Broken Social Systems

The state of Louisiana has a rich history dating back hundreds of years and many generations, first as a colony, then as a territory, and finally as a state. Within that history rests many long-standing traditions, both good and bad.

Unfortunately, one of those traditions that has developed throughout the past decades includes broken social systems that do not adequatly serve the needs of the state's citizens. These broken social systems have affected all reaches of the state and have produced generational challenges. Such broken social systems cause extreme vulnerabilities for regions of the state, towns, neighborhoods, families, and individuals.

Making matters worse is the fact that these vulnerabilities further weaken our ability to absorb powerful blows delivered by natural and man-made disasters and exacerbate the impacts of those disasters, especially as it relates to our ability to recover from them.

These broken systems create daily "disasters" that are generational in nature for individuals who are already vulnerable and lead to poorly educated and unhealthy populations with very few resources and opportunities available to them. In essense, broken social systems lead to generational poverty and other highly vulnerable situations that slow recovery efforts and cause families and individuals to be susceptible to further catastrophic situations.

Key Recovery Corps positions related to broken social systems:

• The state of Louisiana must align its social systems so that they work in unison and effectively provide for the state's citizens seeking their services
• The state's social systems must be reconstructed so that they are accessible to all, especially those families with children, the elderly, and those with disabilities
• All of the state's social systems must employ strict accountability measures to ensure that resources provided by taxpayers are not mismanaged or wasted
• State agencies providing social services must track all financial resources associated with the various social services they provide while also demonstrating the positive impacts on Louisiana citizens associated with the provision of those services