2 Yrs. in a FEMA Trailer

Ugh... Man...that last shot, of the adorable kid asking President Bush to give them double wide trailers or for the fire department to suck the dirty water out of the pool and put clean water in so they can play...totally breaks my heart.

Great piece. Well done.

brilliant work. i can't believe that people are still living like that with no attention being given to their plight.

This is true journalism!!! Do not change your style man!

Bill,

Very nice work. The story you crafted in the edit was very good. Keep up the good work... as always, keep in touch.

All this happening in the richest country in the world. The country that tries to solve other countries' problems without realizing their owns. What will be the future of these kids? Probably some of them will become drug dealers or thieves, and 15 or 20 year later people will blame the kids' families, or (even worse) their race. They won't blame their isolation and lack of opportunities.

Thanks for a nice job reporting on another festering problem that our government fails to address in behalf of its citizens. These outrageous and deplorable conditions will only breed more without immediate attention, yet we hear nothing about any plans for this from our nation's leaders or presidential candidates Disgusting!

Excellent work. Your work is heart breaking. I was just in New Orleans and your video really depicts this tragic situation. FEMA, congress, and the Bush administarion just don't care about the working class people. It is so pathetic that Brad Pitt can do more than our entire federal government. Allowing Katrina to happen was complete negligence on the army core of engineers, but allowing the victims to continually suffer is despictable and criminal. This will definately haunt our country in the upcoming years and I hope that Bush will pay for his inhumane treatment of human beings.

The dean from Tulane at the end of the pod is my buddies dad. I just happened to catch him on it. My friend left Syracuse University to go back to New Orleans and try to help rebuild. His family has tried to do so much to help the city. They are amazing people. More documentaries like this need to be produced to show the plight of these people.

Delano,
FEMA's, GWB's and the Lousianna state gov's response (or lack thereof) to the hurricanes and the human disasters they created should absolutely be condemned. I do believe in taking care of those that are in need and helping them to re-establish themselves in ways that will be close to what they have lost. I have no doubt that FEMA made some kind of a sweetheart deal that squandered taxpayer money on trailers unsuitable for day to day, year to year living.

However, I am a middle class American that has traveled just a bit. What the people still living in FEMA trailers have is many times better than the basic, non disaster response, living conditions of many countries. What your segment failed to cover is the story of how so many people (pre-Katrina) were on the margin of supporting themselves or unable (or unwilling) to support themselves in the gulf coast area. As a hardworking person that is living on and with less every year, I must ask where does the American taxpayer?s obligation to people that do not have or seek work end?

I have all the sympathy and love for the children of the gulf coast in the world but I can?t teach them the value of earning a honest living or of careful family planning?

Overall this is a clear demonstration of how inept and cold hearted the current administration is. This is a severe diservice to all those suffering due to the katrina catastophy aswell as it is a diservice to all tax paying american citizens. What an awful, sluggish effort on the part of the U.S. government, which should be ashamed.

This all seems more like a conspiracy against ''African Americans'', just take a look at the camp like conditions of the trailer parks, let alone the suspicious and inconspicuous use of formaldehyde in the adhesives used to bind and seal the trailer homes, formaldehyde in large amounts or small doses over time can permanently affect ones respiratory system aswell as stifle brain cell growth and production. Now don't get me wrong, I know and acknowledge that many caucasians suffered and are suffering in the aftermath of katrina, and I sympathize for all those who are suffering.

. Also, I'm sure that there are no temporary educational programs put in place so that the children can continue their studies, so that they don't fall behind academically.

Formaldehyde is an intermediate in the oxidation (or combustion) of methane as well as other carbon compounds, e.g., forest fires, in automobile exhaust, and in tobacco smoke. In atmosphere, formaldehyde is produced by the action of sunlight and oxygen on atmospheric methane and other hydrocarbons; thus, it becomes part of smog

This is great work, Bill. I watched this on Current_tv last night and have already added it to my StumbleUpon and spread it around a few other internet hang outs.

Thed wife and I worked in New Oleans for 43 days doing FEMA work. We then did 22 days in Gulf Port Mississippi.

I will say I do not feel for one second for any of these folks. There are still folks living in trailers.

Some want the government to build them a new home. Many of them did not have a home before. They were squatting in the 9th ward hundred of acres not owned by them. They took metal sheds like you buy at home depot and slaked them together.

Now that they are flat on the ground they want the gvernment to build them a 2000 square foot house.

The problem is they do not own anything. No land nothing. They were free loading.

43 days I was working with my wife down there., Folks would sit there and want us to do stuff for them. While they set there watching us complaining.

We ate once a day and showered 1 time a week. While serving many of these folks 3-5 meals a day.

Folks came from all over to work down there as there was more work then people WILLING to do it.

It brought a new meaning to FEMA. Find Every Mexican Available

im sorry but i was amazed as to why these people couldnt help themselves. Tell me of another incident in which any government provides trailors with microwaves, ovens, etc. the young guy talking about his 85yr grandmother not being able to rebuild her home didnt make me feel sympathetic it made me feel sorry for the grandmother for having such a inept grandson. She had a home but her grandson couldnt clean it out and put up new drywall. Of course he did have time to show his face on camera and complain about the gov. giving the people Free trailors. That was heartbreaking

Americans are so spoiled! Thats are problem. The gov. isnt doing enough. They only got those for those people free trailors. boo boo boo.

wow this is horible i probaly cant live in a trailer for a week

i am also going to New orleens in march with my school to help these people

pabloking.. that's great that you're going to help out... you should film your efforts and share it on Current.com

I have an idea that is by no means original, but it can help solve the problems that these people have with housing and it can also help to solve our economic problems to some extent at the same time. Like in the great depression, maybe our government would do well to put out civilian contracts; however, instead of building the Hover Dam those contracts would be to build new homes or rebuild homes for these people. Hell, you can even hire some of the people who currently have no homes because of Katrina. The point is that you are doing something good for your citizens by returning them to a home, and you are helping to stimulate the economy by creating jobs that put money in the hands of consumers.

As a resident of Mississippi I have many friends who were directly affected by Katrina, and I have also had the opportunity to visit the Gulf Coast twice and help residents regroup and rebuild. I have encountered two types of people: those who need hope and encouragement in order to begin helping themselves and those who want money and material things given to them as a handout.
I myself was one who wondered why people weren't doing more to help themselves. I value independence so much and could not imagine waiting on someone else to do something for me that I could easily do for myself. But I soon found out that these people had once also valued their own independence but had been forced to depend on others, at least for a time, just to survive. The realization that you can no longer support yourself when just days before you were in good health and were fully able to provide for your family is humbling beyond belief. To some, it was too much to deal with. These are the people who just need hope and a little bit of help. It takes so much strength to accept that you now have to recreate something that you did not destroy in the first place.
Then there are those who just expected to be babied and spoonfed every tiny thing and who are currently sitting in their lawnchairs complaining about their surroundings when they have never once considered improving things for themselves. Those people not only make progress harder on themselves but also on other residents by presenting a lazy idea of humans to the rest of America.
To all those who have sacrificed time, money, and comfort in order to help those affected by Katrina, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support means everything, and I say that wholeheartedly.
My biggest suggestion to those who desire to help Katrina victims is to get in contact with a local relief group or local church and ask which families or people truly need assistance and are willing to help in any way they can with the rebuilding of their lives. Do not present anything as a handout but instead as a joint-effort. Most residents aren't looking for "free" help; they just need a little jump-start or a few materials or even a bit of hope. If all the people in this country, including the government but not excluding the regular citizens, would approach every crisis with a help/help attitude then the process would go so much smoother and everyone would be blessed so much more than they could ever expect.
I had the opportunity to experience this first-hand and have never seen so many lives changed by just doing what we were put on Earth to do: spread God's love and help each other.

I love the style and topic of this piece. Good job!

This is a continuing embarrassment to the United States government. Why can't we stop using money on the war and just invest it in our own people. This is really ridiculous!

nelhak

Video