didn't survive Katrina so there isn't much extra sympathy to go around. If my sister-in-law had heart problems prior to Katrina, they had not been diagnosed. She just suddenly went into cardiac arrest in the FEMA trailer the day she brought my brother home from his initial hospitalization. Due to the lack of landline phones in that area a cellphone was used to call 911 and the fact that there was no operating hospital for miles around it took the emergency medical personnel more than 10 minutes to arrive and by that time she had suffered anoxia and brain damage. She never awoke from the coma and died 6 weeks later in the hospital. I really think that she had undiagnosed health problems that were exacerbated by the stress of being displaced, loss of all personal effects and memorabilia & the lack of available medical care & her husbands recently diagnosed illness. I believe that the initial death toll of 1,600 will balloon into the thousands over the next few years as the effects of displacement, lack of healthcare and the emotional toll continues to add up. Already there are reliable statistics that show that alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence & suicide have skyrocketed in this area. Is there any wonder why? Trish,
I just realized that I failed to answer 2 of your questions. Sorry. We have not contacted our elected representatives. I will find out who they are for St Bernard Parish. But as I said earlier, almost everyone knows someone who didn’t survive Katrina so there isn’t much extra sympathy to go around.
If my sister-in-law had heart problems prior to Katrina, they had not been diagnosed. She just suddenly went into cardiac arrest in the FEMA trailer the day she brought my brother home from his initial hospitalization. Due to the lack of landline phones in that area a cellphone was used to call 911 and the fact that there was no operating hospital for miles around it took the emergency medical personnel more than 10 minutes to arrive and by that time she had suffered anoxia and brain damage. She never awoke from the coma and died 6 weeks later in the hospital. I really think that she had undiagnosed health problems that were exacerbated by the stress of being displaced, loss of all personal effects and memorabilia & the lack of available medical care & her husbands recently diagnosed illness.
I believe that the initial death toll of 1,600 will balloon into the thousands over the next few years as the effects of displacement, lack of healthcare and the emotional toll continues to add up. Already there are reliable statistics that show that alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence & suicide have skyrocketed in this area. Is there any wonder why?

]]> By: GarryInNola http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/comment-page-1/#comment-379796 GarryInNola Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:07:39 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/#comment-379796 Trish, I really don't know about the law. If Louisiana law isn't the same as Florida's it certainly should be. My niece is 32 y/o but had never moved out of the house prior to Katrina. In other words, she never had her own apartment nor did she get married so she is probably not very good at handling running a house. I also know that her whole world was completely turned upside down. All of her personal effects, photos etc. were lost. She wants me to move in with her but it would be a difficult commute for me and the area is still visibly devastated. Not much rebuilding. In fact many houses have been demolished with only their foundations still in place. She is trying to settle the estate but there wasn't much of an estate to settle and, I understand that creditors can go after an estate of people who are no longer alive if money was owed, this disaster notwithstanding. And while this situation is even more extreme than most, a pall of death hangs over the area and almost everyone knows at least one person who didn't survive Katrina. So there isn't much extra sympathy to go around if you know what I mean. Trish,
I really don’t know about the law. If Louisiana law isn’t the same as Florida’s it certainly should be. My niece is 32 y/o but had never moved out of the house prior to Katrina. In other words, she never had her own apartment nor did she get married so she is probably not very good at handling running a house. I also know that her whole world was completely turned upside down. All of her personal effects, photos etc. were lost. She wants me to move in with her but it would be a difficult commute for me and the area is still visibly devastated. Not much rebuilding. In fact many houses have been demolished with only their foundations still in place. She is trying to settle the estate but there wasn’t much of an estate to settle and, I understand that creditors can go after an estate of people who are no longer alive if money was owed, this disaster notwithstanding. And while this situation is even more extreme than most, a pall of death hangs over the area and almost everyone knows at least one person who didn’t survive Katrina. So there isn’t much extra sympathy to go around if you know what I mean.

]]> By: Trish http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/comment-page-1/#comment-379788 Trish Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:30:20 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/#comment-379788 Gary, that is an amazing (and I mean that in a bad way) story! First, my sympathy on the loss of your brother and sister-in-law. Second, have you told your elected representatives about this, and if so, what are they doing? Third, did your sister-in-law already have heart problems, or do you suspect it was the toxic fumes in her FEMA trailer that caused her death? And last, can you lose your home in Louisiana if you go bankrupt? Here in Florida (motto: "Move here and buy a big oceanfront home if you're rich and want to shield some assets before you declare bankruptcy"), you can't have your primary residence taken away. While many people do abuse that, hence our motto, it also protects some legitimate cases like your niece. Gary, that is an amazing (and I mean that in a bad way) story! First, my sympathy on the loss of your brother and sister-in-law. Second, have you told your elected representatives about this, and if so, what are they doing? Third, did your sister-in-law already have heart problems, or do you suspect it was the toxic fumes in her FEMA trailer that caused her death? And last, can you lose your home in Louisiana if you go bankrupt? Here in Florida (motto: “Move here and buy a big oceanfront home if you’re rich and want to shield some assets before you declare bankruptcy”), you can’t have your primary residence taken away. While many people do abuse that, hence our motto, it also protects some legitimate cases like your niece.

]]> By: GarryInNola http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/comment-page-1/#comment-379765 GarryInNola Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:31:14 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/29/why-you-should-care-about-new-orleans/#comment-379765 Excellent entry. I live in the New Orleans area & was displaced for a month due to having no power or running water for an extended period and my employer took awhile to get up and running. However, my problems was insignificant when compared to my brother & his wife & daughter who lived in Chalmette/St Bernard Parish on the east side of the city. Their house was completely submerged by the storm surge and lost all their possessions & 2 vehicles which floated down the street for blocks. When they decided to return in June 2006 their health took a turn for the worse. My brother was diagnosed with esophagus cancer and shortly thereafter his wife went into cardiac arrest in the FEMA trailer. She lapsed into a coma and died Labor Day weekend 2006. He underwent chemo, radiation & surgery for his cancer but died June 2, 2007. Now only his daughter is left & she is living in the now renovated house. But my brother's & his wife's doctors & the hospitals are now hounding her for money for the co-pays. She may end up losing the house due to these avaricious health care providers. Do I think Katrina had something to do with their deaths? Yes. I think the enormous stress of the entire disaster, poor relief effort and a woefully inadequate health care system were largely responsible. Now their daughter (my niece) is all alone, fighting the hospital creditors and living in a house that may go under again due to the still-inadequate levees. The above is all true. Trust me, I am not exaggerating one bit. Excellent entry. I live in the New Orleans area & was displaced for a month due to having no power or running water for an extended period and my employer took awhile to get up and running. However, my problems was insignificant when compared to my brother & his wife & daughter who lived in Chalmette/St Bernard Parish on the east side of the city. Their house was completely submerged by the storm surge and lost all their possessions & 2 vehicles which floated down the street for blocks. When they decided to return in June 2006 their health took a turn for the worse. My brother was diagnosed with esophagus cancer and shortly thereafter his wife went into cardiac arrest in the FEMA trailer. She lapsed into a coma and died Labor Day weekend 2006. He underwent chemo, radiation & surgery for his cancer but died June 2, 2007. Now only his daughter is left & she is living in the now renovated house. But my brother’s & his wife’s doctors & the hospitals are now hounding her for money for the co-pays. She may end up losing the house due to these avaricious health care providers. Do I think Katrina had something to do with their deaths? Yes. I think the enormous stress of the entire disaster, poor relief effort and a woefully inadequate health care system were largely responsible. Now their daughter (my niece) is all alone, fighting the hospital creditors and living in a house that may go under again due to the still-inadequate levees. The above is all true. Trust me, I am not exaggerating one bit.

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