Hurricane Katrina Aftermath (and other stuff I find interesting)

Coming at you from Houston, TX.

FEMA not making good on pledges to re-open no-bid contracts

Volunteers building Katrina housing on National Mall
Federal officials and members of Congress joined business leaders and private citizens in a Habitat for Humanity International project to frame 51 homes for shipment by Nov. 19 to hard-hit areas of the Gulf Coast.

Houston to get $101 Million for housing Katrina victims
It also comes as a group of landlords have issued a warning that thousands of Texas hurricane refugees could be evicted because money for rent from charities and the government is drying up

Katrina Aid slowed by government's reluctance to spend

NBA's Kevin Garnett donates $1.2M to hurricane relief

Hotel owner who housed Katrina Victims receives death threats

Happy Veterans Day

Father Kills Katrina infant in Indianapolis

Katrina may complicate Financial Aid

I knew this was coming at some point:

Katrina victims sue FEMA
NEW ORLEANS — A prominent New York law firm, a Washington-based civil rights legal organization, and a California nonprofit legal organization, together with a Southern University law professor today filed a class-action suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to force the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide timely aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The lawsuit, the first file against FEMA in relation to its response to Katrina, says that the agency has violated and continues to violate Federal law by failing to discharge its obligations as the federal agency chartered to care for victims of natural disasters.

full story here

Katrina decimates sales tax revenue for Jefferson, Orleans September total 1/5 of previous year

Chairman of Katrina panel threatens to subpoena White House documents Doesn't Katrina Subpoena sound funny if you say them together? Try it...

Seawall pilings 7 feet shorter than Corps of Engineers claimed at 17th street canal failure

Arizona gets first $500,000 of expected $1.2M for Katrina expenses

Volunteers ordered to re-pay their Johnson County employers for wages paid

Sharon Stone co-writes song for Katrina victims

Houston company relocating to New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS — A Houston-based interior design and construction firm plans to relocate to New Orleans to take part in the reconstruction effort. Benjamin Taylor & Associates, which operated satellite offices in New Orleans and Milwaukee, Wis. before Hurricane Katrina, plans to move as many as 40 employees to its new headquarters in Louisiana. The company plans to maintain a smaller office in Houston, said owner Benjamin Taylor Sullivan

Full story here

It's about time.

WASHINGTON — Small businesses in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be eligible for a new U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loan of up to $150,000 that is being launched this week to help speed financing for recovery and rebuilding. The loans will be delivered through local banks and will be handled under an expedited process that can deliver a response in 24 hours or less.

Full story here

Once I'm out of the 2nd circle of hell with my 2+ hour one way commute, my posts will have substance again. Until then, here's today's news summary:

Louisiana Attorney General probing floodwall collapses

Thousands of Katrina 911 calls went astray

Group marches across Greater New Orleans bridge to protest evacuees being turned around by police on the other side

Lawmakers propose the "Elimination of Barriers for Katrina Victims Act" Might be a good bill, but EBKVA isn't a good acronym.

Mayor Nagin outlines New Orleans recovery plan

Mississippi lawmaker focused on Katrina recovery (70% of the homes in his district were rendered uninhabitable by the storm)

Hurricane Katrina survivor (profiteer) releases book, "Katrina...In the aftermath of a killer"

Pretty interesting, eh?

New Hampshire Flooding Oct. 26
Florida Hurricane Wilma Oct. 24
North Carolina Hurricane Ophelia Oct. 7
Louisiana & Texas Hurricane Rita Sept. 24
AL, MS, LA, Fl Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29
Louisiana Tropical Storm Cindy Aug 23
Kansas Flooding Aug 23
Wyoming Tornado Aug 22
Utah Flooding & Landslide Aug 1
North & South Dakota Flooding July 22
FL, MS, AL Hurricane Dennis July 10
Idaho Flooding July 6
Maine Flooding June 2

FEMA cuts loose $26,200 checks to those in hardest-hit areas

Some tax relief for Katrina victims from NOLA.com

More tax relief for Katrina donors from WaPo

Katrina relief legislation proposed by Congressional Black Caucus

Old city landfill re-opened for Katrina debris catches fire for a short time