New Orleans Residents Are Bailing Out

[Hissyspit]

I guess the pun is intended...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KATRINA_ON_EDGE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Feb 8, 6:23 PM EST
New Orleans Residents Are Bailing Out

By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- New Orleans is a city on a knife's edge. A year and a half after Hurricane Katrina, an alarming number of residents are leaving or seriously thinking of getting out for good. They have become fed up with the violence, the bureaucracy, the political finger-pointing, the sluggish rebuilding and the doubts about the safety of the levees.

"The mayor says, `Come back home. Every area should come back.' For what?" said Genevieve Bellow, who rebuilt her home in heavily damaged eastern New Orleans but has been unable to get anything done about the trash and abandoned apartment buildings in her neighborhood and may leave town. "I have no confidence in anything or anybody."

A survey released in November found that 32 percent of city residents polled may leave within two years. University of New Orleans political scientist Susan Howell, who did the survey, said more will give up if the recovery does not pick up speed.

In fact, figures from the nation's top three moving companies suggest more people left the area than moved into it last year.

- snip -

If there is an exodus, it could mean more than just a shrunken New Orleans. It could mean a poorer city, financially and culturally, and a more desperate one, too, since the people likely to leave are the most highly educated and younger.

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[Miss Chybil]

1. Pre-Katrina New Orleans is gone.

It will never be the same, no matter how badly people want it.

[brentspeak]

2. It's insane to stay in that city. Decent people are getting murdered by the Scum Of The Planet

left and right. Just read this terrible story about murdered filmmaker, Helen Hill, her life snuffed out by an as-yet-uncaught piece of slime who deserves to be a) first given the rack; b) put in an iron maiden; and c) finally, drawn-and-quartered:



http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6817192

There would literally have to be martial law declared just to keep things safe. So far, though, no one has had the guts to do it.

[peacetalksforall]

3. I'm sure God-loving gamblers are just waiting to move in so they

can play poker to church music and have little winning rooms where scantily dressed dancers put an arm around their shoulders.

Pardon my cynicism ... I get the feeling that the levees will be OK as soon as the big developers can get all the contiguous land they want.

[smoogatz]

5. It's a greater tragedy than 9/11, IMO.

An entire city ruined on Bush's watch. I loved New Orleans--one of the best cities in the world, back in the day. K&R for Madame Rose.

[malaise]

20. Bush will never be forgiven for NOLA

he should be in chains for that alone.

[Olney Blue]

4. Another policy disaster compliments of the Bush administration.

[radfringe]

18. not a policy disaster

it's a policy scheme - get the "undesireables" out and it makes more room for the "desireables"

We know who is moving out - but who is moving in?

reminds of landlords of big apartment complexes who try to get tenents out by making life difficult like shutting off heat/power etc. Tenent leaves, and the landlord can rent it at a higher price or sell it off as a condo.

Gambling corporations may only be one part of who is moving in, but also look into the related businesses such as hotels, entertainment venues, and other support businesses.

Also, don't overlook the businesses that come through the ports.

[porphyrian]

6. It's all according to plan, and it makes me fucking sick. - n/t

[RB TexLa]

7. It's the rebuilding and the population shift to EBR parish, everything else was happening

before Katina as well.

[bdamomma]

8. this is so sad, a beautiful city and culture gone

my ten year asked if she could go there to help.

[ruiner4u]

9. jeez... that city is on its way to becoming 'third world'

and every day its going to be harder and harder to return it to how it was pre-katrina...

this should be a wake up call to all of us about how vulnerable our cities are with pResident post turtle in charge.. the government is so inept right now that a catastrophe could wipe away another american city...


how I despise that evil little man..

[Bobbieo]

10. I would be more afraid of Katrina repeat. I think it is going to happen.

I think the entire southeastern part of our country is in the path of more destructive hurricanes.

[Hissyspit]

11. .

[zulchzulu]

12. Someone I know living there was attacked on her way home from work

I used to live in Nawlins for about 6 years (WWL-TV) and decided to go split on the cost of a condo in the Quarter. The person I am splitting time/costs with was attacked by some red-eyed crackhead jackshit mother f*ckers on Saturday after her shift at a restaurant nearby. She's OK physically but stunned and scared mentally. I'm trying to talk her out of bailing and moving west.

The French Quarter used to be fairly safe, but now it's open season...and the NOLA cops are overwhelmed. A sincere tragedy in the making...

I'll be there for JazzFest...

[brentspeak]

15. Why are you trying to convince her to stay in New Orleans?

[zulchzulu]

21. Her family lives there...she's from there...has lived there for ten years...

It's her home on many levels, including spiritually. She wants to stay on many levels, but now is more fearful than ever.

When I lived there (1985-1991), it was dangerous in only certain areas...unfortunately black-on-black drug/gang-related crime. You knew where not to go. An occasional crime would happen in other neighborhoods, but where doesn't that happen. And New Orleans (Pre-Katrina) had very affluent neighborhoods literally next to poor projects. The French Quarter was probably the safest part of town due to it being the crown jewel of the city.

Now, not so much... a combination of reasons with a much smaller police force and sheer desperation of many that live there.

As for my friend there, I can't tell her she can't leave. I know that. It's just tragic that she feels like she has to leave her home like it's a warzone in Iraq...

[Swamp Rat]

13. ... and the contractors who STEAL OUR MONEY instead of fix our houses

:mad: My place is still a wreck! :mad:

[JVS]

17. That's what contractor always do

[SoCalDem]

14. and yet, Pennsylvanians are doing okay..(some are)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=161556&mesg_id=161556

[OneBlueSky]

16. the death of this great American city might best be termed "metrocide" . . .

i.e. an intentional demise facilitated by the Federal, state and local governments aided and abetted by the insurance industry . . .

[NuttyFluffers]

19. a criminal tragedy of epic proportions

apparently cuba now outshines us in response to such natural disasters, even after 60 years of a crushing embargo. the shame is beyond words. we must remember that the office of the president is always important, and this is one example that should not fade from public memory.