"YANKEES GO HOME," read a large rectangular piece of glass laying in a pile of trash on Chartres Street. Somebody had spray-painted the sentiment in prison orange on the back of a discarded truck window. This was not an isolated comment but the reflection of a sentiment shared by a many local residents. I reckon that not since the Civil War has there been such a strong sense of resentment toward those northern "carpetbaggers."

Most of the FEMA and insurance money currently flowing into the hands of homeowners will leave the state when the builders go. With the huge labor shortage in New Orleans and urgent deadlines because a damaged roof can lead to other, greater problems, it's a builder's market and there is little quality control.

The company that fixed my mother's roof charged her $2500 to haul away asbestos. Though this expense is covered by her State Farm insurance policy, when she found out that FEMA was making rounds of the neighborhood and hauling for free she told the company she didn't want to pay for asbestos removal. The contractor didn't reduce her bill at all. I'm also curious about where all of these contaminants are being dumped.

Evidently, construction in New Orleans is something of a bureaucratic nightmare. The lines for zoning permits, licenses, etc. are supposed to be horrendous. Sitting in my Mom's kitchen while they drew up the details of the contract, the builder (who's from Ohio) complained about how hard it was for him to do his work, yet the government (according to him) makes it so easy for Mexicans to get work permits in America.

Meanwhile, this seems like the perfect chance for people to be learning a skilled trade, if locals could only afford to move back. Unfortunately, there is very little housing available. Price gouging is common because many landlords have decided to try to turn a profit off some of the well-paid workers.

Inequities are also evident in the living conditions of migrant workers, many have been camping out in City Park without electricity or water for months now. The People's Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition reports that:

"The problems faced by migrant laborers mirror the issues of Katrina survivors. Although city officials have urged displaced people to return and reconstruction workers to come, it has provided no temporary housing. Some of the workers are the “permanently displaced” of other disasters. Survivors of Katrina fear that those workers represent the future of many New Orleanians, unless obstacles to returnees are removed."

The PHRF is working hard to rebuild New Orleans with the participation and leadership of the local community.