Bring back New Orleans-what are your thoughts?

[lisahb]

not returning to New Orleans

Hey guys,
Thanks for understanding..... My husband and I have decided to make a go of it here in Birmingham. I start my new job on Tuesday:hurl: (i'm nervous)
I have a lot of friends who live in St. Charles Parish, and we have often thought about moving there, just never did, ya know. We are going to try to sell our home w/o making repairs. It's too hard with us living in Alabama. if it won't sell, then we are going to have to rely on friends and family alot to oversee repairs. Six hour drive every other weekend to check on the house seems a little overwhelming. I used to work for First American Bank in Boutte. I had floated to a few other branches also, Luling, Des Allemands.. But if the river levee were to break on that side, then ya'lld be up a creek too, right? Let's hope this coming season isn't as bad--give everyone a break.:wave:

 

[Debbie]

So have y'all heard the latest? New Orleans is gonna be a chocolate city! MY, MY, MY. Quit talking about color, stop having the agendas based on race, politics, cronyism, and GET 'ER DONE!

 

[wannab@dis]

Baffoons? Pefect description of your mayor! (well, maybe the governor also)

The hurricane is punishment for being in Iraq? A chocolate city? It's time for him to go... he's doing nothing good for the situation.

 

[MouseMadness]

OMG that was painful to hear. I was embarrassed for him. I mean... chocolate? :brick: The speech was in honor of Dr King, without really following his actual dream or ideals. :lol: :brick:

*sigh*

 

[Shaman]

Personally I think that anything that can easily become flooded should not be rebuilt. The city has been fighting nature for far too long...time to give the river and the gulf some land back....Furthermore I think most if not all the politicians should be removed from office and that the fed gov should come in and take control of the city and the rebuilding efforts, and of course elections. Once the pieces are set in motion the city could be returned to local control....

Someone made a good point some posts back, that New Orleans had lots of problems before Katrina hit. The hurricane just put a huge spotlight on all the issues...the corruption, the crime problem, the lack of leadership on all levels of goverment, the enviromental issues, etc. All those things have caused problems for New Orleans pre Katrina and post Katrina. I believe some if not all of those problems has to be taken care before they rebuild. Will the roots of the problem be eliminated? Probably not all of them. But I think the city will be rebuilt.

Also, personally I believe the government (on ALL levels), and society as a whole has a responsibility to care for its poor people. But NOT the people taking advantage of the system...(sometimes it becomes hard to know who is who)...so I think the programs need to be looked at to ensure that people can't take advantage in the future, and that there is incentive for becoming independent again and not needing the gov help. I think sometimes people find that it is easier to sit there and get help, than to go out and improve themselves.

Insurance companies should be responsible for the services and protection they promised and were paid for....Those who couldn't afford insurance should get SOME help.

Rebuilding is hard, and something you have to work on; it isn't something that you can just sit and discuss and hope it falls from the sky....it is action.

Best wishes to all in the affected areas. This year, we (us folks in South Florida) were hit by a weak Katrina and a powerful Wilma. I really hope hurricane season 06 is kinder to us all.

 

[bsandersjr]

Now the nation can see, New Orleans has Willy Wonka as a mayor. Thank the Lord I live in Jefferson Parish!

 

[Nemo14]

I just spent about 20 minutes writing a response to this, then got logged off, so I'll try again.
First of all, the "Chocolate City" speech had to be the lowest I've ever seen the mayor stoop. It was actually the first time since Katrina hit that I have actually laughed out loud at the plight of NO. It had to be enbarrassing to every NO'er - regardless of race!
This thread has been so interesting and informative. Living up here in New England, we really don't hear both sides of the issues there, and unfortunately people easily forget how deep an impact this kind of tragedy can have on people. A good example of this occured this spring when I was asked to give a talk to a group in our church about some work my family had done for a family in Punta Gorda after Hurricane Charley. We had arranged with a church there to help out a family whose house had been severely damaged. I showed a powerpoint production of what we had done (mostly sheetrock work), and many of the people there couldn't believe that this family was still living in a tiny camping trailer, some 8 months after Charley. I explained to them the insurance issues, the lack of supplies, the shortage of help, and the wealth of scams going on, and they had no clue how bad things were. We just kind of take it for granted that if your house gets damaged, you fix it and get over it.
As far as the welfare cheats are concerned, that problem exists everywhere, and there will always be people who abuse the system. I agree that education is a key component to the solution, but I think the lifestyle is so ingrained to many of these families, that perhaps they will never change.

 

[bsandersjr]

 

[Nemo14]

:lol: :lol:

 

[CaptainMichael]

I hear that Hershey is trying to get the naming rights to Superdome.

Honestly, Nagin, you sir have lost your mind!

 

[bsandersjr]

I heard New Orleans will be hosting the NCAA M&M Bowl next season.

 

[lisahb]

Thanks

Thank you for sending that link... i think this is a time for the phrase,the least you say the better. He always seems like hes apoligizing for something..

 

[bsandersjr]

 

[lisahb]

Katrina tribute

Hi:wave:

I received an email from a friend of mine yesterday. There was a link for a Katrina Tribute site. If anyone is interested, the website is: www.katrinatribute.info it was a very touching website--nicely done

 

[bsandersjr]

Thanks for the link.

 

[FigmentJedi]

YTMND's take on the Chocolate City: http://chocolatecity.ytmnd.com/

 

[Debbie]

I can't believe Ray and I went to the same high school

 

[bsandersjr]

Well, Wonka backed out of his scheduled CNN interview tonight with a big 5 minute notice.

 

[CaptainMichael]

Yahoo's Number One Search:

Chocolate City Controversy
Thursday January 19, 2006 5:00PM PT

And on the eighth day, God created the clueless politician.

In a speech on Monday that aspired to the Pat Robertson school of rhetoric, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin made two stunning declarations. The recent hurricanes, he intoned, must be God's payback for the U.S. "being in Iraq under false pretenses" and for the behavior of some black Americans. He went on to reassure the crowd that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be. ... This city will be chocolate at the end of the day."

And the levees broke, and the flood waters of response washed over Ray Nagin. Here at the Buzz, searches on "new orleans mayor" climbed a staggering 990%, and "ray nagin" shot upward 836%. Queries on "chocolate city" and "new orleans chocolate city" both rose from zero into the thousands. It seemed the mayor had succeeded in offending pretty much everyone.

Old Ray has since backpedaled furiously, but it remains to be seen if he can weather this storm. There have been many humorous responses to his gaffes, but the last word has to go to Senator Joe Lieberman, who soothed democratically, "There is dark chocolate and there is white chocolate." And for that, we are grateful.

 

[DMC-12]

What is the point in rebuilding a city that sits lower than sea level, in the gulf, with hurricanes coming thru? :veryconfu

And the crazy mayor and his whole "Chocolate City" bit... then him back peddling made it even worse. ugh.

I think the mayor has lost it.