Wastin' Away Again in Femaville

We saw a lot of amazing things during our week in New Orleans, but something we saw very seldom was FEMA Trailers. Every inch of every neighborhood we saw flooded, and yet tralers delivered for victims to live in were the exception rather than the rule. I take that back--on the interstate north of Slidel, LA we did see a lot of trailers--hundreds--but it didn't look like they were set up to live in.

As it turns out, tens of thousands of these trailers are parked in Hope, AK because--are you ready for this--they cannot be set up in a flood plain. Hello, the whole city of New Orleans is below friggin' sea level! That's right, your Federal government has spent your tax money on trailers that they now say they cannot set up.

Now a lot of people are suggesting another approach to housing returning Katrina victims in New Orleans. Architect Marianne Cusato has designed a prefab home called a "Katrina Cottage" that is more hurricane-proof, more attractive, and cheaper than the trailers they've been buying but not setting up. Many builders, homeowners, politicians (and I'd say accountants) prefer the cottages to the travel trailers. But here's another fly in the ointment of recovery in New Orleans: A Federal law prevents FEMA funds from being spent on permanent housing.

Look, I'm just a guy who pays his taxes and votes, but I think Senator Harry Reid is right to be ashamed of our government over this. Reid has partnered with Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas to ask Bush to sign an executive order allowing trailers to be delivered and set up. If Bush had bothered to talk to the tens of thousands of displaced residents of New Orleans, maybe he would have figured this out. Instead he limousined through the ruins and blamed Congress for slowing things down.

And here's an idea, Mr. Bush: A temporary federal program to train homeowners in basic construction techniques like hanging drywall and installing flooring. Residents should be able to set up simple cooperatives to pool labor with Federally paid contractors available for training and broad oversight.