You Have to See New Orleans to Believe it

TallySaint · 06-29-2006, 01:32 PM

You have to see New Orleans to believe it

Paul Attner
June 27, 2006

I didn't feel I could write a meaningful Good Guys piece about the situation in post-Katrina New Orleans without seeing it firsthand. And it made good sense that Deuce McAllister, who would be one of No. 1 Good Guys this year, showed me around New Orleans. After all, as a Saint and a Mississippi native, he was all too aware of the impact left by Katrina.

That's how it came to be that Deuce, gifted Sporting News photographer Bob Leverone, McAllister foundation director Josselyn Miller, Saints PR associate Nick Karl and myself went on a half-day ride into New Orleans this past May.

McAllister had seen much of what Katrina had done, but not all. And even he was stunned by the lack of recovery progress. The Saints train in Metairie, which has rebounded nicely from the hurricane; his home, which suffered roof damage, also is in Metairie. So he isn't exposed to much of the daily remainders that others endure who live in different parts of the area.

So you could see both the shock and hurt on his face when we drove through the Lakeview area, stopping right where a major breech in the 17th Street canal levee occurred. The water from that breech did considerable damage to a lot of central New Orleans. But you could see its immediate impact -- a few $1 million homes were washed completely away.

The canal has been repaired, but only to pre-Katrina standards. "Would you feel safe living around here?" asked McAllister. The answer was easy. Of course not.

That's why, if there is a hurricane in the Gulf this summer, New Orleans will empty out without need of a government order. The citizens live in fear; they can't count on their government or the levee system to protect them. It will become an empty city, no matter how many times they have to evacuate.

"Almost to the year before Katrina, we had a hurricane warning in 2004," said Miller. "It looked like a bad one and people left the city. I got caught in awful traffic. It took hours for people to go a few miles. Then we got nothing, not even rain. I know that figured into the Katrina evacuation. A lot of the mentality was, 'Why leave? We've been through this before.' " That mentality no longer exists.

The folks of New Orleans will talk forever about the incompetence of FEMA, inept politicians, ill-conceived recovery programs, and the incredible lack of common sense that has taken place since Katrina struck. But it is amazing how optimistic they remain despite the daunting obstacles. They believe New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast, will return, better than ever.

"The people of this region have a great spirit," said McAllister. "All they want is a chance. Just give them a chance and they will take it from there. But they love it here. That is why they will come back. It's home; it's how we are. We may not live here, but this is our home."

McAllister would like every athlete from every team that plays in New Orleans over the next months to take time for a tour of just what we saw. Only then will they begin to understand the extent of the destruction and how much needs to be done. I think it should be mandatory for every NFL team which plays the Saints in New Orleans to go on a bus ride the day before the game. The team needs to go into Lakeview and the Lower 9th and everywhere else that the city, and its citizens, suffered.

It would be just as beneficial if every member of Congress likewise visited New Orleans. If they did, it would be hard to believe they would not be inspired to fix what is wrong -- and do it right for a change.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn...c.php?t=104002

8)

06-29-2006, 01:32 PM	#1
TallySaint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Tallahassee Posts: 1,367	You Have to See New Orleans to Believe it You have to see New Orleans to believe it Paul Attner June 27, 2006 I didn't feel I could write a meaningful Good Guys piece about the situation in post-Katrina New Orleans without seeing it firsthand. And it made good sense that Deuce McAllister, who would be one of No. 1 Good Guys this year, showed me around New Orleans. After all, as a Saint and a Mississippi native, he was all too aware of the impact left by Katrina. That's how it came to be that Deuce, gifted Sporting News photographer Bob Leverone, McAllister foundation director Josselyn Miller, Saints PR associate Nick Karl and myself went on a half-day ride into New Orleans this past May. McAllister had seen much of what Katrina had done, but not all. And even he was stunned by the lack of recovery progress. The Saints train in Metairie, which has rebounded nicely from the hurricane; his home, which suffered roof damage, also is in Metairie. So he isn't exposed to much of the daily remainders that others endure who live in different parts of the area. So you could see both the shock and hurt on his face when we drove through the Lakeview area, stopping right where a major breech in the 17th Street canal levee occurred. The water from that breech did considerable damage to a lot of central New Orleans. But you could see its immediate impact -- a few $1 million homes were washed completely away. The canal has been repaired, but only to pre-Katrina standards. "Would you feel safe living around here?" asked McAllister. The answer was easy. Of course not. That's why, if there is a hurricane in the Gulf this summer, New Orleans will empty out without need of a government order. The citizens live in fear; they can't count on their government or the levee system to protect them. It will become an empty city, no matter how many times they have to evacuate. "Almost to the year before Katrina, we had a hurricane warning in 2004," said Miller. "It looked like a bad one and people left the city. I got caught in awful traffic. It took hours for people to go a few miles. Then we got nothing, not even rain. I know that figured into the Katrina evacuation. A lot of the mentality was, 'Why leave? We've been through this before.' " That mentality no longer exists. The folks of New Orleans will talk forever about the incompetence of FEMA, inept politicians, ill-conceived recovery programs, and the incredible lack of common sense that has taken place since Katrina struck. But it is amazing how optimistic they remain despite the daunting obstacles. They believe New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast, will return, better than ever. "The people of this region have a great spirit," said McAllister. "All they want is a chance. Just give them a chance and they will take it from there. But they love it here. That is why they will come back. It's home; it's how we are. We may not live here, but this is our home." McAllister would like every athlete from every team that plays in New Orleans over the next months to take time for a tour of just what we saw. Only then will they begin to understand the extent of the destruction and how much needs to be done. I think it should be mandatory for every NFL team which plays the Saints in New Orleans to go on a bus ride the day before the game. The team needs to go into Lakeview and the Lower 9th and everywhere else that the city, and its citizens, suffered. It would be just as beneficial if every member of Congress likewise visited New Orleans. If they did, it would be hard to believe they would not be inspired to fix what is wrong -- and do it right for a change. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn...c.php?t=104002 8)
	My Guardian Angel wears a hard hat.