The Future of New Orleans

As RW and I survey the scene of New Orleans today we see some hope. The beginning of the clearing of land for the new hospitals is one, although we believed and still do that the old Charity Hospital could have been in use while these plans went forward. The attempt to eradicate the blight that has given rise to crime and continuation of drugs sales and additction and the overall decline of the city has begun. Yet the overwhelming sense of dread continues as the blood spills on the streets of this city and on the streets of other communities in southern Louisiana. Some would say that this is limited to the community of people of a certain ancestry. We will disagree on this issue. We can no longer use the excuse of slavery as the cause of the criminal intent that exists today. As we listen to many, we see perhaps the beginning of cooperation among people of all ancestries to report and demand that justice be done. In the Federal court today, twelve people will begin to deliberate and make a judgment based on the evidence presented - the case involving the death of Mr. Glover. However, while this may be the main news, there remain the many other cases in which justice must be determined. We also see disagreement as to which boards will run the schools of this city. The schools were in terrible disarray for decades and the question must be asked "WHY?". We blame the boards and the teachers' unions and the failure of parenting. We see in the Charter School system more involvement of parents and a determination to give their children a viable education. Fifty years ago young girls integrated the public schools of this city. One made history by virtue of the support of federal agents and a famous Saturday Evening Posting painting and cover. However, listen to her and to the three other women of African ancestry and heard the difference in how they speak and how they act. There was something important in their backgrounds - family. The family in all situations is the cause of children seeking to improve themselves. RW and I have seen this in the families with which we have beome friends. The decline of family and moral values is the reason for the disappation of this city, this state, and this nation. Daniel Moynihan was on point in this respecti in his 1965 report - http://www.blackpast.org/?q=primary/moynihan-report-1965. It is time for all of us to read it and also to read the call for unity by Martin Luther King in his famous words: "Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" It is time for us to listen to those of the past in order to create a new city, a new state, and a new nation.

RW and I hope to live to see the future change in this city. Katrina and the breaks in the levees may have caused the physical destruction of this city but we the citizens by our own actions have created more damage over the decades by the failure to choose leaders based on their ability and not on their ancestry. It is time for a radical change in attitude among all citizens of this city, this state and this nation.

VOTE FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR NEW ORLEANS

Today, before R.W and I leave for the polls, we decided that there must be a post on this site and others that we have created. THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY IS IN THE HANDS OF ITS CITIZENS. It is time to turn away the politics of the past, to refuse to vote based on ancestry, on political patronage, on inheritance of positions, or on the many biases that have created this morass in which we now exist. It is time that each and every citizen put aside their individual biases and vote for the future and not the past. We will vote for James Perry, not because we wish to throw away a vote as some people say, but because it is the young determined people like him that are the future of this city. We will do so with pride and hope. Tomorrow many will celebrate but we ask the question is tomorrow's celebration of victory for one candidate rather than another a celebration that we can still hold on to in four years. The future of this city is dependent on the vote. Some will not, because of their involvements with the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. What a shame. However, we will put on our coats and hats and we will drive in the Rolls today to the polling place and we will cast our votes with pride. How many others will vote with pride? Will they vote out of alliances and hate instead? Time will tell, time will tell.

AND SO THE BIG EASY CONTINUES TO CRUMBLE

AND SO THE BIG EASY CONTINUES TO CRUMBLE
It has been a while since I was able to write something on this blog of mine. By the “old lady”, commonly known as RW has been giving me some tender, loving care and I am feeling better and decided to do a little writing. Oh, I know she has been blistering the posting sites, the blogs, etc. What more can I say. My father warned me. He said you know she is a spitfire. Frankly, my dears, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now on to business. This city is still reeling from the arrogance and stupidity of the mayor and the failure of the citizens to speak out clearly against him. This latest episode in which the City of New Orleans filed action against LTC is indicative of his arrogance and ignorance and that of his so called staff. RW often calls for a listing of qualifications of all personnel in City Hall. I must join her in that request. We can no longer afford to have incompetents roaming those halls even for the months left in his administration. Civil Service was meant to protect the competent not the incompetent. Individuals who passed examinations to be admitted to practice should be advising the mayor appropriately and not give in to his tantrums. Unfortunately, these political appointees are afraid of losing their jobs. The citizens would support them if they did what was right. It is time for an upheaval in City Hall from within and from without. May if happen now. Citizens should picket that hell hole created by decades and decades of neglect, not simply by Katrina and every damn intervening mayor held responsible for its condition and the condition of the services rendered by the personnel within.
Now what about this latest action – hiring a high priced attorney from out of state. Too chicken to find one who can take on the job here? This must be the talk of the legal community in the area. Everyone by now should have his/her opinion as to the actions of the mayor. Who has not? Who or what does this new attorney represent and why was this firm needed in the first place. The blatant incompetence of the mayor and his staff.
Now what about Chief Riley? Frankly, dears, (how I enjoy using those terms as does R.W., the vixen) the guy had no chance. Blame it all on him but look at the conditions under which he took control. Look at the makeup of the city after Katrina and the continuing flow of problems. The National Guard needs to be brought in and a house to house search made to discover the guns, the drugs, etc. The buildings falling down should be destroyed. The homeless, drug addicts, prostitutes, mental patients roaming the streets must be assisted. This will take almost martial law and furthermore strict curfews. It is time to get tough and to enforce. People must learn to control their children and adults must learn to conform to the laws. These issues cross all ancestral lines, socio-economic lines, etc. Times are tough and it is time that we get tougher.
Next posting I will be hitting the mayor and council elections and also have a few words to say about that idiot across the lake, Price, and the leaders of Jefferson Parish. Hmmm – newspapers and TV stations and radio stations and internet news sites better get ready for some big time action including Baton Rouge and the governor, wherever he may be today.

A CHALLENGE TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS

It has been a while since I said: "I will post looking at what I see as the various wars that have caused the destruction of the city that once had such a brilliant future." Over the weeks and months that have passed, I have seen much in this city - death in various hideous forms, the mess in City Hall, the political squabbling over Charity Hospital, the continuing decline in the economy, the lack of true leadership on all levels of government, and a malaise that ordinary citizens are fighting in the best way that they can. The future of our children and our city are at stake and our leaders are inept and involved in the politics of the game to such an extent that the harm continues to destroy this city, this state, and this nation. A ground swell will start taking place in the coming months as people realize more and more the mistakes that they have made in electing incompetent and ill prepared people for leadership. Instead of voting for the best our citizens look to other factors, of little consequence, in making their decision. It is not the first time not the last that this will happen. However, at the present time citizens hurting from the actions of their leaders will react and start exercising more and more care instead of merely listening to political rhetoric and looking at the ancestry of the candidate. Now will be the time that I will start posting more and more about the coming local elections and these posts will be strong and determined. We will no longer accept the cronies of any politician, we will no longer look at ancestry, we will no longer chose along party lines but we must and shall chose the best. Care to join the battle and create a new frontier, not in space but here in New Orleans, in Louisiana, and in the nation? I dare you to take a stand. Do you care enough to take that dare?

WHO WAS THE BEST MAYOR IN MODERN TIMES

Yes, many will disagree with my remarks but think about them. Ernest "Dutch" Morial. This city needed change and the age old issue of tourism as the sole source of importance could no longer be honored. Dutch Morial took some chances and brought about new developments and new possibilities. He took some major chances that created havoc in the eyes of some such as the cancellation of Mardi Gras. However, he took the chance and he sought change and affirmative actions but he failed to control his temper and his feud with certain organizations. He lacked the ability to mediate. This was his major flaw. However, look at what he did to overcome the issues that made it difficult to live and develop in this city, particularly the question of his ancestry. Give him credit for doing what other had not been able to do - to be first in many ways. It is unfortunate that his temper could not be controlled and other personal issues interfered with his role as mayor. Yet he still was the best considering the circumstances and the times. Unfortunately his son learned little from his father.

NAGIN BRINGS THIS CITY TO ITS KNEES

After Mark Morial, we saw a new face and we had hope of a change. That was the face of Ray Nagin, often seen and heard speaking on behalf of his employer, Cox Communications. Well, he was elected as Mayor and with him came hope as we saw corruption being disclosed and action being taken - remember people being taken out in handcuffs from City Hall, clean up of various departments, and also the arguments with the City Council. Yes there was hope but along came some storms and particularly Katrina and then we saw the lack of ability to lead, the failure to make decisions, and the failure of city officials for decades to make decent plans in advance for major storms. Let's not lay the blame solely at Nagin's feet. However, his inability and failure to act responsibly during that time indicates a lack of true leadership. Human lives were at stake and decisions were not made until too late. When the storm had passed, some sighed with relief until the water began to spread throughout the city. Again, let us not blame Ray alone for that because all of the mayors before him had done little to seek protection for this city. The devastation during Betsy was no where near the devastation and loss of life in Katrina. Blame must be spread all over - city, state, and federal leadership were all involved in the death and destruction resulting from Katrina. No segment of government was innocent. However, the immediate leadership of Ray Nagin contributed to the failure of many to leave this city. His order for mandatory evacuation should have come much sooner along with a declaration of martial law and a call for help to the national level in anticipation of what might happen to this city. After the storm he continued with the inability to lead and he relied on what he had not relied on before, a call for racism. Even then, many would continue to support him because they still hoped for what they had seen in his original election. He was still the fresh face of hope in this city of chaos. However, history shows that this was not what we would see and the news media and others have disclosed since the storm the true incompetence of his leadership and those that surrounded him. A man of hope became the man of distrust and disgust. Today, he is the brunt of jokes, the brunt of editorials, the brunt of hatred and intolerance. From hope there has come little. Now we turn to the future and again we must seek the best but we must learn from the past and cast a vote with great care. The history of the past must teach us a lesson, if we are to see the survival of New Orleans. Only we, the citizens, can change New Orleans.

NEXT POSTING - WHICH MAYOR(S) WERE THE BEST IN MODERN TIMES?

THE HEIR BECOMES MAYOR

Well, after serving two years in the State Senate and having been previously defeated by Bill Jefferson in a run for Congress, Marc Morial was able to gain the seat of Mayor with a defeat of Donald Mintz. Yes he was successful in gaining a new Chief of Police, who reduced crime, together with additonal hotels, and a increase in tourism but he failed to gain other forms of businesses in this city as slowly but surely the business sector of this city lost more and more ground. In addition, he surpassed his father in arrogance and it would later be shown how family members, particularly his maternal line, would profit during his tenure. Now there were many other rumors about his personal life, but rumors are what they remain to this day. Single during most of his terms in office, he eventually married. However, the only mark he left on the city that remains to this day is tourism, which is and should not be the only foundation of this city. Morial rarely returns to the city of his birth and one wonders why. Well he may be the head of the National Urban League but his legacy to the city of New Orleans remains the question of corruption during his tenure as mayor. Did he use the shovel (not a broom) to bring in more corruption or to remove the corruption. The rumors on this issue continues with the exception of some indictments that have come forward. Time will tell. Time will tell.