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State of the Union: Reactions from New Orleans
"Just like I feel like the government should get into disaster relief insurance, I think the government should get into health insurance and drive down the payments..."
By Brett Myers
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President George W. Bush addressed the nation with a State of the Union speech this week, laying out some new domestic initiatives like tax breaks for health care coverage. But he left out some major issues worrying Americans, like the slow pace of rebuilding in the Gulf Coast. Youth Radio producer Brett Myers spent time with the Robinson family in New Orleans as they listened to the President’s address. They were among the first families to return to the 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina hit. Robert, the Dad, Angelique, the Mom, and their 15-year-old daughter Angelica shared their thoughts on what the president had to say, and what he left out.
ROBERT (on tape)
He didn’t say anything about New Orleans and Katrina. I’m Robert Robinson the father of the household. I feel like he should have talked about that. This city is still suffering. The government hasn’t made any significant inroads to help us. We’re still trying to recover. But he made promises that I don’t see being kept.
It needs to be addressed because this city will never get back on its feet without all New Orleanians who are displaced by the storm. Without them being here, New Orleans will never be New Orleans again.
ANGELIQUE (on tape)
My name is Angelique Robinson. Being a mother that once taught in New Orleans Public Schools, I would want to have more dedication to education, because I believe the better your education is, the better for society and for community.
ANGELICA (on tape)
My name is Angelica Robinson and I’m 15 years old.
Instead of just touching on it, like he touched on the No Child Left Behind policy, I would have made it a top priority, just like he made the Iraq war and things like that a top priority.
Maybe talk about there’s a lot of people dying because of drugs and just stupid murdering and stuff like that.
ROBERT (on tape)
For years and years and years we’ve been lied to about those levvys being safe. Every year those levvys had been inspected by the Corp of Engineers, and every year we were told those levvys were strong and a lot of people believed it. And who is the Corp of Engineers? The government. And maybe he didn’t want to talk about that because the government is directly responsible for what happened down here – especially in New Orleans.
ANGELICA(on tape)
He should bring the troops back home, because it doesn’t make no sense for other people to die in a war. In a senseless war.
ANGELIQUE (on tape)
And it’s like all these people dying – it’s like does life mean anything? How many more people have to die? And that can’t be the right direction if you have many people dying.
ROBERT (on tape)
I own my own business and I don’t have health care for my kids. If one of them got sick, I would have to take them to a charity hospital or a public hospital to get them taken care of because insurance is not affordable.
Just like I feel like the government should get into disaster relief insurance, I think the government should get into health insurance and drive down the payments that you would have to make for insurance so everyone can afford it. I’d love to be able to have health insurance for all of my children, but it’s just out of my reach.
- Mr. Robinson is the author of seven books, including his most recent book, Through The Storm, which chronicles his family's struggle to survive and overcome the challenges and dangers
of hurricane Katrina. To check out a link to his publisher's page, click here.
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