The Authentic Eccentric

My friend Monica has been sharing her return to New Orleans with our readers. Her computer access is pretty limited, but I’ve just received her latest installment. Hopefully we’ll have some pictures soon as well.

The clean up has begun. Although few residents have returned, those of us who have, are piling all our damaged belongings onto the street. The clean up crews have done a great job of scooping up our possessions and hauling them away in huge trucks. They are using bobcats and bulldozers to pick up the trash and we quickly learned that there is no need to neatly put things in garbage bags and place them neatly on the curb. The bulldozers come and run over the pile a few times and make a huge mess before scooping it all up and hauling it away. At least it’s gone. We also learned that these guys are FEMA subcontractors who are being paid by the cubic yard. The more they pick up… the more they earn. A win win situation for everyone. Except for maybe the taxpayers in the rest of the country, but we’ll discuss that later.

The other question is… Where is all the trash going? As far as I can tell, they are piling much of it up along Ponchartrain Blvd. The pile is several stories tall and is massive. As I drove by on a sight seeing tour, I saw a large yellow machine with a claw grabbing and moving trash while another machine pushed it to another pile. I’m not sure what they where doing but they looked busy.

I drove not far from my house through the Lakefront area which was devastated with 10 feet of water. It was heartbreaking to see these nice homes destroyed but still standing. On most houses the water line was just above the front door. All their possessions were destroyed unless they stored items in the attic. I heard the story of a woman who lost everything but was standing outside washing the sidewalk and obviously still in shock. All of the business is still closed and only a few owners have returned to clean up the mess.

I read in the Lafayette newspaper that New Orleans was “up and running”. This is simply not the case. The only section of town up and running is the French Quarter. With plenty of visitors not by tourists but contractors who have moved to town.

The streets are littered with signs proclaiming hurricane clean up and demolition, sheet rockers, roofers, etc. Unfortunately most of these carpet baggers are now living in what is now called “Tent City” in City Park. These contractors are charging us 5 times the normal rate for their services. No thank you, I will wait or do it myself. Most of these people are unsavory characters who carouse in the French Quarter at night then drift back to Tent City for a quick nap. We can hear them kicking the beer cans down the street at 2am on their way back to City Park.

The Red Cross has also been great by providing lunch kits, cleaning supplies, ice and water. If you want a hot meal you must drive to Metairie (a suburb). Metairie is a completely different world. Just on the other side of the infamous 17th Street Canal. They have full power, gas, water and most businesses are open. Only a few sections of Metairie were flooded with 4 feet at the most.

One can certainly tell the difference between the New Orleanians and the rest of the world. We are all filthy and tired from the heavy labor of cleaning out our houses, ripping out sheetrock, etc. We then drift into Metairie for a hot meal or hot shower. Meanwhile the other half of the world (the Metairians) look clean and refreshed. They walk around in starched and ironed clothes, polished shoes. I saw some guy washing his car. The nerve of some people!

Unfortunately we still don’t have electricity or gas service. Some say it will be weeks even months before repairs are made and service is restored. At least we have running water. They say you can drink it but I wouldn’t take the chance. I always used bottled water anyway.

So in the meantime, we are living still living in the trailer in Lafayette. We drive into town for 3 or 4 days at a time. We clean and toil all day and sleep with a friend in Metairie at night. In the morning I take coffee at a local cafe’ in Metairie, before heading back into New Orleans for another day of cleaning. While I am at the cafe’, I can’t help but scowl at the people with starched pants.

Katrina | Hurricane Aid | Orleans Parish | New Orleans