$3.9 billion in Katrina recovery funds still unspent

Well, given that there were very limited public recovery campaigns and a general stagnation of information on how to best continue with life post-Katrina, I don't find that hard to believe.

But, in the face of government failure - at the local and federal levels - there is NOTHING wrong with holding your system accountable. After all, we live in a democracy.

Or are the citizens waiting for another hurricane?

So you have two choices here, right... ok, let's just say, for argument sake, that FEMA really wants that place to rot in hell. If you had your family there would you sit there and wait or would you look for a better situation elsewhere? I'm fairly certain that I would NOT keep my family there. Even if it's "mostly safe" and you plan to evacuate for hurricanes, if people are so disgruntled about how it's being handled, why don't they move? Hate the lack of infrastructure? MOVE! No one is making you stay there.

I've been considering this idea of loyalty for a while. I've heard and read a number of people stating, "this is my home, I can't just leave it behind". People frequently leave their homes behind to seek out better circumstances (new job, education, to be closer to family, etc). Why the sudden loyalty to a city? (honest question there if someone wants to share their experience)

Someone posted to me yesterday, but I don't see it now (I only saw the post on my phone) about me being heartless or something along those lines. That I didn't care about her house, her home... On a case by case basis, yes, I care that people were part of a natural disaster. But when you're dealing with sorting out this big of a space, this much money, I just don't think you can look at it on an individual level.

She asked if I thought San Fran or LA shouldn't be rebuilt after the next "big one". What's sorta funny in this argument is that I bet she thinks I don't have experience with that. I'm from California. All of my family lives in California. None of them live in LA or along the San Andreas, but they live in Northern California (near Oregon, on the coast) where earthquakes are frequent. I don't think that the federal government should be responsible for rebuilding cities after a natural disaster. OR... if the federal government provides the actual money (meaning WE ALL provide the actual money) then the actual repairs should be handled at the state level. I honestly don't know if that's how it's set up right now or not... I didn't take the time to research that before I started posting here.

So, to individual familes, yes, of course I feel for your loss... But as a whole, I think the situation before, during and after Katrina was disastrous and that people need to stop complaining and start acting. If you LOVE that city so much, maybe YOU should so something to make it better instead of waiting for someone else to fix it. Pride of ownership!

Before you say something ridiculous why don't you spend 1 minute looking something up to be sure you know what you're talking about. Hint: Google Los Angeles demographics THEN Google Louisiana demographcis. Unless you're considering .4% a significant difference there are nearly as many hispanics in Los Angeles as there are white people. And, white people make up less than half of the population vs. other races. Not only that, but Louisiana is not a "mostly black state"...

What you will find is this: 46.9% White American, 46.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 11.2% African American, 10.5% Asian American, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 25.7% from other races, and 5.2% from two or more races.

Demographics of Louisiana: 64.6% White American, Black or African American 32.8%, American Indian .6%, Asian 1.2%.

JFC I hate it when people just throw shit out there without knowing and without looking something up.

Lindslee. The demographics from the affected areas in Louisiana are comprised of a very different racial composition than the rest of the state. I am going to give Maeveeo the benefit of the doubt that he/she meant city (especially since he/she was comparing to L.A. or NYC).

Before Katrina, according to U.S. census data, the city of New Orleans was two thirds black.

Makes a difference.

And, I certainly considered the oddity of their reply, since they compared two cities to a state. But, if someone posts something they should be sure they are posting something intelligent or their post is immediatley disregarded by a good portion of this audience.

I apologize for straying from the topic, but reading these posts leaves me very inclined to put my children in private schools (once we have them). Our public education system is clearly failing.

WORD! I completely agree!

Lindslee: As a New Orleanian, I'd like to take this opportunity to both thank you for suggesting my home is not worth saving, and to ask you to think before posting such drivel.

According to your logic that we shouldn't rebuild a place that's in danger of being damaged again, then I suppose we shouldn't rebuild Los Angeles or San Francisco after the next big earthquake. Or perhaps we shouldn't rebuild schools and hospitals that are burned down by wildfires. Because according to your logic, it's their own fault for living there.

It's not our fault that the levees built around New Orleans were built on the cheap by the Army Corps.

But how dare you suggest the people who live here should somehow be punished for this fact.