Bulldoze New Orleans

I'm tired of New Orleans.  I'm tired of paying for it and I'm really tired of Nagin's and Blanco's whining.

NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- About half of New Orleans' residents have returned since Hurricane Katrina, but red tape and race and class issues have held up recovery efforts, Mayor Ray Nagin said Monday.

"I'm not asking for more money," Nagin told a Senate panel. "I just want the money you've already allocated to my citizens to help them."

He and other officials involved in reconstruction efforts appeared before a Senate "field hearing" on Gulf Coast reconstruction efforts, 17 months after Katrina devastated coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.

He said analysts at the University of New Orleans and a private research firm estimate the storm-ravaged city's population at between 230,000 and 250,000 -- little more than half its pre-Katrina population of about 455,000.

Those who have come back face a shortage of inhabitable homes and a spike in violent crime, which Nagin said police are working to address.

He said Katrina exposed "an ugly underbelly" of poverty, particularly among the area's black population, and he questioned whether the country had "the will to fix it."

"I think it's more class than anything, but there are racial issues associated with it also," Nagin said.

It has nothing to do with race or class or any other lame-assed excuse the incompetent Mr. Nagin can come up with. 

Katrina didn't expose any "ugly underbelly".  It's always been there.  NOLA's problems have been a matter of record.  It has boasted one of the highest murder rates and one of the worst gang problems in the country.

You can't blame this stuff on Bush or the Republicans.  At some point, the fingers have to point right back home.  New Orleans is a Democrat town and Louisiana's governor has been a Democrat since 1877 with two exceptions - 1980-1984and 1996-2004.

Nagin suggested the war in Iraq, which has now cost about $400 billion, has drawn money and attention away from hurricane relief.

"I hear all these numbers, the hundreds of billions of dollars that are flowing. I hear the arguments about why they're not flowing, and then I look what we're doing in Iraq and how we can spend money at an unprecedented level there," he said.

Landrieu, who has been appointed to lead a subcommittee that will oversee the pace of reconstruction work, said that when the administration submits an expected supplemental spending bill to pay for the nearly 4-year-old Iraq war, "there better be funding to rebuild Louisiana and Mississippi."

Why?  So another storm can blow in and give a repeat performance?  I'm sorry, but I'm tired of the whining.  Why should we throw good money after bad?  As far as I'm concerned, you can bulldoze the whole damn town.

Let private development rebuild the place if they want to, but leave my money out of it. 

And what guarantees do I get, if we spend billions more, that it will be any better than it is or was?

VW

UPDATE:  Before you write your hatemail or comment calling me a racist, read this:

http://www.violenceworker.com/my_weblog/2007/01/hate_mail_over_.html

Comments

[BobF]

I too am sick of New Orleans. They are getting special tax breaks that no other American has gotten. Why, if you took in relatives that were Katrina “victims” you can claim them on your taxes this year. This is Bovine Scatology.

The person who lost their home in Katrina is no different than any other person in America who lost their house to natural disaster or fire. When a family in Kansas City lost their house to fire, FEMA didn’t come in with a $2000 debit card, hotel voucher, and money. The taxpayers aren’t going to rebuild their house.

Why should American Taxpayers pay for rebuilding New Orleans? Except for government buildings, wasn’t everything private property? I don’t want my tax dollars paying for private property to be rebuilt.

[mudkitty]

The whole point of bulldozing New Orleans, only one of the greatest cities in this counttry, is to enable a GOP/Bush/Cheney land grab.

[Violence Worker]

Kitty, and you know this how?

How about some proof!

put up, or retract it.

VW

[Howard Davis]

You don't want your tax dollars being used for private property to be built? How come you have no objection to your tax dollars being used to rebuild private property in Iraq? What about it being used to fund rebuilding a country where upwards of 70% of the population believes it is ok to kill Americans?

Why should an Iraqi have his property rebuilt while an American is denied? Answer that one. The average Iraqi has received far more than the $2K you whine about in your comment.

[BobF]

And, you know this is American tax dollars rebuilding Iraq and not oil money?

[Howard Davis]

Considering oil production is lower now than it was during Sadam Hussein's regime, and the fact that the US Congress has appropriated billions for "reconstruction" in Iraq, I'd say that it is quite obvious that US tax dollars are paying for it. You do understand how these things work, don't you?

[Violence Worker]

Most of what we are paying for in iraq is infrastructure. There are reimbursements for destroyed property and such, but by and large, we are staying out of most private development.

A war and rebuilding a swamp are two different enterprise.

VW

[Howard Davis]

VW-

Mostly true. When $8 billion can just "disappear" in Iraq, it's hard to say what all that money is being used for.

But my point is that I'd rather have my tax dollars going to help Americans. Any American citizen is more important to me than an Iraqi citizen.

[Van Helsing]

Let's bulldoze NO and hope that Nagin pulls a Rachel Corrie.

[ANON]

I just want to say that I'm a Katrina victim, But you know what, after being stuck on a roof for week I moved on and have a much better life in New York than I had back in New Orleans. I love New Orleans very much. It's a great city, but I am sick of so much of the whining I hear. Friends of mine moved back and work hard to re-build that's their choice, and I support that. I made my choice to move and they support me. I don't tell people I'm a victim cos' I don't want their sympathy.

[doctorj]

The loons are out tonight. Proud Americans? You even have a self hating Katrina victim. New Orleanian here. I am laughing at all of you. Pathetic.

[canuckistani]

I read all of the above comments with interest and found Dr. J hilarious.

If you look at what is syphoned off the aid money to various African countries, you'll see similarities with NO. To me, its tribal.

[BobF]

In what might be called the mother of all surprises, Iraq's economy is growing strong, even booming in places....National oil revenues and foreign grants look set to total $41 billion this year, according to the IMF. With security improving in one key spot—the southern oilfields—that figure could go up.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16241340/site/newsweek/

We may have forked out the money to start with but I venture to say, it's going to be paid back. I bet we'll get our money from Iraq a lot faster than we've gotten it from rebuilding Europe after WWII.

Now, why would you call Aaron a self hating Katrina victim? Just because he's not here whining and crying it's Bush's fault, doesn't make him self hating. Just because he's moved on with life and bettered himself, doesn't make him self hating. Sir, you are the pathetic one.

[CG]

Only a terrorist or a person who hates America would advocate bulldozing one of its most important lifelines to the world. This is the same port city that controls access to the Mississippi River and more than 500 annual tons of rubber, steel, chemicals, coal, iron and timber. Nearby Port Fourchon, which is just as dependent upon the rebuilding of New Orleans and Louisiana’s coastal restoration, helps supply more than 16 percent of the nation’s oil. And, don’t forget that New Orleans is home to the country’s biggest shipbuilder, a number of military instillations, the Michoud Assembly Plant and Textron, a company that produces armored vehicles for our soldiers. In fact, many military analysts will tell you that our “swamp” is a critical supporter of our military and its weaponry.

If you love your country, you’ll first start by learning more about it…and not advocating to bulldoze one of its greatest cities.

http://journals.aol.com/rebuildingnola/RebuildingaCity/entries/2007/01/31/bulldoze-new-orleans/1270

[chronically stupid]

chronically stupid did not say -

Smart People would rather pay BILLIONS to Iraq for hospitals and schools and ensure American Security. Then they have the nerve to squeal like the pigs they are when it comes to spending our tax dollars here on one debacle in New Orleans after another. The Moonbat left wing is a great threat to America.

Don't come on my blog, asshole and call me stupid on bandwidth I pay for. That, my IQ challenged friend, is what is known as stupid.

VW

[hjj]

So we are in Iraq to "ensure" American security? This country has spent billions for thousands of nuclear weapons capable of blowing this planet apart; we have the largest Navy and Air Force; myriads of defense agencies; but somehow I am supposed to believe that some band of terrorists are capable of coming over here and roll over us from Maine to California; no more Super Bowl, camel races will now be the norm. We brag endlessly about being the biggest and baddest but can become truly paranoid by someone piss ant like Saddam. Home of the Brave -- PLEASE. More like home of the make grandma bend over at the airport.

Guess what, all those nuclear weapons and all the other weaponry that VW helped build didn't help one bit on 9/11 did it? All the spy agencies and CIA, etc., etc., didn't help on 9/11 did it? Still haven't caught Osama Bin Forgotten have you? But hey Mr. VW, keep having your orgasms over our great weaponry that keeps us all safe, yeah keep dreaming.

[BobF]

HJJ, you have no concept of what took place during the Cold War. You just sat home and enjoyed life while men and women like VW were putting their butts on the line so you could have it good. Funny thing is, the Nukes worked and the Soviet Union is no more.

Now you get on that we haven't caught Osama kick. You know anything about him? Did you know he was trained by the CIA to fight the Russian Army. He is probably the most highly trained terrorist in the world and is an expert at escape and evasion. Think about this, we didn't even catch the Unabomber till his brother turned him in; he was right here in our backyard. If it wasn't for his brother, he would still be sending packages to people. Check out the FBI's most wanted as they're still here in American walking the streets...we haven't caught them either. At least Osama is forced to like in caves for fear of his life.

I bet when 9/11 took place you were one of the first ones to cry "the government isn't doing enough to protect us". I bet the folks on those planes on 9/11 would have gladly submitted to a full body cavity search in the middle of Times Square rather than be on those planes and people like you are complaining about a little hassle at the airport...think about it.

[canuckistani]

It's one thing to be pouring money into Iraq, a place with zero infrastructure, and pouring money into NOLA, a place that has infrustructure yet still can't pull it together. Iraq will be up and running and have the debt to the U.S. paid back before NOLA gets new dikes built. That's the frustrating thing, leaders in NOLA are behaving worse than a third world country in disarray, rather than a first world country with everything it needs to get the problem fixed. The situation is hemhorraging money yet nothing seems to get done. This leads one to think corruption. If the feds come in and try to clean it up, NOLA will cry foul, play the race card, yet it continually asks for help. It's like a spoiled brat that needs a slap on the ass, mouth forced open to take the bitter medicine, and told to be quiet! Suck it up NOLA and get it together. That's not racism, that's called being fed up with people who can't take responsibility for themselves.

[BobF]

Digressing a bit to the actual Hurricane, he's something you most likely never hear of from the MSM. Here's what the Commander-in-Chief did before Katrina even got close to New Orleans.

According to accounts provided by several sources involved with preparations for Katrina, the Pentagon began tracking the storm when it was still just a number in the ocean on August 23, some five days before landfall in Buras, Louisiana. As the storm approached, senior Pentagon officials told staff to conduct an inventory of resources available should it grow into a hurricane, using a template that DoD used for Florida last year. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld issued an executive order delegating hurricane decision authority to the head of Northern Command, Timothy Keating.

Before the hurricane arrived in New Orleans, Adm. Keating approved the use of bases in Mississippi and Louisiana to position emergency meals and some medical equipment, and eventually six bases were prepared. Keating also sent military officers to Mississippi and Louisiana to set up traditional coordination with their counterparts from FEMA, and ordered the movement of ships into the Gulf. The Pentagon claims that it carried out these preparations without any formal Katrina-related request from FEMA or other authorities. These personnel were on alert a week before the hurricane. McHale claims that “The U.S. military has never deployed a larger, better-resourced civil support capability so rapidly in the history of our country.”

http://scm.ncsu.edu/public/hot/hot050914.html

Next time people say the Federal Government didn't do a thing, tell them Bovine Scatology.

[MOGS]

While we're at it, please, for the love of God, bulldoze Camden, New Jersey while you're at it too.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is apply a tourniquet and bust out the bone saw.

[mudkitty]

Bulldozing is all rightwingers can think off. It's the rightwing answer to everything.