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Return to Article: Louisiana parish creeps toward recovery

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  Thank you for the article on my hometown. I'm a Federal employee, and I've lived in St. Bernard Parish for 30 years and I'm rebuilding. Your story nailed the sharp contrasts of what normal life is, how we define "normal" in the Parish, and what struggles we're still going through.

  To all of us in the government's employ, I would only ask what have you as a servant of the public done to help anyone lately? As many of the examples of the article pointed out, many federal agencies have acted only within their box of rules and regulations. I sympathize with that. I deal with it every day in my job. But I also ask each one of us to think about how what we do affects daily life of others. While this is the way the rules are, we should all look at what you would do if you were placed in these situations. Thanks.

  Tim Strain Posted August 29, 2006 10:01 AM
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  Thank you for doing this story on St. Bernard Parish. I was born and grew up in St. Bernard. I've only been back twice since Katrina - to help family members clean out their homes. I am thanking you for not forgetting about the people of St. Bernard. The mainstream media has focused so heavily on New Orleans, that St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes have been invisible to the rest of the nation. The people of St. Bernard are a very proud people. They are not welfare babies. They are hard working, passionate, proud people. The fact that they realize a need and are asking for help from the government speaks volumes as to the devastation they are experiencing. It will be a long, hard fight. But the people of St. Bernard will win - they won't allow themselves to give up.

  Brian Baiamonte Posted August 28, 2006 9:55 AM