One Year Later: The Real State of New Orleans
One year after Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf states New Orleans has still not recovered, as a few blunt statistics posted on Think Progress point out. Another hurricane season is here and tropical storm Ernesto is already causing some concerns.Standing in Jackson Square on Sept. 15/05, President Bush stated, “This government will learn the lessons of Hurricane Katrina” and promised to “get the work done quickly.” But on the eve of Katrina’s one year anniversary, here’s a look at the current state of New Orleans:
– Less than half of the city’s pre-storm population of 460,000 has returned, putting the population at roughly what it was in 1880.
– Nearly a third of the trash has yet to be picked up.
– Sixty percent of homes still lack electricity.
– Seventeen percent of the buses are operational.
– Half of the physicians have left, and there is a shortage of 1,000 nurses.
– Six of the nine hospitals remain closed.
– Sixty-six percent of public schools have reopened.
– A 40 percent hike in rental rates, disproportionately affecting black and low-income families.
– A 300 percent increase in the suicide rate.
Eighty-four percent of New Orleans residents rate the government’s recovery efforts negatively, while 66 percent believe the recovery money has been “mostly wasted.”
posted by Annamarie at
1:14 AM
2 comment(s):
there must be some new 'trend' in saying sorry....bush did that over his admin's shortcoming on katrina, hassan said if it were to happen all over again they would never have captured the israeli soldiers, and the israeli army brass have been telling their troops they gave wrong orders.
lip service is one thing.....nothing else has really changed, has it?
By
scout, at
11:27 AM
Paying lip service amounts to nothing. I guess they feel that by saying 'sorry' their actions will be vindicated, and the people will be mollified. An easy out.
No, nothing else has changed...
By
Anonymous, at
10:09 PM
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