Monthly Archives: August 2006

Day 368: Why Don’t You Quietly Rebuild And Get On With Your Lives?

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August 29th has come and gone, and the token visit by Arbusto and camera crews with it.  The nation has poured out a little liquor for L’Isle d’Orleans and returns to its business.  Just like people died the city over last August 31st, the third battle of New Orleans continues today.  We still need a rebuilding plan, disaster insurance relief, city sanitation workers, affordable housing and small business impetus.  As if affected by the summer heat, the New Orleans Momentum seems to drag its feet on the sticky asphalt, pausing occasionally to grab a cold beverage.

Someone named ‘jh’ commented on my recent Sepia Mutiny post: ” I don’t hear Mississippi whining. Why can’t people just quietly rebuild and get on with their lives? They’ve gotten ridiculous sums of money to rebuild that city …”  While I didn’t bother feeding the troll there, I realize the staggering misconceptions people still (want to) have about New Orleans and address them, in the simplest possible terms, in order of receipt.

1. Whino Forever: We are tax-paying Americans who produce a quarter of the nation’s domestic oil supply and a fifth of its natural gas – we’ve earned the right to whine.  Therefore, I repeat this one last time to your sensibility-lacking, almost-49-star-flag-waving, supposedly-patriotic self:

The New Orleans Katrina experience is a different one altogether. It was an unnatural disaster (levee breaks) and resulting flood that almost destroyed a large portion of the city, while a natural disaster and winds badly thrashed towns like Biloxi and the rest of the MS-AL Gulf Coast. Even residents of those coastal towns admit that our city has it worse than theirs. The story here is that of a broken social contract (and the lack of any accountability); yonder, it is one of rebuilding when and how. Simply put, we have a much more complicated mess here than the other areas you mention.

2. No Money, Mo’ Problems: We broke, and can’t “quietly rebuild” because our city is bankrupt and needs a cold, hard infusion of cash.

3. Show Me The Money: The entire Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina and her wake, not just New Orleans, has been allocated $110 billion, of which we have been doled out $44 billion.  But wait … you will see from this post by our City Accountant, Da Po Blog, how the 44 breaks down.  Follow closely because there will be a pop quiz later:

  • $110 billion is “out the door,” but only $44 billion [has reached us].
  • “… out of the $44 billion that has gone into someone’s hands, 75% or $33 billion has gone into the hands of the states and cities affected by the hurricanes.”
  • “$16 billion [goes to] flood insurance claims, which the federal government has been known to do when reporting how much money they are sending down here.”

One year later, that leaves the entire Gulf Coast with $17 billion, which has been spent on immediate help, rentals, trailers, debris removal and health.  Independent observers state that Katrina Aid Is Far From Flowing.

4. What’s The Plan, Stan?  Federal funds for rebuilding will not be released to us sans a blessed plan.  We had a plan, as Mark Folse reminds us: “It was called the Baker Plan, and it would have done the difficult things we are asked to do: clean up not just individual homes but entire neighborhoods; tell some of our friends and neighbors that their areas might not come back. The only real problem with the plan was that you scuttled it and said, no, we won’t do that. You said, go back to the drawing board and try again and try to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t put the federal government on the hook for all the damage it caused.”

Now, we’re in process of creating the Grand Unified Plan.  (Private to locals: There was another NOCSF meeting this morning, BTW, for which we were sent fancy emails a whole two days ago.)  Today’s Times-Picayune headline blares N.O. Planning Process Puts Residents On Edge

… as with the mayor’s Bring New Orleans Back Commission, the process could collapse under the weight of an intricate web of interests that must collaborate to produce action, some critics fear. Currently, the lines of authority and accountability remain murky at best. When it comes to crafting the endlessly discussed, all-encompassing “plan” to rebuild New Orleans, it’s unclear where the buck will stop.

… The Nagin administration didn’t respond to questions about the neighborhood planning process this week.

… [It has only now become widely apparent that] neighborhoods can immediately use their plans in seeking government or private grants not controlled by the state agency.

To get an idea of all the baffles, barriers, hurdles and hoops to contend with in this process, read every sentence of Becky Houtman’s last post on the topic of City Planning. 

… the [state-level] LRA Fund Committee is holding the purse-strings

A plan is required to release federal relief funding, but little or no funding is given to the creation of a detailed and comprehensive plan.

Also note that rebuilding plans here take place under the specter of the ol’ Catch-22: Whom are we rebuilding for?  Said differently, if we rebuild, how many will come back?  And, what do they come back to if we don’t rebuild?  Open dialogues, especially important ones, don’t happen quietly.

5. Mean Ol’ Levees: All of the above is background chatter without federal levees that don’t break.  The mouse in my pocket and I would “quietly rebuild” with glee if we had the wherewithal, and our entire region isn’t at the mercy of the Army Corps of Engineers for this tremendous engineering task.  Even today, Officials Disagree On Readiness Of New Orleans Levees For Storms.

6. The Gettin’ Ain’t So Good: Many New Orleanians, whether here or displaced, are yet to rebuild a life to get on with.  If you were to live in a trailer or with family and friends, are un(der)employed, fight insurance companies and try to make life as normal as possible for your family and yourself everyday, I wouldn’t consider it “going on.”  That’s simple survival.

Anything else?  It’s a pity that, in this age of technology, global business and rapid monetary exchange, Louisiana has to justify itself to the rest of the nation.  Yet, we abide.

Day 367: The Stuff Of Books

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Oyster and I.D.Reilly analyze John Barry’s latest Op-Ed piece in USA Today: “A City Worth Saving.” You must remember Barry as the author of 1998′s Rising Tide, a title that served as inspiration for an eponymous conference that occurred not too long ago. To give you some idea of the prescient and compelling quality of Barry’s book, several friends who don’t usually read too many books have read this one and forced me to do the same after the deluge. This led to many an “I Told You So” moment, which should only lend more steam to a national literacy initiative. They hide this kind of information in books, you know.

Meanwhile, Alan consumes Disaster by our newest buds, Chris Cooper & Robert Block.

We are fortunate to have our neighbor Texas, which dispatched more resources to Louisiana than FEMA, which was absent three days after the storm. We are fortunate for the intervention of Wal-Mart, which brought necessities to the National Guard at the Convention Center, when FEMA could not.

I’ve compiled a Google spreadsheet of books related to Hurricane Katrina - here is the HTML version (simply copy and paste in your favorite program). If you’re interested in editing or adding to the list or simply want the spreadsheet for your records, let me know and the document is yours via the neato “share” functionality. 

[Update: This why they call it Google Spreadsheets BETA.  The latest link to the HTML version of the spreadsheet leads you to a Google login/registration page.  Once in, you get ... a blank page.  Oooops!  Like I said, if you can't see the spreadsheet, let me know and I'll share it with you via Google.  That seems to work.]

The two books from the list I haven’t read and in which am interested are There Is No Such Thing As A Natural Disaster and Breach Of Faith. Also, why would Rod Amis write a book entitled Katrina & The Lost City Of New Orleans, in which he compares New Orleans to Pompeii and Atlantis? Earth to Rod, there ain’t no ash or gills on this woman with a home and internet access.

Dune: The Butlerian Jihad awaits me. The book was cracked open around this time last year and put away thanks to You-Know-What. My brain craves some escapist Herbert-ian science fiction these days.

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August 30, 2006 – Hurry to Smith Magazine and check out their feature on the Top 10 New Orleans blogs!  B, Jon, Scout Prime, Metroblogging NO (!!), Richard, ThinkNOLA, Mark Folse and Oyster are in there (links provided).  Also, thanks to oodles for the lovely Katrinaversary shout-out.  Those who are worth it were thinking of New Orleans and understand that the failed levees almost destroyed this city, not Katrina.

Day 367: Partial Katrina Re-Enactment

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The air-conditioning went out in my house last night.  Those of you who currently live in New Orleans, Chennai, Singapore or such know exactly what this entails, and I don’t have to explain the stifling frustration.  Even I, who doesn’t break a sweat walking in the noonday sun of New Orleans, cannot sleep a wink in the oppressive 95° of an uncooled interior.  On fiddling with the mechanical unit and realizing that the vent works just fine, the discovery came that the fan is broken.

No fear – the AC man will be here today and I am hopeful that it’s a mere blown fuse or small moving part.  “Yeah, a small $700 moving part known as the fan,” a voice in the back of my head retorts.

So, imagine the night of last August 29th and the plight of those who didn’t leave the city and sought refuge in their sweltering attics or, even worse, on their hot tin, asphalt or slate roofs.  Truthfully, it was a lot cooler outside, but the thought of sleeping on the gallery (and 7000 mosquitos and a roach or two getting fresh with me) wasn’t appealing.

There is no good time for a hurricane to strike, neglected levees to break, a city to flood and power to go out.  But, the end of August has got to  be the worst.

Update: The culprit was not one, but two, blown fuses.  Woohoo for cheap fixes and cold air!

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Pictures of last afternoon’s CBD secondline to the Superdome (thank goodness, no W)

Surprised the Saints didn’t tackle him (but then, Brooks now asserts he isn’t a New Orleanian)

Yesterday’s Sepia Mutiny guest post: Has It Been A Year Already?, which highlights the struggles of the Quarter’s t-shirt and souvenir merchants.

Day 365: Out At Sea In A Storm

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One year ago today, after Nagin called for a mandatory evacuation and I studied the animations and predictions, I wrote my last pre-Katrina blog post.

Mandatory Evacuation For Hurricane Katrina Katrina Watch

Then, D and I boarded up the front windows of the house, pulled the plants and rocks inside, packed up the Honda full of our most valued belongings and began what turned into a 16-hour journey to txyankee‘s home in Texas. Never did we realize what would happen to this city and how long each of us would have to stay away from home. As I said in an earlier post, writing is my catharsis. As D drove, I scribbled in my notebook to stay centered. These are some of the thoughts unshared with anyone until now:

“The anxiety rushes and then recedes like the waves of Lake Pontchartrain. It starts with an eerie calm and a happiness of a hue heretofore unseen. Denial is indeed a nice place to visit. My mind goes blank as it detaches from the forms of body and mood.

“Wait, where am I? Sitting in a car heading up Highway 589 to Jackson, MS and, by doing so, avoiding a Category 5 hurricane that possesses the strength to level my city and my way of life in less than a day. Suddenly, the solar plexus tenses, the breathing wavers, the walls begin to close in and the tears pour from the aquifer of my soul.

“What was that quote I smartly invoked once? Something about the existence of civilization at geological consent. Yes, we have borrowed enought time and land from a place many call home, but meteorological permissions aside, there exists a beauty in the hubris.

“Nestled amongst the flood walls and earthen levees, such an unabashed tenderness grows, nourished to the point where citing our crime statistics is an utterance of love and walking through tourists and roaches a proferrance of dignity. You love it or you don’t, you get it or you don’t, and those who stay do.

“For when you journey past its failings, New Orleans holds an allure for a million natives and transplants with one thing in common – they are incurable romantics about the concept of home. Why else do they brave traffic on the corner of Rampart and Canal on a Saturday while on bicycles? Why do they single-handedly pick up trash, fill in potholes on their streets and direct traffic when the city has failed them? This is a life less ordinary.

“I want to see my friends again. Talk and laugh with them as I gently pull a green bean out of the Mary fixed by Katie and welcome the Cajun life force that pushes its way into my parched interior. I want to walk home, smell the magnolias, climb up my wrought-iron spiral staircase and pad on my ancient hardwood floors to a bed that overlooks a street older than the United States, the every-fifteen-minute RTA bus be damned.

“What I don’t want – to wade through homes and wreckage to reclaim valuables soaked through with the silt of several thousands of years. To worry about not seeing my friends again and in the manner of our mutual choosing. To drive through Collins, MS en route to Texas wondering about the life scattered behind you. The unsure nature of this journey kills – will it or will it not disrupt most, if not all, aspects of a life lived and planned? Katrina’s mercilesness lies in her inability to inform and in her dharma, that she is what she is.

“This hits too close to the reality of August 1990. I couldn’t be there when trouble hit and my father was in trouble. What would I have done then? What can I do now? The plan of shaking my tiny fists at the approaching storm sounds inspiring, but would I not have instead said, “Oh, to be any place but here with the lack of utilities!” The water is bluer on the other side.

“This is a storm within a storm – a plan within a plan. Where to now? What next? Until the winds pass and the waters recede, my home will have to be this makeshift raft of uncertainty. All I know is I miss you, New Orleans and your strange people. Please don’t let this storm wash us away.”

Pictures From The Evacuation

Day 364: We Did It!

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A good night’s sleep goes a long way. On my way to this Tuesday’s work deadline, I’ve mostly recovered from the last two days of preparing for and executing the Rising Tide Conference with the best team of bloggers and neighborhood activists ever. A panorama of my fellow Rising Tide organizers and their work shows that we lived up to “a real-life demonstration of internet activism.”

Douglas Brinkley is on C-Span2 and suggests that our rebuilding is a function of money and willpower. “We’re short on both … but we can make New Orleans the best city in America.” Well there was no shortage of willpower and charity at this weekend’s conference, and the endeavour continues as Ray, Mark and out-of-town attendees help the Arabi Wrecking Krewe gut a house untouched since Katrina. Ray, I apologize for not being out there, but I’m worn out, man. Toast, zonked, wasted, done – stick a fork in me – and I have my day job to contend with.

Rising Tide Conference Poster

Thank you to all of the organizers, panelists, attendees, exhibitors and the New Orleans Yacht Club.

I promised Scout Prime and NOLASlate my closing speech. The statistics are part of a Legal Student Hurricane Network request to watch Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke, but form a succinct description of New Orleans and the surrounding area one year after Katrina. Here it is:

One year ago, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As the natural and man-made disasters engulfed the region, the nation turned its attention to the storm’s immediate aftermath. However, a year later, the crisis continues.

Today, less than half of pre-Katrina New Orleans residents have been able to return home; over 70,000 of them are living in 240-square foot FEMA trailers (which are particularly vulnerable during the hurricane season) and many people are still waiting for trailers to be delivered; the state’s charity hospital system is in shambles and psychiatric care is non-existent; most of the Lower 9th Ward is still without potable water; 6,000 criminal defendants await trial, many of whom do not have attorneys; 60 percent of the businesses within the city limits have probably not reopened; federal officials have doled out only about 40 percent of the $110 billion promised to the Gulf Coast; not a single dollar of federal funds to rebuild houses has made it to Louisiana homeowners; and renters have been virtually left to fend for themselves.

But the numbers do not tell the whole story. The pain, the frustration, the anger, the desperation and the anguish are still as real today as they were in the days after the tragedy first unfolded. The Gulf Coast residents have not forgotten – they are still living the tragedy. And we cannot forget, either.

I request all of you to keep writing and spreading the word about our city. Continue to talk with everyone. Engage those in discussion who are of an opposing mindset and let them know that We Are Not Ok. Thank you.

My Rising Tide Conference picture gallery

Other epilogues:

Also, huge shout-outs to NOLASlate for the post-conference boost, Dr. Daisy for not letting me be the only blogger there in 4-inch heels and Karen and Dr. A for their kind and calming words.

You know what this means: No break from work this week.

Day 364: One Blog To Rule Them All

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Da Po Blog was indeed in attendance and proposes the Rising Tide NOLA Blog.

That doesn’t mean we all have to agree.

Of course, it all depends on your goals. A group blog would swallow up the individual blogger’s voice. He or she would be seen within the framework of the greater blog and would have to work inside that framework. The blogger’s credibility would be tied to the group blog’s credibility, and each individual would have to cooperate to protect and foster the blog’s credibility.

But, if your goal is more readership, especially from outside the community, a group blog would probably accomplish that. A locally formed group blog would also safeguard the local voices and create a brand to market those local voices.

However, if your goal is more local readership and more local participation, the way it is now is probably preferable to the One True Group Blog.

While I have no problem with its creation, I disagree with the philosophy of a Rising Tide NOLA Blog as the ÜberBlog. Here are my reasons:

1. In BlogLand, the sum of various parts does not necessarily count as more than one. In other words, a Group Blog will also be treated as another blog. To me, the existing and growing List of New Orleans Bloggers is the one-stop shop. The fact that we have such a huge number of blogs that came out of a troubling time for our area is amazing. That number is the Thud! factor, not another aggregator.

2. Blogging is democratized journalism; there is no longer a set of blessed or sanctioned voices, but instead a sea of opinions. Just because you’re a featured author on the Group Blog doesn’t mean your article is good, the only analysis of the topic at hand or any more relevant than one that’s not on it. This brings us to the topic of editorship.

3. Who chooses what articles get on this site? Also, how and why? Trust someone who has edited papers and auditioned candidates – the resulting politics (just you wait) is not worth losing the individual-yet-united momentum we now have.

4. An ÜberBlog managed by a small group (the willing and self-elected) will foster agreement and will swallow up individual blogger voices.

One good alternative is to create a single feed to which every single New Orleans blogger contributes his/her RSS feed. Take for example, Loki’s NetVibes feed. To submit to this feed, your posts may be tagged with locally-relevant labels, which the end user may use to pick and choose his/her news. The best option is to physically talk to more people and get them to read our blogs.

If done fairly (how?), a Rising Tide NOLA Blog is great for readers outside of New Orleans or locals who haven’t the time or inclination to read all posts. Well, to the locals who don’t want to put in the time and effort, I say this:

Just because you don’t want to put in the requisite work to read everyone’s blogs does not mean that the tidal wave of a voice must be squelched down to a garden hose for your convenience. The onus is on you to cull your daily reading. I’m not interested in cutting off our collective nose to spite the carpetbloggers. What we try to escape in grassroots blogging is exactly this – the tyranny of selective news – which only takes us back to Square 1, our original philosophical battle against the mainstream media. The barrier is falling apart, please don’t piece it back together in this medium as well.

If such a group blog has to happen, please ensure that editors are rotated out each month and that the audience knows well that this is only one representation/instance of New Orleans blogging.

I have a couple of succession of theories as to the identity of Da Po Blog – Mominem Jon Donley Sasquatch someone who came and stayed silent.

Day 364: Thank Goodness For Resurgent Memory

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I just remembered an odd occurrence during yesterday’s Rising Tide Conference.

The setup: During the Politics Panel Q&A session, Mark Folse asked the panel what they thought of the theory that Mitch Landrieu lost the last mayoral election because of historic white-New-Orleanian hatred against his father. If you’ve been following along at home, you know by now that Peggy Wilson has a serious aversion to the entire Landrieu dynasty, and about the tirade that ensued.

The issue then worked its way down the panel with Shane Landry’s final statement, “We may soon have an Indian as governor.” As the only blogger of Indian descent present, to introduce some levity and in recognition of the fact that South Asian-Americans are woefully underrepresented in American government, I raised my fist and cried, “Finally!” The audience cracked up while Jeffrey B whirled around and said, “It’s not going to be you!”

Next up was my panel, which I will talk about in the next few days. It went as expected with only a small derailment during the Q&A session (right question for the wrong time).

During the break between my panel and the final one, I walked out of the hall when Peggy Wilson, sitting at a table with Emily Metzgar and Chuck, turned to me, smiled and called, “Hey, Indian woman! Indian woman!” With me coordinating the conference all afternoon, she should know my name by now. Not knowing exactly how to take that, I kept walking.

WTF?!

Did Peggy Wilson say that to me because she:

a) thought it was amusing (joke’s over, lady, don’t push it).
b) assumes that I’m a Jindal supporter (which I’m not).
c) is a tool.
d) Who cares what Peggy Wilson has to say?
e) All of the above.

Day 363: Wilson, Moldy City, Adrastos, Duplantier & Landry At One Table

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Post-lunch (Dunbar’s … mmmm). I’m the conference coordinator and just introduced Adrastos as moderator of the Politics Panel. Take it away, Shecky!

On Nagin’s Latest Remarks

Article

  • Peggy Wilson (PW) suggests we ignore Nagin.
  • David Jaynes (DJ) of Moldy City would like Nagin to have chosen his words better.
  • Michael Duplantier (MD) disagrees with Peggy in that Nagin’s words have no import, but agrees with her that we have to go on inspite of him.

On Rebuilding And City Politics

  • Peggy Wilson says we have to stop complaining that the federal, state and local government aren’t doing anything for us. We have to go out and work on our problems ourselves. “If you have a sunken boat, go get it out yourself.” So, why do we pay taxes? And, Shane Landry(SL) asked as much. To which Peggy replied, “We shouldn’t.”
  • MD: “Nothing [planwise] was executed between January 20th and May 20th. Now, we’re paying for it.”
  • PW: “Individual neighborhoods should conduct their own plans. We’re making plans on our plans.”

On Oil Leases

Article

  • SL: “We are not getting a fair share. I feel strongly that the governor is on the right track with putting the pressure on the government. I don’t know if it’s going to happen. I love America, but this is my home. I love Louisiana and I’ll be damned if I watch my people [suffer]. I’m standing here today saying that if we band together and tell the government that they have money from [our part of the] continental shelf … it’s far cheaper to give us our fair share of royalties and help ourselves. We were betrayed by the federal government. They were the ones that breached the social contract, not us. So they should pay to keep us. We want our fair share, or give us our walking papers. This is not anti-American, this is pro-Louisiana. [MUCH APPLAUSE]
  • MD: Refers to inflammatory comments on The Long, Strange Resurrection Of New Orleans. These kinds of feelings make me want to second [Shane's] motion.”
  • PW: “Shane, you’re talking like we’re the victim here. [Our politicians] handed the leases away. We have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
  • MD: “Peggy, how can you say that when we are the only community who has had to beg for help from the country, while other disasters are immediately funded?”
  • PW feels that the country does care for us and that these are extreme views.

On Dolla’ Bill Jefferson

Article

  • DJ: Jefferson will be re-elected first and then indicted later.
  • PW: Agrees with DJ.
  • MD: Jefferson will lose. The “Jefferson Machine” did not work in getting Gill-Pratt relected in District B.
  • SL: Karen Carter will win.

On City Council

  • PW: Shelley Midura a lot better than Jay Batt. [APPLAUSE]
  • MD: Getting Walgreens to work within zoning laws is a great outcome [APPLAUSE & recognition of Karen G.]

Q&A – Interesting Snippets
“The ‘Chocolate City’ comment was made purposely to attract displaced black voters.” – PW
“Dolla’ Bill is a cunning politician.” – SL

“Parents should have more [education/school] choices. [I'm for] universal vouchers.” – SL

“Any [education system] will be better than what we have. Poor, black kids in Virginia have it a lot better than we do.” – MD

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DRAMA ALERT! Mark Folse Hits The “Historic Hatred Against The Landrieus” Hot Button

Aaaaaand Peggy Wilson goes on a tirade against the entire Landrieu family citing that Mitch cut deals with various businesses and entities that brought about the destruction of the Levee Board and other boards around New Orleans. She continues with accusing Landrieu of requiring preferential treatment. Dangerblond calls Peggy on it and asks her to cite examples and sources. Peggy will not … Dangerblond storms out of the session. Video up at Scout Prime’s First Draft.

“But I think that the current generation of Landrieus many of whom live on the public dole and many of whom have great expectations about how they should come and be the saviors of our system are very much disliked because of their attitude. Mitch Landrieu is a person who has had a business where he got business from having judges refer business to him and requiring attorneys to use him in his business. And when you do that it indicates that you have the same system that got us where we are. And I happen to know…”

[Audience member asks Wilson what she is talking about and asked what is the evidence (difficult to hear in video)]

“Well I’m talking about something that I know about first hand. And I know that when you look on the dais on election night and you see the people surrounding a candidate who are the same people that brought about the destruction of the levee board, the destruction of the aviation(?) board and the destruction of various other boards and governing bodies in this community you say what kind of a deal did this guy cut with all these people to be able to raise all that money.”

You’ve got to love New Orleans politics. Hell, you’ve got to love politics.

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MY PANEL IS UP NEXT. SO NERVOUS.