Katrina survivors mired in taxes and red tape

From louisiana gal, New Orleans, La

Ms. Speer,

Your comment is totally off the wall and have nothing to do with the article related to small businesses post-Katrina (Hurricane Katrina dated Aug. 2005) survival in New Orleans. President Obama was not in office in 2005, it was President George Bush.

From Sandra Speer, New Orleans, LA

Is it fair that Gov. workers abuse their jobs while we lose everything?
We need you!
During a time when the President is asking all to do their part to help end this time of economic distress, we should join together against those that are costing us and the government money with deception. President Obama is finding many actions of the government and elected officials “inexcusable and irresponsible.” Much of this misconduct is occurring not just among the top officials, we are finding some of the possible misuse of funds occurring inside the different Government agencies that work directly with the public. Many of these individuals outwardly admit that they feel that they are underpaid and should not be expected to do anything other than the minimum.
For example, let us use HUD, US Housing and Urban Development as our example as they have been at the tip of most our tongues since the economic crisis began. How much money is being offered to those buying homes that should be condemned? How much money is being paid in rental assistance for tenants to live in units that have serious health hazards? How much money is being wasted paying for these units because the proper investigations and inspections are not being ordered or performed? Think of all the money that the lack of investigations are costing you the tax payer and the Government. Someone may have lived in one of those units long enough to acquire a chronic disease that the Government may be paying for, for the rest of their lives. And if this person lived in the unit as a child, how much money is the Government ending up paying in their medical bills and living expenses throughout this person’s life? Just because Government employees have been known to do the minimum that it takes to keep their jobs in the past, does that make it right for us to let this continue and ignore the President’s plea for change?
If we want jobs, money to have in our pockets to pay our bills with; we need to do what the President is asking us to do. And that does not include sitting back and complaining about not being able to buy a new car. Talk is not cheap; those that are only talking are making up approximately 90% of the cause for the worst financial emergency that this country has seen in possibly 30-50 years.
I am asking that my situation not be repeated. I am possibly forced to face being ill the rest of my life as the result of Government employees telling me what they would help me with, while doing nothing. Are Government employees our new mentors with all the answers? I was forced to live in a housing unit that was unfit as the landlord was allowed to lie about the repairs. I moved into the apartment(I am a Hurricane Katrina Survivor) willing to work as hard as necessary to become self-sufficient. As a result of words without performance on the part of the Government employees and the landlord, I am physically unable work to my full capacity, which is what it would take for me to be completely self-sufficient financially. In addition, I am positive that if you do a survey you may find that I am possibly one of millions of people needing lifetime Government assistance for similar reasons.
I was told to gather documentation, and I did. I have documentation of all the negligence of my landlord, copies of papers he signed and phone numbers that the HUD employee requested. She, and an employee from another Government agency, told me that they would help me fight my case. In addition, the HUD employee stated that this evidence would help her be able to force the landlord to refund the Government for the rent that he was paid during the time that he refused to fix the major appliances.
Please help me assist the Government, not only with helping those of us in need, but to gain money back that the you and the Government need. President Obama wants those that need help to be able to gain it, and for Government employees to be proud to be among the portion of our population that are in positions to make a difference in our system. Stories of those that are willing to make a difference in these economically depressed times should be told, as lies can kill and cost the innocent money.
The first step to ending this financially depressed time that we are living through, is to stop hiding from those that are causing it by helping me fight and tell this story; we are where change begins, but not with talk, with doing. President Obama is correct, we as Americans have to be willing to band together, not against one another if we want a positive tomorrow for ourselves and our children.
Sincerely,
Sandra Speer

From Thomas Ulrich, San Diego, CA

At 54 years old, a native californian, I think the people of New Orleans are heros. How they keep going is astonishing.The state, the federal government and the bureaucrats that hinder Louisiana's people from getting back on their feet should be ashamed of themselves. In fact, many of them should be jailed for their irresponsibility in properly managing and rebuilding this ICON of an American City, New Orleans.

From neworleanian, Baton Rouge, LA

Folks…..in case you did not know, New Orleans is a city located in Louisiana and happens to be one of the 50 states within the United States. Also, from history class one should realize that land purchased from France approx. 828,000 miles extending the Gulf of Mexico to Canada is known as the Louisiana Purchase. From this purchase, 15 states were formed and of course there's still Louisiana residing at the Gulf of Mexico providing gas and agriculture to the rest of the United States and elsewhere unselfishly and unconditionally. Bascially, we are AMERICANS TOO trying to perserve under conditions that have made the city of New Orleans vulnerable from greed by politicans and oil companies.

From Rex, Washington DC

I keep hearing that it was the state's responsibility to take care of the citizens. Did we not hear the mayor pleading on the radio for the government to "please please please send help. We are dying out here!" Did we not see wives seating next to their dead husbands and yet Georgia just received how many billions? When have Georgians paid US federal taxes? Why should our government rush to help a country that provoked a fight they could not handle and yet give a middle finger to our own citizens when help was needed? So we are responsible to other countries but not our own citizens? Politicians talk about tax cuts, giving small business a break e.t.c. e.t.c. and we see these deserving businesses trying to make it and get shanked in the back. Well, there is a GOP governor now. What has he done lately? Easier said than done. Bail out the rich with their investments in Freddie and Fannie and to hell with real people. Give me a break!

From TB Melrose, FL

Typical, government kicking people while they're down.
Try to fix the world, leave the people in our most important port town out in the cold.

Mike in Denver- typical short sighted right winger.

From Ted Mittelstaedt, Portland OR

Please, not again. The country made it's decision not to waste tax dollars rebuilding housing on land below sea level, and it's just too bad that so many NO residents haven't figured it out. Hopefully the second time around they will get the message, and we can return most of NO back to the ocean where it came from.

From Terry, Maryville, TN

It is a sad comment on the incompetency of our government when years later we still can't see our way clear to properly help rebuild a once dynamic city. Instead of rushing around the world to help other nations at the drop of hat, how about rushing to New Orleans to help Americans who continue to struggle for survival!

From jo

Recently after Katrina the idea occurred to me that perhaps the local and maybe federal government didn't really want to help the poorer people and small business owners in New Orleans. Because, this offered bigger corporate industry a chance to break into a major property market for business purposes.

Now that I hear the government has been creating barriers to helping many of the citizens of New Orleans to recover and squandering aid to the community, I feel even more convinced of this.

From Mike, Denver, Colorado

What most people don't understand is that it was the individuals fault for accepting and fostering a system rotted through with corruption. It was the individuals fault for not getting a move on inland when the clouds build. It was the individuals fault for waiting for someone else to come in and fix their problems instead of accepting personal responsibility adn doing it themselves.

No flood insurance? Why not? Demanding free rent? Based on why?

I had an evacuee come and live with me for a year, and he was the laziest, most drug addicted, least motivated person I have ever met.

I can't do a thing about my tax dollars going to help rebuild in a non-sustainable location, but I will not be sending any type of separate aid.

Don't get me started on the foreign visas. If a company can't find American workers, they aren't trying hard enough. If $10 won't get people in the door, try 15, or 20. Advertise for labor in a different location – say Detroit or another economically depressed region. If money isn't drawing the help you need, try being creative – offer housing, a free vacation somewhere, a car.

From john adams los angeles ca

What most people don't understand is that it was the governor and the mayors fault for not reacting fast enough to help people out of new Orleans it was not the federal government position to get involved in a state issue until after the fact when recovery efforts are needed. Best example is California where I lived, it is always prepared for a earthquake due to the faults that run through the state and their recovery time after a earthquake is very short.

From Gerald Atlanta, GA

Isn't it strange how we (the USA) can quickly send cargo ships loaded with aid for everyone in the world, yet not help our own people in our own city in their struggle?