uc's Blog | Talking Points Memo | February 5, 2006

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Week of February 5, 2006 - February 11, 2006

Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

February 5, 2006, 12:54AM

The clean-up is progressing well, this afternoon we said goodbye to two large piles of debris that I cleared in the two days after Katrina. The long dump trucks are everywhere. The post office is now giving out mail on a pick-up basis. Traffic is heavy in our community as it is likely twice its normal population with all the evacuees. The grocery store lines are still long. The paper also reports that there are long lines at Social Services for emergency food stamps and that the Red Cross is setting up a large distribution center.

My oldest niece went to Jefferson Parish. Her boyfriend checked his mother’s rental property and everything was fine. Then she told us about how they went to her house, which just happens to be over the line in Orleans Parish. Problem was, we believed her, especially when she produced pictures and a video. Pretty resourceful couple–they brought along covering for their feet and legs, along with nose masks. The water on the street was only a few inches deep and the house was as she left it, high and dry. Most of her fence went down in the storm, but then, she already knew that because of her detailed examination of aerial photos. So tonight, my niece is one happy refugee who accomplished her urge to go home.

I’ll finish with a newspaper quote from a Master Sergeant from the 82nd who made this comparison with service in Iraq: "We can ride down the street here and not have to worry about your vehicle being blown up on the side of the road."

And they also get a smile and "thumbs-up" from this Army veteran who is increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the events unfolding before his eyes.

The Cavalry Has Come

February 5, 2006, 12:54AM

In a phone interview today, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee gave an upbeat assessment of how the "get in, get out" return of residents was working in Jefferson Parish. The visitors were able to visit their homes and then drive back out on U. S. 61. Sheriff Lee’s comments yesterday likely provided a positive impetus in encouraging residents not to attempt to stay, and follow the basic intent of the plan. With the third day coming tomorrow, Parish President Aaron Broussard and Sheriff Lee appear to have a successful operation under way.

The staging area described last night is apparently only small portion what is going on throughout the parish. All sorts of federal government vehicles are present, including some marked as "Homeland Security." Likewise, there are more military police units and various police vehicles from throughout the country. The local paper said that the 82nd Airborne Division will be setting up a headquarters unit here. We are now seeing helicopters flying low, almost over the house.

In the southern portion of the parish, Hammond is at the intersection of I-55 and I-12. Go South on I-55, and it merges with I-10, which goes on to New Orleans. I-12 East goes to St. Tammany Parish, where the destruction was greater and gets worse as you reach the Mississippi coast. Apparently, our parish has become a key staging and logistical point for movements toward either direction. It is certainly beginning to look that way.

The Urge to Go Home

February 5, 2006, 12:53AM

Today’s events revolved around the opening of Jefferson Parish. As stated last night, my oldest niece was going on a journey. At first, it seemed a reasonable one. She would accompany some bonafide homeowners to Jefferson Parish and just help load things up. Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard had allowed a reentry to the parish on a general "get in, get out" basis. The route of reentry was U. S. 61, which runs south from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Parish President Broussard simply wanted to alleviate the anxiety of homeowners.

Enter Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee, who while loyally following his Parish President, offered several reasons why it wasn’t such a good idea. So as we watched WDSU, her father (my brother) reached a similar conclusion. At that point, my niece called in and said they were returning as the line was way too long and too slow. We tried to talk her out of going as the return period will last another two days.

The Broussard factor is evident, the simple need, irrespective of what might be found, to go home. In the case of my nieces, it has all to do with Orleans Parish.

I’m falling well below the line of optimism for New Orleans. My sense is that there were more left behind than what is being generally assumed. It is almost a general rule that we underestimate populations, most especially in urban areas. We have entered into a uncharted territory where even the best efforts may prove wanting. The evacuation of New Orleans likely has surpassed the theoretical evacuation of a major American city. Yet the most vulnerable were left behind, and the most predatory left to dwell.

More From the North Shore

February 5, 2006, 12:53AM

On the North Shore, our location is in Tangipahoa Parish. Its pronounced with the last "a" silent. Move due east of us and the general level of destruction increases toward the epicenter at the Mississippi Gulf coast.

In last night’s blog, I mentioned people walking out of New Orleans. The local paper had a story about a man who came out on I-55 by walking and an occasional ride. The word the day before was that walkers were coming up along the railroad tracks that run aside the interstate. This is extraordinary considering that a good portion is over swamp and water, and those elevated sections of track are rather narrow.

Electricity has been restored to over half the parish. The more time consuming repairs are being bypassed in favor of sections that can rapidly be restored. Gasoline stations still open and close depending on supply. The formerly self-service stations now have a number of attendants who keep the lines in order, open your cap and pump the gas. The maximum is anywhere from twenty to fifty dollars. Like a minority of other drivers, I’ve taken to the habit of going about with the windows down and the air conditioner off.

The initial policy at grocery stores was have a limited number of people allowed inside with the police keeping order. As electrical power returns, shopping is returning to normalcy.

FEMA has arrived in the form of distributed MRE’s. The post office has begun distributing government checks on a pick-up basis. We also harbor staging areas for telecommunications repairs and police from all over the country.

Today, I helped with loading supplies with a church group. The supplies included water, food and a good number of baby items. Churches figure heavily in our parish, and many have supply networks already in place. I wasn’t the only outside volunteer, as others are looking for opportunities to help. Another attribute of church groups is that they can provide plenty of cooks. The Red Cross is also sending them food to be cooked and distributed at various shelters.

My oldest niece took a collection of donations, and proceeded to purchase the latest need list from the Red Cross shelter. The supplies included towels and various baby items. Tomorrow, she will be undertaking a journey that will increase our observances beyond Tangipahoa Parish. Both of my nieces were students in New Orleans, and evacuated out.

Generally, the tenor of our residents is a thankful one. In closing, I’d like to thank cscs for the kind comment to my initial blog.

North of New Orleans

February 5, 2006, 12:52AM

We got battered by Katrina, our pine trees in particular broke in two and landed with damaging effect on buildings, homes and utility lines. There was no flooding and the water system was functional. During the first few days, you learned quickly to appreciate those items that continued to work.

In the time immediately after, we listened to the radio. Even after obtaining generator power, the televisions didn’t work unless one procured a rabbit eared antenna. With television and the restoration of the internet, we have only learned the full story of the ensuing events in New Orleans.

Currently, a major effort is underway to restore power to our community. Our local airfield is already being utilized as a staging area. I think it was late Wednesday afternoon that a flight of big Chinooks and other Army copters flew overhead.

A few residents of New Orleans have now literally walked out some 30 to 40 miles and arrived here.

The Trust Funds and Special Bonds

February 5, 2006, 12:26AM

Government accounts are known as intragovernmental debt, which takes the form of bonds known as special securities. The Social Security trust funds make up 52 percent of these special securities. The remainder are held by Civil Service Retirement and Disability trust fund (21 percent), Medicare trust funds (10 percent), Military Retirement (6 percent)and other trust funds. According to the Government Accounting Office,"special federal securities held in the accounts represent legal obligations of the Treasury and are guaranteed for principal and interest by full faith and credit of the U.S. government."

Special securities are not only utilized by government trusts. Private sector money mangers entrusted with large amounts of capital are permitted to negotiate placements of similarly structured securities. Unlike publically traded federal securities, special securities offer a higher degree of safety and are not subject to the fluctuations evident in the Chicago trading pits.

The Social Security trust funds, as well as other trust funds, are required by law to hold special federal securities. In the case of the Social Security trust funds, the rate of interest on special issues is determined by a formula enacted in 1960. The principle amount of the security remains constant. The interest rate is calculated by an average rate of publically traded securities of less than four years maturity. The Social Security Administration reported that "The effective interest rate for the OASI and DI Trust Funds, combined, was 6.4 percent in 2002. This higher rate resulted because the funds hold special-issue bonds acquired in past years when interest rates were higher."

During the 1970's the Social Security trusts were drawn down. The special bonds were redeemed and honored without question. Defaulting on a trust bond is not an option. No U. S. Congress would ever electorally survive such a travesty of the public trust.