Reports Signal Disarray
As if the stumbling start that characterized the federal government's response to Katrina was not bad enough, a series of damaging reports from the GAO have highlighted contract and readiness problems at the Department of Homeland Security:
And yet, FEMA listed its response to Katrina as one of its top accomplishments for the year.
Finally, Katrina became another symbol in 2006: muzzled government scientists and warnings of global warning.
More Than New Orleans Hurt
Most of the news focus has been New Orleans, but Katrina damaged most of the Gulf Coast. For example, "the Small Business Administration has approved a record $2.5 billion in loans to Mississippians affected by the storm. That's about 20% of all applications the agency has approved in its 53-year history. But it's released only $651 million because it says many loan applicants are waiting to rebuild."
- GAO: Katrina-Related Contracting Practices Reflect Waste, Layers of Byzantine Networks
- More Katrina: GAO Reports Fraud; Trailers Languish in Arkansas
And yet, FEMA listed its response to Katrina as one of its top accomplishments for the year.
Finally, Katrina became another symbol in 2006: muzzled government scientists and warnings of global warning.
More Than New Orleans Hurt
Most of the news focus has been New Orleans, but Katrina damaged most of the Gulf Coast. For example, "the Small Business Administration has approved a record $2.5 billion in loans to Mississippians affected by the storm. That's about 20% of all applications the agency has approved in its 53-year history. But it's released only $651 million because it says many loan applicants are waiting to rebuild."
Liveability Indicators
Population Loss
Less than half of the 460,000 pre-storm residents of New Orleans have returned. The lower Ninth Ward remains a wasteland. Only about 20,000 of the 70,000 residents of hard-hit southeastern New Orleans parish St. Bernard have returned. One estimate of the area suggests the population is approximately that of 1880.
Medical Facilities
Dr. Peter De-Blieux, director of emergency systems for New Orleans charity hospitals, began offerning medical treatment after the storm in a tent. "If you'd told me I was going to take care of people in tents for seven or eight months, I'd say, 'That's not possible.'"
Schools
More than two-thirds are charter schools, today.
Trash
Nearly one-third of the trash in New Orleans remains -- and trash remains in Mississippi as well. From the GAO:
Less than half of the 460,000 pre-storm residents of New Orleans have returned. The lower Ninth Ward remains a wasteland. Only about 20,000 of the 70,000 residents of hard-hit southeastern New Orleans parish St. Bernard have returned. One estimate of the area suggests the population is approximately that of 1880.
Medical Facilities
Dr. Peter De-Blieux, director of emergency systems for New Orleans charity hospitals, began offerning medical treatment after the storm in a tent. "If you'd told me I was going to take care of people in tents for seven or eight months, I'd say, 'That's not possible.'"
Schools
More than two-thirds are charter schools, today.
Trash
Nearly one-third of the trash in New Orleans remains -- and trash remains in Mississippi as well. From the GAO:
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[T]he Army Corps of Engineers awarded four contracts for removing 62 million cubic yards of debris at about $28 to $30 per cubic yard. Joby Warrick describes the resulting Post analysis: "In a typical case in Louisiana's Jefferson Parish, top contractor Ceres occupied the first rung." Ceres contracted with Loupe Construction Co. ... which contracted with "a company based in Reserve, La." .... which contracted with a firm "called McGee" ... which (finally) hired Troy Hebert, a hauler from New Iberia. Hebert "says his pay ranged from $10 to $6 for each cubic yard of debris."
Yet each company "in the middle" received $4-5 per cubic yard of debris .... for debris that they did not remove. They just passed along the contract, in an interlocking web of Friendster-like networks.
Where it Stands
News organizations are publishing extensive retrospectives. Here are the best ones: