Was in New Orleaans a few weeks back

What has happened in NO is not entirely the fault of our federal government.... Billions of federal dollars have been sent to that region to rebuild and repair the infrastructure.... very little of it ever got to the intended project due to the graft and corruption of the city, state governments and corrupt bidding and business practices that have been allowed to flourish in that area. Couple that with the general unwillingness of the citizenry who refuse to do anything for themselves and you see the ruin of what once was a bustling port city that exuded the history and charm that once was New Orleans. The lawsuits will go on for decades over the "disaster relief" money that has been squandered in the New Orleans area. The money has been STOLEN from the helpless people who continue to be victims. The radio talk shows in NO can talk of little else. There are endless stories about unscrupulous contractors who were awarded contracts, paid in full for the finished project and then disappeared into thin air..... give me a break. Those same people who would steal from those victims should be in a Federal lockup right this minute, but fear no reprisal for their actions, due to the fact that they were sanctioned by the Mayor and Governor of the Great State of Louisina.... The people of LA got rid of their useless Governor, lets hope they can get rid of Ray Nagin and the entire city council next. Natural disasters either bring out the best in people or the worst in people. I'll let you decide which is the case in LA. Leadership was absent in the horrific flooding of NO, at every level. The Fed has some blame to share, but the money was sent to the region and squandered and stolen. My heart goes out to the helpless who either helplessly continue to exist there or have left the area. I go through NO a lot and it still never ceases to amaze me that entire subdivisions are dark at this point, 3 1/2 years after Katrina....

The Mississippi Gulf Coast, in comparison, has rebounded quite well since Katrina because of the lack of some of the ingredients listed above, plus the fact that people here will take some initiative to do something for themselves. Have they had help? Sure they have, but like I was always told "God helps those who help themselves".

People in New Orleans area sat around for weeks, then months, now years waiting for FEMA to "do something", guess what?

What was going to be done has already been done and until the "people" there take the initiative and their government back, then nothing else will be done. The Fed can't continue to throw good money after bad..... The mayor, city council and even the Parrish governments, as well as their Louisiana State Government are to blame for the situation that festers in Orleans, St Tammany, Jefferson, St Bernard and Plaquemines Parrishes, not entirely the Federal Government.