New Orleans Times-Picayune: Mississippi, with powerful GOP delegation, got more aid

[DeepModem Mom]

Editor&Publisher: 'Times-Picayune' Editorial: Mississippi Got Larger Share of Aid
By E&P Staff
Published: August 29, 2007

NEW YORK In addition to wide-ranging news coverage today to mark the 2nd anniversary of the tragic coming of Katrina to New Orleans, the Times-Picayune carried an editorial offering both thanks and a plea for more help. In part it argued that Louisiana had not received its fair share of aid, compared with Mississippi, which has a powerful GOP congressional delegation.

Here is an excerpt.

*

This community is grateful for the help. But Louisiana's losses were dramatically higher than any other state's and thus deserving of greater compensation. In reality, Mississippi has gotten a larger share of federal aid. Donald Powell, the president's point man for recovery, downplayed the comparisons with Mississippi. "Tell me exactly what you need, and I'm happy to sit down and listen," he said. "But the evidence has to be based upon the need, not a comparison." That is easily done. Our needs are real and quantifiable.

Louisiana had three times more damaged homes and seven times more severely damaged homes than Mississippi. Universities in this state had three times as many students displaced and had four times the losses of Mississippi's campuses. Louisiana fisheries suffered almost 75 percent of the damage done by Katrina, and our hospitals lost 97 percent of the hospital beds closed by the storm.

Yet in every case, Mississippi ended up with a disproportionate share of aid. Housing grants, for instance: Mississippi got $5.5 billion in Community Development Block Grant money for its 61,000 damaged homes. Louisiana, with 204,000 damaged homes, got $10.4 billion. If the aid were given out proportionately, this state would have gotten twice that much. We hope that President Bush and Congress remember that imbalance when they consider Louisiana's request for $4 billion to keep the Road Home Program in the black.

Our neighbors on the Gulf Coast were hit hard by Katrina, no doubt about it. And Mississippians needed the help of the federal government to rebuild and recover. No one who has suffered from devastation would argue otherwise. All Louisiana wants is to be treated fairly. But that hasn't happened.

Some people point to the clout of Mississippi's congressional delegation as the reason. Others say that Louisiana's reputation for political chicanery has hurt us. Frankly, neither should be an issue. The people of Louisiana are no less deserving of disaster aid because their representatives are newer to Congress or because some of the people we trusted to lead us turned out to be scoundrels.

As President Bush returns today to mark the second anniversary of Katrina, this is what Louisianians need him to remember: We are Americans who have suffered a great tragedy. We have worked tirelessly for two years to revive this beloved place and reconstruct our lives. And we ought to get no less help from our government than any other victims of this disaster.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003632881

[Ninga]

Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour was the former chair of the COP party. Enough said.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. And I posted an article recently indicating that not only his state...

but his family and friends profited from Katrina aid.

[Ninga]

4. This is so wrong, and gets lost in the noise the shuffle of other news. It is, however, the

single, best example, of where the heart and mind is of the GOP and Bush.

Just wrong.

[Ninga]

1. delete

[BOSSHOG]

3. The article is true and to add to the tragicomedy

the opinion of your average Mississippi redneck that they don't need gubmint assistance, we are getting by because we take of our own, all the while screaming for more Federal Aid, cause, why should it go to the likes of New Orleans. Sad indeed.

[MikeNearMcChord]

6. Hey Boss!! Has any of that aid really helped

the little people or did it go build Condos in Jackson?

[BOSSHOG]

9. There was a big article in this weeks

Sun-Herald (Gulfport's Newspaper) about where the money went. Some has, in fact, aided and abetted the citizenry as well as some private organizations set up like those of Bret Favre and Drew Brees. From my perspective the money is there but the administration thereof is woefully lacking. And folks are still getting jacked around (to put it mildly) by insurance companies and government bureaucracy. My pessimistic prediction is that recovery will take several more years on the backs of a lot of little citizens just in time for the next hurricane. And very sadly the citizens of Mississippi and Louisiana continue to point the finger at each as the one's who got more then their fair share and for their selfishness. I don't believe either claims are true.

[Name removed]

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[SoCalDem]

7. And didn't you love how Haley Barbour was touted as a VERY

effective governor.. and every time NOLA was mentioned, it was always "indecisive democRAT governor of Louisiana, Blanco"..

Perfection becomes reality, and reality KILLS..

The truth, though.is this.. MANY of the Ms communities are STILL devastated, but the casino business was given BIG help to get going. It was used as a "jobs issue", so of course people bought into it.. My question is this.. So you got your job back at the casino, but what about your home? your car? your personal belongings?

The little guy in MS is hurting as bad as the little guy in NOLA.

[BOSSHOG]

8. Yes Indeed

There are plenty of jobs on the Mississippi coast, but housing is lagging and what exists is incredibly expensive. So, to get to those jobs on the coast workers have to drive along way.