Lessons From Katrina (Or Everything You Knew but Hated To Admit About the Government)

The curtain has been firmly pulled back now and Americans of every stripe are finally facing the facts of what we’ve all known but ignored for so long, namely that our government is a farce of what it pretends to be. The machinations of the corporate oligarchs and their puppet politicians have been revealed for what they are- nothing less than an attempt to squeeze every last dime and ounce of life from the citizens who make up this great country in an effort to fill their own pockets and corral power among the corrupted minority. The disaster left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has exposed our local, state, and federal governments for the frauds that they are, and as they wallow in the filth of what was once New Orleans, pointing fingers at each other while the nightmare rages on for hundreds of thousands, the American people are finally saying enough is enough.

At every turn, our government leaders have let us down, and the actions unfolding in the aftermath of the hurricane only exacerbate their ineptitude. But the disastrous results in the Gulf Coast are not just due to the awesome power of nature. The death and destruction left in Katrina’s wake was largely preventable had not our political institutions not been so wholly corrupt and unaccountable to the citizens which they purport to serve. From the inability of local officials to fight for the protective measures that could have prevented the wide scale devastation, to the lack of quick and decisive action by state governments to the paltry effort played by federal agencies and leaders, it has become clear that our government is being run by a bunch of corrupt thugs and pretty imbeciles who answer only to their corporate benefactors, self-serving union leaders, and special interest lobbyists. The welfare of the American citizens who pay their salaries and their pet project costs are inconsequential to the vast majority of politicians at all levels of government, whose only real aims are to stay in power, enrich their own bank accounts, and secure lucrative post-governmental careers.

The Hurricane Katrina Relief effort has taught us many important things, and if we do not heed the lessons that have been so blatantly laid out before us, we deserve the worst that these men and those who follow in their footsteps can dish out. So what exactly are some things we have learned?

The number one lesson to take from this disaster is that when push comes to shove and the walls are caving in, we are on our own. Despite our illusions that our government is working to protect and defend the people of this country, the sad truth is that the people we have put into positions of leadership are neither equipped nor inclined to handle the job. We’ve been electing people not based on their own sound Common Sense and clear-headed devotion to public service, but instead on whose sound bites get the most airplay and who can repeat the hot button policy statements the loudest. Politics has become more of a popularity contest between corporate show ponies whose own depth of thinking stops at the donors checkbook than a real forum for civic-minded individuals to give back to their communities through honest public service. We no longer elect men and women with vision and competence, and the result is that we have no one to count on but ourselves in an emergency of catastrophic proportions, while our system and its policies have tied one hand behind our backs before we even start.

Entrenched in their own bureaucratic morass, government officials have become completely impotent to deal with the large issues of the day and dubiously corrupt in their handling of day-to-day operations. Evidence of this total incompetence can be seen in city halls and state legislative bodies throughout the country. State and local economies stand on the brink of bankruptcy even though billions of dollars pour into the public coffers annually. Where is this money going? It’s obvious that it’s not being used on public infrastructure, education, or human advancement. Elected officials have now deigned it imperative to spend millions of dollars studying problems that have clear Common Sense solutions. This drives up the cost of everything while accomplishing very little, save for the enrichment of think tanks, consultants, and lawyers. Legislation and court rulings are now designed to benefit the business class over the working class at every turn, obfuscated in legal jargon and presented in sound bites that keep the public dumbly appeased. Our own blithe acceptance of this as “the way things are done” is nearly as shameful as those who perpetrate this illusion, but the results of our apathy have been shown to us in spades. We now face a choice: change the people who run the show or sit by and watch the American experiment of freedom and security and prosperity dissolve before our eyes.

The second important lesson we can take from this disaster is that on an individual level, most Americans will band together to help those in need when the government will not. Indeed, our charity as a people has never been in question. Attending a fundraiser for hurricane victims recently, citizens in my community donated over $300,000 in a one-day “spare change” drive. But the dichotomy between who we seem to be as a people and who we elect to represent our interests is difficult to understand. It is as if we have been under the assumption that our generosity is a shared ideal, forgetting that for those who hunger only power and profit, such concepts as compassion and commitment are handy only when the cameras are rolling and the microphones are on. Indeed, the consolidation of political power by the ruling class has effectively locked out the average citizen who would eagerly endure the hard task of providing the tax paying citizens with honest, effective, and accountable leadership and governance in return for the privilege of living in a country as free and prosperous as our own. The response by our government, local, state, and federal, to this hurricane disaster should finally make us realize that we are not electing mirror images of our own compassion and Common Sense, but just caricatures of ourselves. It is time to return to the tasks of politics average citizens with no ulterior motives but to serve the common good and then return to private life. Let us turn our charity towards ourselves and our political system and demand accountable and competent government.

In the past week, I heave heard tales of food and water being held back from survivors because of bureaucratic red tape. I have heard excuses made for inaction due to the need to follow protocol. I have heard stories of courageous and generous citizens turned away from helping others. I have heard stories of human indignity, societal collapse, and racial prejudice. I have seen pictures of crying senior citizens, and back slapping politicians. I have heard survivors crying over lost family members and heard CEO’s crying over lost profits. And I have heard of schoolchildren emptying their piggy banks, wealthy entrepreneurs paying for rescue efforts, and rescue personnel volunteering to help out. In short, Hurricane Katrina has brought out the very worst and the very best that is America. It has exposed our political institutions for the leaderless, corrupt, ineffective monsters that they have become, that we have let them become. It has exposed our politicians for the guileless, indecisive, corporate pigeons that they are, that we have let them become. But it has affirmed our basic individual goodness as a society of people at large through our efforts to help our neighbors, putting to question the claims that we are too divided to solve our real problems.

There are those who will continue to defend the government, or portions of it, and its performance during this natural disaster. They will blindly continue to hold as gospel all that the politicians tell them (or allow them to be shown on the television news.) I would hope that these people would find themselves in the minority in light of the clear failure of all levels of government. But for those who would insist that this government is doing its job to keep Americans safe and prosperous and free I ask a simple question: Which is more encouraging for our enemies to see: large groups of peaceful war protestors or massive government impotence in the face of disaster? Because beyond anything Mother Nature can deliver upon us, our greatest threat is still from other human beings. They are more devious and less predictable than nature will ever be. If our government can’t even drop bottles of water to stranded citizens, how can we really think they are protecting us from the real enemies of freedom?

Now that we have clearly seen the results of a government gone awry by way of corruption for profit, now that we have seen what awaits us all in times of dire need, now that we understand what the policies and practices of decades of cronyism politics has wrought, we must make the most important decision we could make. We must choose to change the way things are. We must reject the false divisiveness of both major political parties, actively seeking non-affiliated Common Sense candidates to replace the corrupt ones we now have. We must give our political dollars to individual campaigns, not to established PAC’s or party coffers. Starve their machines and you starve their idiocy. We must put people in office that will change the way things are. We must challenge the system from within and purge it of its corruption. We must support with our time and with our dollars those who would show true leadership, doing what a government must do: no more, no less. We must prepare for this now and make a change or the blame for our certain despair will be our own.

What Next For Katrina Survivors?

The outpouring of assistance from everyday American citizens and small businesses is almost enough to quell the anger that has been directed towards our government in their complete lack of effectiveness in dealing with this disaster. Yet were it not for the generosity of each and every one of us who has been touched by the plight of the hurricane survivors, many people would still be stranded in the city of New Orleans and elsewhere on the Gulf Coast. With over $200 million in financial donations and scores of hard goods being sent to the Gulf, it looks as if things are finally, slowly, taking a turn up in this ravaged region of our country. Yet despite this initial outpouring of compassion and aid from the citizens of America, there is a long road ahead for those who have lost everything in this hurricane. Our efforts are only just beginning. But as the days turn into weeks, we must again turn to our government for help in dealing with this ongoing crisis. And as ineffective as they have been in the initial stages of dealing with this tragedy, we’ve no choice but to hope they take strong steps to put things back on the right course.

As the evacuations begin to see an end, and as food and water and other supplies begin to reach those in need, the next most important task is to find housing for the hundreds of thousands who have lost their homes in this deadly storm. While the opening of large sporting stadiums and convention centers in Texas and elsewhere provides an immediate remedy, it can hardly be a long-term solution to the problem of housing the newly homeless of our countrymen. Private citizens recognize this and have been offering shelter in their own homes to families displaced by the storm. But the sheer numbers of American refugees makes this a solution for just a small portion of the survivors. If these people are to regain any sense of normalcy in their lives while the reconstruction of their homes and towns are completed, they will need to return to a more normal standard of family living. The opportunity for government to make a real difference is now.

The first place to look would be areas that have existing buildings, homes, and infrastructure available that is not being utilized. Such places can be found around the country in the shape of closed military bases. Since 1988, nearly 125 major military installations have been shut down as various administrations decreased the size of our military. Many of these bases could be converted into temporary towns for those whose homes were destroyed by Katrina. Those that were previously permanent duty stations have a variety of housing and dormitories that could offer more normal shelter than a football stadium. The bases were likely equipped with stores, banks, medical facilities, and school facilities, and other basic infrastructure. With some minor maintenance, many of these former bases could be converted into mini-towns in a short time. This type of housing solution should be implemented immediately at no cost to hurricane victims.

A second housing possibility could be offered by the hotel industry, with government providing tax credits to participating hotels and motels. Simply put, large chain motels could set aside up to 25% of their available rooms and offer them to small families or single people at no cost. Small or independent hotels and motels could be encouraged to participate through even more generous tax credits to increase the total number of available rooms. In many cases, this might be a win-win situation for the hotels, the government, and the newly homeless. As fuel prices continue to rise, fewer families will be taking to the roads and staying in hotels simply due to a decrease in their personal finances. This could lead to a profit loss to the hotel companies, which would be offset by the tax credits. Government wins too by having fewer refugees to find housing for.

The problem of an increased population in cities that absorb thousands of new residents can also be dealt with. Take a drive through your town and count the number of vacant commercial buildings you see. Through a combination incentive program of tax credits and remodeling assistance, these buildings can be converted into schools and additional living quarters. Local governments should reduce or greatly streamline some zoning restrictions and enact temporary zoning waivers. The amount of construction for the conversions could also put able bodied citizens back to work in some capacity, allowing them to earn a living and reduce the necessity for public assistance.

The problem of housing isn’t the only thing facing hurricane victims, though it is the most pressing. Also looming in the near distance is the recognition of the huge financial losses faced by businesses and citizens. Already, some mortgage and lending companies are instituting a 90-day period of forbearance on mortgages and other credit debt. It’s a nice gesture, but wholly inadequate. To begin with, at least 75% of the homes in New Orleans and other hard hit areas have been completely destroyed, if not from the gale force winds, then from the flooding. In addition to the homes, businesses have been lost and nearly all forms of industry, leaving most of the survivors homeless AND unemployed. Do the lenders really believe that in three months time, these people who have lost everything that they own will be able to start remaking mortgage payments on a home or business that for all practical purposes no longer exists? Previous disasters have shown us that insurance companies drag out their claims for months and years in some cases, leaving these folks no real option but to have the banks foreclose or try to declare bankruptcy. Foreclosure stains ones creditworthiness, but in this situation, may be the best choice for former homeowners since their property is uninhabitable anyhow and the eventual insurance payout (if it ever comes) will likely go to the banks anyhow. Either way, the final result is a large group of citizens living in donated, temporary housing, struggling to find jobs to pay for their food and clothing and assorted necessities, with nothing left to show for their previous efforts but a pile of debt.

A better solution would be to enact a special law that allows hurricane victims who have lost homes, possessions, and businesses a grace period from repayment for 12 months. Interest will not accrue during this period and the overall balance will not increase. An automatic 6 month extension would follow if necessary which in turn would be followed by a repayment schedule that had a low interest rate and minimum payment according to each persons financial ability. Insurance payouts for damage claims should be mandated to commence no more than 45 days after the end of evacuations. In paying these claims, insurers should pay lenders 75% of the policy coverage and 25% to the policyholder. This provides survivors an opportunity to get a jump start on rebuilding their former lives by putting a little cash in their pocket. Again, tax credits for these one time measures could be offered to offset some of the financial loss to businesses.

Finally, the task of sending supplies to the hundreds of thousands will not end when the headlines are removed from the front pages of our papers. It will be weeks and months before those affected will begin to regain employment and stability in an effort to rebuild their lives. This holiday season will be especially tough. We must keep up our efforts to send things that we usually take for granted. Clothing, bathroom supplies, school materials…the list goes on and on. The convoys of goods leaving from towns all over the country must continue with the local governments and charities establishing an effective collection and disbursal protocol that ensures goods get to the people who need them with a minimum of red tape and also creates an encouraging and gracious atmosphere for those who make the effort to donate.

The challenge presented to us by Hurricane Katrina has exposed the façade our government has so carefully built. The initial efforts at all levels of government from the local to the federal levels, has been utterly without real leadership up to this point, and feelings of anger and resentment are running high. There will still be a day of reckoning on those issues, but quick action in dealing with the problems listed here could alleviate some of that anger, leaving way for careful and conscious reform in the near future instead of divisive witch hunts from both sides of the aisle.