Some of the Uprooted Won't Go Home Again

WaPo reported Fewer than half of all New Orleans evacuees living in emergency shelters here said they will move back home, while two-thirds of those who want to relocate planned to settle permanently in the Houston area, according to a survey by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Of course they don't want to go back. The Mayor of New Orleans told them to go to the Superdome, where there was no food, water, electricity, or portapoties, and he did not use the buses he had at his disposal to send them anywhere, so they were in hell for several days. When they got out they were taken to the Astrodome where there were cots, food, water, electricity, indoor plumbing, and people to take care of them. Can you blame them from thinking that Houston is a lot better place to live in than New Orleans?

The wide-ranging poll found that these survivors of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath remain physically and emotionally battered but unbroken. They praised God and the U.S. Coast Guard for saving them, but two weeks after the storm, nearly half still sought word about missing loved ones or close friends who may not have been as lucky.

Betsy blogged Yes, the transfer of so many people from one location to other locations will have an impact, but it could also provide the impetus for starting a new life. It reminds me of the adage that a crisis can also be an opportunity.

blogged Seven in ten have no checking or savings account. Seven in ten. There's something called the "ownership society." And it's not a catch phrase. It's not an abstraction. It doesn't mean that the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. It means that every American owns something. Every American has assets. Let's go back to that 7-in-10 factoid. If you are reading this blog, there is a very good chance that you have a checking and/or savings account. It is difficult to fathom that 7-in-10 members of a community could have no bank account. But this fits right into yesterday's Social Security Reform Thursday. While African-Americans have made profound strides over the past century, far too many were left behind by the New Deal and Great Society spending sprees. Social Security reform would promote the personal ownership of savings, of assets, and of wealth, not just for the "fatcats" or "Wall Street" but for everyone.

AJStrata blogged Who would blame them after their city and state government left them there and bumbled getting food, water and a bus out of the flood waters for them.