Is anyone else sick to their stomach that our plight has all but disappeared from the national conscience? I recently was able to watch a remarkable documentary titled "Paradise Lost: The Fight for Louisiana" in which specific plans to save our coast were mentioned. It also highlighted the incredible impact that Louisiana has on the nation. What I can't figure out is why Congress hasn't allocated the relatively small sum of money it would take to solve this unparalleled crisis.
More than a year after Katrina and Rita, I can't help but feel a little frightened. We lost so much as a state, and we can't even begin to think about a long-term solution for New Orleans and the rest of coastal Louisiana without a significant investment from the federal government. If the devastating hurricanes which so ravaged our coast aren't serving as a wake up call to the government, what on earth will?
I hate to evoke the name of Bush in this thread, but it just seems like he honestly couldn't care less. The fate of Louisiana hangs in the balance, and I don't see any sense of urgency at all. For the sum of about thirty billion, Louisiana can be protected and saved. This seems like a no-brainer for a country that so relies on our extensive port system and energy and seafood resources.
I teared up watching that documentary, not because Louisiana is naturally destined to wash away, but because it seems like America has condemned it with their utter apathy.
/rant over