Response to parish’s poor too slow, SCLC charges

Southern Christian Leadership Conference officials said they are prepared to march in the streets and fill the jails of Terrebonne Parish to rectify what they see as problems in the response of various levels of government in the wake of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

At a rally Saturday outside the Mechanicville Recreational Center, SCLC officials criticized local politicians and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for being too slow in helping lower income people get reimbursements and adequate housing after the storms.

“You have to remember these were mandatory evacuations,” said the Rev. Vincent Fusilier, president of the Terrebonne Parish chapter of the SCLC. “These people spent their mortgage money, their rent money, their utility payment on evacuating. Then they come back and have to spend money out-of-pocket for a generator, food, water and shelter and there’s no reimbursement for them.”

The Rev. Byron Clay, SCLC national vice president, has been in the parish for about a week investigating resident complaints. He said the most prominent complaint is FEMA rejecting legitimate request for assistance from low-income homeowners.

“FEMA is not being sensitive in responding to the needs of the people in this community,” he said. “I heard from a lady who had a tree fall on her house and FEMA said they’re not going to pay for her damages.”

He added, “The federal government can spend billions of dollars on an unjust war in Iraq, but cannot develop a formula to respond effectively and fairly to every community.”

FEMA public information officer Debbie Simon was at the rally. Although she did not address SCLC officials or the two dozen local residents in attendance, she insisted that the federal agency is listening and helping those in the affected communities.

“I’m here to find out what concerns people have and inform them of all the programs that are available to them,” she said. “We’re sending FEMA representatives into all the communities hit by the storms.”

Residents like Katherine Collins and Karin Boudreaux said despite the severe damages to their properties caused by the hurricanes, FEMA has denied their request for assistance.

Collins, whose sole means of income is disability insurance, said a FEMA representative told her the agency would pay for damage to her carport, shed or fence

“You would think a tornado went through my shed because everything is demolished,” she said. “That FEMA rep came to my house and told me that’s not consistent with their guidelines.”

Boudreaux said she lost all her food because of power outages, her house shifted off its foundation, and nearly 30 roof leaks are causing the ceiling to sag due to Hurricane Gustav. Still FEMA rejected her application, she said.

“We fall in the category where because I work and my husband works, we can’t get help from FEMA. We can’t get food stamps. We can’t get help from nobody,” she said. “Everywhere I turn, I get the door slammed in my face. “

SCLC national president Charles Steele Jr. stated that the conditions endured by parish residents such as those at the nearby Senator Circle public housing complex should not be tolerated in America.

“This is classism as well as racism. This is a sign that people don’t care about poor folks,” he said. “We are not going to sit by and let the federal government overlook good Christian people. This is America, not a third world country.”

Steele also chastised local politicians for not attending or getting into the affected communities to hear people’s concerns.

When asked if they invited any local officials to come to the rally, Fusilier stated a few told him they might come. He did not say which officials were asked to attend.

Steele and Clay made it clear that local residents needed to stand up and hold their elected officials accountable.

And if they do, the SCLC is ready put its people and resources behind them 100 percent.

“We have already put some of our national leaders on notice,” Clay said.” We have a number of committed celebrities, movie stars and national civil rights leaders ready when we signal the call for them to come. But the people here got to get together first.”

“We got too many scared folks in office,” Steele said. “The first march should be on their (local politicians) residences.”

After the rally, the SCLC officials toured Senator Circle, where residents were beginning to clean up their apartments. Units were still without power, had mold growing on floors and walls and sewage backing up into the pipes.

Residents claimed Terrebonne Parish Housing Authority Director Wayne Thibodeaux sent the complex’s housing manager Troy Johnson to inform them they still had to pay rent when it is due.

“Why the hell we got to pay rent?” asked Debbie Watkins, who has lived in the Circle for five years. “I’m on a fixed income. I haven’t stayed in my apartment for two weeks. Nobody can live there with all that mold on the walls.”

Calls to Thibodeaux and Johnson for comment were unsuccessful.

The Rev. Clay was adamant the SCLC would not give up its campaign in Terrebonne Parish until residents receive the help they deserve.

“Wherever people are hurting, the SCLC is ready to come in and help in a just cause,” he said. “Wake up Houma. Wake up Terrebonne.”

The Rev. Vincent Fusilier (at far right), Dr. Charles Steele Jr. (far left) and the Rev. Dr. Byron Clay (next to Steele) of the Southern Christian Leaderhip Conference discuss living conditions at Senator Circle with resident Tamika Payne and her cousin, the Rev. Vernell Johnson, and his daughter Tajhaneka. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF