[69LM1]

Thanks Belair,

We went to a refugee dinner at the church tonight. As I pulled into the parking lot, we pulled the cadillac next to an acura, which was next to a nissan.

I sat at a table with a lawyer, a youth pastor and a registered nurse. I thought to myself, we are poor and do not know it yet. And yet, we were the blessed ones, we are able to get out and with our families safe. Many did not.

I felt ashamed eating a free meal when so many are hungry and thirsty in new orleans.

My kids keep asking when they can go home. My daughter Meredith (7) wants to go to her friends birthday party. We do not even know if her friend is alive or not. Matthew is now 5.

We are going to Houston. Christine is a certified school teacher, and I am going to try and restart the computer company there. We are going to enroll the kids into school there.

I really do not think that most of the country really understands how serious this is.

I never thought that so many could lose so much so fast.

I am amazed that they have not air dropped food and water to the poor people in and around New Orleans.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people acting like animals, but for every one acting like that, there are four more women and children in need.

When the tsunami hit, we fed and clothed people on the other side of the globe, but four days later, people are dying from thirst here in our own country.

We should all be ashamed, from the President on (who has turned his back on Louisiana) on down to the governor.


Thanks for all of the offers of Money, Food and Shelter. We are still ok for now. I just need that car to get a temporary home for a while.

PLEASE, call your congressman, senator's and state officials and ask why there has been no aid for the people of Louisiana yet?

This is IMPORTANT, people are dying. Children are dehydrated, and a city has passed into
the night....................RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA

I spoke to many people tonight. The only ones who are getting assistance from their insurance companies are the people who had state farm. State Farm was there handing out 2,500 checks to their insured.

Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Lexington (my company) the Hartford and many others are no where to be found with useless 1800 numbers answered in other states and countries by people who want an address to send a packet to.

Meanwhile, the president asks people to wait, as their credit cards get maxed out, their property looted and stolen, and the rest of the country tries to "go on" with their lives.

And, we were the lucky ones...........

I see the red cross and others commercials, asking for money as "the next seven days are critical". But, I do not see the red cross feeding and sheltering those in need.

Last night around midnight, I got an amazing call from a friend who works in emergency preparedness in Chalmette, LA. His blackberry phone got service for a while. They got out of the government building when the city flooded in flatboats. The entire government staff took refuge in a oil refinery. He tried every number he could, and mine got through for some reason. No one had helped them. No food. No water but what they could scavage from the refinery breakroom. People showing up from everywhere. Bodies hanging in the trees, starting to decay in the 96 degree sun.

I do not ask this for me, but for those who have much less than I.

When you do this for the least of these..................

Rich