This is a continuing archive:
Last Update [2005-11-29 2:38:49 by DianeL]:
The Missing and the Dead? Part I
The Missing and the Dead Part II
The Missing and the Dead Part III
The Missing and the Dead Part IV
The Missing and the Dead Part VI (a continuation)
The Holiday Season is upon us, the Krischians inhabiting the
White Stained House will soon be putting up
bright and shiny ornaments...
But nothing so bright,
nor so magical, as the shiny beads of
New Orleans fame...
Perhaps at the Stained House they'll be supping squash soup...
and perhaps junior's favorite bat's head eater from Black Sabbath,
Ozzy Osbourne, will be singing a Krischian tune for shrub...
But that would be absolutely nothing like eatin' gumbo,
and certainly nothing like the dulcet
tremolo, of New Orleans' own,
Aaron Neville,
singing Louisiana Christmas Day, Such a Night,
or The Bells of St. Mary's, from a well worn recording of
...or Ave Maria, from Warm Your Heart...
No matter if a person doesn't like Christmas music, there are plenty of other tunes they might be listening to: Angola Bound, from the same CD; that finely aged wine, Tell It Like It Is, from an old album, cassette or this: CD; Aaron singing with bros Art, Charles and Cyril, The Nevilles, on Yellow Moon, from this recording; Nature Boy, from the 2003 CD of the same name; or any number of countless others.
This year many sons and daughters of New Orleans might be listening to Aaron's, Christmas Prayer,
from his newly released CD of the same name...
if they're not homeless that is...
One tune though, they won't need a roof over their heads to play...
In their broken hearts...
Louisiana 1927 2005
(from Warm Your Heart.)
On to the continuing archive - please refer to Part I (linked above) to see how it came about. It was last updated (incompletely) here: The Missing and the Dead Part IV until yesterday, when I fatally added a bit too much data, consequently losing some data at the bottom of the diary and I could no longer delete or add data to correct things because the "preview" and "update" functions no longer worked. (Consequently, I guess it will always read "CURRENTLY UPDATING," <blush>). I'll be adding some links on this diary which relate to the diaires referenced on Part IV since I couldn't add them there.
(Just a note: this series is apolitical in the respect that I generally have not included diaries or links from political candidates or groups pushing a political candidate. Heh, I haven't exempted though, diaries which question, or expose political candidates and their agendas.)
[The Updates Part V: diary and link updates which pre-date 11/26/05 have boldfaced diarist names, and article dates, respectively...By the way, any article links which don't state "courtesy of," are ones which I've added and haven't been diarized to my knowledge, so PLEASE/PLEAS...have at it.]
Other Links:
2000
New Orleans ... The New Atlantis? (With predicted sea level rise, wetland loss, subsidence, and the absence of restoration programs, the future of New Orleans appears bleak. Research from University of New Orleans scientists examine the processes driving catastrophic coastal conditions and the breakdown of the Mississippi River Delta.... UNO scientists suggest that, without appropriate restoration efforts, Louisiana faces continued wetland loss, the deterioration of the Mississippi River Delta (the largest and most economically profitable in the nation), and the possible collapse of the entire ecosystem....However, Penland, Reed, and other researchers have shown that the coastal ecosystem, while damaged, is sufficiently intact for restoration efforts to succeed in managing the problem. They, along with other University of New Orleans scientists, continue to work in close concert with state and federal agencies to create, evaluate, and monitor restoration strategies and coastal management solutions. There work is included in: the Coast 2050 - a new multi-agency, $14 billion restoration report/plan for coastal Louisiana. ) Science Daily adapted from a news release issued by University Of New Orleans., 01/21/00, courtesy of blksista
The Big Easy on the Brink - If it doesn't act fast, the city could become the next Atlantis (If a flood of Biblical proportions were to lay waste to New Orleans, Joe Suhayda has a good idea how it would happen.), By Adam Cohen, Time Magazine, 07/10/2000, courtesy of blksista
2001
2002
Special Report: Washing Away (...EVACUATION It's the best chance for survival, but it's a bumpy road, and 100,000 will be left to face the fury. ) The Times-Picayune, (New Orleans, LA), Five-Part Series published 06/23-27/02, courtesy of blksista
2003
2004
2005
Emergency Funds Spent To Replace Beach Sand (Yet Emerald Isle turned to the government for help. After the beach resort was declared part of a federal natural disaster area, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the town nearly $1.5 million for street signs, tennis court lights and sand for the resort's carefully manicured beaches.) By Gilbert M. Gaul Washington Post, 05/30/05, courtesy of Halycon
I just got back from a FEMA Detainment Camp, Posted by Valhall, at Above Top Secret.com, 06/09/05, courtesy of jurassicpork
Chertoff delayed federal response, memo shows By Jonathan S. Landay, Alison Young and Shannon McCaffrey, Knight Ridder, 09/13/05, courtesy of borepstein
THE FOREVER ELSEWHERE MANAGEMENT AGENCY (... In Gulfport, Miss., 13 days after Katrina roared through, we couldn't find one resident who had ever seen a FEMA official.) By Karen A. Lash, Salon via Building a Pyramid, 09/14/05, courtesy of borepstein
THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO KATRINA IS A DISASTER IN ITS OWN RIGHT By Boris Epstein, Building a Pyramid 09/14/05 courtesy of borepstein
Blackwater Down (The men from Blackwater USA arrived in New Orleans right after Katrina hit. The company known for its private security work guarding senior US diplomats in Iraq beat the federal government and most aid organizations to the scene in another devastated Gulf. About 150 heavily armed Blackwater troops dressed in full battle gear spread out into the chaos of New Orleans. Officially, the company boasted of its forces "join[ing] the hurricane relief effort." But its men on the ground told a different story), by Jeremy Scahill, The Nation, 10/10/05, courtesy of Halycon
Property grabs and the Gulf (As Hurricane Katrina-ravaged cities begin the laborious process of rebuilding, there is increasing speculation that government officials may turn to the controversial - and often disparaged - use of eminent domain to revitalize the destroyed region.) By Shaheen Pasha, CNN via Building a Pyramid, 10/05/05, courtesy of borepstein
FEMA Critics Cite Waste as Evacuees Strain to Pay Rent - Housing Aid Called Too Much, Too Little (The Federal Emergency Management Agency's evolving efforts to shelter Hurricane Katrina victims continue to waste huge amounts of taxpayer dollars and could soon leave many evacuees short of money and facing eviction, according to renter advocates and housing industry officials.), By Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 10/12/05, courtesy of SwimmertoFreedom04
Lyn and Margie's Excellent Adventure (The genesis of this trip was our frustration with anemic rescue efforts in New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama. First Lyn went to the Red Cross to sign up as a volunteer and took their all-day training, and I followed shortly. We waited patiently for a couple of weeks, and finally went to find out what was happening. They told us that there was a "hold on all deployments", and when I asked if it was because of the changes then taking place with FEMA (Brownie was being downgraded at the time), they had no explanation except that "New York ordered a hold on all deployments." ), By Margie Metzler and Lyn Stueve margiemetzler.com, 10/15/05, courtesy of borepstein
WHAT IS THE RED CROSS? (Of the many major charity organizations the American Red Cross definitely stands out in many ways. Aside from its sheer size and reach it is worthy of note how much confidence it enjoys in the corridors of power in the US. So much so that President Bush himself recently paid an "impromptu visit" to its headquarters to encourage the citizens to donate money to the Red Cross, among other things. And the loyalty between the Red Cross and the government appears to run both ways.), By Boris Epstein, Building a Pyramid, 10/24/05, courtesy of borepstein
The Battle for New Orleans: Only a Real Movement Can Win This War, By Co-Publishers Glen Ford and Peter Gamble, The BlackCommentator.com, Issue 156, 10/27/05, courtesy of under the bodhi tree and blksista (this link is also on Part IV, and is being reposted here due to its significance, please see blksista's 11/21/05 diary (linked below also), for commentary
MELANCON'S ANALYSIS OF THE MICHAEL BROWN EMAILS, 11/02/05, courtesy of polydactyl
Chertoff offered few answers, By Gerard Chields, 2theadvocate/WBRZ 2 News, (Baton Rouge, LA), 11/02/05, courtesy of polydactyl
Katrina Recovery Officials Unsure What's Been Spent - Lack of Detail Irks House Panel Members (Officials responsible for doling out billions in Hurricane Katrina relief contracts told lawmakers yesterday that they still don't have answers to central questions about why certain recovery efforts have stalled, whether money is being wasted and what's keeping Gulf Coast firms from getting a bigger share of the work.), By Renae Merle and Griff Witte, The Washington Post, 11/03/05, courtesy of polydactyl
Hurricane Gumbo (It is a surprisingly apt analogy. The folks of Ville Platte, a poor Cajun and black Creole community with a median income less than half that of the rest of the nation, have opened their doors over the past three weeks to more than 5,000 of the displaced people they call "company" (the words "refugee" and "evacuee" are considered too impersonal, even impolite). Local fishermen and hunters, moreover, were among the first volunteers to take boats into New Orleans to rescue desperate residents from their flooded homes. . . .Ville Platte's homemade rescue and relief effort - organized around the popular slogan "If not us, then who?" - stands in striking contrast to the incompetence of higher levels of government as well as to the hostility of other, wealthier towns, including some white suburbs of New Orleans, toward influxes of evacuees, especially poor people of color. Indeed, Evangeline Parish as a whole has become a surprising island of interracial solidarity and self-organization in a state better known for incorrigible racism and corruption.), By Mike Davis & Anthony Fontenot, The Nation, 11/07/05, courtesy of blksista
Time Magazine: Deliberate In Smearing Louisiana´s Governor Blanco (I do not agree with everything Governor Blanco has done, nor will I endorse everything she will do in the future. But accuracy in journalism was once a desired and lofty goal has been demeaned by this piece....So, come on Time Magazine, let´s get down to the nitty gritty....Whom did you interview to give such an assessment? Did you consider their political motives, do a thorough inquiry or did you merely shoot from the hip?), Steve Sabludowsky, Bayoubuzz (LA), 11/15/05
Senators still scratching heads over $3.75 billion FEMA bill (Legislative fiscal officer Steve Theriot said Wednesday that $2.8 billion of the $3.75 billion Louisiana owes the Federal Emergency Management Agency is due in six months. And if it's not paid in 90 days, a 60 percent late penalty, with interest, will be imposed.), By Mike Hasten, the news star/Gannett, (NE LA) 11/17/05, courtesy of polydactyl
Men and Women at Orleans Parish Prison Detail Chaos Following Katrina, ACLU, 11/17/05, courtesy of Halycon
Summary of the Testimonials from Inmates Incarcerated at New Orleans Old Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina ACLU 11/17/05, courtesy of Halycon
FEMA passing up free housing units (One of the nation's largest home lenders offered 1,500 housing units for Hurricane Katrina evacuees, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency has so far failed to put families into any of them, a Democratic congressman said Friday.), AP via Houston Chronicle, (TX), 11/18/05, courtesy of polydactyl
Texas expecting big bill for helping hurricane evacuees (Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, predicted that up to 400,000 of the estimated 420,000 evacuees now in Texas would stay but that many would be out of work, creating a budget crunch for social services), By Robert T. Garrett, Dallas Morning News via WWL TV, (New Orleans, LA) 11/18/05, courtesy of polydactyl
Storm Hit Little, but Aid Flowed to Inland City (JACKSON, Miss., Nov. 19 - When the federal government and the nation's largest disaster relief group reached out a helping hand after Hurricane Katrina blew through here, tens of thousands of people grabbed it....But in giving out $62 million in aid, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross overlooked a critical fact: the storm was hardly catastrophic here, 160 miles from the coast. The only damage sustained by most of the nearly 30,000 households receiving aid was spoiled food in the freezer.) By Eric Lipton, New York Times via Herald-Tribune, (Sarasota, FL), 11/19/05, courtesy of Halycon
(They're still finding bodies down here 13 weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit - 30 in the past month - raising the death toll to 1,053 in Louisiana. ), By Cathy Booth Thomas, Time, 11/20/05,
Louisiana ranked #1 in Incarceration Rates in 2004 [map] Bureau of Justice Statistics, courtesy of Halycon, 11/20/05
Suit filed to block evictions in New Orleans (With thousands of New Orleans residents facing possible eviction, a group of community activists filed suit today in an attempt to keep landlords from forcing their tenants out....Although the suit hedges on legal procedure, it also says that many renters are being denied their right to due process because it would be impossible for them to defend themselves in a court 58 miles outside of the city.) AP via KATC 3, (Acadiana, LA) (undated), courtesy of Halycon, 11/20/05
An Editorial: It's time for a nation to return the favor (The federal government wrapped levees around greater New Orleans so that the rest of the country could share in our bounty. Americans wanted the oil and gas that flow freely off our shores. Theylonged for the oysters and shrimp and flaky Gulf fish that live in abundance in our waters. They wanted to ship corn and soybeans and beets down the Mississippi and through our ports. They wanted coffee and steel to flow north through the mouth of the river and into the heartland.... They wanted more than that, though. They wanted to share in our spirit. They wanted to sample the joyous beauty of our jazz and our food. And we were happy to oblige them....So the federal government built levees and convinced us that we were safe.... We weren't.), The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), 11/20/05, courtesy of Nodiaspora (I've posted this twice (posted in Part IV also) because it's a very, very important FACT)
Louisiana´s Kopplin Responds To 60 Minutes Sinking New Orleans (I´d like to encourage you to do a story on our coastal restoration efforts. Do a story about Louisiana´s coastal restoration program and our America´s Wetland campaign (AmericasWetland.org). You could inform your viewers about the state´s partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastal wetlands and interview the scientists whose work proves it can be done. There are specific projects such as the Davis Pond and Caernarvon diversions worth highlighting. I would be happy to help you identify the folks who could contribute to such a report. Finally, the "teaser" which led to my concerns about this story was the one posted on the 60 MINUTES website.), By Steve Sabludowsky, Bayoubuzz.com (LA), 11/20/05, courtesy of blksista
N.O. doomed to sink, expert tells TV show - Story is broadcast over La. objections (Although state officials asked the CBS TV show "60 Minutes" to postpone Sunday's segment highlighting a scientist's allegations that New Orleans is sinking and that residents should be induced to leave the city, the piece aired anyway.... Tim Kusky, a professor in the earth sciences department at St. Louis University, said on the show that New Orleans residents should "face the fact that their city will be below sea level in 90 years."... In a letter to "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley, Andy Kopplin, the executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority created by Gov. Kathleen Blanco, said he was "disappointed" that Kusky was the only scientist featured in the broadcast. Kopplin wrote that other scientists' work has shown that Louisiana's coastal erosion can be halted through aggressive projects, such as restoring barrier islands.), The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), 11/21/05, courtesy of blksista
6,644 are still missing after Katrina; toll may rise (The whereabouts of 6,644 people reported missing after Hurricane Katrina have not been determined....Most of those who remain listed as unaccounted-for 12 weeks after the storm probably are alive and well, says Kym Pasqualini, chief executive officer of the National Center for Missing Adults. She says they are listed as missing because government record-keeping efforts haven't caught up with them in their new locations....However, Pasqualini says those counting the victims are particularly concerned about an estimated 1,300 unaccounted-for people who lived in areas that were heavily damaged by Katrina, or who were disabled at the time the storm hit. The fact that authorities haven't been able to determine what happened to them suggests that the death toll from Katrina could climb significantly.), By Kevin Johnson USA TODAY, 11/21/05, courtesy of Miss Devore
NOT SO FAST, '60 MINUTES' ("Rumors of New Orleans falling into the sea are greatly exaggerated."), By Mark Schleifstein The Times-Picayune, (New Orleans, LA), 11/22/05, courtesy of pico and NOdiaspora
FEMA Extends Deadline for Evacuees (Two-Week extension of hotel program for all states, 10 states receive extension through Jan. 7), FEMA Release Number: HQ-05-378, 11/22/05
Thanksgiving After the Storm (Hurricane Katrina destroyed Dan Brown's church. But the Alabama pastor is grateful that God used violent winds and a tidal surge to transform his town. . . . "We were having a horrible time reaching [the Asians] before Katrina hit," Brown told Charisma. "But this disaster opened the door to the Asian community.".), By J. Lee grady Fire in My Bones/Charisma Magazine, 11/22/05, courtesy of musing graze
Louisiana disputes list on Web of missing kids (The large number of Louisiana children listed by the national center remains a stark contrast to reports from the state.), By Dahleen Glanton, Chicago Tribune, 11/23/05, courtesy of blksista
After Katrina, Living on the Second Floor (In the city's middle-class neighborhoods, where houses are often two- and three-stories tall, a culture of second-story living is quietly emerging. Tired of hotels and imposing on relatives, families are returning to their partially destroyed dwellings, taking refuge above the warped wood and stripped wallboard and cocooning themselves in a world of familiarity _ even if only one half of it survived. . . . "I'd like the convenience of electricity, cable TV. A hot shower would be nice, too. But I just can't inconvenience my friends anymore," said Beth Danisavich, 38, a former school teacher, who was the first to return to her street, a few blocks from Thompson's house. . . . Even in houses that have had electricity restored, cooking without a gas stove and a proper sink is a chore.) By Rukmini Callimachi AP via The Washington Post, 11/24/05
Sense of loss, despair dims holiday glow (For instance, at USM's Counseling Center, which caters to students and staff on the Hattiesburg campus, there has been a 400 percent increase in the number of people seeking mental health services, compared to this time last year, reports Jacqueline Weibe, director.) By Gary Pettus The Clarion-Ledger, (Biloxi, MS), 11/24/05
Ex-FEMA Head Starts Disaster Planning Firm (Former FEMA Director Michael Brown, heavily criticized for his agency's slow response to Hurricane Katrina, is starting a disaster preparedness consulting firm to help clients avoid the sort of errors that cost him his job. . . . Brown said companies already have expressed interested in his consulting business, Michael D. Brown LLC. He plans to run it from the Boulder area, where he lived before joining the Bush administration in 2001. ) AP via Los Angeles Times (CA), 11/25/05, courtesy of Armando
New Orleans Health Care Another Katrina Casualty - Loss of Hospitals And Professionals Slows Rebuilding (Katrina damaged more than a dozen hospitals and uprooted thousands of private physicians. Now, nearly three months later, health care remains scarce. The last military medical unit in the city is gone, leaving only Touro and Children's hospitals partially reopened. . . . But the debate over Charity, once the linchpin in this city's health care system, has come to symbolize much more than a battle over a cherished relic. Providing medical care is one of the most daunting challenges for New Orleans as it rebuilds, and the choices made now will determine whether one of the nation's poorest cities can adequately care for its legions of uninsured.), The Washington Post, 11/25/05, courtesy of furryjester
Louisiana businesses get only small FEMA contracts - State busineses only receiving small amounts of money. (Of the 413 post-hurricane contracts that FEMA had awarded to Louisiana companies as of Nov. 18, only 125 were worth more than $100,000, according to a Gannett News Service analysis. And only 50 were worth $500,000 or more.) Gannett via The Times, (Shreveport, LA), 11/25/05, courtesy of hbyronk
Reopened zoo brings New Orleans a hint of normality (The zoo, one of the oldest and best known in North America, emerged as one of the happy stories of Katrina, the powerful storm that killed more than 1,000 people in Louisiana alone when it hit Aug. 29.) By Janet Guttsman, Reuters, 11/25/05, courtesy of musing graze
Thousands Attend New Orleans Zoo Reopening (Like much in the city, the zoo has struggled to regain its footing after the hurricane. Most of the animals are fine, although two otters and a raccoon did not survive, and about 2,000 trees were destroyed. The zoo laid off about 600 workers. . . .Audubon also operates the Aquarium of the Americas in the French Quarter, where about 10,000 animals died because of the hurricane. The aquarium and its Entergy IMAX Theater will open next summer at the earliest, Forman said.) AP via San Francisco Chronicle, (CA), 11/25/05, courtesy of musing graze
French Ties to La. Strengthen After Storms (It's all part a French effort to help residents of Louisiana, which has retained strong cultural ties to France since Napoleon sold the territory to the United States in 1803. . . . .French companies have donated more than $18.5 million in aid to Louisiana, and the [French] national and local governments are sending money and planning programs aimed at helping Louisiana cash in on its cultural heritage.) By Brett Martel, AP via San Francisco Chronicle, (CA), 11/25/05, courtesy of musing graze
Thankful Katrina survivors share feast (About 10,000 people fleeing Hurricane Katrina ended up in Chicago, most temporarily. A total of 151 lived at the Tinley Park shelter, the first arriving Sept. 7. Some stayed a few days, some for months. For the 20 adults and seven children remaining at the shelter, Thanksgiving was the beginning of the end. All will move to permanent housing in the coming weeks. Eight families will live within two blocks of each other in South Shore.), Chicago Sun Times, (IL), 11/25/05, courtesy of musing graze
(On this Thanksgiving, Brenden Sage and his mother wanted to give back to the city that welcomed them in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) By Amy Oakes, Union-Tribune (San Diego), CA), 11/25/05, courtesy of musing graze
Thanksgiving 2005 tempered by war, storms By Steve QuinnAP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA), 11/25/05, courtesy of musing graze
Katrina Victims Residing In Hotels Worry Advocates (There are 150,000 Gulf Coast evacuees living in hotels and motels across the country, with nearly 4,500 estimated to be in Los Angeles County) AP via CBS2/KCAL9, (Los Angeles, CA), 11/25/05
Numbers on Katrina evacuees hard to figure (Estimates of how many Hurricane Katrina evacuees sought shelter in Memphis covered a broad range - from 7,000 to 10,000. . . . At the height of the evacuations, state officials estimated up to 20,000 refugees had sought shelter in Tennessee. But the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency described such estimates as "fluid.") AP via Tuscaloosa News, (AL), 11/25/05
Faith in the Eye of Katrina ("We'd lived along the Mississippi coast for decades. We've been through four or five hurricanes and countless tropical storms. Before Hurricane Katrina came through, I thought, "If my house gets washed away, I'll just stay at my mother's house or my brother's house" - never thinking all our homes would be destroyed. But they were, so my family is now scattered over 3 states.) By Chris Levister, The Black Voice News (Riverside, CA), Volume 32 Number 41, 11/25/05
The cultural stakes could not be higher. (This is the time when America goes home -- over the river, through the woods and all that. But not in this beautiful yet battered city. The thin brown line of the high-water mark extends for miles, stringing together house after house in a landscape of vast gloom. Here, home is a hell or a five-figure cleanup job. Or, as Gary Watson, a 49-year-old carpenter from the ravaged Lower 9th Ward, found out last week, home isn't there at all. . . . I rode along as Watson went on the "look and leave" bus that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said would provide "much-needed closure" for residents of the mostly black neighborhood a few miles from downtown. Yet as the small, white bus rumbled through the cordoned-off zone of the Lower 9th, there was no closure for Watson.) By Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 11/25/05
Experts include science in rebuilding equation - Politics noticeably absent from plan (For residents of New Orleans' most ravaged neighborhoods, there is no more pressing issue than whether they will be allowed to renovate or rebuild on their property. . . . Now, after weeks of only glancing discussion by state and local leaders, a group of urban and post-disaster planning experts has forced the potentially explosive issue to the forefront, saying the city must concentrate its rebuilding efforts on the highest and most environmentally sound sections or run the risk of haphazard development that results in miles and miles of blighted neighborhoods. ) By Martha Carr, The Times-Picayune, 11/25/05
New Orleans's Transition (New Orleans today is a city of contractors, low-wage workers from elsewhere and a small number of "natives" living in the relatively undamaged higher-altitude wards. Even if they have homes, most of those residents still have no easy access to hospitals or to schools. Large chunks of the city are without electricity, gas or water, and large numbers of homes are still uninhabitable.) The Washington Post, 11/25/05
Editorial: Plenty of problems remaining for FEMA (Facing the greatest challenge among Texas cities is Houston, where 19,000 people are still in hotels. . . . And FEMA has demanded that evacuees move into apartments with three-month leases, which few apartments provide. . . . Also, Texas apartment owners express reluctance or refusal to take evacuees because FEMA has not paid rent for evacuees already there, leaving many in danger of eviction. The agency has not developed a system for direct payment to apartment owners or a plan for long-term housing for refugees.) San Antonio Express-News (TX), 11/26/05
Call it MR-GONE (The shortcut between the Gulf of Mexico and the Industrial Canal wiped out 20,000 acres of wetland over the past 40 years -- stripping away a vital buffer against storm surge for the sake of economic gain that never lived up to expectations. . . . The result was catastrophic flooding that killed hundreds of people and devastated St. Bernard Parish, eastern New Orleans and the Lower 9th Ward. . . . Critics of MR-GO had long warned of such a disaster in urging that it be closed, but they were ignored. That was a tragic mistake, and the many voices that are calling for the waterway to be closed must be heeded now. Keeping MR-GO open after its danger has been so graphically demonstrated would be unforgivable. ) The Times-Picayune, 11/27/05
Katrina's toll on the sick, elderly emerges - Only a third of nursing homes in the New Orleans area evacuated before hurricane, leaving a number to suffer days of brutal conditions before dying (The consequences of the breakdowns in nursing homes and New Orleans' larger medical system are far-reaching: Thousands are scattered across the country. Two states have launched criminal investigations. Some families suffer without closure as overburdened morgues slowly identify bodies, and those who have buried their dead seek explanations. . . . All told, the dead from nursing homes account for about 10 percent of Louisiana deaths from the storm. Most died not as floodwaters rose or even in the immediate hours after the storm, according to interviews, but instead succumbed after days in brutal conditions. Their deaths and the effects on survivors represent the worst medical catastrophe for the elderly in recent U.S. history.) By Roma Khanna, Houston Chronicle, 11/27/05
Katrina aid falls short of promises (Two months after President Bush promised to confront Gulf Coast poverty with ''bold action," the US government is moving on a far more narrow track to aid the hurricane-devastated region, focusing on pouring concrete rather than confronting the underlying race and poverty issues through Bush's ambitious proposals. . . . After passing $70 billion in aid to the Gulf Coast in the emotion-pitched weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck, Congress closed for Thanksgiving vacation with little appetite to spend more. . . . While the aid package stands as a record for a natural disaster, it amounts to a fraction of the more than $200 billion that Louisiana senators had requested, or the $150 billion that outside specialists had predicted that Hurricane Katrina would cost the federal government. . . . Meanwhile, President Bush's call to ''rise above the legacy of inequality" with programs to substantially increase home ownership and train workers for better jobs has gone virtually unheeded by Congress.) By Nina J. Easton The Boston Globe, (MA), 11/27/05
WEBSITES and REMINDERS (see Parts I-IV also):
Actions:
Road Trip for Relief! Reclaim the Gulf! (Converge in New Orleans in a Showing of Solidarity! November 20-27 in New Orleans), Common Ground Collective, courtesy of under the bodhi tree, 10/29/05
An Evening at Mardi Gras with Harry Shearer [Los Angeles] (Join actor/satirist/musician and Carnival aficionado Harry Shearer to celebrate the enduring legacy of New Orleans and Mardi Gras. Harry and friends pay tribute to the citizens and culture of this beloved city. This event is a benefit for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. Suggested donation at the door of $25 per person, cash or check only.), December 1st, 2005, courtesy of musing graze, 11/25/05
From Charm City to the Crescent City [Baltimore, MD] (a Mardi Gras themed benefit for the Tipitina's Foundation Artist Relief Fund, featuring the Radiators.), December 2nd and 3rd, 2005, courtesy of musing graze, 11/25/05
Class Action lawsuit is filed against FEMA (Katrina victims who are interested in joining the class should call 888.299.5227 or 415.288.8717.),   The Louisiana Weekly, (New Orleans, LA), 11/14/05, courtesy of tejassaluki
Holding court, courting votes (...Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who has taken to holding weekly "town hall" meetings where suffering constituents mired in the post-hurricane bureaucracy of this beleaguered city are invited to come and ask directly for help....Gatherings for displaced New Orleanians are scheduled for Houston and Atlanta in coming weeks.) By Howard Witt Chicago Tribune via The State (Columbia, SC), 11/16/05
"KATRINAMAS" (To friends, family and other peripheral entities, we will not be "doing Christmas" this year. We will not be exchanging presents, doing lavish decorations (not that we ever have done lavish unless you call a couple of strands of lights in the trees lavish) or sending out paper Christmas cards. Any money and effort for the holiday season will be spent on the Hurricane Katrina refugees who will STILL be needing our assistance when the holiday season rolls around. Their crisis will be an ongoing one and we cannot forget them. THECULTUREGHOST blog, courtesy of jillian, 11/17/05
[courtesy of NOdiaspora, 11/21/05, PLEASE visit here also]
But if you can make only ONE call or send ONE email, then please make it the White House.
White House (202) 456-1111 (comments)
president@whitehouse.gov
vice_president@whitehouse.gov
comments@whitehouse.gov
We must make it loud and clear that Americans will not stand idly by while they purposely choke off Louisiana, by waiting us out on the levee and coastal restoration issue --waiting us out until after mortgage lenders and insurers deem our land to be too risky (and, thus, "worthless"), so that the federal govt can then take our land (H.R. 4100) and then flip it to Cheney's oil and gas cabal for pennies on the dollar.
RELIEF FOR VICTIMS OF KATRINA Building a Pyramid/Boris Epstein, courtesy of borepstein, 11/25/05
News:
HURRICANE KATRINA: "THE ANTI 9-11-01", courtesy of Halycon,11/20/05
Katrina 2005 New America Media/Pacific News Service, courtesy of Halycon, 11/20/05
Families & Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children, courtesy of Halycon, 11/20/05
Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, courtesy of Halycon, 11/20/05
A gumbo Thanksgiving: Katrina survivors reunite in Iowa (They survived Hurricane Katrina and the horrors inside the Superdome. Iowa offered a new life and a new home. Now, one family reunites for the holiday.) The Des Moines Register (IA), 11/20/05, courtesy of musing graze
The Storm (The entire program will be available to watch online , Wednesday 11/23/05 @5:00 ET) PBS/WGBH/FRONTLINE, courtesy of tvb, 11/22/05
The Storm That Drowned a City (The entire program will be available to watch online here the week of December 5) PBS/WGBH/Nova, courtesy of tvb, 11/22/05
Katrina Updates Michael Moore.com, courtesy of borepstein, 11/25/05
Organizations:
Louisiana Recovery Authority (the planning and coordinating body that will assist in implementing the Governor's vision for the recovery of Louisiana. The authority will identify and prioritize the short- and long-term needs of the recovery. The authority will seek out and value local input as it plans and implements the recovery....) courtesy of NOdiaspora, 11/20/05
Restore or Retreat (Restore or Retreat (ROR) is a non-profit coastal advocacy group created by coastal Louisiana residents and stakeholders who recognize that the Barataria and Terrebonne basins are the two most rapidly eroding estuaries on earth, and that this erosion represents an economic and ecological crisis. With a growing membership of over 250 businesses and individuals, ROR seeks to identify and expedite the implementation of aggressive, large-scale restoration projects to protect this irreplaceable region.), courtesy of pico and NOdiaspora, 11/21/05
America's Wetland: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana (In the largest public awareness initiative in its history, Louisiana is leading America's WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana. The campaign is raising awareness of the impact of Louisiana's wetland loss and increase support for efforts to conserve and save coastal Louisiana.), courtesy of NOdiaspora ,11/21/05
Emergency Communities (Emergency Communities is a grassroots organization designed to provide rapid response to natural disasters based upon an emergency community model. An emergency community will involve both victims and volunteers in a joint effort to effectively recover from a disaster. Borne from the horrific Hurricane Katrina disaster, Emergency Communities will create dynamic disaster responses that involve people from both within the stricken community and without.), courtesy of maw150, 11/21/05
University of New Orleans ([Of Note:]...The complete Spring semester schedule will be available online by Wednesday, November 16, 2005, and a list of courses will be posted early next week. Priority on-line registration will also be available for graduating seniors. In addition to our regular on-site classes, we will offer a large selection of online classes for students who are not yet able to return to the city. . . .Two special intersession semesters on campus have been planned for our students as well. Intersession One will begin December 5 and end December 19. Intersession Two will start January 2, 2006 and will end January 16th... just before the kick-off of the regularly scheduled 2006 Spring term. Both intersessions will be held in the Bicentennial Education Center on the UNO Lakefront campus. . . .I am exceedingly proud to say that UNO never closed. We were the first New Orleans University to offer its students a fall semester. And work on getting the campus ready for the spring began almost immediately after the storm.) 11/23/05
My Tax Cut For Katrina.org, One Nation, courtesy of thenudge, 11/23/05
HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF EFFORT, Veterans for Peace, (The organization includes men and women veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, other conflicts and peacetime veterans. ) courtesy of borepstein, 11/25/05,
Saving Our Selves (SOS) After Katrina (The S.O.S. Coalition, a non-profit corporation, is sending out the Call for other organizations, churches, funding entities, and businesses to join its present coalition building and relief assistance efforts. The work of the Coalition is intended to transcend emergency relief, and will extend into the recovery and restoration phases.), courtesy of borepstein 11/25/05
The Tipitina's Foundation (in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, is committed to saving the culture of New Orleans. The first step we are taking is to locate all New Orleans artists and their families and then find housing for those who need it. We are also developing an ever-expanding database of people throughout the country who are ready and willing to give our artists a temporary home or other support.), courtesy of musing graze, 11/25/05
Downloads, Images, Music:
Louisiana 1927 [lyrics], Composed and written by Randy Newman, The Boston Globe, 09/07/05, courtesy of blksista, 11/22/05
Katrina Aftermath - New Orleans [images] (I shot these images on September 18th & 19th, 2005; approximately three weeks following Hurricane Katrina's strike on south-east Louisiana, the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Mobile, Alabama. These photos are of downtown New Orleans and the adjacent Lake Pontchartrain area....These images are the sole property of Curtis Bosarge/Action Photos Racing. Reproduction and/or use without express written consent is prohibited.) By Curtis Bosarge Jr, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Images ( Trip to areas, affected by Katrina, September 26 - October 2, 2005, Alabama, Louisiana, Missisipi), Photos by, and courtesy of borepstein, 11/25/05
Daymon J. Hartley's Camp Casey-Covington Photos Photos By Daymon J. Hartley,daymonjhartley.com via Michael Moore.com, 09/22/05, courtesy of borepstein, 11/25/05
Katrina 9 2005 [images] Photos by Jean Laskey, September 2005, courtesy of borepstein, 11/25/05
New Orleans & Gulf Coast [images], By Mark Schroy, pre 10/03/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
New Orleans after Katrina [images] Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana [images], By Gayle O, pre 10/04/05 and 10/08-09/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Hurricane Katrina New Orleans [images] (From a Law Enforcement Perspective), By healthiest, pre 10/05/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Damage to CSX Railroad from Hurricane Katrina [images] (These are photos that I have taken or was given to me of Damage to CSX from New Orleans to Mobile ALA.), By Paul Dovie Jr, pre 10/06/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
October 5th 2005, Kenner and Metairie [images], New Orleans, October 9th & 13th[images, New Orleans Part 2, October 16th-31st [images] and November in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina [images], By Celeste D., courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Hurricane Rita in East Texas and after Katrina photos in New Orleans [images], By enrico tobias, pre 10/07/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Hurricane Katrina Aftermath - Sorrow in the Square [images] (On day 40 after hurricane Katrina my wife and I did another tour of New Orleans and ended up in the French Quarter. We found very few people other than the overbearing security presence....At Jackson Square we found Will and Tara of the Willow Family Band. They were the ONLY street musicians playing today. Will and Tara have been regulars in the French Quarter for many years....More information about the band can be found here: http://www.willowfamilyband.com/) By Phil Orgeron, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
New Orleans/Lamar Expo Center [images], By Angie n Ronny/Chambers n Nex, 10/07-11/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Visions of New Orleans - Katrina Storm Surge [images], By Phil Orgeron, pre 10/15/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
New Orleans [images] (New Orleans photos taken on 10/15/05, mostly in the eastern section of town. It was very eerie. Riding around for over an hour, we saw very few signs of life. Other than a group of policemen on Read and a few clean-up crews, we saw one couple on Louis Prima and the security guard at Eastover. Updated 10/22/05 with photos taken in the Lakeview/Lakefront area.) By spring71, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Hurricane Katrina hits Grandma's House [images] ( This gallery contains images taken at my mother in law's home in St. Bernard parish. My wife's family lived in this house for 45 years and almost every family treasure is lost to salt water flood and mud.), By Phil Orgeron, pre 10/18/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Visions of New Orleans - A tribute in Treme [images] (Most motorists passing through New Orleans have no idea that they are driving directly over some very powerful and provocative street art just below. . . .The images in this gallery are painted on the concrete columns supporting I-10 in the heart of Black and Creole New Orleans. They are found in the neighborhood called Treme which is considered to be the oldest Black neighborhood in America. . . .I present this gallery as a salute to the artists who painted the images and as a way of offering a sample of New Orleans history and culture, past and present, to the world.) By Phil Orgeron, pre 10/20/05courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
New Orleans Area After Hurricane Katrina [images], and New Orleans Lakefront Airport, By Patrick D. Taylor, pre 10/26/05 and 11/01-05/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
New Orleans [images], By millenniumhand, 11/14-16/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
New Orleans [images], By vespa sara, 11/17-22/05, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Hurricane Katrina [images], Pbase photo galleries, courtesy of Ace Pumpkin, 11/22/05
Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens The Big Ol' Box Of New Orleans [music], Shout Factory.com courtesy of musing graze, 11/23/05
The Gumbo Pages, writings, photographs &c. by chuck taggart (dedicated to the preservation of new orleans culture.) courtesy of musing graze, 11/23/05
Bon Apetit [cartoon], By Marshall Ramsey, The Clarion Ledger  (Jackson, MS), courtesy of Halycon, 11/24/05
Other related Diaries (thank goodness for Jotter):
April 23rd, 2005
..by - SusanHu, Dead By Sunset: Kill it, and make it look like an accident
September 2nd, 2005
..by - stormcoming, "Homeland Security" Begins At Home
November 20th, 2005 (added here because I screwed up the link on Part IV and can't edit it):
..by - jurassicpork, "It would cause a riot."
November 20th, 2005 (See Part IV also:
..by - spoon or no spoon, Still Finding Bodies in New Orleans
November 21st, 2005:
..by - NOdiaspora, ACTION ALERT: call WH & Congress every Tuesday to save Louisiana
..by - SwimmertoFreedom04, The Wound of Katrina Slowly Festers
..by - blksista, What to do? New Orleans is sinkin
..by - padraig pearse, At home and abroad - it's the RACISM, stupid!
..by - ILDem, New Orleans & Iraqi Bound Equipment
November 22nd, 2005
..by - tvb, PBS Does Katrina
..by - Miss Devore, Over 6, 000 "still missing" post-Katrina
..by - blksista, The Cajun Republic of Color?
..by - pico, Rebuilding New Orleans: Yay or Nay?
..by - Ace Pumpkin, NOLA Photos: '1000% times worse than... on TV'
..by - NOdiaspora, 60 Minutes NOLA report debunked by 5 scientists so far
..by - MsLibrarian, Frontline's amazing FEMA documentary
November 23rd, 2005
..by - PaulLoeb, Drowning the Hard Questions: A Nova Special
..by - Kingsmeg, Bushco, Katrina, the Christian Right, and Famine in Niger?
..by - thenudge, Make a Thanksgiving Pledge to End the Bush Tax Cuts
November 24th, 2005
..by - Kevvboy, T'giving Poll: Why is DKos getting so mean?
..by - Armando, Those Who Can't, Consult
..by - skralyx, Macy's Katrina ad crosses the line [ UPDATE ]
November 25h, 2005
..by - furryjester, The Soul of America: Not Worth Three And A Half Dollars
..by - borepstein, Katrina trip: short timeline
..by - SusanHu, While We Smirk and Snort, They Succeed By Failing (Yes)
..by - JPZenger, The Electricity Conglomerate that Screwed Over New Orleans
..by - hbyronk, Louisiana firms left out of Katrina recovery
..by - blksista, Missing Katrina children: Coronji Calhoun of "Monster's Ball" fame
November 26th, 2005
..by - polydactyl, Guantanamo on the Bayou
..by - tazz, Trying To Come Up With a Positive Since Bush Was Annointed President
..by - DarkSyde, Three Ladies and the Man Who Would be King
* Further updates after reviewing jotter's: 'High Impact Diaries' diary.
For detail on environmental issues that're missed here, see:
jillian's daily diaries.
Some Google searches regarding the missing:
To search the news: Katrina Missing - News Search
To search the web: Katrina Missing - Web Search
For Google Bombers:
Go into your "User Preferences", on your "My Profile" tab, and add the following (or any other truth baring html link you find to SCI/Kenyon) to your "comments signature":
<a href="http://www.hereinreality.com/funeralgate.htm">SCI/Kenyon</>
Track back to
The Missing and the Dead...[Part I]
The Missing and the Dead Part II
The Missing and the Dead Part III
The Missing and the Dead Part IV
Continue forward to:
The Missing and the Dead Part VI
Photo by Alan Chin
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
For 13 days in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the body of Alcede Jackson lay on a porch at 4732 Laurel St., wrapped in a plastic bag and covered in a blanket beneath a sign quoting the evangelist John and commending Jackson to "the loving arms of Jesus." --Michelle Krupa, The Times-Picayune, September 13, 2005
(Yes, I know the picture link isn't working; but it seems apropos to leave that little red x there.)
The wheels of justice grind slow, but smooth...