Step 6: definitely key, create an unsafe environment where even sensible people have no legal means to live or just survive. Then portray good folks who are just trying to survive as uncivilized. Then allow criminals to take over the city and get outraged when criminals do things criminals do.
Step 10: make it appear that government dependents are the only ones getting FEMA money. There were a lot of white and black folks with big houses and hefty savings accounts who got money. Hell, there were even out-of-state trust fund Tulane and Loyola kids who go hooked up from FEMA (fyi…not saying all Tulane and Loyola undergrad are out-of-state trust fund kids, just some, well maybe most)
Step 13: of course this was due to the locality of flooding and levee breaches, but when you see folks back home with electric and water while there are roadblocks in front your hood, that does something to you.
Step 14: I actually think Blanco did a decent job in the immediately hours, days, and weeks after the storm. However Road Home and LRA is all her fault. That’s the reason why Jindal would have destroyed her had she tried to see re-election (fyi…not saying Jindal is a lock to become governor, but Blanco couldn’t beat him)
Step 15 & 17: I don’t know, as of today New Orleans has something like 35 different school systems presiding over 50 schools (just my estimates). Public education in the city was generally horrible before Katrina, only way to go is up. A la Richard Pryor I gotta ask, “which way is up?”, charter schools? The state (of Louisiana) taking over the schools?
Step 19: need to add change zoning ordinances to prohibit multi-family housing
Step 20: the lack of adequate public transport amazes me. No, dawdling, slow, streetcars don’t count as adequate.
Step 22: still wondering (along with a number of people and the courts) is this is even legal?
Step 25: never though of this before but definitely right on
Step 28: boy this one hurts bad because I’ve had some involvement with a few of these processes and plans. You hope planners are making things better. You hope?
Step 32: New Orleans is a city defined by its legacy of race.
Just my thoughts.
2 comments:
N.O. had/has a real opportunity to make good changes to the city. I persoally think the opportunity has passed and now will become worse than it has ever been for he middle class and poor people. There are very few job opportunities, housing prices market is ballooning and even if you find an affordable home, the insurance may be exclusive, and crime is just rediculous there now. No one seems to have a sense of urgency about the city. And for that I blame our elected officials. The common citizen can only do so much. The officials need to make things happen.
Freddy, I hope to see you there...
--------------- Kim
The second annual Rising Tide conference will be held August 24-26, 2007, at the New Orleans Yacht Club. This is a NOLA blogger-organized and supported conference featuring speakers, panels, breakout sessions, and other dialogs on the future of the city of New Orleans.
This year's emphasis is on ground-level, grass-roots efforts. It has become clear to those of us in south Louisiana that we will have to watch the watchmen, as well as take the upper hand in setting the city back on track. To that end, there will be presentations on local politics and how to influence them, making civics sexy, sustainability, levee engineering, and media outreach.
The keynote speaker is Dave Zirin, author of Welcome to the Terrordome, published by Haymarket Press, a columnist for SLAM Magazine, a regular contributor to the Nation Magazine, and a regular op-ed writer for the Los Angeles Times. Timothy Ruppert, president of the Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, will give a comprehensive report on the status of our levee protection two years after the failure of the federal levees brought catastrophe to New Orleans. Matt McBride of Fix the Pumps will present via video conference. Panelists will include community activists Karen Gadbois of Squandered Heritage, Bart Everson of B.Rox, and Peter Athas of Adrastos, muckraking blogger Mark Moseley of Your Right Hand Thief, New Orleans political sage Michael Duplantier and author Joshua Clark (Heart Like Water).
On Friday, August 24, there will be a party at Buffa's Lounge featuring the work of New Orleans videographers, and Sunday is reserved for a hands-on service project in aid of the NOLA school system. At the Buffa's party, we are serving cocktail party-type food, but there will be a cash bar.
The weekend's events costs $20 per person. This includes admission to the Friday night party at Buffa's, Saturday's events at the New Orleans Yacht Club (including morning coffee and croissants and lunch from Dunbar's), and participation in the Sunday service project. Please register to attend using the PayPal link on the website. If you don't use PayPal, feel free to call or e-mail me to reserve your space at the conference and, more importantly, your lunch from Dunbar's. We have no problem with people paying at the door, we just need to know that you are coming.
There will, of course, be liveblogging of the event, and materials available online. If you can't come, there is also a paypal link if you'd care to donate (this is a non-profit endeavor). Feel free to contact us through the website, or ask questions by replying to this e-mail. Rising Tide's toll-free phone number is: 866-910-2055.
Although I am sending this e-mail to over 200 people, I'm sure I'm missing some. Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested. Unless they have a blog or have expressed interest in the past, they are probably not on my e-mail list. Also, bloggers, please spread the word on your blogs!
Thanks for your support, Kim Marshall
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