Day two I know I haven't been here long but after driving around all parts of the city over the last two days I think I have a few suggestions on some things.
The first thing is that there were some neighborhoods with low water where houses were not on the ground so the insides were dry. I know some of them had roof damage but there is no reason why the city shouldn't be trying to contact every owner of these homes to see if A. They are coming back to stay in the house themselves at the moment. And B. To make them put the house up for rent or lease and make some money. There are way more houses that are habitable downtown than I thought and people are starting to come back to some of them. Someone should be in charge with making sure all the available homes are made available and they would go like hotcakes the minute that they did.
The second thing is that after every mayoral election in the city before the storm I always suggested that the mayor should do something very visible like cutting grass or fixing up a few parks just to let the locals see that maybe there will be some progress coming. That idea is never more true now after Katrina. Mayor Nagin needs to ask the federal government to send him enough extra large trucks and manpower to make massive trash pickups. The little progress that has been made in the city is due to homeowners and small business men that have came back to clean out and start working on their homes and establishments. How about picking up some of the debris to show them that the government is at least trying to meet them half way. I have to be real about it and say that other than a few crews picking up asbestos, I don't see ANYTHING going on that's related to the government. The locals are putting up a good fight and are trying to save their city but even with people coming back all the time and homeowners vowing to rebuild, the quality of life here will be low unless the local, state, and federal government all do something to make the things around better.
They could start with opening up Gene's PoBoys and the diaquiri shop next door to it. It also wouldn't hurt to make Port o Call start doing take out again.
Tomorrow: Day Three
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