Kira and I were looking at our pictures from New Orleans today. As she was taking it in, which is really difficult to do with just pictures and words, she had a lot of questions. Are the levees fixed? Where are all of the people who lived there? What’s being rebuilt? Is the rebuilding really happening inequitably? Is it worth it to rebuild? What’s the plan?
I am paying attention to this stuff because it is close to home, but her questions made me realize that New Orleans is quickly being forgotten. No one outside of New Orleans or without a connection there knows what’s going on. It is hard for anyone to imagine that there is no comprehensive plan of how to rebuild. I think we all figure that the worst is over and someone’s taking care of things down there. I’m not so sure of that. How can people live and plan and rebuild if there is no plan? New Orleans has been abandoned.
What’s the plan? That’s the question of the year. There are lots of plans being floated around by lots of people. Experts say this and other experts say that. Thus, there is no promising plan emerging.
The city is moving closer to hurricane season each day and all we know is that the levees will be fixed to pre-Katrina levels. No one that I am aware of is moving forward with a plan to make the levees better and the city safer.
It is beginning to appear to me like the plan is to do nothing and let the city die a slow death. Federal funding to needed to improve the levees. No one will come out and say, “Sorry, New Orleans, we just don’t think you’re worth it.” Everyone from New Orleans or who has a connection to New Orleans is screaming, “We’re worth it,” but no one, save the choir, is listening anymore.
Please, if you would, please email your Congresspeople about federal funding for rebuilding New Orleans. Tell them that New Orleans levees need to be funded to withstand a level 5 hurricane.
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