And the award goes to....

I got a call yesterday from Decatur City School's Assistant Superintendent, Ed Nichols. He wanted to let me know I had been nominated, by the entire school board, for the Alabama Board of Education Media National Honor Roll Award. The award goes to a journalist who has shown character, good work ethic, dedication and fairness in covering school related stories. I was surprised and flattered! Even if I don't win, I'm honored the school board thought enough of me to nominate me for this award. Knowing that people have confidence in you and like you in this business means more than any award could.

Today is the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I watched NBC's Brian Williams one-hour special coverage last night. It is amazing how much damage is still piled up. Some places look just the same as when the Hurricane hit. I'm bewildered at how the United States can come together and send millions of dollars overseas when a disaster hits but we can't take care of our own homeland. Dont' get me wrong. I believe in helping others but from the looks of New Orleans, Bay St. Louis, Waveland, etc, we need to help ourselves first.

I've got 2 local interviews set up to go along with today's anniversary. One lady who called the office yesterday lost everything living in Mississippi. She made a good point. You continually see the damage and devastation in New Orleans but there are others all along the Gulf Coast who have nothing left to show but concrete slabs. It's like they've been forgotten. So sad.

The part that makes me the most angry is the waste that has gone on. Last night on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, they did a piece about the thousands of trailers sitting in Arkansas, empty. The reporter estimated the cost of building the mobile homes at $300,000, rent on the property at $25,000 a month. The official that was interviewed said something so stupid the reporter should have slapped the white off his face. He said "well, at least when there is another natural disaster. We'll be prepared. I guess its a good idea we've built to many." On top of that, the poor people who don't have homes can't get one of the FEMA trailers to move into. The amount of red tape is ridiculous. Their sits people with nowhere to live and nothing to call home.

I blame President Bush and FEMA for their tremendous lack of response. I wonder if they lost everything they owned in a natural disaster and had no place to live, no money, no job, no food, no clothing, no transportation, if things wouldn't be different. I bet those FEMA trailers would be set up, without question and the debris hauled off at first light. Maybe they should put themselves in someone else's shoes for a while. As my mom says, "it will come back to bite you." It very well may.

I've been on my soap box way to long. I've got to leave and go to Hartselle.

Have a safe day! Pray for those suffering today.