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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> We are so doomed
        
(Message started by: stevegeebe on May 8^th, 2007, 10:45pm)

Title: We are so doomed
Post by stevegeebe on May 8^th, 2007, 10:45pm

I've been reading many of the local blogs and one of them had a link to a National Geographic article (check it out), outlining what many of these blogs have been detailing.

Another bad season and this place will be gone for good.

The USACOE is a joke.

Feel bad for the folks in Kansas. They may find out just how much the Federal Government is nothing but a bunch of idiots that can't make it in the real world.

What happend to America?

Steve G

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by Jimi on May 8^th, 2007, 10:50pm

Quote:

What happend to America?

Some people bought it.

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by john_d on May 9^th, 2007, 8:28am

on 05/08/07 at 22:50:59, Jimi wrote:

Some people bought it.

Spot On

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by BarbaraD on May 9^th, 2007, 9:25am

Steve you're right....

I heard yesterday that FEMA has trailers ready to set up (I think they still have a bunch in AR waiting to go to New Orleans) as SOON as they get some utilities. Wonder when that will be. And I wonder if they know the whole country is watching. Guess we'll see if they've improved at all...

There's so much blame be bandied about that nothing is getting done at all. Why can't people see that doing something is better than throwing blame around. Everyone makes mistakes - we haven't been ready for natural disasters - ok that's a fact - so back up 10 yards and punt. Get a plan together and go for it. Quit worrying about who gets the credit. Work together and get 'er done. But, I forget -- that's just too damn simple.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by stevegeebe on May 9^th, 2007, 10:33pm

Thanks Barb.

I'm sorry I've been so single-minded since the storm but living here and dealing with this situation every six months gets to wear on you. All of my family lives on the Southshore.

The levees were, according to the COE, were to withstand a CAT 3 storm. They did not..at 65 locations. Many say that if you don't like it, than move. But you have to realize that we built on the assumption that the levees would withstand a storm of that magnitude. The new COE pumps don't even work and the City flooded the other day because the old pumps were held back because the levee walls were suspect. Jesus Christ...how long is this going to take? Where is this Countries priorities?

Now we are told that the current protection will not take a minor Hurricane, while, we are told to come back and re-build. I am going to encourage my parent to sell their house and get the hell out of Jefferson Parish.

The only reason that Jefferson did not flood is because Lake Pontchartrain was relieved by the flooding that happend to New Orleans. The trouble is that my parents are old and would never consider this. It is very personal.

The real problem that I am having with this is that many administrations, for many years, knew, knew, knew that this was going to happen and the national priorities were reallocated away on other less important things. What do you know? I hope that when the next one hits, it hits directly on Port Fourchon. Then people might consider drilling off of your own pristine coasts at more than $4.00 a gallon.

I really wish I could personally turn off the spigot until the rest of the Nation really understood the importance of my home State of Louisiana. Man, you don't know how much I wish I could do this. Screw the rest of the United States. Drill off of your own coast, dicks.

Remember how high the gas prices went up after the Storm? You want that again? How easily we forget.

Belly-ache all you want about how I am single-minded and then consider how my concerns are about all of us.

We have given so much. Rant over, until next time.

Steve, still bitter, G

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by deltadarlin on May 10^th, 2007, 8:03am

Steve,
I know what you mean. As much as I gripe about this state, there are a lot of good things here, including the people. I think this song by Zachary Richard says it all

Sunset on Louisianne

When I was young and full of dreams,
My whole life in front of me.
But things are not always the way they seem,
Some things will always change.

My papa’d been a trapper living hand to mouth,
But when I made shop foreman, I had it all figured out,
I thanked god each and everyday
When the industry came to town.

Chorus:
Sunset on Louisianne,
The sun going down on the promised,
I’ve given you everything I can,
I’ve got nothing left to lose.

Married a girl from Pauché Briide,
Raised a family of Cajun kids,
Nobody did no better than we did,
But things can always change.

My sister lost her baby premature,
And my papa got the sickness that got no cure,
And what they told us about it at the plant,
We could not be sure.

Chorus
Bridge:
Smokestacks burning on the river,
From New Orleans to Baton Rouge.
How can I go on believing
When the won’t tell me the truth.

I take my grand son fishing down at Camanida Bay,
I hope some of this beauty will last,
But, lord, it’s changing so damn fast,
Each and every day.

I love the river and I love the swamp,
The snowy egret and the old bull frog,
But they’re harder to find one and all
Since the industry came to town.

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by BarbaraD on May 10^th, 2007, 11:12am

Go ahead and rant Steve and Delta. It's hard to watch something you love destroyed by greed and stupidity.

And don't forget the coffee. People don't even consider coffee prices, but half the nation's coffee supply was stored in N O before the hurricaine. It's gone up drastically. Yep, you're right -- it affected us all.

Back a few years ago in my hometown of Gladewater a few of us upstanding citizens decided we didn't like the way our "leaders" were running things and decided to do something about it. I wrote a kick a$$ article for the newspaper and got the town stirred up and we went from there. Marched on city hall - got a new mayor elected (by 8 votes), got the city manager (who'd been bleeding the town dry) fired after a fashion and cleaned things up somewhat. But then some of us "trouble makers" started dying off and moving and things started going back to "business as usual". So I guess you just gotta stay on top of things if you want them to work properly.

It all comes down to people are afraid to get involved. They've been programed to believe that if they make waves that the axe will come down on them and they're just not big enough to fight "city hall". I've always thought that was a bunch of crap, but most people actually believe it and won't put their neck's out to do anything except complain.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by stevegeebe on May 10^th, 2007, 9:46pm

Thanks Barb an Delta.

Here's the song that currently kills me.

Houston

Mama's got her babies
Sleeping in a grocery cart
Daddy's eyes are hazy
Wondering where they are
Waiting for the buses,
Waiting on some Providence
Once we get to Houston,
Maybe it will all make sence

Praying to the Father
And calling for the cavalry
Look at all this water
And somehow not a drop to drink
Now did you ever hear of nightmares
Coming in the light of day
Maybe they will just wash away

Roll on Mississippi, good bye Crecent City
Les Bon Temps New Orleans,
Never coming back to stay

Never been to Texas,
Hope this bus is on a tear
Never met the President,
Maybe he will meet us there
Never knew a promise
That didn't break right in two
Once we get to Houston
Maybe one will come true

Roll on Mississippi, goodby Crecent City
Les Bon Temps New Orleans,
Never coming back to you

Last night I dreamed of rain
But golden light was all I saw
I heard my old dog barking
Went to see the Mardi Gras
And looked out over Pontchartrain
I woke up here in Houston
Didn't even know my name

Roll On Mississippi, goodbye Crecent City
Les Bon Temps New Orleans,
Never coming back again
Roll on Mississippi, Good bye Crecent City

Mary Chapin Carpenter The Calling

My wife no longer allows me to play this song when she is around me. I can't help weeping everytime I hear it.

I love New Orleans.

Steve G

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by DonnaHar on May 10^th, 2007, 9:57pm

Good points Barbara. Hope someone is listening.

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by stevegeebe on May 10^th, 2007, 10:53pm

I love New Orleans. Let me tell you why.

I use to live in a post WW2 house just off of Bayou St. John. I use to ride my bike alot and from this location and I could get just about anywhere in the City.

On Sunday mornings, I would head up Esplanade Avenue, where the well healed French built homes. Most of the houses were in the Second Empire style and very well kept by the current owners. At that time of the day the light in combination with the dense humidity would cast light beams throught the branches in the Oaks the seemed to pull me along my journey.

I would pick up a Times Picayune at the donut shop and head toward the French Ouarter where I would read a part of the paper on the Mississipp River levee and just watch the cargo ships go by. On my way through the Quarter, I dodged the shop owners spraying the sidewalk of the previous nights activities. The streets are so narrow there that most of the time it was a loosing effort. I miss those times.

On other occasions, I would ride through City Park which is just on the other side of the Bayou. City park is the largest urban park in the Country. The oak trees there are hundreds of years old and their Architecture is astounding. The NOMA facility is also located here. I would often stop in and see the latest exhibit or just walk through and view the work of many talented people of the past and present. The Park had four Golf courses and getting there to get in a round was not a problem.

Other times, I would ride out to the Lake. Sometimes I would just sit on the Seawall and just relax. Other times I would ride over to West End and eat some crabs or order a shrimp po boy and a beer and eat at an open restaurant over-looking the boat harbor.

I could ride to any neighborhood and find a bar where the regulars held court and poured Dixie beer from brown bottles into small glasses and discussed the current degenerate politicians. I could ride through Mid-City in Summer to a place where they served the best sno-balls in town.

My backyard backed up to the Fair Grounds horse track and during Jazz Fest I would have friends over for a crawfish boil and we would listen to the music for free.

I could ride to the house where I first grew up and I could ride the levee to where my parents now live. New Orleans is a big little City. That among other things is its charm. All this from one person, living on a bayou for a short period of time.

I'm sorry for my many rants about my home town. Its inevitable loss cuts me deeply and I can't understand what is going on.

I will try not to say any more about it.

Steve G

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by DonnaHar on May 10^th, 2007, 11:09pm

Steve......with what you and your fellow citizens have been through, I don't blame you for ranting.

Feel free to express your feelings.......we are listening. I hope we here in Florida are never the "victims" that you have been.

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by LeLimey on May 11^th, 2007, 1:06am

Steve, as someone who has always wanted to go to Louisiana and has never been reading your posts about what I can never see is a bitter sweet pleasure.

It may be something I'll never see - it may recover. I can hope.. but in the meantime I can enjoy the experience I could have had so please share all the memories you feel able to.

Thank you
Helen

Title: Re: We are so doomed
Post by Mac_Muz on May 12^th, 2007, 1:11pm

Well I rode thru there Oct 05 and it was a ROYAL mess from Jasper Tx to The Gulf on Alabama. I can't even imagine what the place had looked like when it was good.

Debris was everywhere and homes were shattered and I didn't even get down in the true paths of the storm, because I couldn't.

Steve the thing is you can't depend on Govt, for anything other than tax you to death. This isn't the same country you folks and grand folks built anymore which is a sin to say.

For better or worse the last Pres we had was Regan, who just might be the last of the last of real American Presidents.

These days it is just another name for get rich quick...

S/he with the worst set of ethics wins.... sorry, but to me that's how it is no matter where you come from..

I had never been in the "Deep South" before, as I don't count Fla, which is just South New England the way I see it. And now I never will.... what a loss to culture and the American Way..