Still a Disaster for Thousands

The situation in New Orleans has faded from view as of late. Or rather, it's faded into the background, one of those stories that's ongoing and is regularly updated, but just doesn't get the attention it used to. But we would do well to remember that though New Orleans is now long dry, parts of it are still for the most part devestated, and for thousands who lost everything, their lives are still on hold:

"Young, middle-aged and old, these citizens of New Orleans, wiped out by Hurricane Katrina and now urgently seeking government assistance, spoke Friday of sleeping in a truck and on a floor, living out of a car and waiting for the help that never seems to come. Trickling into the crowded center in the Uptown neighborhood here - hoping for a trailer, a loan, cash, anything - they were grimly resigned to waiting, and waiting some more."

The article is full of stories like this one below:

"Luis Colmenares, a prominent local metal sculptor, unshaven and discouraged, walked away from the center here Friday afternoon. He lost $400,000 worth of equipment, and an art-metal business that employed 17. Hours on the phone with FEMA workers had been 'horrible,' he said. 'I kept saying, 'I have nothing,' Mr. Colmenares said. 'We've got food stamps, and that's pretty much it.'"

To be fair, the sheer scale of the disaster, the number of those killed or left homeless, the number of those whose very livelihoods were destroyed, is overwhelming. But for many the disaster continues everyday, and it's important to remember that there can be no full resolution to this tragedy until the city is rebuilt and these people can begin again, either in New Orleans or somewhere else.

Update: Apparently some on Capitol Hill and in the White House are ready to move on.