Wave Goodbye to the Hat!

A while back, I asked, "Does New Orleans Need a DA?". Turns out, New Orleans does need a DA, just not Eddie Jordan. According to WDSU, Eddie will have to step down if he wants the city to pay for his lawsuit: Sources: Eddie Jordan To Resign

Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan was unlikely to get a bailout on the $3.7 million payment from the city or state. Officials had said they wouldn't consider paying for the lawsuit unless Jordan stepped down.

Yeah! Yeehaw! Woohoo! If you wonder what my opinion is, you can read my entry, "Racism in New Orleans Takes a Hit".

See ya Eddie! Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

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Ignorant Comparisons of New Orleans and San Diego

The New York Times has a good article that responds to the ignorant comparisons between the fires in California and the flooding that Katrina caused in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, A Firestorm, a Deluge and a Sharp Political Dig.

George Bush's asinine comment, “It makes a significant difference when you have somebody in the Statehouse willing to take the lead.” does nothing to help anyone or the situation. He just needs to shut up and leave office. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe Blanco is an idiot and having a strong governor, like Texas' Rick Perry (not like baby bush Jeb Bush), could have improved the lot of many people. That does not excuse the COMPLETE lack of federal response nor the pathetic political mongering that the white house has done since. George Bush plays with people's lives.

Some facts:

But people on the Gulf Coast say that even if the state and local response had been perfect, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina might not have looked much different. So far, there have been roughly 1,875 homes destroyed by the California wildfires; a White House report says 300,000 homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the storm. In California, fires consumed roughly 475,000 acres; more than 52 million acres were affected in the Gulf Coast, said Senator Mary L. Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat.

“I think you’re comparing a paper cut to an amputation,” said Sally Forman, the former press secretary to Mayor C. Ray Nagin of New Orleans and author of a new book, “Eye of the Storm: Inside City Hall During Katrina.” “We had no communication capability, we could not drive on our roads, we had 80 percent of our city under water, we had no power.”

1,875 homes versus 300,000. 475,000 acres versus 52,000,000 acres. Transportation was nearly unavailable in New Orleans due to flooded roads. Transportation was nearly unavailable in the rest of the Gulf Coast due to downed bridges, houses in the streets and no power.

Here's a personal message to George Bush: Shut up.

LewisC

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Not Untrue but Misinformed From India

One of the topics that I spend a lot of time on is New Orleans news from places outside New Orleans. I like to see how other people see New Orleans. I especially like news about New Orleans from outside the US. The point of views can be fascinating.

Along those lines, I found an article in The Hindu. The Hindu bills itself as Online edition of India's National Newspaper. This particular article, After the floods, is written by Anjali Kamat and was posted on September 23, 2007.

I don't want top say that the author got it wrong as much as I want to say he is misinformed. For one thing, he starts off with a picture labeled, "Now a Wasteland." Excuse me, New Orleans is not a wasteland. True, there are plenty of areas that need work. Some areas haven't even started work. Calling it a wasteland damages your credibility though.

With all of the half-truths and misinformation in this article, there is one comment that really stands out as being just plain ignorant.

Visiting the post-Katrina landscape of New Orleans is a bit like time travel. It’s a crash course in the long and shameful history of American poverty, injustice, slavery, and racial segregation. But it’s also a window into the future of what other cities in the United States and perhaps across the world could soon look like. That privatised, gentrified, and militarised future is unmistakeably bleak and terrifying.

After a statement like that, you would think the author would provide some information to back up the statement but not in this case. It's a drive-by insulting aimed at New Orleans and all of the US.

But, as I said above, there are some very true statements in the article:

Two years after the flood, little has changed at the Lower Ninth Ward. The scene is eerily reminiscent of images from days after the hurricane.

Or this:

After two years of wrangling with the bureaucracy, owners who had finally received federal money to rebuild their homes returned only to find their houses demolished and their property seized by the city. Meanwhile rent prices had skyrocketed by almost 200 per cent.

The insane cost of living that is currently biting New Orleans is particularly vexing. Until there is additional housing, rent will remain high. With insurance and taxes out of control, I don't see it getting better any time soon.

This following paragraph is a prime example of, almost paranoid, misinformation.

The city’s elite called Katrina a godsend that “cleaned up” the crime-ridden projects. But all Stephanie could talk about was how much she misses the sense of community at the projects. She now lives in Survivors Village, a rat-infested “tent city,” erected in protest by former public housing residents like herself, right across the street from her old home.

Who, in New Orleans, called Katrina a "godsend"? I think they got that from the K-Ville pilot episode.

Even though this article is mostly wrong or warped, I still like reading what people in other places are thinking. The downside to reading this is that I have to ask myself, "Is this the image New Orleans is broadcasting to the world?"

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New Orleans News From Qatar

From The Penninsula, Qatar's Leading English Daily, Mobile health units set up in New Orleans with Qatar Katrina fund.

Qatar was one of the first foreign countries to respond to Katrina and offer assistance. If I'm not mistaken, they offered assistance even before Bush did. Go figure.

March of Dimes, the international agency involved in preventing birth defects of new-born babes, has introduced three mobile health units in New Orleans, by utilising "Qatar Katrina Fund", last week.

With the impacts to health care in New Orleans, gifts like these mean so much more to the locals than do platitudes from US politicians who stop by every few months and make promises on which they never deliver.

“With the Emir's fund, the March of Dimes purchased three mobile health units to provide parental and early paediatric care for mothers and children living in hurricane-damaged areas. These mobile health vans include private examination rooms, waiting areas and nurses' stations, and they are equipped with foetal monitors, ultrasound machines and other medical equipment. A mobile unit is already making an average 35 patient-visits each week, and is expected to serve over 4000 patients throughout the course of the project,” he said.

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Bollinger Shutting Down New Orleans Yard

I just read on NOLA.com that Bollinger Shipyards is closing its New Orleans ship yard. Bollinger makes and repairs many kinds of ships.

They're closing down because it's very likely that the Mississippi Gulf Outlet, the short cut from New Orleans to the Gulf, will be closed down by the Army Corps of Engineers.

All 80 employees currently employed there have been offered jobs at other bollinger sites.

This is a bummer.

K-Ville in the New York Times

The NYT had a good write up about K-Ville, Cop Show Comes Calling in Battered New Orleans. I don't particularly like NYT because, for many articles, you have to log in. This headline caught my eye though.

I have three hopes for K-Ville.

1) I hope it doesn't get cancelled. I heard that The Sarah Conner Chronicles will be moving to Monday nights and will displace K-Ville. Uhoh, not good.

2) I hope the shows keeps showing more and more of the precinct and the other officers. I like the story line with ex-partner Charlie, too.

3) I hope, keeping #1 in mind, that the series is very successful over the long term. I don't know if you remember Frank's Place but I hope K-Ville is much more successful. I think having a series every week that keeps New Orleans in people's minds could be very beneficial.

The article says that some people are bothered that in New Orleans, people don't refer to the city as K-Ville. That's true but I have read it quite a bit. I read it from people natives and non-natives. I think the title is a non-issue. I mean it's a TV show for christ's sake. It beats reality TV and Dr Phil.

Best Quote: Employment and other economic benefits are at the heart of that welcome. Ms. Day said that 80 percent of the crew on the show is local. “It takes eight days to film an episode,” she said. “Over that eight days a little more than a million dollars is pumped into the local economy.”

Wikipedia has a write up about K-Ville. Short but good. I'm sure info will be added to it over time.

Racism in New Orleans Takes a Hit

This entry was originally posted in August. I'm consolidating my New Orleans postings in a single blog (this one).

Justice has been served in a racism case that was watched across the US. In 2003, incoming District Attorney Eddie Jordan, who is black, fired over 50 white employees and replaced them with black employees. In 2005, a court found the DA guilty of violating the employees' civil rights.

Jordan appealed, and just this week, the appeals court rejected all points of the appeal and said that Jordan must pay almost US$ 4 million to the defendants and pay court costs for the appeals. The original case found that Jordan's office must pay back pay and damages (minimal from the looks of it). With the appeal, interest has accrued and that's bumped the dollar amount up.

Since Jordan was sued as the N.O. DA, the tax payers will have to pay the money. That part of it sucks but I am glad this instance of racism was brought to light and that the fired employees get back pay. I think they should also get their jobs back, Eddie Jordan's replacements should be fired and Eddie impeached for racism. La doesn't have a stellar record of keeping crooks out of office though.

Racism from the block New Orleans politicos shouldn't surprise anyone. Nagin and his "Chocolate City" comments were the shot heard round the world. Where is Rev Jackson? Where is Sharpton? Where is the NAACP? Shouldn't all of these "fighters for equality and justice for all" be cheering this verdict? Or are they bigots and racists?

They are willing to march in the streets at a perceived slight to a black person but turn a blind eye to this. Which is worse? A blatant racist or one who hides it? I say they're about the same.

According to popular press and pundits, most of the misery of Katrina was directed at blacks and racism played a huge part in people not getting out of New Orleans before the flooding. I know for a fact that there was plenty of misery for everyone, white and black.

I think the main reason New Orleans was ignored was that, when they vote, they primarily vote democrat and are mostly poor (white or not). Three of the four hardest hit parishes in La were a majority white population.

I am sick of hearing about the corruption of New Orleans and Louisiana politicians (black and white). I'm ready for Nagin, Blanco, Jefferson, et al to just leave. Pack up and go. I'm sick of the current set of US politicians too. The 2008 elections can't get here fast enough for me. The worst thing is who will replace Bush?

Who will you vote for your new Governor? It is painful to believe that Nagin was reelected mayor of New Orleans and is now considering a run for governor.

Well, this has turned into a rant so I will stop here. I just want to end this with a call to move away from the racism and politics as usual of the past. New Orleans needs to build a new future. I hope that future starts soon.

LewisC

Kaiser Post-Katrina Baseline Survey

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released The Future of New Orleans: Young Adults in the Greater New Orleans Area. According to the paper, this was a series of face to face interviews conducted in the Fall of 2006 with about 1500 current residents of New Orleans.

The survey was to find out how people were feeling about living in New Orleans and what their plans were. By and large, it looks like a traumatized population.

The future of New Orleans depends in part on the strength of its residents and their commitment to the area. One of the most encouraging findings from the survey, as previously reported, is that the vast majority of younger and older residents say they plan to stay in the area. However, a finding of potential concern is that young adults (18 percent) are more likely than their older counterparts (8 percent) to say they’re planning or seriously considering moving away from the area.

Those numbers don't really surprise me. Almost everyone in my family was negatively affected by Katrina, some more than others, but I am the only immediate family member not living there. People from New Orleans want to live in New Orleans. The numbers do say that people who moved to New Orleans after Katrina are more likely to want to leave. Again, not very surprising.

Many young adults reported suffering significant setbacks as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Similar to their older counterparts, more than a third (35 percent) of 18-34 year-olds reported that their general life satisfaction was lower now than before the storm, including nearly half (45 percent) of young adults in Orleans Parish.

While the above paragraph was not surprising to me, the following was:

Despite these setbacks, when it comes to recovering from the effects of the hurricane, most young adults (71 percent) say their lives have largely or almost returned to normal since Katrina. In fact, in Orleans Parish, young adults are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to say their lives are back to normal.

I don't know anyone who says that life is anywhere near back to normal. Even traffic patterns have been skewed since the storm. Housing is nearly unaffordable (when you can find it). The number of doctors in town is still way off and half the hospitals are still closed. I can't imagine such a high number saying life is getting back to normal.

Kaiser has additional resources that you can use to get more information about this survey. To me, this is a very important survey, because like Kaiser, I think the youth in New Orleans will have a large impact of the success of any New Orleans recovery.

LewisC

Obama’s Plan to Restore New Orleans

Obama's got a plan. I'll try not to be cynical and give him the benefit of the doubt. He's a fairly new politician so maybe he actually means what he says.

From the NY Times, Obama’s Plan to Restore New Orleans. His planned approach is a welcome one:

The Gulf Coast restoration, Mr. Obama said, has been weighed down by red tape that has kept billions of dollars from reaching Louisiana communities. As president, he said, he would streamline the bureaucracy, strengthen law enforcement to curb a rise in crime and immediately close the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in order to restore wetlands to protect against storms.

As is his plan to appoint a czar (let's not call it an overseer):

Mr. Obama, according to details provided by his campaign, said he would appoint a chief coordinating officer to “cut through bureaucratic obstacles” and a chief financial officer “to minimize waste and abuse.” Only about 40 percent of the money allocated by FEMA to rebuild schools, hospitals and other infrastructure has reached Louisiana communities, he said, which could be improved upon with better coordination.

I honestly think that one is the most significant.

He also wants to start a drug enforcement agency in New Orleans and start a "Cops for Katrina" program to hire more police and prosecutors. I wonder how all of this will be paid?

LewisC

Katrina - A Second, Melancholy Anniversary

Originally posted on 8/29/2007.

I am feeling somewhat melancholy and homesick today. More so than last year. I'm not sure why. Things have gotten better in New Orleans but for some reason I am more depressed this year as the anniversary rolls around. Maybe it's because two years later and things aren't further along.

My mom is moving out of her trailer at the end of this month. Housing is outrageous. My nephews have jobs. I have two less siblings this year than I did two years ago. I didn't think it was possible for New Orleans to have fewer IT jobs than it did several years ago but that is the unfortunate truth.

So, today, I will leave you with two NPR stories. You can follow the links to hear the recordings.

The first is titled: Dear New Orleans: I'm Leaving You. This is the story of a reporter, a non-native, who had adopted New Orleans as her home. A female representative of Generation K. Eve from K-Ville. Maybe that makes her a native.

The story isn't so much about her as it is about the sadness and the crime permeating the city two years after Katrina. The big easy that is less easy. Her feelings about New Orleans seem to be a lot like mine:

They don't understand that I'm in love. I talk to friends about New Orleans like a dysfunctional romance. I gush over it one day, then call up bawling and heartbroken the next. Why can't it change? Stop being self-destructive and violent? It has so much potential.

I don't live in New Orleans anymore. I don't know if I ever will. But I am still a local. I always will be. There is something about New Orleans that forces that on you. Even through the embarrassment of re-electing Nagin, I will forever be a child born in Mercy Hospital.

The reporter, Eve, is leaving New Orleans after a friend being murdered, after friends being mugged, after being mugged herself. I wish her the best. Go to the link above and listen to the audio. It's worth a few minutes.

The next story is a little different. Another non-native but one that went the other direction. From sensing an initial futility to being hopeful. Amid Lingering Chaos, Hope for New Orleans' Future, is a story about a reporter who has been reporting on New Orleans for the last two years.

He's seen the rebuilding struggle but understands what a special place New Orleans is. What special people New Orleanians are. Even though it is special, it has always had its issues:

Because the fact is, long before Katrina, New Orleans — a unique gem, with its own architecture, food and musical styles — was in many ways a broken city.

Poverty was endemic, the schools were among the worst in the nation, public housing was a mess, streets and other infrastructure badly needed fixing, and political corruption was a fact of life that led many to believe things couldn't change for the better.

And that's all true. I can't argue with that. It's been that way as long as I can remember. I don't know what kind of ratings my schools had. When I saw the picture of my elementary school under 4 feet of water, I cried. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world thought of it, it was my school.

The first time I went back to my mom's house afterwards, and saw the walls gutted, I felt sick. I could see from one end of the house to the other. Nothing in the way except studs, pipes and wires. Most of the wires needed to be replaced. She was fortunate. She was able to sell the house and move out (and on).

The fact is, with all the corruption, with all of the broken promises (at the federal, state and local levels), with the abandonment of the insurance companies, New Orleans and the surrounding areas are moving on. It is sometimes painful and very often difficult, but New Orleans is a special place.

It's a mix that was created by Spanish, French, African-American, Creole, Italian, Irish and Cajun influences. Add to that mix the Vietnamese of the Versailles neighborhood, who have pulled together to rebuild their neighborhood without waiting for outside help. New Orleans continues to defy planners, just as it defies order. If you want nice, go to Disney World.

I second that.

LewisC

What is K-Ville? Why is New Orleans called K-Ville?

Two questions that I have been asked and have been seeing in forums.

K-Ville is a new series coming in September starring Blake Shields, Cole Hauser, Maximiliano Hernandez, Anthony Anderson, John Carroll Lynch & Tawny Cypress.

K-Ville is also a new name for New Orleans. Note that people who live in New Orleans, do not call it K-Ville.

Why is New Orleans called K-Ville? It means Katrinaville. I don't know who first coined the term but it was first used not long after Katrina hit.

Technically, I guess it could mean any place inundated by Katrina and that would include a large portion of the gulf coast. I typically hear it referring specifically to New Orleans, though.

A good description that I read some time back is in this article in the Guardian Unlimited, Hell and high water.

Katrina-ville is not just a trailer park. It is also a state of mind. It is a Checkhovian nightmare of bureacracy, corruption and insurance rip-offs that has plagued the region devastated by the storm and slowed reconstruction to a disgraceful crawl. It is of politicians unable to rise to the challenge. It is why New Orleans has still not unveiled a rebuilding plan. It is why $2bn of reconstruction funds have been wasted or stolen. It is the corruption that allowed 1,100 prison inmates to claim $10m in rental relief or saw renovations for an Alabama shelter eventually cost $416,000 per evacuee (more than the cost of a new home each).

For Musicians, The Katrina Effect

The New York Times recently had a good article about the impact that Katrina has had on local musicians: The Katrina Effect, Measured in Gigs. It's a good article but pretty sad. For a city known as much for it's music as it is for its food and good times, the fact that very talented musicians can't get work pretty much sucks.

Of course, since Katrina, it's been hard for every one. There's no reason it wouldn't be hard for musicians. It's just a shame that one of New Orleans' main tourist attractions, and one of the things that improves everyone's morale, is having such difficulties. The fear is that if the musicians can't get gigs in New Orleans, will they go where they can?

The Times article has some important figures. They are disturbing, but not unexpected, for anyone living in the area:

Conventions, typically a strong source of music gigs, are running at 70 percent of 2004 levels, but leisure travel remains far below pre-Katrina levels, according to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Over all, visitors generated $2.9 billion in spending in 2006, down from $4.9 billion in 2004, according to the bureau. About 3.7 million people visited the city in 2006, compared with more than 10 million in 2004.

But the article is as much about the good parts of New Orleans as it is about the bad. It covers details about Tipitina's that I didn't know. For example, I didn't know it was created a place for Professor Longhair to play late in his career. I first saw the Prof at Jazzfest in my early teens. I didn't make it to Tipitina's until my late teens and it was never a regular hang out for me.Tipitina's has a chartable arm called The Tipitina Foundation that has given away $1.5 million and raised tens of millions for local musicians. The also have offices where musicians can use computers and search for gigs. Habitat for Humanity is creating a "musician's village" where musicians can live.

Times are hard for everyone right now. I don't know anyone with a lot of spare cash. Most of the people I know with any extra at all are pumping it into rebuilding their homes.

Everybody needs a break though. When you take yours, head to Tipitina's and raise a beer to the professor or take a walk through the quarter. Listen to the music and tip a musician.

LewisC

StopSDT.org: St. Bernard Parish Politics as Usual?

It's bad enough that Katrina took away people's homes and livelihoods but to have greedy businessmen ruin what's left, and worse, have the local politicians ignore it, is reprehensible.

I read an entry on craigslist about a Chalmette businessman named Sidney Torres. This businessman has opened an industrial waste removal facility in a suburban neighborhood. The property is zoned as commercial but not as industrial.

According to the web site, StopSDT.org, port-a-potties and human waste removal trucks are stored right outside of people's homes. There are photos on the site and even videos showing the waste facility in action.

Apparently, the residents of this neighborhood have even gotten a cease and desist order but local government officials refuse to enforce it.

These people do not want to live across the street from a waste center, especially human waste. Would you? Better yet, would Mr. Torres?

The latest update I can find on the site has the following:

8/8/08 Update - Today we met with Television reporters and news cameras at our home on Virtue Street. Sidney caught wind of this and personally showed up at his waste facility. He quickly shut down the entire facility so the news cameras couldn't catch his dump in action. Can you say "I'm GUILTY!!!"???

Go to the web site, StopSDT.org, browse around and let other people know about this.

LewisC

Can Nagin Just Say Thanks!

I originally wrote this on Aug 7, 2007. As we approach the second anniversary of Katrina, I know there are many things on people's minds. Thoughts about what they lost, about what they still have, family who are gone and those who remain. One thought I think we all should have is appreciation for people around the country who have helped. Many of them are still helping.

I was reading an article in the Staten Island Advance, a local news paper in Staten Island, New York. The article, printed just the other day, Aug 4, 2007, was titled: "Lending Hands, Hearts to New Orleans". This article shows that people from all over the US are still thinking, and still giving to New Orleans.

The Rev. Dave Watson said: "Last month I had the privilege of leading a team of 15 members of our church family, Calvary Chapel, to participate in rebuilding and ministering efforts in New Orleans. Two years after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina the city is still in ruins. Sadly, it looks as if the hurricane was just last week and the work of rebuilding has just started." He continued: "Over and over as we worked in the shadow of the Superdome, I shook my head in disbelief, mumbling, This! In America?"

It's true, too. Too much of New Orleans hasn't even begun rebuilding yet. Too many places are still without power or other services. I know everyone has their favorite person or persons to blame. Some blame the entire government from local to state to federal. Even so, there are many citizens who came to New Orleans and helped for no other reason than they cared about the people in New Orleans.

A group from a church, I don't remember where now, came to my Mom's house, in Metairie, a couple of months after Katrina. My brother-in-law and nephew had helped her gut the house and rip out the sheetrock. These people, whom she didn't know and had never seen before, saw her and asked what they could do to help. She showed them the trees that were down in the backyard, the destroyed fence, the garbage all over the place.

Time Magazine: The Threatening Storm

If you have not been to the Time special about the Katrina Anniversary, you should do so. It is a difficult read but an important one.

One of the biggest issues I have had with living in Florida since Katrina are the people who say things like, "Why would people live below sea level?" Or, "When you live in a bowl, you deserve what you get." Yes, I have had people who know where I am from actually say that. I can forgive those comments but the ones that are worse are the ones where the people of New Orleans are to blame for the problems. "Well, the government gave billions of dollars for the levees but the locals mis-spent it!" I have had to tell several people that is not true. The Army Corps of Engineers control the funds and choose what to work on.

This article from Time sheds light on the issue to people from around the world. To those who say New Orleanians are just having a "pity party" (yes, I was told that at a party when I said New Orleans still needed help), there is nothing that anyone can say that will open their eyes. They are, and will remain, ignorant. I move on without argument when I encounter someone like that.

However, for those who just don't know the facts, I think this article from Time will open some eyes. I wish I knew where they got their raw research. I would love to read some of these documents. Of course, the fact that Time has those documents are the reason they're Time Magazine. If everyone could write something like this it wouldn't be special.

The article starts off with:

The most important thing to remember about the drowning of New Orleans is that it wasn't a natural disaster. It was a man-made disaster, created by lousy engineering, misplaced priorities and pork-barrel politics. Katrina was not the Category 5 killer the Big Easy had always feared; it was a Category 3 storm that missed New Orleans, where it was at worst a weak 2. The city's defenses should have withstood its surges, and if they had we never would have seen the squalor in the Superdome, the desperation on the rooftops, the shocking tableau of the Mardi Gras city underwater for weeks. We never would have heard the comment "Heckuva job, Brownie." The Federal Emergency Management Agency (fema) was the scapegoat, but the real culprit was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which bungled the levees that formed the city's man-made defenses and ravaged the wetlands that once formed its natural defenses. Americans were outraged by the government's response, but they still haven't come to grips with the government's responsibility for the catastrophe.

It gets better from there. Eight pages of intense, factual statistics and stories.

K-Ville: First Take of the Premiere Preview

Fox and NOLA.com have gotten together and you can watch the k-ville premier right now. Go to the NOLA Entertainment section to see it. If that video is no longer available, you can view it at Fox but you need to download a viewer.

Unless you've been under a rock (or have absolutely no interest in New Orleans topics), you have heard of K-Ville. If you haven't heard, it's a cop drama in New Orleans about two years after Katrina hit. New Orleans now. Crime drama. Just like real life. Only here the bad guys are rich white women and mercenaries that work at casinos. And I thought there was enough crime with the scum bag murderers, gang bangers, dopers, pimps, etc.

From the blurb on fox.com:

From writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco (“NYPD Blue,” “The District”) comes K-VILLE, a heroic police drama set – and filmed – in New Orleans. Two years after Katrina, parts of the city are still in chaos, but hope has emerged. Battling an upsurge of violence, understaffing of police forces and a lack of crime labs and other facilities, the cops who remain in the New Orleans Police Department have courage to burn and a passion to reclaim and rebuild their city.

MARLIN BOULET (Anthony Anderson) is a brash, wry, in-your-face veteran of the NOPD’s Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets the most-wanted criminals. Even when his partner deserted him during the storm, Boulet held his post, spending days in the water saving lives and keeping order. Now, two years later, he’s unapologetic about bending the rules when it comes to collaring bad guys. The stakes are too high, and the city too fragile, for him to do things by the book.

Boulet’s new partner, TREVOR COBB (Cole Hauser), was a soldier in Afghanistan before joining the NOPD. He’s tough and committed, but if he’s less than comfortable with Boulet’s methods, it’s because he’s harboring a dark secret. Cobb has come to New Orleans seeking redemption, but redemption can be dangerous. Will Boulet be able to trust him? Will Cobb’s past endanger them both?

Rounding out the crew are wisecracking JEFF “GLUE BOY” GOODEN (Blake Shields), the team’s comic relief; tough-as-nails GINGER “LOVE TAP” LeBEAU (Tawny Cypress), the only female on the squad; and CAPTAIN JAMES EMBRY (John Carroll Lynch), who wrangles the eclectic personalities of his squad with equal parts humor and tenacity.

Through its no-holds-barred crime stories and dramatic personal stories, this intriguing series will take viewers from the Victorian mansions of the Garden District to the rubble of the Lower 9th Ward.

K-VILLE, executive-produced by Lisco and Craig Silverstein (BONES, “Standoff”), is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Deran Sarafian (HOUSE, “CSI”) directed the pilot.

I watched it this morning and I have some opinions of it. I've asked some non-new orleanian friends to check it out and tell me how it plays to a non-native. I also read the forum comments and I agree with some of them.

Even though I have some opinions, I am going to reserve judgment until I have seen several shows. My first thoughts are, as you read in my first paragraph above, somewhat incredulous that with everything that is wrong, they needed to make up such a contrived plot for the premier.

Why not a story about two guys, brothers maybe?, who are the cities two most wanted criminals who are both gunned down by other scum bags before the police can catch them? Oh wait. That one has already been done. In real-life.

How about a painfully inept DA that dismisses a high profile case, maybe like 5 teens gunned down in broad daylight, because he can't find a witness? Our cop, Boulet, can track down the witness in, say three hours, and show everyone what a complete numb nut the DA is. Oh wait. That really happened.

Ok. Maybe I like the rich white woman/merc story-line. At least I'll watch it for a while and see how it goes. Can it be any worse than real-life?

LewisC

2007-08-01 FEMA Vs La - Money in, money out?

I found a very interesting document at the FEMA site, FEMA Louisiana Public Assistance Global report for July 27, 2007. It is a bunch of summary statistics from FEMA about Rita and Katrina. Some very interesting figures in this document.

Total cubic yards of debris removed:

• Orleans: 14.5 million


• Jefferson: 5.5 million


• St. Tammany: 9.8 million

The article lists more than those parishes. You should check it out if you live in another parish.

According to the paper, the money from FEMA is split in three buckets: Emergency Work, Permanent Work and Admin. The total that FEMA has given to the state is just under $5 billion dollars. The state has paid out about half that amount. The state has paid out 73% of the emergency funds but only 27% of the permanent work.

If I stick with the same parishes I mentioned above:

• Orleans has been designated $1.3 billion but the state has only paid out $516 million (40%)


• Jefferson has been designated $254 million and the state has paid out $150 million (59%)


• St. Tammany has been designated $328 and the state has paid out $222 million (68%)

The worst two payouts are in Cameron and Plaquemines at 29% and 31% respectively. I was surprised to see that Washington parish was designated to receive almost $110 million. Of course, St Bernard was hit bad and they have been designated $736 million. The state has only awarded 49% of those funds.

The paper also has some charts on payouts and funding as well as a table of projects. All in all a very interesting read.

LewisC

2007-7-31 Today’s the Last Day to Apply for Road Home Funds

The Road Home provides funds for those people who were made homeless, or at least had damage, by Katrina and Rita. The Road Home program gives homeowners up to $150,000 to get back into their house and provides some assistance to relocate if you've moved away.

This program is funded with money from the US Housing and Urban Development (HUD). I know this post is a little bit late but I hope that if you were eligible, you took advantage of the program. I know many people did get money, although I don't know anyone who got $150,000.

On an up note, HUD has extended the Disaster Voucher Program (DVP) until September 1, 2007. DVP specifically helps those who were living in public housing when Katrina hit. HUD estimates the 11,400 people are eligible for the assistance.

"As we approach the second anniversary of one of this nation's worst natural disasters, I'm pleased HUD can extend the program for families who still need help," said Jackson, who greeted low-income New Orleans' evacuees living at the facility. "We want all families who benefited from HUD's housing programs before Katrina and Rita struck to continue to get assistance."

For additional good news, the Times Picayune ran a story today that, after 23 months, Lakefront Airport is finally staffing the control tower. The tower required $6 million for renovations due to Katrina.

According to the article, which was written by TP Staff Reporter John Pope,

The tourism industry is pleased about this development, too, because more big spenders will have a place to land and park their corporate jets when they fly in for events such as the Sugar Bowl and next February's National Basketball Association All-Star Game, said Mary Beth Romig, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau.

[tags]tourism, new orleans, katrina, hud, housing[/tags]

Brad Pitt project to build 150 homes in Ninth Ward

Today's headline is from CityBusiness. The headline is Brad Pitt project to build 150 homes in Ninth Ward posted on September 26, 2007 at 14:54.

Brad Pitt has been doing good things for New Orleans for a while now. Today's news is equally good. I am starting to be quite impressed with Mr Pitt. He is showing some very real humanity to the people of his new home.

Best Quote: At the meeting, Pitt challenged attendees to join him and Bing in rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward. Pitt pledged to match $5 million in contributions to the project. Bing has pledged to match $5 million.

Thanks Brad!

BUSH’S NEW ORLEANS TAP DANCE

Today's headline comes from Jim Hightower, America's #1 Populist. The headline is BUSH’S NEW ORLEANS TAP DANCE posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 by Jim Hightower.

Best Quote: Like his other trips, however, the constant tourist only popped in for a couple of quickie photo ops to try to bolster his own political image – not to do anything that would really lead this hard hit city to revitalization. In his brief visit, Bush showered the media with a gusher of statistics to show that he’s been doing “a heck of a job” in getting federal help to the people. “There’s been a lot of progress made, and that’s what people have got to understand,” he loudly declared.