Katrina on PBS

I'd send John $$, but I wouldn't channel through Nagan or The Gov. down there.

Let me assure you that most people down here (La. and Miss) do not need or want your $$. We just want to be treated fairly and given what we have bought and paid for. If I buy insurance and you are willing to take my money for years; then when something happens I want a settlement; not some excuses about that is not covered.

We know our risk just like people in Fla. and you and your 60" of snow. We choose to take them because this is where we were born and raised.

The problem is we have Many Many porch sitters that live on hand outs and they have been draging this area down for years. They still feel we owe them something from years ago. Look at what happened to Houston's crime rate just after the storm when they were relocated. These people have also found their way into our goverment so it is a total mess.

While I am NOT a tree hugger at all; I feel the Corps has messed this one up big time. The lake that broke threw the levee during the storm is only 12 ft deep. If the Corps were to divert the Mississippi river into it the sedament would fill it in a year or two; and their would be no need to worry about a flood from that area again. Our area is going down hill big time from putting levees on the Mississippi. Our swamp plants and trees are dieing from salt water intrusion which allows for land errosion. We love our area but sooner or later people are going to get tired of throwing millions of dollars at a fix to try and fight nature.

Like I said before; If people knew the true facts; were willing to face them as fact; quit worring about the few that want to save a paticular water way or lake; and let nature rule we would be a lot better off. We could still have our city below sea level because of the new buffer zone that would be built. Heck death valley is below sea level!!!!! !!!!! !!

FACTS
A lot of us live above sea level and were still damaged by the storm.

Mississippi got more money from the feds after the storm but everyone looks at Louisiana and they are all above sea level in Mississippi.

Ride around the area and you will see many signs about insurance payouts. One says..... .
I got blow## by Katrina; And screw## by my insurance. (Replace ## with ed so I can get past the filters) We have two insurance policies here. One is for wind and rain; and the other is for flood. Now if the flood is wind driven rather than just rising water who pays. I recon you can not answer that cause the courts have not done it yet.

For a long time the government could not decide what the rules will be now. What is the new building codes. Can we rebuild here are do we need to move. NO ONE KNOWS.

The area where I live (50 miles north of town and above sea level) is booming in new construction with all the people that have decided to leave the city but want to stay close enough they can commute to work.

WE could talk about how race has a factor in what you hear on TV but I might get in trouble for that with Kim. Wish I could because this is the biggest topic of the discussion and the biggest reason for all the things you hear on TV. Please do not lump the working class that pays for their own stuff and really does not want help from you with this class.

This whole problem was created by the government; mostly the corps of engineers so let them fix their own problems. In fact most of the money you hear about is for public works projects not given out to individuals to build a house.

The natural defense we have from storms and to build land ABOVE sea level was taken from us many years ago by putting levees on the Mississippi river and dumping sediment off the continental shelf. THANKS CORPS.

So you ask; should they rebuild N.O. That is a hard question. Most likely no but what are they going to do about that major deep water port then. Almost all the grain you guys in Iowa and ILL grow comes through this port.

There is a lot more to the subject but I will end here.
I do not live below sea level; and have replaced my roof so I am fine now. Thought about moving but am putting that on the back burner for now.
My parents and one sister lived in a suburb of New Orleans. My sister did not get flooded but she is selling 2 of her rental houses and has just bought a house in Houston so she is moving. My parents lost everything. And I mean everything except the cloths on their back. They are now living in my sisters 3rd rental house. They may also move to Houston with my sister but have not decided yet what to do. They are both 77 so they find no reason to leave. Their thinking is they will be dead before another major storm hits anyway.

So we are all doing well now. Thanks for asking.

When Katrina did what hurricanes have been doing all their lives, My teenage kids were upset and concerned, and wanted to 'rebuild' the area and coulcn't understand my lack of concern. They do today.

Jesus mentioned about building on sand. I thought that was enough for most of us.

Now I have never been to Nebraska, is there much sand up (north) there?...sl