'So much left to do' - Story and Photos by TIPPER GORE

[kpete]

'So much left to do'

Al and Tipper Gore are stunned as they see Katrina's havoc

Story and Photos by
TIPPER GORE

All we saw were ghosts. Street after street, block after block, mile after mile, ghosts. Only nature is beginning to come back, the yellow heads of dandelions poking through the debris still strewn everywhere.

And the worst part of it all was that, aside from some college students volunteering for clean-up on their spring break, there really wasn't anyone WORKING.

Though it was a Sunday, we expected to see hard-hatted crews racing the clock to repair breached levees before hurricane season starts again in June.

Instead, there was silence. Neighborhoods rich and poor, black and white, working-class and middle-class looked like an abandoned war zone. I saw what I think wartime soldiers must see: ruined towns littered with what is left of homes, businesses, schools, vehicles and other debris left from the lives of people long gone.

But this is New Orleans, U.S.A., not Iraq. Where are the cleanup crews? Where's the National Guard? Where are the people who, I know, want so desperately to reclaim their lives and their city? Where's the ongoing, organized response whose absence belies what I know to be the spirit of the American people?

more & Photos at:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/NEWS08/603260356/1025/NEWS

[wakeme2008]

1. Maybe it is like I pointed out in another thread Tipper that has

Gore on the fence now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=757362&mesg_id=757385

[bleedingheart]

2. It amazes me how nothing is being done....

by this time the structures that are totally destroyed should be taken down and removed...it is just revolting to see how little is being done to help those areas...

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Where's the electric?

There are still whole parishes that don't have power. Can't do much without power but of course that's part of Bush's plan to 'clean-up' New Orleans.

[Trevelyan]

5. K&R Be sure to let people know how little has been done in all this time

to rebuild NOLA and to help the Katrina victims. How much did Halliburton and bush/cheney cronies get to rebuild the American Gulf (not to mention Iraq) http://www.WarProfiteers.com

The Veterans Hospital has still not been rebuilt.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=691539&mesg_id=691539

[Anywho6]

4. Unbelievably sad

At the very least, these areas should be cleaned up by now and the levees repaired. My heart aches for everyone who lost loved ones and homes and were slapped in the face by this pretend administration. It's disgusting and I am amazed each and every day that there is not at least one person with a soul in the group who will stand up and say, "Enough already!" and expose this heartless, arrogant, hateful bunch for what they are.

Thank you, Tipper!

[Trevelyan]

8. CNN finally has a current poll on bush cover-up of 911

Do you agree with Charlie Sheen that the U.S. government covered up the real events of the 9/11 attacks?

Yes 84% 38649 votes

No 16% 7314 vote

http://signs-of-the-times.org/signs/editorials/signs20060322_DerangedDisconnectedandDangerous.php

http://signs-of-the-times.org/signs/chains/signs20060201_WorldNews.php#8278779491d7c23aba59365a0f9

[oneold1-4u]

6. Many would sell cheap

The mess they have, but the carpetbaggers aren't making any move!
It is too great of a likelyhood that it could be total devastation of even more property in the comming season of storms!

[Turn CO Blue]

7. So why didn't "Xanax Laura" write an article like this?

Because she...oh, nevermind. Now Tipper would make an excellent First Lady.

Anyway, I wish I knew how to help in Louisiana and Mississippi. I'm not sure that sending money helps, if (as Tipper says) there are no work crews.

[alarimer]

9. This makes me SO angry

Where is all that money being paid to KBR, Halliburton, etc. going? Why are they not tearing down the damaged houses and putting in trailers? We need answers. The people who live there deserve better than this. Where is the outrage?

[juajen]

10. All sorts of reasons, at least this is what I've heard

The city faces liability if it destroys property before its been properly assessed by insurance companies. Adjusters have to check out cars boats and property damage. Mayor Nagin had an offer from some company that would have removed all the cars, crushing them and disposing of them for $100 a car; they couldn't do it because every car had to be individually assessed for damage by insurance companies.

Do you begin to get the picture? Insurance companies do not want to pay out any money they can get out of paying; so, they are dragging their feet and we have pugs in control at Federal levels, so nobody's holding their feet to the fire.

When we had our last real damage from a hurricane in Lafayette, it took months for the debris to be taken away. Very small damage compared to Katrina. It was a big contract, so it took a while to figure out who to bribe. If you think this is a "Louisiana problem" because of the notorious "corruption" here, think again. This problem exists everywhere in this country today. Greed is rampant, corruption follows.

To help Louisiana, contribute to the fund set up by Gov. Blanco. I don't have the link, but this is easy to find. Just go to State of Louisiana.gov.

[alarimer]

11. Thanks

It sounds pretty screwed up. My tendency is to blame the feds, but I suppose it might be difficult to find the people the homes belong to, given that they are scattered all over the known universe.

But I was astonished to read that no one appears to be working on the levees. That would appear to be priority one, given that hurrican season officially starts June 1 and by all accounts i likely to be as bad as or worse than last year, if current surface water temps are any indication.

[JudyM]

12. I want to write to Al Gore... does anyone have his email address?

I ought to be able to write to him at the White House, where he belongs...

[ms liberty]

13. Here's his address:

It's snail mail, I've never been able to find an email addy for him:

the Honorable Al Gore
2100 West End Avenue
Suite 620
Nashville, Tn. 37203

[JudyM]

15. Thanks -- but I need his email - to send him a couple links. Anybody?...

[AlGore-08.com]

16. Al Gore does not currently have a public email address

The best way to contact him is to write to his Nashville office listed above.

[JudyM]

17. Nothing via that investment company he's starting?

[progressivebydesign]

14. Let's not forget Mississippi!

Some of the coastal areas there were leveled by the actual hurricane, and people are still living in tents there. The need all over the South is very great, but it's losing prominence in the news cycle. Bless Tipper for her words... she's an amazing woman.

[Ganja Ninja]

18. And another hurricane season is only 3 1/2 months away.

It's going to be an interesting summer. Three dollar a gallon gas, the civil war in Iraq and more hurricanes on the way. A couple more Katrina's this year and the Bush cabal might not last until election day 2006.

[Rose Siding]

19. This link worked better for me-

http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/NEWS08/603260356