What's Up With The New Orleans City Government

I've really been out of the blogging loop for sometime, but this is something that I had to write about.

This morning I was watching MSNBC and saw a clip about the New Orleans City Government saying they're going to start fining the 221 residents who are still living in FEMA trailers. Now lets see, it's been 5 yrs since Hurricane Katrina and these residents are still stuck in trailers. Why?

It's really sad to hear that there were more than 23,000 FEMA trailers and there are still over 200 trailers left. That means there are still 200 families without a permanent place to live and the city is forcing them out. If the residents aren't out by a certain time frame, they will be charged $500 per day. Totally outrageous. Now does that make sense to anyone?

Let's give residents who don't have permanent housing and didn't receive proper help a certain time frame to move out. Not to mention that these city officials posted violation notices on the trailers a few days before Christmas. Exactly where are they supposed to go? What a bunch of idiots - starting from the Mayor on down the chain.

Gerald Herbert / AP

Edwin D. Weber Jr. stands outside the FEMA trailer he shares with his brother in New Orleans. Citing the 221 trailers left in the city as blight, New Orleans officials have given the last folks living in temporary FEMA trailers until the end of the year to move out or face fines.

According to the city, trailer residents are in violation of city zoning ordinances and that waivers granted after Katrina will not be renewed. The mayor said there are 10,000 broken-down properties that he wants removed in the next three years. Again, what is wrong with this picture? Instead of thinking about themselves, they should be thinking of the residents who are still living in the trailers.

"I am very, very serious about the need to get these trailers out of the city of New Orleans," said Jon Johnson, a city councilman for eastern New Orleans and the Lower Ninth Ward. "My mother-in-law has a trailer right next to her house blocking the sidewalk. That needs to go."

Ooooh, I get it. Your wife's been bitching at you cause her mom doesn't like the trailers. Really! Who the !%&* does this guy think he is. His mother-in-law should be thankful that she has a permanent house to live in and instead of complaining about the trailer, maybe she should help out whoever lives in the trailer find a permanent home. What if the tables were turned and it was the city government that were living in the trailers.

Now, I understand that the trailers were only supposed to be temporary, but instead of fining the remaining residents, local government should be giving them money or offer them an alternative to find permanent housing.

I am not big on bitching, but I'm disgusted with the situation that's going on there right now. I am from Upstate NY so the biggest problem we sometime have in the winter time are blizzards, but the last time that I checked it didn't take five years to clear the streets.

Get off your high horses and help out your residents. If the Mayor and the rest of the City staff cared about the residents of New Orleans, then they should step up and help out with funds for rebuilding.

As a South Floridian, I've had my share of hurricanes but I've been very lucky that nothing too extreme happened to my house. If I had the time, money and resources I would help out the residents of New Orleans.

I'd like to hear what people have to say about this topic. Please leave comments.