Road Home Gets In-Flight Review
Well it made the papers.
Congratulations to CHAT, Melanie Ehrlich for her leadership and to K.C. King who in my opinion was most instrumental in initiating the idea, making the case for the in-flight review with LRA and OCD, giving valuable detailed “how to” information to the state officials (whether they acted on it or not) on what the in-flight review should do and how it should report.
Only core CHAT folks know how very much K.C. has given of himself on this one issue and quite frankly, all storm damaged citizens in La. and CHAT are fortunate to have him.
And while K.C.’s work is significant, we must recall that he has also been our spearhead on the elevation issue even before In-Flight. That is a struggle-in-progress. In the words of Fredrick Douglas: “There is no progress without struggle.”
It is a struggle with hope and if things hold true to form I expect the state to re-institute elevation grants using a method suggested by Melanie Ehrlich and CHAT to the Housing Task Force. But because it usually involves a 3 - 4 month delay when dealing with LRA/OCD and ICF between CHAT’s well thought out ideas and the state officials finally “getting” it. It may not be until well into fall before we see real forward moving action.
My hats off to K.C. on this one. Thank You K.C.
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KC has done great work on helping to formulate this review in the later stages.
However, the original idea came from Ed Krause. Ed Krause is an executive with Louisiana Deloitte Services (formerly worked with Bearing). Recently, Ed has given me permission to mention his role in this initiative. Ed is the one who approached CHAT in March after hearing Frank Silvestri and me on a radio show sounding so hopeless about needed reforms of the Road Home Program. He then met with us and gave us the idea of an in-flight review, the blueprint for it, and the assurance that the in-flight could be a strong remedy for RHP ills. He never pushed his industry connections on us in any way.
Ed Krause made a choice to stay in NO rather than leave when his former company left LA. He was happy to learn that the in-flight review has started at last. He is a committed and sincere individual. We need more industry people like him in LA.
Melanie Ehrlich
Co-Chairman, Citizen’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT)
Please fo to http://ChatUsHome.com to complete a few easy steps to help convince Congress to stop the shortfall (no dues or solicitation is involved; we never give your address to anyone else)
I’ve seen KC work and it’s nothing short of a miracle that Southern Louisiana has someone this tenacious and hard working and qualified to make things happen.
Congratulations to KC, to Melanie Ehrlich for her continued contributions to this cause, and to Ed Krause for his work as well. Congrats CHAT!
Laura,
You are certainly correct! KC, with his systems engineering expertise and concern about the recovery, is a great contributor to CHAT and to the State of Louisiana during its reconstruction. We are very lucky to have him too!
Moreover, all the hard-core CHAT members have worked so diligently and well as a team to make these CHAT-recommended improvements in the Road Home Program accepted by RH officials. It takes a team of talented and dedicated people to do what CHAT has been doing. What’s most impressive is that y’all are doing this despite all the stresses, burdens, and extra tasks in your post-Katrina life.
My great thanks to all of you,
Melanie