Speaking from the Heart: CNN's Kathleen Koch

by Ana Maria

Below is a fantastic interview between Kevin Davis and CNN's Kathleen Koch, a White House and Pentagon correspondent, while she was on location in Bay St. Louis, Miss., for Katrina's second anniversary. Kathleen grew up in Bay St. Louis, and I'm happy to disclose that she and I went to high school together. Both of us also attended the University of Southern Mississippi where she has been honored for her extraordinary post-Katrina documentaries.

While covering the anniversary events, I had the fortune to reunite with my great friend Kathleen while I was tooling around town with Kevin Davis, a production assistant at an ABC affiliate in Santa Barbara , California.

Kevin traveled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to discover little-known and important Katrina stories. He teamed up with yours truly to explore, among other issues, how the insurance companies have played a major role in preventing its policyholders from rebuilding their homes, their lives, and their communities.

Kathleen graciously agreed to speak on camera regarding her experience in covering Katrina in her hometown, which is my hometown. Her words about growing up here, her strong connection to the community, and her desire to do all that she can do to rebuild resonate with the hearts of all of us who have grown up here and have found ourselves returning to the area at this critical juncture of a place we call home.

Kevin Davis works for KEYT -TV, an ABC affiliate in Santa Barbara, CA, and is currently looking for his first reporting job. Kevin can be reached at 925-788-1803 and kdavis2600@gmail.com.

© 2007 Ana Maria Rosato. All rights reserved.
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Hancock receives advice on aid

USDA official brings money, too



By J.R. WELSH
baybureau@aol.com

HANCOCK COUNTY --
A U.S. Department of Agriculture official offered candid advice this week for local leaders struggling to replace big chunks of the county swept away in Hurricane Katrina: Hire an outside expert to track relief money and coordinate efforts, and don't hesitate to question FEMA.

Thomas Dorr, the USDA undersecretary for rural development, met with supervisors in his second trip since the hurricane.

He listened to the lament of supervisors: Two years after the storm, the county often seems still at ground zero. The jail, the emergency operations center and the Bay St. Louis courthouse are all still closed from heavy storm damage. The county operates from a fleet of trailers in a dusty, sand-and-gravel parking lot, and everything it tries to do seems tangled in red tape.

"The bureaucracy is terrible. All our buildings are gone," Supervisor Steve Seymour told Dorr. "If we had a hurricane bearing down on us right now, we'd be in a terrible situation."

Dorr suggested county officials push harder for innovative solutions that aren't solved by single-source federal aid. Dorr cited Greensburg, Kan., whose 50,000-gallon public water tank was destroyed when the town was wiped out by a tornado.

FEMA would only replace the old 50,000-gallon tank, although local officials needed 75,000 gallons to cover rebuilding and future growth. To make that possible, the USDA paid the difference.

Dorr and his staff also brought evidence of their concern. They presented supervisors with checks totaling nearly $600,000 for rural road improvements and for office equipment. They also gave $100,000 each to the Diamondhead and the Post 58 fire departments.

Dorr also told supervisors many federal decisions stem from regulations, not laws. As such, they can be questioned. "Regulations are made to be changed," he said. And of FEMA officials, "There's no reason not to call some of these folks on the carpet."

He recommended supervisors hire a "disinterested third party" to track down federal funds and coordinate efforts of consultants already on the payroll.

Dorr also said supervisors should seek help from his department and other agencies in rebuilding a permanent county complex, and consider tying in fiber-optic cable placement with new regional water and sewer systems. That will help attract new business, he said.

Supervisors seemed pleased with the advice. "This discussion has been like looking at a bigger picture," Seymour said.





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Hancock Bank Can Teach Bush A Thing or Two

by Ana Maria

Who would have ever thought that a bank would be the anchor business for beachfront revitalization in Bay St. Louis, Miss., one of the tiny beach towns that comprise Katrina’s ground zero? Yet, that is exactly the case with Hancock Bank, Mississippi’s largest and a strong regional bank as well.

As the flagship business for renewing Bay St. Louis’ beach front/downtown/Old Town business district, Hancock Bank’s reopening provides unparalleled leadership locally and even nationally.

How’s this for a demonstration of Katrina responsiveness?

One of the bank’s officers told the celebration’s crowd of a few hundred that in the storm’s immediate aftermath, Hancock Bank took a satchel of money to some central location and began to cash checks. The bank knew that folks needed cash to buy supplies. Thoughtful, indeed. And good business, of course. But, here’s the kicker.

Hancock Bank even took IOU’s from people. That’s right. A bank in the year 2007 took IOUs from people just to get cash in their pockets so that these Katrina survivors could begin to . . . survive.

THAT’s innovation. THAT’s leadership. THAT’s responsiveness. THAT’s creativity. And that is how forward thinking, responsive leaders act, particularly when the worst natural disaster hits an area.

Hancock Bank Could Teach Bush A Thing or Two
Contrast Hancock Bank’s response with the Bush Administration that wants to know why it is that in the immediate aftermath of this same natural disaster that virtually wiped out so many cities in Katrina’s wake that city officials didn’t go through the traditional bidding process and get the least cost for the services needed. For more on that White House foolishness, read Dirt, Dead Bodies, and White House Dirt Bags.

Contrast Mississippi’s largest bank taking IOUs with Bush’s Administration that is holding out millions and millions and millions of federal reimbursement checks perhaps with an eye on outright stiffing Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama cities and towns for the clean up costs for which the federal government is supposed to pay. Compassionate, my you-know-what! [For more on Bush's Administration holding out on reimbursement funds, see When You're Up To You're Ass in Alligators and The "F" Word: FEMA.]

Bush talks compassionate, but doesn’t walk it. Hancock Bank doesn’t say anything and just takes care of the people who have helped it grow over the last century. That’s leadership.

Hancock Bank's Humble Beginnings in the Bay
Hancock Bank was founded in 1899 right here in Bay St. Louis, Miss., and its initial branch was on this very same spot along Beach Boulevard where this grand re-opening was held yesterday evening. As one bank representative said to us at the ceremony, this 100 plus beach front property has been through four major hurricanes and plenty of financial dark times for the banking industry—most notably the Great Depression and the Savings & Loan crisis during the Reagan years.

At the town hall meeting that Congressman Gene Taylor held last week, Board Chair George Schloegel told the standing room only crowd that the bank is not carrying any insurance on the building. It cannot afford the rates. Should the building be destroyed in the future, the cost of rebuilding will be spread over its multi-state branches. However, he continued, families have one home and can’t spread the costs of rebuilding or renovating their homes like Hancock Bank is able to do. Scholoegel supports Congressman Taylor’s Multiple Peril Insurance Act which adds wind coverage to the federal flood insurance program.

“Schloegel brought the house down when he remarked that the insurance companies didn’t have to hire lawyers and haul us to court to get us to pay our premiums. Why should we have to hire lawyers and haul them to court to get them to pay on our wind policy claims?!”

Great people, a great community asset, and a great business citizen in this tiny beach town. Others around the country should take note and follow its example, including the Bush Administration.

At yesterday’s celebration, I was fortunate to run into George Schloegel and told him that I just LOVED his comment on premiums and hiring lawyers. He looked down at me smiling as he told me that he just said it the way he sees it.

Ahhhh, yes. Boy am I ever home where the verbal guessing game is unnecessary. Talking with us doesn’t require reading between the lines. What you see is what you get. Period. That’s unheard of in the political and corporate circles I’ve traveled in around the country.

Celebrating in Typical Bay St. Louis Fashion
We love our music and great food. Yesterday evening’s celebration was typical Bay St. Louis complete with a live Dixieland Jazz band and two huge tables filled with plenty of great food.

The food was stupendous! None of this barely edible appetizers many try to pass off at such occasions. Absolutely, this was a veritable feast of baby tomatoes stuffed with shrimp salad, potato salad, chicken kabobs, a couple of other meats (I don’t know which because I eat seafood only), jambalaya, and a number of delicious deserts.

When I was growing up, Dixieland Jazz was definitely a favorite genre of music in our home. I remember my father telling me that when he was a young man still living with his parents on Magazine Street in New Orleans, he and his brother were forbidden from holding band practice at home. My paternal grandparents came from Italy, and my grandfather taught music—old style and old school. No, I’m not talking Motown old school. I’m talking something quite different.

Today, we learn musical notes by a letter designation. A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Back then—and yeah, it’s not quite a century ago now, my grandfather taught music Do, Re, Mi, Fa . . . which some of us learned from the Sound of Music. Trust me, it was NOT that kind of teaching. My point is that life was, well, different way back, but the attitude of the older folks toward the younger one's musical tastes remain rather similar.

My grandfather apparently wasn’t too keen on the new ways and would not permit jazz to be played in the house. “Not real music” my father would tell me his dad would say. Eventually, my grandfather allowed his sons to bring their jazz band to practice in the house on one condition. They had to tell their father when the band would be practicing so he could leave. My dad told me that his father thought jazz wasn’t “real music” and that is would be a death knell for the orchestra.

A few years back, I myself knew that I had reached the generational divide when certain songs were played and I thought, “That’s not music!!” I don’t think my grandfather was whispering to me from the grave, either.

Every generation has their musical tastes, I suppose. (But really, how can it be “music” without a good beat to dance to?! Just kidding.) Some things never change from generation to generation.

Nevertheless, for this child of a former jazz musician, listening to the Dixieland tunes being played reminded me of dancing with my father who has long since passed away. As a little girl, he would put me on his shoes and we’d dance. I love those memories.

That’s part of the magic of Hancock Bank’s reopening in the same spot it has always operated for 100 years. Coming home to memories. Clearly the bank’s decision to rebuild in the same spot has more to do with tradition, history, and a sense of community than some actuarial bean counting analysis. That’s what creates strong families, neighborhoods, communities, towns, and cities. It’s about strong memories, a sense of history, a sense of belonging.

Last night, we all belonged at that wonderful celebration. We felt a sense of community, a hopefulness, a renewed desire to rebuild our town.

With all of the celebration and laughter underneath the stars and moonlight, who would have thought that anyone there had a care in the world.

But, oh, we all have many, many cares. Katrina took away nearly everyone’s homes either completely or devastated the homes so much that it took ages to clean it up to make do while living in it as the rest was being worked on.

Katrina took away so very much, which many fear may never return in their lifetimes. Last night I was talking with a couple that I hadn’t seen in over 25 years. Now in their 60’s and 70’s, how can they start over particularly when the insurance company low balls or outright denies payment on legitimate wind claims on a policy they’ve paid premiums for years?

Our sorrows are deep, healing is slow, and payments from insurance companies slower exacerbating our sorrows and our healing.

So how can we enjoy ourselves at all? We know that life isn’t about sorrow only or happy times only. It is about how they intermingle, intertwine within our lives. Here in Bay St. Louis, Miss., we tend soothe our sorrows and celebrate our joys with great tasting food, good music in the background, and great company. That’s one of our secrets to our sanity, our generosity, our vibrant culture. That’s how we are able to survive Katrina and the betrayal from Big Insurance and Bush’s Administration.

With business sensitivity and innovation like that which Hancock Bank has shown and the internal fortitude of our residents, that's how the Bay will return to its vibrancy complete with all the festive trimmings to celebrate every milestone along the way.

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Bookies, Pimps, and Insurance Companies

by Ana Maria

The insurance industry has a great scam of a gravy train going on with home and business owners. Think about it. Collect the premiums, deliberately fail to pay out the claims, pocket the profits, leave town, reduce the coverage, increase the premiums, repeat.

Just as a bookie collects from its gamblers, these companies collect money from us, the home and business owners of America. If we never have a situation where we need to make good on our policy, the insurance company has kind of made out like a bandit. All of this is legal and above board. We understand it’s a form of legal gambling, and we know the risks of what may happen if we don’t participate.

In essence, we’re essentially betting that we may one day need to tap into our policy, our legally biding contractual agreement with our legal bookie. When something happens and we need our gamble to pay off, we expect our insurance carriers—our bookies—to make good on our legally binding agreement.

Here in the Katrina-ravaged region of the country, our bookies are skipping town with our money pointing their proverbial fingers to the water in the Gulf of Mexico. If a drop of water hit our property, then the insurance carriers said that ALL of the damage would be paid from the U.S. Government’s federal flood insurance program. Remember, the private insurance companies were adjusting claims for their own wind insurance policies and for the federal government’s flood insurance program. A conflict of interest that has become apparent in Katrina’s aftermath. [See Wind? Water? More like a Bunch of Hot Air! for more information on that end.]

Since the private insurance carriers were adjusters for the same properties and these companies lack integrity or ethics, it was easy for them to fraudulently claim that the damage was from water and to hand their own bills to the U.S. government to the tune of $23 billion. With each home and business owner claim that these companies fraudulently denied, they have betrayed our trust.

New research from the University of South Alabama’s Coastal Weather Research Center is proving that the insurance industry’s profit generating plan doesn’t hold water.

Dr. Blackwell works at the Coastal Weather Research Center.

Winds battered residents long before water came ashore. This past May, the university announced the discovery of a “Second, Devastating Eyewall Inside Hurricane Katrina”. The university’s “hurricane expert Dr. Keith Blackwell used the latest in microwave satellite technology to look inside Hurricane Katrina’s storm clouds, leading to the discovery of a second, or outer, very potent eyewall, which extended severe hurricane winds far outward from the storm’s center.

Blackwell’s research concluded the following.

1. Before landfall, Katrina was a Category 5 storm with . . . sustained winds of 175 mph.
2. The hurricane’s highest reported surface gust was 135 mph, in Poplarville, Mississippi; many weather stations were destroyed, so Katrina’s highest gusts were not measured.
3. Video evidence from storm chasers suggests gusts on the ground in Gulfport, MS, could have been as high as 150 mph.
4. The hurricane spawned 22 documented tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama.

FACT SHEET: Double Eyewalls and Hurricane Katrina
Coastal Weather Research Center
May 17, 2007

Dr. Blackwell’s documented research concluded the following.

“Initially, high winds in the outer eyewall struck the Mississippi coast up to three to four hours before the highest water arrived. The problem with water created by the storm’s devastating tidal surge arrived later,” explained Blackwell.
[Emphasis added.]

What does this mean?
Well, Poplarville is inland by about 60 miles from Bay St. Louis, Miss., one of the tiny coastal beach towns that comprised Katrina’s ground zero. So if Katrina’s gusts were 135 mph after it had been over 60 miles of land and these massive winds were battering homes, businesses, schools, fire and police stations, and other government buildings for THREE to FOUR hours before the surge came ashore, Katrina’s winds did plenty of damage for which the private insurance companies are financially responsible. That’s what this research means.

This research takes the wind out of the insurance industry’s argument that it was the water and NOT the wind that caused the enormous damage to homes, businesses, etc.

This means that the insurance companies have defrauded the federal government possibly by many billions and billions of dollars with its failure to pay on damages that wind, and not water, caused.


ABC News was able to obtain a copy from State Farm files of the original FAEC [Forensic Analysis & Engineering Corp.] damage report, which included the image of an attached "Post-it" note that read, "Put in wind file - do not pay bill - do not discuss"


Image at ABC's The Blotter.

That’s what this research means. It’s fantastic news for home and business owners as well as schools, cities, towns, counties and other governmental entities that have been going up against the insurance industry and its reported $108 billion in profits that it made in 2005 and 2006 alone.

With this new evidence from the Coastal Weather Research Center coupled with the RICO lawsuit that the Scruggs Katrina Group has filed [See State Farm, Partners, and RICO: What a Racket!] in which it has uncovered evidence that the companies deliberately failed to pay wind policy claims it knew that it was responsible for paying, this may also mean that that policy holders with settled claims may seek out attorneys to reopen their cases. Sure would be a pity were the insurance companies to find themselves in a whole lot of hot water.

The gig is up. As this information comes out more and more, these really bad bookies—the insurance companies peddling their property and casualty insurance wares—will continue to be exposed.

Like a bookie, insurance companies are running a numbers game on its property and casualty customers—residential, commercial, government, you name it. They're scamming us. But the big pimp daddy-O is out in full force protecting them.

So why be skeptical of several insurance companie being supportive of the Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2007? Ever heard of a bookie willingly giving up territory? How ‘bout a pimp that lets a prostitute get out of the business and on to a more respectable profession? Yeah, me, neither.

Since the Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2007 would severely cut into the insurance bookies’ ability to run this numbers game on American families and businesses, they are transforming themselves from bookies to pimps. Seeing the hand writing on the wall, the industry is taking solace in the fact that they have the big insider Daddy-O of a Pimp out there hustling inside the political trenches.

The Insurance Industry’s Big Daddy-O Pimp
In 2005, Marc Racicot, the former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), became the president of the American Insurance Association. When George Bush named his buddy as chair of the ReTHUGlican party, Racicot continued as “an active, registered lobbyist . . . for the Houston law firm of Bracewell & Patterson, personally representing the controversial energy firm Enron.” I suppose there’s something to be said about being upfront with one’s lack of good ethics and integrity. Not much to say, of course.

When Racicot became the president of the American Insurance Association, he characterized the association as being “widely regarded as one of the most effective business advocacy groups in state capitols and in the halls of Congress.”

Today, Racicot is pimping the association’s fraudulent Towers Perin report that tells Congress that the proposed Multiple Perils Insurance Act of 2007 is on shaky financial ground. What a load of baloney. Their analysis is on shaky ground and when the dust settles on the court cases that are pending, I’m personally hoping the companies’ financial positions are below the ground. What they have done here in Katrina Land is sinful and criminal in every sense of those words. Do I hear an Amen?!

Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS) sent a letter to Racicot requesting that he “retract and disavow the fraudulent Towers Perin report.” Taylor stated, “the assumptions, scenarios, and conclusions in the report are impossible under the bill.”

In other words, Bush’s Boy—the big Daddy-O Insurance Industry Pimp Marc Racicot—is pimping the industry’s trade association’s fraudulent information.

So here’s where we come in with today’s Political Hell Raising Activities.

On Tuesday, July 17, 2007, the House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity will hear testimony regarding the proposed Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2007. Below are the members of this committee. Are any of these members your congressional representative? If so contact them, inform them that you are you their constituent, and that you support the Multiple Perils Insurance Act of 2007.

Contact Chairwoman Waters and any of the others and inform them that you support the Multiple Perils Insurance Act of 2007. This hearing is an important step in the road to stopping the bookies from ripping off any other families and business owners. Sharing our perspective on this critical matter is how we protect our families through expanding the flood insurance program to include wind coverage. Sharing our perspective is how we put a gust of powerful wind under our political sails.

[Here are political hell raising email and phone activities.]

Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
Rep. Maxine Waters (CA), Chairwoman
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY)
Rep. Julia Carson (IN)
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (MA)
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO)
Rep. Al Green (TX)
Rep. William Lacy Clay (MO)
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY)
Rep. Gwen Moore (WI)
Rep. Albio Sires (NJ)
Rep. Keith Ellison (MN)
Rep. Charles A. Wilson (OH)
Rep. Christopher S. Murphy (CT)
Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN)
Rep. Judy Biggert (IL)
Rep. Stevan Pearce (NM)
Rep. Peter King (NY)
Rep. Paul E. Gillmor (OH)
Rep. Christopher Shays (CT)
Rep. Gary G. Miller (CA)
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (WV)
Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ)
Rep. Randy Neugebauer (TX)
Rep. Geoff Davis (KY)
Rep. John Campbell (CA)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (MI)

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Summary of H.R. 920, the Multiple Peril Insurance Act

From the Office of Rep. Gene Taylor

Cosponsors: Maxine Waters, D-CA; Bobby Jindal, R-LA; Charlie Melancon, D-LA; Walter Jones, Jr. R-NC; William Jefferson, D-LA; Jo Bonner, R-AL; Carolyn Maloney, D-NY; Emanuel Cleaver, D-MO; Al Green, D-TX; Wm. Lacy Clay, D-MO; Edward Markey, D-MA; Lincoln Davis, D-TN; Rodney Alexander, R-LA; Donna Christensen, D-VI; Bennie Thompson, D-MS; Henry Cuellar, D-TX; Danny Davis, D-IL; Neil Abercrombie, D-HI; Jeff Miller, R-FL; Timothy Bishop, D-NY; Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-TX; Alcee Hastings, D-FL; Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, D-MI; Donald Payne, D-NJ; Corrine Brown, D-FL; Loretta Sanchez, D-CA; Steve Cohen, D-TN.

H.R. 920, the Multiple Peril Insurance Act, would create a new program in the National Flood Insurance Program to enable the purchase of wind and flood risk in one policy.

The bill requires premiums for the new optional coverage to be risk-based and actuarially sound, so that the program would be required to collect enough in premiums to pay claims.

Multiple peril policies would be available where local governments agree to adopt and enforce building codes and standards designed to minimize wind damage, in addition to the existing flood program requirements for flood plain management.

Any community participating in the flood insurance program could opt into the multiple peril option, but the greatest demand for the product will be in coastal areas that face both flood and wind risk from hurricanes and tropical storms. Insurance companies are withdrawing from coastal areas and forcing state-sponsored insurers of last resort to take on much more disaster risk.

The Multiple Peril Insurance Act would allow homeowners to buy insurance and know that their damage from both wind and water will be covered. This is primarily a concern after a hurricane where the worst destruction is caused by a combination of wind and flooding. Homeowners would not have to hire lawyers, engineers, and adjusters to determine what damage was caused by wind and what was caused by flooding.

This bill would set residential policy limits at $500,000 for the structure and $150,000 for contents and loss of use. Nonresidential properties could be covered to $1,000,000 for structure and $750,000 for contents and business interruption.

Once the program is enacted, a private insurance market should develop to offer coverage above the limits. This would allow insurance companies to design policies that would have the equivalent of a $500,000 deductible for residential properties or a $1 million deductible for nonresidential properties.

Section by Section of H.R. 920,
the Multiple Peril Insurance Act

Section 1. Short Title

“Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2007”

Section 2. Flood and Windstorm Multi-peril Coverage

Adds a new program to the National Flood Insurance Program to enable the
purchase of insurance covering losses resulting from flood and/or windstorm;

Multi-peril coverage is available only where the local government has adopted standards designed to reduce windstorm damages; (Flood standards already required by NFIP)

No duplicate coverage with multi-peril coverage and NFIP flood coverage;

Multi-peril policy covers damage from flooding and/or windstorm without requirement to distinguish flood damage from wind damage;

Premiums must be based on risks according to accepted actuarial principles;

The Director shall issue regulations setting the terms and conditions of coverage;

Aggregate policy limits are as follows:

Residential Structures - $500,000 for single-family dwelling; $500,000 per dwelling unit for structures with more than one unit; $150,000 per unit for combination of contents and increased living expenses for loss of use;

• Nonresidential Structures - $1,000,000 for structure; $750,000 for combination of contents and business interruption coverage.

Section 3. Prohibition Against Duplicate Coverage

Adds the prohibition against duplicate coverage to the existing flood program.

Section 4. Compliance with State and Local Law

No new coverage for any property that is in violation of local building and zoning
requirements designed to reduce windstorm damages.

Section 5. Criteria for Land Management and Use

The Director shall carry out studies to determine the appropriate standards for windstorm damage prevention, and establish criteria based on those standards.

Section 6. Definitions

Windstorm is defined as any hurricane, tornado, cyclone, typhoon, or other wind event.



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Beyond the 9th Ward

As I sit here in the town of Bay St. Louis, Miss., one of several tiny coastal beach towns that comprise ground zero for the worst part of the worst natural disaster in the nation, I feel conflicted. The New York Times has published a lengthy article titled Road to New Life After Katrina Is Closed to Many. The article zeroed in on the difficulty of returning home after Katrina. Again, as has been the modus operandi from the beginning, the focus is on New Orleans alone and specifically on residents in the 9th Ward. This is an important heart breaking story. And herein lies my conflict.

The road home after Katrina is equally difficult for those who don’t live in the lower 9th Ward. A few weeks ago, I attended my niece’s 13th birthday party held at Rock ‘n Bowl in New Orleans. How wonderful to see a bunch of 13 year girls so confident, delightful, and vibrant. Their parents dropped them off, stuck around a while and chatted, then left and returned to pick them up when the party ended. One of the mother’s I met was yakking with me about having to go to the laundry mat. In New Orleans, “to yak” means “to talk.” Let’s get some cross cultural adaptation going here, ok? ;) Back to the yakking itself, she was so lovely. She and her husband’s home in Lakeview had many feet of water in it after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ levees broke. Fortunately, they were able to buy a home a few blocks away that was untouched by the water.

Anyway, she was saying how awful it was for her because since the storm, she’s been having to go to the laundry mat to do the clothes. “At THIS age? Girl, you know, I didn’t work all my life to be going to a laundry mat to do my families clothes.” Oooooo. I told her that when I moved back to San Jose, California in 2002, one of my main criteria for renting was having a washer and dryer in my apartment. Period. I was not going to drag my clothes over to a laundry mat and sit there for hours waiting for a dryer, getting stuck using a dryer that hardly dried the clothes and ate up my coins like mad. And I’m only one person. I couldn’t imagine doing it for a family—mom, dad, and kids.

Now what does any of this have to do with a New York Times story about the 9th Ward and going home to New Orleans? My recent five part series focused on broadening the Katrina lens beyond it. The woman with whom I was speaking—I wish I could remember her name. It’s a terrible thing, I know, to not recall someone’s name. But, down here in the greater New Orleans area, which includes the very western part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in particular the towns of Waveland and Bay St. Louis (my home town, remember), we don’t remember names that well. Often, we’ll say something along these lines. “You remember the son of Ms Josie who is married to that beautiful woman whose sister works at the bank? Well her mamma’s good looking brother . . .” Not recalling people’s names may be the reason everyone calls everyone honey, baby, dahlin’, shuga, and sweetie.

A few years back, Bob, a boss of mine was going to New Orleans for some kind of work thing. I told him of this delightful cultural verbal habit of ours. Bob came back complaining that I had forgotten to tell him about the mosquitoes and gnats. Poor thing, his neck was raw from the bites. But, he perked up when he said that I was right. Even the big burly man behind the counter of a sandwich shop where Bob had gone for lunch called him “hon.” That’s part of the charm of the area. We don’t care if you really are good looking or ugly, fat or thin, old or young, or your race, ethnicity, or religion. If you talk with the locals, you’ll be called one of the terms named above.

Now where was I on that laundry mat story. Oh yeah. So, the woman with whom I was speaking? She and her husband live in Lakeview, which is the affluent neighborhood that is on the exact opposite economic spectrum of the 9th Ward. One other thing. She and her family are African American.

The media has not sufficiently told the story of the incredible hardships of the road home for New Orleans residents outside of the 9th Ward. And their hardships and stories are also important to know to understand the barriers to a full, vibrant and quick recovery.

Residential Contractors, a Scarce Commodity
Contractors are very, very difficult to come by. Finding a Contractor Like California Dreamin’ tells my mom’s story of looking for contractors to repair her home. The Times-Picayune, the daily paper in New Orleans, ran a story titled A Clog in the Line which told of the incredible hardship in finding a plumber in New Orleans. Over 18 months ago, my own brother bought a brand new hot water heater that he needed to install in his home. He has paid plumbers to come out to do the work, they didn’t show. He has asked others for quotes and they tell him, “We don’t give quotes, we give bills.” What?!

Clearly, the terse delivery of the message is rude and carries an arrogance that is unhelpful in this Katrina area where doing everyday normal things—such as getting a quote for installing a hot water heater—is like walking through glue. Only after many, many months of enduring this ridiculous lack of business etiquette did he learn that what plumbers are finding is that when they go into do a simple, routine job, one pipe after the other begins to crumble and fall apart. And so giving an accurate quote becomes incredibly difficult for the plumbers.

If I recall correctly, and I’m not sure that I do, the reason for the pipes crumbling is because the salt in the water that flooded the homes corroded the pipes. Something like that. It’s all Katrina related. That’s no excuse for the rudeness. Since the licensing process takes a few years to obtain in Louisiana, plumbers from other parts of the country who would love to donate their talent are prohibited from doing so.

The courts, jails, and child support
Recently, a friend of mine was telling me that she finally hauled her ex into court for his failure to pay child support. Life is tough anyway here in Katrina Land. Raising kids without the financial assistance of their dad makes life tougher. So what happened once they got to court? Well, under pre-Katrina days, he would have been put in jail. However, we don’t have a jail to put him in. He got a free pass for a few months. Without the leverage of jail time, this takes the teeth out of child support enforcement for those situations that require it.

So what’s my point?
The ravages of post-Katrina life in New Orleans and here on the Gulf Coast are difficult to manage. The impact is broad, wide, and deep. The impact of insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, and Nationwide that apparently deliberately fail to live up to their financial contract on the wind policies of their homeowner customers is keeping money out of the very hands that need it to rebuild, to return home. For those that have some money to repair their homes and businesses, getting good contractors is an exceedingly rare commodity. Without money flowing into the city and county coffers be it from FEMA or insurance companies or tax revenues, local and county governments cannot rebuild basic buildings such as schools to educate children and jails into which to incarcerate parents who are deliberately failing to live up to their financial obligations to their kids even when they do have these financial resources.

That’s my point. Reputable media outlets like the New York Times must tell the whole story of the challenges that post Katrina life presents. From a strictly political perspective, this is how we bring about recovery faster. The more varied the stories, the more the entire picture becomes clear, the greater the opportunity for momentum to build. That is what is needed most of all: momentum outside of the Katrina-ravaged region regarding everything from Insurance companies failing to pay out on legitimate claims . . . to governments not being able to build schools and jails . . . to homeowners not getting the plumbers and other contractors they need . . . to building low income housing in the 9th Ward and throughout the rest of the Katrina area. This is a broader lens through which to see what needs to be done and what can be done to speed up a vibrant recovery.

Today’s political hell raising activity targets the New York Times. Let’s call and write the paper thanking them for investing the time and money to write the story and devoting the enormous amount of space in the paper itself to raise awareness about the continuing challenges of getting home after Katrina. When we talk with or email the paper, we’ll be asking the editors to broaden their lens to include the plight of those in the rest of New Orleans, its surrounding Louisiana cities, and the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast. We’ll again thank them for providing coverage to something that is important to healing the wounds of Katrina and the pathetic circumstances that the insurance companies’ failure to properly fund and the White House failure to provide appropriate leadership has created.

In this way, we’ll praise their coverage and encourage more articles as we direct their attention to additional stories they could explore beyond the 9th Ward.

Go here for today's political hell raising activities.

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When You’re Up to Your Ass in Alligators . . .

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Nine-foot gator caught near homes in Waveland

Geographically and culturally speaking, the Mississippi Gulf Coast shares a great deal with our neighboring South Louisiana region. Of course, the gnats and mosquitoes travel miles without regard to geography. The more exotic habitat such as alligators and the like in bayou country up the road is simply not part of the beach town ambiance.

So when a 9½ foot alligator was found in a ditch of three feet of water near a school bus stop in Waveland, Miss., I thought to myself, “what the $#%&!”


Here’s the deal. After Katrina, the state of Mississippi loaned the Gulf Coast’s cities $79 million for cleaning up the hurricane’s debris. Some of the cities on the eastern coastline have rebounded enough to recover the loan money from its tax revenues. That isn’t the case with Waveland and Bay St. Louis.

Of the $79 million, Waveland received a $4.5 million loan, my hometown of Bay St. Louis received an $8 million loan, and the Bay-Waveland school district received an $11.5 million loan. Those debts—plus interest—are due in October, barely two years after the nation’s worst natural disaster in our history demolished these cities. Remember, these were two of the three tiny beach towns that comprise Katrina’s ground zero.

What impact will the demand for the money have on these tiny coastal beach towns?

Waveland and Bay St. Louis won’t have the money to fix drainage problems. Today, Waveland has four public works employees; however it had 27 employees prior to Katrina. Without money, the drainage problems will persist. The real life consequences endanger everyone, including children. Regarding the alligator near the bus stop, Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo said "You think those parents weren't ticked?"

In Bay St. Louis “street paving projects and drainage work that would solve the city's flooding problems will be put on hold or canceled until the debt can be repaid, Mayor Eddie Favre said,” reported The Clarion-Ledger. The Bay won’t have money to hire police and firefighters or put up street lights either. You know, the basics for residential and business development.

In a debate on the House floor, Gulf Coast Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS) characterized the fiscal strength of “little towns like Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, that have no tax base because their stores were destroyed in the storm, a county like Hancock County, where 90% of the residents lost everything, or at least substantial damage to their home . . . .” [See the video. Quite an education in Republican tactics, priorities, and values.] Yet somehow the towns are supposed to come up with money for this epic-sized natural disaster cleanup. Part of the “you’re on your own” Republican view of government, I suppose.

Hold on there. Isn’t this one of the reasons we pay federal taxes?“What’s not happening here is indicative of a dysfunctional government, and that affects everyone. That’s why folks throughout the country should be concerned about the recovery process. We are all for a highly efficient, functional government, and what we have is its diametrical opposite.

“We are already paying the taxes for all the services you could hope to have available in emergency disaster situations like Katrina. And we’re not getting it. We have to take this back and hold the government accountable.”

— Michael Rosato, owner, Cinemagic Audio-Video.

The Bush Administration has not ensured that it is reimbursing Mississippi and Louisiana for its recovery costs. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA—that four letter word, again) is withholding the money. The administration insists that the towns and cities of Mississippi and Louisiana paid too much money to remove Katrina’s debris. When Bush vetoed the Iraq Accountability Act, he vetoed money for Katrina relief including waiving the matching requirement that is putting a great deal of unnecessary burden on the towns and cities in the Katrina-ravaged area.

How ironic that the White House that is hell bent on handing no bid multi-billion dollar contracts to the largest Bush-Cheney campaign contributors (i.e. Halliburton) would insist that in the days after Katrina, the areas impacted would have to go through a traditional bidding process complete with re-bidding should the cost be pricey.

The administration is noticeably silent on paying Riley Bechtel, another major campaign contributor, to transport FEMA trailers 70 miles at a gargantuan price of $16,000 per trailer. Yet, Bush’s FEMA is holding these city and county officials to a standard that is unfair given the extraordinary circumstances.

I’m a former management auditor for the state of Tennessee and the city of San Francisco, and we followed the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), also known as the Yellow Book. I fully agree that the traditional bidding process should be followed with very few exceptions. Clearly, the worst natural disaster in our history qualifies for this exception.

Heck, after 20 months of looking for a contractor to renovate our family home, we were ecstatic when we found someone. Yes, it would be very nice to have gotten several bids and negotiate hard like we would under regular circumstances. But these circumstances are soooooo out of the ordinary. We’re grateful to have someone whose work we trust, whom we feel is trustworthy, and who will get to it quickly.

Surely to goodness, with Bush’s FEMA being AWOL in Katrina’s wake, these towns and cities did the best they could.

St. Bernard Parish, La., just outside New Orleans, is among the communities waiting for a check. FEMA paid the parish about $100 million for debris removal but still owes about $70 million, said David Peralta, the parish's chief administrative officer. St. Bernard also is waiting for $30 million in reimbursement for sewer repairs, Peralta said.

Peralta said FEMA has "kind of implied" that it is looking into whether the parish paid reasonable rates. Peralta defended the Katrina contracts, saying officials tried
to solicit competitive bids without delaying the work.

"We didn't have a whole lot of choices in those first few days," he said.

Look, we have a great saying down here. When you’re up to your ass in alligators, it’s hard to remember that the point was to drain the swamp. In this instance, Mississippi and Louisiana are painfully cognizant of all that needs to be done to restore the region to its pre-Katrina vibrancy including taking care of the drainage problems.

While the Bush Administration chooses to be caught up with the dumb ass—another colorful Southern phrase, we can choose to focus our attention on a few things at our fingertips that will help drain the political swamp in Washington, DC, particularly the White House.

You know what that means? It’s political hell-raising time! Molly Ivins would be so proud.

Cal your congressional representative and two U.S. Senators to request that they work with Gulf Coast Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS) and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) to resolve this issue favorably on behalf of Katrina’s survivors.

Go here for phone script to use when calling your U.S. Senators. Go here for a letter to email. Here is a link to find contact information on your U.S. Senators.

Go here for phone script to use when calling your U.S. Congressional Representative. Go here for a letter to email. Here is a link to find contact information on your Congressional Representative.
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