Yesterday we sat down with Athenae, who blogs at First-Draft, to discuss the awareness of issues related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita among bloggers and delegates in Denver this week.
As she states, much of the coverage of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast has come from her fellow First-Draft blogger Scout, but to us that doesn't diminish her wonderful insight.
Thanks again to First-Draft for fighting to keep these issues in the national discussion.
Actor Danny Glover, who has been a ceaseless advocate for the recovery of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita addressed delegates from Louisiana this morning.
Mr. Glover is also the producer of the outstanding recent documentary on Hurricane Katrina, Trouble the Water.
§9(k) was created to award capital funds to public housing authorities affected by natural disasters. In the last several years, however, Congress has not allocated funds for disaster relief under § 9(k), which effectively bars Gulf Coast public housing authorities from accessing FEMA grant money when there is a pre-existing account at HUD.
Congressman Cazayoux stated:
"As we have seen too often, the biggest obstacle that Gulf Coast residents face is not the will to rebuild; it is red tape from the federal government. My bill provides a common-sense fix to HUD that improves FEMA's ability to directly assist public housing authorities trying to rebuild affordable and quality housing for those who need it. This measure is an important step in the long-term recovery of Louisiana and Mississippi."
Now before all y'all conservatives go crazy about a Democrat bashing the red tape of government ... this fits in quite well with the idea that most Democrats share that government ought to be efficient. It's not so much that it ought to be small, but efficient. For historical examples of this belief within the Democratic Party, I point y'all to then- Senator Harry Truman's "Truman Committee" during World War II, which saved American taxpayers some $15 billion in wasteful spending during the war.
Could you imagine the Bush Administration allowing a subcommittee of Congress to challenge the billing practices of KBR or Halliburton? If you can, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell ... please contact me.
And one more thing ... this is Congressman Cazayoux's first bill in the House, and it deals with helping people in a positive way. We elected another Congressman the same day to fill out the remainder of Governor PBJ's term - Congressman Scalise.
Pray tell, what was Congressman Scalise's first bill about? A resolution to express support for the designation of National D-Day Remembrance Day. That's all fine and dandy, but when you've got folks in your district struggling to rebuild their lives and their homes after Katrina, shouldn't your priority be to help make it easier for them to do so?
(While I do not recall fondly the high gas prices I paid working for the Lamont for Senate campaign in '06 in CT, I am unsure if drilling is the only answer. I realize it may be part of the answer, but we also need to do more than just drill ... such mandating higher gas mileage (40 mpg minimum by 2010) from Detroit automakers, investing in alternative energy sources (such as solar, wind, and biofuels), among others. I do not believe that nuclear power is the answer, as we will have to deal with radioactive waste, and where to store it. That's a headache I'd rather not argue over. - promoted by ryan)
Has America become so homogenized that we are thinking more alike regardless of what part of the country we come from? We all get the same evening news, the same TV shows, and the same radio talking heads telling us what, in their opinion, our opinion should be. Are Louisiana's interests and priorities along the same track as those expressed by locals along the east coast? I decided to take a look ...
I make it a habit of taking a road trip somewhere around the country every few months, to get a sense of outside perspectives on Louisiana, and what we do or do not have in common with other parts of the country. In New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts this week, I found the same issues on the front burner that concern many Louisianians, but often different opinions.
Katrina and Rita were catastrophes that have faded from memory, and are stories for the history books for most of these easterners. They had "moved on" from any major concern a long time ago. This might well be as much a reflection on Louisiana leaders who failed to develop a major public relations effort to keep the hurricane protection problem on the front burner.
So I was reading blogs online this morning, and I came across this jarring post from johnnygunn over at MyDD.
Folks often talk of the destruction left behind by the Federal Flood, (Hurricane Katrina), but fewer talk of the devastation left by Hurricane Rita in Southwest Louisiana. The photo to the left was taken in Cameron, LA by MyDD reader johnnygunn.
What I wanna know is where has Rep. Charles Boustany been for the residents of Cameron? The link brings you to all the legislation that Rep. Boustany has written in the current Congress ... and not one deals with rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.
On Thursday and Friday, there was a NOLA/Gulf Blogathon over at Daily Kos to bring attention to the issues that folks down here are still dealing with two and a half years after Katrina.
It is the Great Forgetting. After thirty-odd months, the nation has moved on. Katrina and all that it wrought has fallen out of the national conversation. The devastation caused by both the storm and the incompetence of the government are just dim, uncomfortable memories for most of the nation.
Which is exactly how the insurance industry likes it.
The insurance industry doesn't want you paying too much attention, because what's happening on the gulf coast will probably be coming soon to a town near you. While the nation's distracted and insurance reform is now bottled up in the Senate, the industry is once again moving to protect profits at the expense of the rest of us, particularly those living on the gulf. And make no mistake: these are not isolated cases- This is an industry-wide effort.
One of the best Mississippi bloggers, Ana Maria, who writes A.M. in the Morning, notes that Mississippi Congressman Gene Taylor, has been kicking ass and taking names on this issue. He introduced a bill in the House that the insurance industry is fighting tooth and nail. As for the rest of the blogathon ... see below.
Have you ever wondered why many blogs (including progressive ones) don't often pay that much attention to New Orleans in the aftermath of the federal flood, or the areas of Louisiana devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita?
While nationally, Bosniagate and Wrightgate have been keeping the mainstream media busy, Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf Region are being tortured by the after-effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Federal Flood, and by PTSD. It's time we got over the relative trivia of both Bosniagate and Wrightgate and asked our candidates what really matters--why they've been downplaying the continued suffering of the Gulf Region, and what each plans to do if he/she becomes President.
On Saturday, the Times-Picayune printed the a news story with the following headline:
Private insurers again ready to compete in south La.
I find it interesting that not ONE of the twelve companies that have "expressed interest in taking over Citizens policies," nor any of the five companies given incentive grants from the Department of Insurance, were named.
Are homeowners even going to know who's bidding on taking over their insurance? Or are they just going to know what the policy terms are, and what they would have to pay? I think knowing the name of the insurance company is EXTREMELY important information to know, as we all know that Allstate essentially gave the finger to its' Louisiana policyholders after the hurricanes.
And if people think that we've forgotten that ... think again. Here are just some of the comments posted on this article over at NOLA.com:
Switch to anyone except ALLSTATE. Remember how poorly they treated Louisiana policy holders after Katrina. The state did not have the courage to take them on, so consumers were left to fight them alone. BOYCOTT ALLSTATE! Insurers when selling investments always state returns are based on "past performance". Based on ALLSTATE's past performance after Katrina, they will not live up to the terms of their policies and you will have to file suit to get them to honor their contracts. Link!
We got cancelled by Allstate in 2003 because of having a claim and had to go with Citizens at almost triple the cost. We live in Texas now, and guess who cold-called wanting us to switch insurance companies?! My husband told them that he would NEVER use Allstate again because of the shabby way they dealt with their customers in Louisiana after the storm. BOYCOTT ALLSTATE! Link!
I work for Allstate and wouldn't insure my dog's poop with them...Link!
As anybody who regularly watches candidates' debates knows, questions about Katrina and New Orleans have been extremely rare, even though this is a valid national campaign issue. Here's a chance to vote for such a question to be asked during either of the two debates, one Republican, one Democratic, which are slated for Los Angeles on Jan. 30th and Jan. 31st, and will be aired on CNN.
Yesterday, Senator Mary Landrieu, (D-LA), announced that in working with congressional negotiators on a pending defense bill, she was able to secure $3,000,000,000 to help cover the Road Home shortfall. The money has been attached to The Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations Conference Report. Earlier this year, both the House and Senate passed defense appropriations bills, but with different funding levels. When that happens, there is a conference between members of the House and the Senate to iron out the differences and come up with a compromise. The bill is now pending floor action in both chambers. The text of the press release she sent out is posted in its entirety below.
As many of you know, Road Home has been plagued by a funding shortfall, thanks to the Bush Administration's refusal to cover wind damage from both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, despite initial approval from HUD. It also didn't help that GOP leaders in the Congress capped Louisiana's share of recovery money at 54% in 2005 and 2006, despite the fact that Louisiana suffered 70% of the damage!
We should also express our gratitude to Senators Byrd (D-WV) and Murray (D-WA) for working with Senator Landrieu to secure the $3 billion. Here are the phone numbers to call and thank them:
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) (202) 224-3954 Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) (202) 224-2621
And as always, thank the good Senator from Louisiana:
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) (202) 224-5824
Please note it is not guaranteed that Louisiana will receive this, as Republican leaders have indicated that they may attempt to block passage of this legislation, and the President himself may veto it in the name of fiscal responsibility.
Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives overrode President Bush's veto of the Water Resources Development Act, which would authorize $7,000,000,000 for coastal restoration projects here in Louisiana ALONE. Yes, that is 7 billion dollars, folks. And our President, the one that this state voted for TWICE(!), vetoed the bill in the name of fiscal responsibility. I find it interesting he wants to ignore the HUGE credit card bill he's rung up for our children by keeping the war off the books.
But that's not the point of this piece. I received an email from Mark, the blogger behind Levees Not War, regarding a letter he sent to the President, which I post in its entirety below. Before you go read that, please do the following:
Call or email the White House and express your dissatisfaction with the President's veto:
White House e-mail : comments@whitehouse.gov
White House phone : 202-456-1111
Call or email Senators Landrieu and Vitter to thank them for their work on this bill.
Senator Landrieu: (202) 224-5824
Senator Vitter: (202) 224-4623
You can also call the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. They will connect you with whatever Senator you ask for.
Now for the letter sent by Mark ... it's a beauty.
The ascendance of "Bobby" Jindal and David Vitter to the national political stage remains an unwritten chapter in the history of Louisiana politics. While David Vitter clawed his way up the political hierarchy from the snake pit known as the Louisiana House of Representatives, "Bobby" Jindal, a fellow Rhodes Scholar, was arbitrarily christened a political force by former Governor Mike Foster. Although both were groomed by neoconservative professors planted within the Ivy League universities they respectively attended, one had to earn his reputation, while the other simply inherited the designation despite his horrible performance as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals.
Their collaboration most probably started in 1999, when Vitter ran for the open Congressional seat abandoned by the adulterous Bob Livingston and "Bobby" was appointed President of the University of Louisiana System. Occupying a reliably Republican US House seat, Vitter never had to fret over his job security. "Bobby," on the other hand, always had to rely on others in order to secure gainful employment.
Having had secured all the requisite neoconservative connections by 2001, "Bobby" was appointed Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation by George W. Bush, a sinecure that could serve as a springboard for political office in Louisiana. Jindal took that plunge in 2003, launching a gubernatorial bid he and Vitter had been orchestrating after Vitter declined the opportunity as a result of his strained relations with his wife Wendy. Jindal would have to serve as Vitter's surrogate. Having had failed in that effort, Vitter and Jindal, hoping to keep Jindal visible for the next four years before they would take another stab at the Governor's mansion in 2007, parlayed their political capitol with local Republicans by forcing them to allow Jindal to carpetbag into Kenner for the sole purpose of occupying the safe Congressional seat Vitter vacated in order to run for the US Senate. Augmenting his resume of sinecures with yet another position he did not earn, Jindal sat idly in Vitter's former seat, planning a rematch against Kathleen Blanco, who was forced to abandon her reelection campaign in 2007 as a result of a political smear Jindal and Vitter coordinated with Karl Rove and George W. Bush in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
When you go to “Bobby’s” website, you can look at his resume.
One thing stands out at me - his employment with McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm that is one of the biggest in the world. What is interesting about this is that “Bobby” was working at McKinsey & Company from 1994 – 1996, when he started writing his theoretically convoluted articles on religion, but more importantly, when McKinsey was advising All-State Insurance Co. about how to improve their bottom line.
Now I know that the insurance industry is a business, and they need to turn a profit, but I always thought that if I paid the premium, and something unfortunate happened, like a car accident, or God forbid, my house were destroyed by a hurricane, that I would be covered. Apparently, that is no longer so, especially if you have All-State.
McKinsey, back in the mid-1990’s, which was the time that “Bobby” worked for them, started advising All-State to treat its customers with caring hands or boxing gloves. The basic concept, according to this Times-Picayune article, who interviewed trial attorney David Berardinelli of New Mexico, who successfully sued All-State for a routine personal auto injury case, is:
"Allstate gives customers a choice: accept a settlement now for a fraction of the true cost of damage, or expect to spend several years in grueling litigation. McKinsey predicted that 90 percent of claimants would be forced to capitulate because they'd need the money in a prompt settlement, Berardinelli said.
"People are giving them money for something they will never receive," Berardinelli said. "What that really means is they're selling uncollectible insurance."
Allstate's strategy has paid off handsomely, Berardinelli says. In the years since it began implementing McKinsey's strategy, the company's profitability shot through the roof. In the ten years before the McKinsey strategy was implemented, Allstate was making an average of $82 million a year in pre-tax operating income. In the ten years after the McKinsey plan roll-out began in 1995, Allstate was making an average of $2.4 billion a year in pre-tax operating income."
I wonder if “Bobby” worked on this project for McKinsey. We’ll likely never know for sure, as they are renowned for their confidentiality, even among their employees. (for the source on the confidentiality, it’s the first line above the section on Recruiting.)
“Bobby” has been running for Governor the past 4 years, and in stark contrast to his 31 point ethics reform proposal, or his 25 point plan on controlling government spending, there is NOTHING on insurance. NOTHING. Might his work with McKinsey be why? Or is he in the pocket of the insurance companies? I find it interesting to note that the insurance lobby is in his Top 10 Industries that have contributed to him for his Congressional races.
In contrast to “Bobby’s” reticence thus far to address the insurance issue in his campaign, Democratic candidate Walter Boasso has tackled the issue head on. See below:
Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, (R-Baton Rouge) in testimony to the House Government Affairs Committee on 2 May 2007 used a racist code word in support of his position to deny Louisianans displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita the right to vote in Louisiana elections.
He was invited to give his opinion on Jalila Jefferson-Bullock's HB 619, which would extend the right of displaced persons to vote in Louisiana elections for the upcoming gubernatorial election this fall.
The code word used by Secretary Dardenne? Chaos.
UPDATE: Don't believe this? Then click here
and go to 2 May 2007, and click on House Gov Affairs. It'll launch Real Player, and in the interest of saving you 3 hours, skip to 2:40, and watch from there.
So I was reading blogs online this morning, and I came across this jarring post from 
The ascendance of "Bobby" Jindal and David Vitter to the national political stage remains an unwritten chapter in the history of Louisiana politics. While David Vitter clawed his way up the political hierarchy from the snake pit known as the Louisiana House of Representatives, "Bobby" Jindal, a fellow Rhodes Scholar, was arbitrarily christened a political force by former Governor Mike Foster. Although both were groomed by neoconservative professors planted within the Ivy League universities they respectively attended, one had to earn his reputation, while the other simply inherited the designation despite his 
