Changing the Political Profile of New Orleans

Lower Income student whom is now attending my College - I am still dazed with all that has happened , I have finally crossed over that mountain range I always wondered about, yes I can see clearly now - there was no Wizard of Oz She has been struggling to bust out of her chains, she honestly felt "held down", some family, most "friends" if you will, questioned why she wanted to better herself, the free ride required less effort.

Her older brother, a plumber, whom also caught grief from family and friends- whom really wanted to start his own business in NO someday- told a plumber up here. Sir, I really need to work, I won't lie, someday I hope to be your best competitior. Company hired him, and the owner said, Son- I hope you do give me a run for my money someday.
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In a few months when NO starts (note that I said starts...) to look like a community again, these 2 are the kind of people that need to be there - both for themselves and the city. They are the kind of people that are willing to work and smart enough to see the benefit for both themselves and the community.

I dont know if its a good idea to rebuild in NO, the weather is an issue to consider. I have been there a couple times and love that place (seems to be a fairly common though among those that have visited). I hope it does get rebuilt, I will visit again after it is. If it is predominately democrat or republican I dont care, I am just going to be a tourist, there for beignets and cafe au lait, then later on a mufalato...
 
Yea, the next election will be interesting. I can see a blue area assuming a red color. I can see congressional seats shifting. I also can see the same people who diddled the 2000 election doing likewise in 2006 in a large number of states.

"Goobermint forced me out of LA and shipped me to <insert destination of choice>. I didn't want to come. I want to vote in LA election but the goobermint won't let me. Every vote must count. . . . in the state where I want it to count. If I was in LA and voted Senator Shifty wooda been reelected. My vote was denied because of the goobermint. My equal protection under the law was violated. I want that election in LA redone. I want the election in <insert state of current residence> invalidated because I was forced to vote in an unfriendly state. And the best part? I want money 'cause I was wronged by Bush 'cause he drove them hurricanes right into my neighborhood."

Over the top? Maybe, but not that far over the top.
 
Kathleen Blanco, the Governor of Louisiana is completely responsible for our state's lack of preparedness and for mishandling the rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Governor Blanco's incompetence and disregard for the citizens of Louisiana before the hurricane struck and her inexplicable actions in the days afterward can only be considered dereliction of duty. Louisiana needs a new Governor, and I hope you'll join me in demanding a Recall Election.
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http://www.impeachblanco.org/
 
My wife and I have been talkin about this for almost a month now. Yep...the hurricane did what the politicians couldn't.

Sure...many poor persons still have legal claim to their property in NOLA..but how many of them will actually be able to afford to rebuild their home and lives? Not many..

It will be mostly wealthy white individuals who will be moving back to their homes. And the property owned by the poor? It's going to be bought by those and other wealthy individuals.

King George and his cronies must be rubbing their hand in glee.
 
King George and his cronies must be rubbing their hand in glee.
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What a rediculous statement. Can you provide even one shred of evidence that Bush and/or a "crony" will make even one dollar off this disaster?

And while you're at it, perhaps you can tell us why, after 60 years of democratic party rule in LA and NO, there were so many poor people to begin with? You know, the "party of the poor", who claim to be on the side of minorities and the working man? After 60 years you'd think that they would have done a good job in eliminating poverty in an area they've represented for so long, yet there they were, all those poor folks.
 
Much more difficult to cut and run when you own vs. rent
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I don't think so Rich, not if the stories I've seen about real estate in New Orleans are true. Both residential and commercial properties, are worth more now than they were before the storm. There is a hurricane of real estate speculators (hoping to get rich off all the government spending behind the weather) that are buying up properties sight unseen. I saw one realtor who told for illustration of a wealthy speculator who called him up, and who said he didn't want to spend more than $250K apiece for properties (the realtor said would have been worth $150K-$175K before the storm), and would buy all that he could get his hands on. Those poor home and store owners! :p

P.S. I don't know how universal that experience is, but there seems to be a deep upwelling of national greed that will benefit a significant number of property owners, anyway.
 
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Once the Dems are out, I'd move down there & open a gun store -- maybe I'll call it "The You-Loot-I-Shoot Hometown Defense Emporium". Actually, check that .... I just recently got away from the Deep South heat & humidity. I don't think I want to go back just yet...

I was in N.O. for a conference back in February. The city did, indeed, appear to me to be utterly service-oriented. A change would do 'em good.
 
THink about what you are syaing, folks...

Thousands of people dead, hundreds of thousands homeless, and you're talking about the effects on the fortunes of POLITCIAL PARTIES!!!!

That's disgusting.

No matter how deeply you are commited to your party, to suggest that mass disaster should be exploited for political advantage says something about your morals.

People are more important than political parties.

--Shannon
 
Sorry Rebar, you misunderstood, or perhaps I wasn't clear. I didn't mean in any way that Bush and Co. would make any financial profit from Hurricane Katrina...only that they stand to make a HUGE political gain. Again, "rubbing their hands in glee."

Tube_ee, can't speak for everyone here..but I am definately not advocating that anyone take advantage of this tragedy...I am incredibly bothered that it will almost undoubtedly help one party to gain a huge advantage over the other.

For the record, I don't support the republican or democratic parties. In fact, I see little practical difference between the two.
 
Tube_ee, there's nothing wrong with a discussion about what will happen to the political climate in NO. It's a very legitimate topic - and enough time has transpired that it's not in bad taste to discuss such matters.

Try to focus on the rebuilding of NO in all it's facets, instead of focusing on the destruction of Katrina...

Half-full
Half-empty

Your choice.
 
Tube_ee, this is the Legal and Political forum. While it may seem crude or rude or immoral to you to discuss the ramifications of the effects of Katrina, not all hold to your opinion. Or your sensitivities.

I would suggest that you grow a thicker skin, 'cause the real world is way more cruel than you will find it in here. This is just a friendly observation.
 
Suitable topic for discussion?

Of course. All topics are suitable for discussion, and I was telling no one to shut up. But, I got out of the posts I'd read, a sense of glee that disturbed me. When people care passionately about something, as many (myself included) do about politics, its all too easy for that one thing to expand to an importance greater than it really has.

Considering the misfortunes of others an "opportunity" for partisan (meaning party-related) political advantage is, I think, in poor taste. That's a personal, moral judgement, not a request for an end to a conversation.

To me, the lives of individual human beings are more important than the fortunes of organizations, be they corporations, political parties, interest groups, or whatever. Again, this is a moral judgement, and another part of my morality is not insisting that others share it.

No, I'm not thin skinned. I can't be... I'm married. :D
 
Yeah, if you're married you can't be too thin skinned...

What been interesting for me to observe over the last few years is the disparity between (from right to left) statists, conservatives, liberals and progressives.

I've broken it down this way, instead of Left/Right or Liberal-Democrat/Conservative-Republican, because I've begun to see that the two parties for all intents are much the same and are composed more or less of Progressives/Statists. Real Conservatives and Liberals are either leaving their parties or have taken a back seat.

So I look at these things a little differently than some I suppose. So while there is still a lot of suffering going on, it would be naive to ignore the political vacuum this tragic event has occasioned.
 
The reason that you will see some people express a happiness or hopefullness that one party will benefit from this disaster is that we feel that the party that will be hurt by this is one that perpetuates the cycle of poverty, creates a victim/lawsuit mentality, discourages individual responisibility, and prefers government control to individual decision making. I hope they lose as many places of power as possible due directly to this tragedy, simply because I believe that others will better serve what I believe to be necessary.
 
As long as it's not "Well, I'm glad all those people got their homes destroyed, or drowned, or died of dysentery, because now New Orleans will be a Republican city." That was the sentiment I thought I was reading, and I reacted to that.

If that's really the way people are thinking, then they've got problems, IMHO.

--Shannon
 
tub_ee-
'Twas me who started this thread. If it's in bad taste, 'tis my bad. But I suggest you check my comments on this forum in the days following the NOLA disaster before you come to final judgment. I've seen zero gloating by the responders over the human tragedy in this thread or any other.
Rich
 
NO will probably rebuild primarily around it's shipping and oil/petrochemical industries first. Those companies are too profitable to lose much time in getting going again. This will require skilled and fairly well paid workers.

General construction will be at an all time high of course - imagine how well the home depot stores will do also.

Then the tourist industry will work to come back. Tourism may not be able to return to it's previous levels for a good long while, and the jobs it creates tend to be unskilled low paying jobs.

Ultimately NO may end up with only 1/2 or 2/3 of it's former population, a smaller tax base and leaner local govt because of the lower tax base. Many of the businesses that were there depended upon the other businesses that were there too - and recreating that kind of economic engine isn't going to happen quickly.

The welfare class of people will likely not return in droves, unless there is a strong incentive. If the local politicians think about it, and think about where their voting base is, and think about how to use the federal funds to their advantage, we may see the incentives being offered.
 
One might consider that political parties are made up of people.

Reminds me of the story of two frogs in the basement. Water started rising and one frog looked at the stairs and just gave up and drowned. The other frog looked at the first stair and jumped up 8 inches. Then the second stair. Eight more inches. Third stair. Fourth stair. Then finally out the top.

The trouble with certain political parties is that they want all the frogs to stay in the basement.
 
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