Katrina Evacuees... Face Unemployment, Lack of Health Care,

[babylonsister]

One Year On, Katrina Evacuees in Houston Face Unemployment, Lack of Health Care and Dwindling FEMA Assistance

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/14/1352200

Over one hundred twenty thousand Katrina evacuees still live in Houston, Texas. A recent study shows ninety-eight percent are African American, three quarters earn less than $15,000 per year, almost half have no health insurance, and less than twenty percent are employed. Many could soon lose assistance from FEMA. Two organizers tell us how the community is responding. Democracy Now! is broadcasting from Houston, Texas where the effects of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt. Over one hundred twenty thousand Katrina evacuees still live in Houston.

Researchers at Rice University recently conducted a survey of over one thousand Katrina evacuees living in Houston. Ninety-eight percent of the respondents were African American. Nearly three quarters of the respondents indicated they earn less than $15,000 per year. Almost half have no health insurance.

Unemployment is a major problem. Of the respondents less than twenty percent are employed. Many could also soon lose assistance from FEMA. Organizers are sending out phone messages this week to warn evacuees that they could soon lose their aid. We speak with two guests here in Houston:

* Carolyn Schexnayder, former New Orleans resident who evacuated to Houston six days after Hurricane Katrina hit. Her first days in Houston were spent in the Astrodome.
* Broderick Bagert, senior organizer with the Metropolitan Organization, a Houston-based community organization of churches, schools, unions and other groups. The Metropolitan Organization is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation, a grass-roots network founded by Saul Alinsky.

[bigtree]

1. a direct reflection of the immorality of the Bush regime's reign

look at how they treat New York, even as they use the horrible violence the city experienced 9-11 in their fear and smear campaigns.

And, Bush was prancing around NO on the anniversary . . . shame

[babylonsister]

3. The Dems need to keep pounding on this; it makes the issues

surrounding Katrina America's issues. We all saw how ill-equipped this admin was to handle any kind of emergency.

[malaise]

2. Dems need to expose Bushco's Katrina domestic

and foreign policy.

[Skidmore]

4. The reason they scattered the citizens of NO out all over the nation

was so this story could not be told with reliability. There needs to be a major collection point for all this information, and I suggest that the Dems get involved in it.

[DaveJ]

5. Houston v New Orleans?

Can someone help me picture this. I've never been to New Orleans and never to Houston, although lived in Texas a couple years. I think of New Orleans as having a rich culture and a deeply rooted social structure that families become acclimated to after generations -- and now they're in Houston.... It sounds like an extremely unpleasant(ed. sp) transition to me.

[MadMaddie]

6. As Spike Lee put it...

it was like dispersing slaves families (this time they were black, white, other especially poor) their families were ripped apart and sent to new locations withought being asked...no roots, no close family...no sense of belonging....

[Rosemary2205]

7. I have a couple problems with this article

1. Anyone who's lived in a city for an entire year is no longer a "guest". They are now an official state of Texas, city of Houston resident and should be treated as such.

2. I have a problem with Katrina people being described as only 20% are working. If the job market in Houston can't absorb 120,000 minimum wage employees then the entire lower class of Houston is having a problem finding employment, not just Katrina people.