Anguished relatives still await word on 131 kids

USA TODAY ^ | February 24, 2006 | Wendy Koch

[caryatid]

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[BenLurkin]

On the slim outside chance that these children might have been the recipients of public money -- maybe they should follow up on where the support checks are being delivered.

[caryatid]

If you read the article, it states that a couple of people who did not know where their children were have "continued to make support payments".

I do not know how this works. If they did not know where their children were, who were they sending support payments to? Were they, perhaps, under some sort of court order to pay into a registry of the court or something like that ... for the funds then to be distributed wherever they were supposed to go?

If so, I agree with you ... why didn't "they" simply follow the support payments to their point of destination?

[Admin Moderator]

Gannett forbids even short excerpts, so I'll have to remove #1.

[Mr. Brightside]

Excerpting rules will not allow you to tell us the topic of your post?

[caryatid]

Sorry, Mr. B ... I will go back and look to see what happened after I posted the article. I excerpted several paragraphs and thought they had posted. The Admin Moderator may have had to alter it to fit whatever rules there are. [Wish I knew what they are!]

I will look at it again and try to post at least the gist of the article. Thanks for the post.

[VOA]

It was informative to see the Admin Moderator's comment in post #5.
So much for the 25 or so copies of USA Today that I buy in the course
of a year.

And the MSM wonders why their readerbase is shrinking.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Then I would'nt do them the favor of linking to the crummy article either.

[Mr. Brightside]

Not your fault.

No offense intended.

: )

[caryatid]

Sorry I did not realize that USA Today is a Ganett publication [it's one that I never read].

I will not excerpt the article; but, hope it is all right to give the gist of the information contained therein:

97% of children previously reported as "missing" have been re-united with parents or other relatives.

Six months have elapsed since Hurricane Katrina struck. All but 131 missing children, 5 in MS, and the others in LA, primarily NOLA, have been accounted for.

1,960 people are still reported as "missing" ... it is believed that many of those may simply not want to be "found". This number is down from about 5,000 [the last time I saw numbers reported]. Roughly 10% of these people are reported to be "under the age of 20"; so, many may not really be what I consider "children".

Calls are still being made at the rate of 1200 per day with a "find rate" of about 30 per day.

824 bodies have been identified.
Of those, only 12 were under the age of 21 ... roughly 6.5%.
80% +/- were over the age of 50. Hurricane Katrina victims were disproportionately the "elderly".
That leaves roughly 13.5% of victims for the 21-50 age group.
It is reported that only 86 unidentified bodies remain in LA.

One can only wonder how many of the "missing children" were really being sought by non-custodial "parents" who were really seeking to be relieved of the burden of court ordered support payments. Some of these non-custodial parents showed little interest in their "children" when they knew where they were. Cynical perhaps, but realistic.

I hope it is permitted to synthesize this information ...

[caryatid]

No offense taken.

I lend little credence to anything published in USA Today and never read it ... even when it is left gratis outside a hotel room door!

I will not link to it again and only did so because I have been watching for an update on numbers of people still missing from Katrina.

Cheers!
caryatid

[caryatid]

I couldn't agree more! ... and I won't link to USA Today again.

[caryatid]

I couldn't agree more! ... and I won't link to USA Today again.

[El Gran Salseron]

You're correct. In Louisiana any support payments are sent to the state. It is the responsibility of the state to distribute support payments.

[Mr. Brightside]

Thanks.

I hope your summarizing idea catches on. It seems that every article I want to read is excerpted.

___________________________________________________________________

HILLARY BASHES SOUTHERN CHRISTIANS

New York - Hillary Clinton, speaking before a group of prominent Democrats had this to say about people who attended church every week.

"Anyone who goes to church more than once a month is a..."

(click here to read the rest of the article)

[beezdotcom]

I hope it is permitted to synthesize this information ...

Sorry, Gann*tt has maintain*d that any us* of the 5th l*tt*r of th* alphab*t violat*s th*ir copyright...sinc* you BOTH hav* infring*d upon this prohibition, pl*as* await the arrival of the Jack Boot*d Thugs_TM shortly...

[Mr. Brightside]

I will not link to it again and only did so because I have been watching for an update on numbers of people still missing from Katrina.

Have they called Ohio for Bush yet?

[caryatid]

pl*as* await the arrival of the Jack Boot*d Thugs_TM shortly...

I am shaking in my boots ... LOL

the Jack Boot*d Thugs_TM

... perhaps they will stop off for you first ... note the "e" in "the" before Jack Boot*d ... LOL ...

None of us is safe ...

[caryatid]

You are very welcome! I aim to please.