This is a letter to the New York Times that my friend Cheryl sent in. She was the director of Teach for America in New Orleans, and was lucky enough to evacuate the city in time last week. Knowing Cheryl who's very vocal and pro-active, I have a feeling she had plenty more to say about the government's inefficiency and early incompetency in dealing with New Orleans:

To the Editor:

Re "Despair and Lawlessness Grip New Orleans as Thousands Remain Stranded in Squalor" (front page, Sept. 2):

As a now-former resident of New Orleans, given my evacuation, I am shocked by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and appalled by our government's response to the disaster in my city. Despite the years of warnings given by Senator Mary L. Landrieu and others about this possibility, federal spending was continuously cut and threats of this destruction were ignored.

What I've read about only in third-world countries - hunger, rape, looting and death - is now happening in my former home, and I feel sick knowing there aren't enough people or resources to get this chaos under control because our government ignored the broken system for so long.
It is the good will of the millions of Americans who are currently donating money, resources and their own services that will save the people in New Orleans while our government twiddles its thumbs and literally leaves my neighbors behind.

Cheryl Bratt
Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Sept. 2, 2005

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Has anyone heard anything about the government supposedly risking this catastrophe because if the land was deemed uninhabitable after a major catastrophe, they would be able to drill for oil in that area? I know there are always an abundance of conspiracy rumors and when it comes to money, nothing our government does surprises me, but I was wondering if anyone had any credible sources or links.