Katrina, three years later what have we learned!

John,   Four Reasons Why Government Failed in New Orleans

First: Government agencies are created by legislation, overseen by elected officials, and operated by hugh bureaucracies. Fearful of being blamed if public employees do something wrong, each level attempts to control the one below it by imposing detailed operating rules that restrict underlings' discretionary authority. The result is that the people who set priorities and make decisions are often separated by multiple layers of management from those on the ground who know what needs to be done.

Second: since there is no profit-and -loss statement or "Bottom Line" against which to measure performance, government personnel move up in their agencies and bureaus based on other considerations. Most of FEMA's senior management, for example, had never before been responsible for alleviating disaster.

Third: politicians are  motivated primarily by the goal of relection, which makes them shortsighted. most of their decisions will be dictated by results that are visible and for which credit can be taken before the next election.

Fourth: Corruption is more pervasive and more difficult to root out in the public sector than in the private sector.Deficiencies of the system of levees designed to protect the city from storm surge have been known for years. Launched in the wake of the catastrophic flooding caused by Betsy in 1965, the levee system had weak spots made more vulnerable over time by erosion & subsidence.Billions of tax dollars over the yrs. were diverted away from the private sector and from legitimate public programs that could have done much to strengthen the region's economy and its infrastructure.

Who's to blame? Not the residents

Therefore, There is no wise response to a foolish remark.

Russell what you have in New Orleans is a pure example of why our government doesn't work.  After years of rewarding people for irresponsibility these people can no longer take care of themselves.  In Slidell where I live we are back up and running.  I repaired my home in less than three months.  We didn't wait for help we did it ourselves.

Speaking as one of the victims from Katrina, I would just like to say that it was not only the ones that didn't leave that lost everything.  I live in Metairie and bought my home in 1997.  When we were threatened with Katrina, my husband and I packed up our family and left town.  While we were gone, we found that our home was flooded and that we lost everything.  We also had 5 apartment buildings that we purchased just a few months before the storm.  We bought the property for our retirement.  Keep in mind that we had new mortgages that went with the apartments.  Both of us were hard working middle class.  Well guess what, three years later, we are still waiting to rebuild our home, trying to get something done with 2 of the apartments that were under 20 feet of water that the Parish decided to tear down without my permission.  By the way, I have been paying mortgages on two of the properties that have no building.  My mortgage company doesn't care that this is putting me in financial stress.  Business is business.  Yes there is a lot to do and many people need help in many ways.  I think that one of the ways that the Gov't should help is to help out with the mortgage companies for people that can't make the payments because of this type of situation, be given some sort of break and not have their credit ruined.  My point here is that catastrophe is very close to everyone and can happen to anyone.  It could happen tomorrow.  I know first hand what losing everything is.  I also know that there are many good hearted people that offer out a lot of help.  I know that me, my husband, and my two children will be better for this experience.  We know not to take advantage of anything.