New Orleans Is Sinking

It's America's tsunami. The devastation from the force of Hurricane Katrina was harsh enough. Then came the levee breaks. New Orleans now sits under more than 20 feet of water with no resemblance to the once 'suthan cajun chaahhm' we called 'The Big Easy'.

There is nothing 'easy' about New Orleans anymore. The thousands of lives lost and shattered all along the Gulf Coast will have a lasting impact. Months, no - years, will pass before any significant recovery will be made from this tragic event.

The effects of Katrina are widespread as a result the petroleum shut-down, sending gas prices soaring at the pumps. Overnight, prices in Ottawa jumped by 20 cents per litre. I haven't researched this but I dare say it is the largest single price increase in our history. If there was ever a time for the government to get serious about gas tax relief, it's now. But Paul Martin won't be doing it. He can't be taken serious as a Prime Minister. And, if you think I'm not keeping perspective in the scope of catastrophe, let me assure you many people will be affected at every turn because of this drastic price hit. We'll feel it not just at the pumps but at the grocery store, the bank, our regular shops and services - every single order of business in our lives has just gotten considerably more expensive. And, for many middle income earners who are already carrying the lion's share of the tax load, this will not just be a kick in the teeth to see the government further padding the surplus, it may be the difference on a mortgage default. That's what I'm talking about. Another destroyed home at the will of a an uncaring and/or incompetent government.

Now an impact, albeit minor by comparison but an illustration, nonetheless, of Katrina's extended reach:

Mrs. Woody was to attend a marketing conference at the Hyatt in late September. Here's a shot of the hotel today. Maid, please make up this room.


Below is what it looks like when a levee breaks into a city shaped like a bowl.


CHEZ 106, by the way, has pulled Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" and Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking" from the playlist for an underdermined period. Watch for Program Director Jeff Brown this evening on Entertainment Tonight.

Click here for New Orleans' WWLTV4 Slideshow
Relief donations can be made through The Canadian Red Cross