So, How’s It Going?
For an historical perspective Susie points to a timeline of the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906 and the Federal response. You would have thought that we would be better at responding after 99 years, not worse.
Three audio links from NPR’s All Things Considered:
Today: [available after 7:30PM EDT]
Robert Siegel’s A Family’s Life in Limbo After Katrina, covers the American tribute to Franz Kafka – applying for assistance from FEMA. Understand this is a story about the trials of an extended family of middle class homeowners, professionals with insurance, college educated, trying to make their way through an artificial labyrinth create by people who are supposed to help them.
[Editor: note the reference to the SBA, the Small Business Administration. She is not mistaken, they are, for some reason, involved in the process, even if you are not applying for aid as a small business owner.]
Jim Zarroli’s Small Towns Await Katrina Aid points to the lack of concern for remote areas and confirms the FEMA policy that vehicles are more important than people – every vehicle gets one ration, whether it’s for a single person or three families.
Yesterday in Looking to Rebuild on the Mississippi Coast, Melissa Block talks with Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS).
Taylor talks about the loss of 80% of the homes along the coast, including his, and how people have been coping – by “borrowing” the contents of the local Wal-Mart [it’s not New Orleans, so he must be wrong when he says looting].
Mr. Taylor wants the local FEMA representative fired for interfering with the efforts to help the people affected. FEMA insists that individuals should make their own way to a central distribution point. This is a very efficient system for FEMA but it assumes a way of communicating with those affected and that they have transportation. In the FEMA system the individuals have the responsibility of finding help rather than expecting FEMA to find them.
“Where’s the cavalry?” They’re in the fort waiting for you to make your way there.
