Road Home Shenanigans?

I have no evidence I trust.

Recently several people have told me that they believe the Road Home grants were being steered toward Democratic Party faithful. I don't believe it. Or at least I can't figure out how to verify it.

I can tell you my application has been in process for 4 months (more that double the time I was told it would take). All we can find out is that our award was recalculated last on April 10. Why an award needs to be recalculated at all is somewhat beyond me. Perhaps they want to give us more money but I can't imagine why we can't be asked for (OR GIVEN) more information to clarify any discrepancies. Or even informed of reason the award was being recalculated.

As of today May 20, 2007 The Road Home reports that,

●	Average benefit calculation:	$75,550
●	Closings held:	16,874

This extends to $1,274,830,700.00 grants closed (and I hope paid without further modifications).

This is only about 25% of the amount in the bucket already approved.

War of the Worlds - 2005

Does anyone but me wonder why in 2005 there were three movies released based on War of the Worlds by H. G Wells published in 1898
?First H. G Wells' War of the Worlds by David Michael Latt.


The most advertised was the Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise.

Then finally there was the period piece War of the Worlds by Timothy Hines, it at least attempted to maintain the period of the original, novel which attempted to challenge the arrogance of the Victorian era. That arrogance is much more apparent in hindsight, as if we needed any reminders.

The the famous 1938 Orson Wells radio play


and the classic 1953 George Pal movie version should have been enough.

Unless someone had a much much better idea.

It's still a mystery to me why in 2005 this all came together.

I knew this would happen.

After 9/11 when there was an imperative to do something, Congress and especially the Democrats did what they knew how, hire more government employees. Never mind that the existing security screeners had not failed and any weapons that might have been used were within the rules established by government employees.

I distrusted this original assertion. I was certain that eventually TSA employees would try to organize union when political climate was prospicious. All of this in spite of the civil service protection these employees enjoy including the generous benefits. I was sure that eventually TSA employees would strike.

As soon as the Democrats took over Congress there started to appear stories that TSA employees were beginning to organize, something Congress specifically disavowed when TSA was established, due to the importance of the duties of the TSA.

None of this matters.

The transition of TSA from a security service to a Government Agency has already begun. Over the last several months during my frequent travels through Atlanta I have noticed that TSA employees are no longer attempting to serve the traveling public. They are beginning to see the public as a product to be processed like cattle in the stockyards.

As I go through an airport I am seldom addressed as "Sir" (not that I deserve it) but common courtesy is diminishing. For example TSA employees are no longer promptly returning the plastic tubs to the beginning of the waiting line, requiring passengers to retrieve their own tubs. Often many security screening stations are closed while passengers wait 45 minutes to clear security. I also see more "supervisors" standing around doing nothing apparent. Passengers are increasingly bombarded by announcements from seated functionaries directing the cattle toward the stocks and defining appropriate behavior.

I think my freedom is far more threatened by the Government Employee than by the government contractor.

At times I feel like I'm in Neworleanistan

How is it nearly all political candidates black and white are related by marriage at least to other current or former elected officials.

The plain truth is the the majority of African Americans in New Orleans are relatively recent (in New Orleans terms ) immigrants from outside. There has been, as far as I can tell, no one elected from these immigrants unless you count Pat Swilling (a celebrity and football star). Now I have met Pat and he seems a completely honest and competent person. He is however only one person I can think of..

A Road Home Milestone

According to the latest Statistics the Louisiana Road Home has now held more closing than the Mississippi Home Owner Assistance Program -Phase One. This is a milestone of sorts, of course the Louisiana program has 130,828 applicants and the Mississippi Program has only 18,753. Still it's something and it only took twenty months to achieve.

Latest Statistics as of April 30, 2007

●	Total applications received and recorded to date:	130,828
●	Appointments held: Initial Appointments Held: Advisory Services Appointments Held:	105,271 101,140 4,131
●	Benefits calculated:	70,053
●	Total Benefit Options Selected: Option 1: Option 2: Option 3:	36,666 31,108 4,439 1,119
●	Amount of benefits calculated:	$5.31 billion
●	Average benefit calculation:	$75,858
●	Closings scheduled:	2,952*
●	Closings held:	13,753

According to the Mississippi Web Site as of April 25, 2007 May 2, 2007, Mississippi had closed 13,546 13,597 grants. Of course Mississippi has fewer than 2500 grants left to process, while Louisiana has well over a 100,000.