For New Orleans after Katrina, too many nights remain silent

[snopes]

The U.S. government has spent more than $80 billion to help the region recover and rebuild. Yet in the nearly 16 months since the storm hit, these areas in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi remain silent shells, and the promise of rebuilding seems distant to those who once lived here.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...building_x.htm

I just returned from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi (Gulfport), smack-dab in the middle of the area hardest hit by Katrina. There is lots of rebuilding going on, and many many people are attmepting to pickup the pieces of their shattered lives and get on with it. There is, however, an overwhelming attitude of "shut the f up" for New Orleans. Many of the people in MS feel that if the former residents of the Lower 9th Ward would pick up a hammer and get to work, things would be much better for them, instead of standing there with their hands out saying "where's mine?"

This is not to say that MS does not have people who are standing around doing the same thing, they do. But they also have many, many people working together to rebuild their lives and the lives of their neighbors.

I met a man whose house was completely washed away (he lived on the water in Bay St Louis). He had homeowners and flood insurance, and the only thing left of his house is piers that foundation was built on (the house was originally built in the mid-1800's, and had recently been completely renovated). His insurance paid him the grand total of $1500...this to rebuild a $200K+ house, and replace ALL of the contents. For some reason I do not think that is going to go to far...