Reply #18: A few more details in the Houston Chronicle's story.

[Bridget Burke]

"People are of two minds on this issue," (Mayor Bill) White said. "They are proud of the competence that Houston showed in responding to Americans in need. But they are also aware that it's not a disaster for nothing. There's a big job that the evacuees and the host community have in getting people on their feet, employed and looking to the future."....

"These results reflect what I'm hearing from my constituents," said U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston. "I think the percentage of people unhappy with the deadbeats from New Orleans would be larger but for the big hearts of Houstonians who want these folks to get back on their feet, as I do.".....

(From the Researcher) "Houston has always been for individualism," he said. "After Katrina we had this moment of extraordinary civic engagement, and I think that's what's going to remain with us. I may be overly optimistic, but that's what I really believe.".....

(Harris County Tax Assessor Paul) Bettencourt is optimistic for another reason — tax receipts are up. Sales taxes have averaged double-digit increases, he said, housing prices are up, and evacuees have attracted some $150 million in loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The evacuees who crowded into the Reliant Astrodome may have been more visible, he said, but there have been just as many residents from New Orleans who bought homes and are actively contributing to the economy.

Crimes committed by evacuees have been featured in the news; evacuees have also been crime victims. How much has the crime rate gone up? Houston was not exactly crime-free before Katrina. As the tax assessor said, a great many evacuees are settling in--so they are NOT in the news.

(These are preliminary results of the study.)

www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/05/katrina/3745006.html