Guest l28et Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I took a little vacation over the last couple weeks and visited a friend in New Orleans along the way. He took me accross a bridge about 2 minutes from his house and showed me this: Depressing to say the least. In the above neighborhood there was a house with two flooded S30s, but the camera died before I could take some pics. Driving around its very quiet. There are no animals, no signs of life. Its hard to believe this happened 9 months ago. From my understanding, New Orleans was never the cleanest city, but driving around the "cleaner" parts is still a mess. Abandoned cars (NEW cars, Nissan Titans, BMWs, etc) are left stripped on the side of the road. There is trash everywhere. There are still no phone lines. Power is just coming back on. My buddys house didnt suffer and flood damage, but he was looted and insurance still hasn't paid out ($48,000). Trying not to make this political, after the remarks the Ray Nagin made and the way he handled the situation, seeing him re-elected makes you feel like these people aren't helping themselves. Hanging out with Chris and all his friends there, the general outlook there is the majority of people arent helping themselves. The French Quarter held up fine, but its like a ghost town. Go anywhere and you have the place to yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonZ Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 That is very very very sad. as I understand it, the fundamental problem is that the area is prone to future hurricanes, and since that part of LA is continually sinking, and below sea level, it's sort of trying to avoid the inevitable again. That makes any business proposition hard to justify, and I can undertand why PRIVATE business money inflow would be slow. Until a more effective way of coping with future floods is found, I can't really see people wanting to stay there and call it home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonsZ Posted June 1, 2006 Share Posted June 1, 2006 Investor confidence is pretty low considering they didn't "upgrade" the levys. Any time a 3+ huricane hits it will flood again. If this happened anywhere else there would be little sign of distress by now I bet. When the fires hit So Cal in 2003, the only holdouts were those who got shammed by their insurance, or had improper coverage. I assume in this part of LA, insurance was more of a luxury? Would you move back if your neighbor's houses looked like that? This whoe thing got me thinking that if there was a natural desaster here I'd hed for the hills and not come back till everything was back to normal, I certainly wouldn't congregate at some shelter after hearing all those horror stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest l28et Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 Hurricane season is upon us once again. Hopefully there won't be a repeat of last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nienberg.11 Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 In the above neighborhood there was a house with two flooded S30s Let us observe a moment of silence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 It's difficult to say since I've never been and it sertainly isn't my HOME, but I can't imagine moving back after that. I don't get it but more power to them if it's what they need. I think they are setting them selves up again. Sad stuff.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 73Turbo240z Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 Yea... my girlfriend told me about this cause she and her friend stopped in New Orleans on there way out to the Pinks race in florida. I didn't expect it to be quite that dismal still, though when you think about it, i'm not surprised. If homeowners is a luxury in the poorer parts, then the rebuild effort would be not so concentrated in that zone. Thus while the french quarter was quickly thrust back into operation, the poor sectors have basically become ghost towns. What amazes me is that big buisnesses haven't jumped in to snatch up the land at a super low price. Because even if the place is flood prone, a corperation w/ a big budget could easily construct higher elevation buildings with parking garages accounting for the 1st 40-100ft of building height, thus making the building to a degree flood proof. Unless the actual land composition around there is soft/sandy making that impossible.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonsZ Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 What amazes me is that big buisnesses haven't jumped in to snatch up the land at a super low price. Because even if the place is flood prone' date=' a corperation w/ a big budget could easily construct higher elevation buildings with parking garages accounting for the 1st 40-100ft of building height, thus making the building to a degree flood proof. [/quote'] Build big buildings with parking garages... for who? If there is no demand? If there was demand, those houses would be filled, even if just with squatters and bums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 73Turbo240z Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Build big buildings with parking garages... for who? If there is no demand? If there was demand, those houses would be filled, even if just with squatters and bums. For the same people who work out in desert hell holes, or freeze there *** off above the artic circle... big companys like making money, the closer you base an operation to the money, the quicker that buisness can move (usually). The gulf has a big oil industry, and i bet land is cheaper there for setting up a branch office, than say the south side of Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaconsultants Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Just something to think about on this situation is that people are charging way to much to do repairs there and making money of off misfortune. I helped out at the Dome and the convention center and it was just unbelieveable what was going on in there. Houston's support for the people was so great and so heart warming, they had basically everything you could imagine going on to help the people out and it felt great helping even as little help that each person could do including myself. There where some things that I just could not understand that just shocked me beyond belief. the rapes that occured in those shelters (including a gang rape of a teenage girl) no one was caught or looked into. I even had a guy follow me into the restroom while I was busy draining he was telling me (not asking me) to give him money because I had enough money in his words. This guy was a low down waste of skin and he was trying to take things when I know he just got one of those 500 dollar cards that day along with everyone else (first day of that). Three other fellows walked up to me in the middle of one of the busy walk ways and wanted me to get them drugs and I just said I catagorize people into groups of medical attention not hand out or even get close to any medical equipment or supplies (not completely true but I was not about to give them anykind of a drug). I realize that it seems very sad what happened but when you deal with some of the stuff I saw and many others saw that where the out come of this tragedy then you find out that there where many ungrateful and people that just tried to take advantage of the situation at the same time. I am speaking from what I have personnaly seen and dealt with when it comes to this mess and I know of many more things including the attributed increase in killings and crimes in Houston since that time, which just does not add up if everyone is trying to be helpful. Sorry but this subject tends to stir me up based on things that have happend because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 73Turbo240z Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Just something to think about on this situation is that people are charging way to much to do repairs there and making money of off misfortune. I helped out at the Dome and the convention center and it was just unbelieveable what was going on in there. Houston's support for the people was so great and so heart warming' date=' they had basically everything you could imagine going on to help the people out and it felt great helping even as little help that each person could do including myself. There where some things that I just could not understand that just shocked me beyond belief. the rapes that occured in those shelters (including a gang rape of a teenage girl) no one was caught or looked into. I even had a guy follow me into the restroom while I was busy draining he was telling me (not asking me) to give him money because I had enough money in his words. This guy was a low down waste of skin and he was trying to take things when I know he just got one of those 500 dollar cards that day along with everyone else (first day of that). Three other fellows walked up to me in the middle of one of the busy walk ways and wanted me to get them drugs and I just said I catagorize people into groups of medical attention not hand out or even get close to any medical equipment or supplies (not completely true but I was not about to give them anykind of a drug). I realize that it seems very sad what happened but when you deal with some of the stuff I saw and many others saw that where the out come of this tragedy then you find out that there where many ungrateful and people that just tried to take advantage of the situation at the same time. I am speaking from what I have personnaly seen and dealt with when it comes to this mess and I know of many more things including the attributed increase in killings and crimes in Houston since that time, which just does not add up if everyone is trying to be helpful. Sorry but this subject tends to stir me up based on things that have happend because of it.[/quote'] your not saying anything new... as a resident of Houston i can say alot of us saw this coming a mile away. at 1st if you expressed negative emotions toward the effort, you were seen as being a real heartless *******. now everyones acting like they weren't the same people judging those who saw it ahead of time, as they sit there and watch our local news and the increasing amount of downwind crap that comes our way from all this. i do feel sorry that people lost there homes, but so far, the impression i've gotten 1st hand of the people we went all out to save, is less than good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaconsultants Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I don't get the negative attitude toward the effort statement and the use of bad language, which their is no need for. I am saying that the people that came from New Orleans and surrounding areas displayed a less than wanting help that was given from the kindness of peoples hearts and emotions and was portrayed by many as we should do whatever they ask and excuse what they do wrong while we where trying to help them. One other person that I know that donated his time had a knife pulled on him while he was at the domb and his money was taken along with his watch and wedding band. This incident along with the ones I mentioned earlier where a common occurance and even when a few where caught they where just let go because they came from the flooded areas. There are a lot of things that are not known to the general public that have somehow found their way onto websites out there that actually explain how the people have taken this as a reason to do things that no decent person would even think about doing. My main statement is that many people helped in so many ways and gave from their hearts and where miss treated for helping people by the people they where helping. I actually took the raped helper to a hospital after I fouind out what happened. If you had not gone to help at the temporary housing they put up in Houston then you really have no clue how bad things where and how horrible people where treated that were trying to help in whatever way they could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 73Turbo240z Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I don't get the negative attitude toward the effort statement and the use of bad language' date=' which their is no need for. I am saying that the people that came from New Orleans and surrounding areas displayed a less than wanting help that was given from the kindness of peoples hearts and emotions and was portrayed by many as we should do whatever they ask and excuse what they do wrong while we where trying to help them. One other person that I know that donated his time had a knife pulled on him while he was at the domb and his money was taken along with his watch and wedding band. This incident along with the ones I mentioned earlier where a common occurance and even when a few where caught they where just let go because they came from the flooded areas. There are a lot of things that are not known to the general public that have somehow found their way onto websites out there that actually explain how the people have taken this as a reason to do things that no decent person would even think about doing. My main statement is that many people helped in so many ways and gave from their hearts and where miss treated for helping people by the people they where helping. I actually took the raped helper to a hospital after I fouind out what happened. If you had not gone to help at the temporary housing they put up in Houston then you really have no clue how bad things where and how horrible people where treated that were trying to help in whatever way they could.[/quote'] I was at the George R. Brown volunteering... i saw it 1st hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest l28et Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I can see where Iaconsultants if coming from. The guy I was staying with is a paramedic and the stories he had to tell of Katrina would blow your mind. On the clock 19 hour days, living in his car, etc... its crazy. He was also saying the hurricane/flood got rid of a lot of the trash that called New Orleans home. In his words, "I have a lot of black friends, so don't get me wrong, but a lot of the people on this side of town were down right niggas. Pull a knife on you, can't understand a word they say, low lifes." (Picture that in a cajun accent) New Orleans is a pretty ghetto city. Its divided into the good and part part of town I was staying right outside of the quarter on the borderline. I went into an AutoZone which was full of the poorer half, and this cajun/ebonics/english mix was beyond me. But thats not to say there aren't good people there (like anywhere) Like anything else, the bad apples are to going to stand out and portray an unfair picture for everyone. This is no exception. The looters, rapists, moochers and dumbasses make people feel like its a waste of time/effort... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaconsultants Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 It was really horrible for the people that lost the places to live, family, friends, etc. but the bad seeds (a lot of them) seemed to end up going to these big shelters. I was classified as a paramedic at these places also because for a while I did drive an ambulance and was registered. I have a lot of respect for the people that do these jobs and deal with the things they do. I am guessing I must have miss understood what 73turbo240z was saying or he miss understood what I was saying, because the statement still makes no sense. I also guess I must have met you at the center at some time because I was there a lot and actually to much according to my wife and friends, I was by far the tallest white guy walking around there. Just wonder did you see the two older black fellows with the very white crusty flaking skin and open wounds. They contracted leprosy (very advanced stages) by eating armadillos and the one had lost several fingers on one hand and all his toes on one foot. That was the first time I came across that before and everyone in the medical area was trying to keep them a bit apart from the rest and handling with care. Oh well I think I shall stop here since I don't want to get into any of the really stomach wrenching things that happened and I just sometimes felt like venting a little about what I saw working that stuff everyday of the week while it was there. Sorry about the venting guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 If you had not gone to help at the temporary housing they put up in Houston then you really have no clue how bad things where and how horrible people where treated that were trying to help in whatever way they could. You seem like your heart is in the right place. I compliment you on your efforts. But at the same time you seem pretty clueless. It is disgusting to see it actually happen, but unfortunately the situation was all too predictable. Welcome to the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I think this thread has run its course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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