Tag: New Orleans

Earth Day #2: Bush Killing Coastal Louisiana

This is Part 2 of an Earth Day-themed series on  environmental issues in the Gulf Region after Katrina and the federal flood.

In the first part of this Earth Day series, the environmental devastation experienced by New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Region was discussed. This installment will focus on Louisiana’s wetlands which are being washed away and the sinking of New Orleans and the rest of southern Louisiana.

New Orleans: Canary in the Coal Mine

(Part of the NOLA/GULF BLOGATHON now ongoing at Dkos, see below for the schedule)

Priorities.

“Our” government is spending $434 million per day, $3 billion per week and $13.2 billion per month on Iraq. And still no one can tell us why, not even it’s architects

As Americas infrastructure crumbles, as the Iraqi government builds a surplus. As New Orleans languishes, still destroyed, still hanging on by a thread, still essentially abandoned by both government and the Republican lauded “private sector.” (Please read commonscribes diary

on the insurance industry and NOLA!)

.

Earth Day Part #1: Katrina and the Environment

This is the first part of a 2-part Earth Day-themed series on environmental issues in the Gulf Region.

Not only were Katrina, the federal flood, and Rita massive human tragedies, they were for reasons which will be detailed below easily this nation’s biggest environmental calamity.

And their potential impacts on human health and life in New Orleans and in the rest of the affected area are still being assessed over 2 1/2-years later. More below the fold…..  

Help Bury a Blogger

A few days ago, I posted on the untimely death one of our blogging brethren, New Orleans native  Dr. Ashley Morris

For those of you unfamiliar with Ashley’s work, here is, IMHO, the finest rant I have ever read. He posted this the November after Katrina hit New Orleans. It has become something of a legend on the Gulf Coast, and it is now known simply as FYYFF:

   

There’s one less angry funny man in New Orleans

also at Orange

I’ll keep this short, because frankly, I never met him.

Professor Ashley Morris is one of the wittiest, sharpest bloggers on life in New Orleans, post-Katrina.  For the past few years, I’ve been making it a point to check out his blog two or three times a week, which is how I learned that on Wednesday, New Orleans lost a champion.

ACTION: What YOU can do to help NOLA

cross-posted with minor edits from dailykos as part of today’s NOLA diary-athon.

You’ve read about the situation in New Orleans.  You know there are still crumbled houses all over, that thousands have never come back, that the economy is crippled and crime out of control.  You’ve heard that the levees are still unimproved, the local politicians are corrupt or ineffective or both, and that the cable news networks no longer see the issue as sexy enough for your attention.  You’ve wondered if things can get better.

Good news: this diary is dedicated to you, and what you can do to help.

Book Review – Sandrine’s Letter to Tomorrow

I met Dedra Johnson at a book signing just before Christmas.  Earl Higgins, Dedra, and I were signing our books at the Loyola University's bookstore.  I'd been hearing about Sandrine's Letter to Tomorrow from friends, bloggers, and others for a coiuple of months.  It's not the type of novel I usually read, but Dedra's a local author writing about New Orleans, good enough for me.

Sandrine may not be the type of character I usually get into, but I got into the novel nonetheless.  It is a well-written story with lots of local color and a cast of characters who are very easy to love and/or hate, just like family members.

I'm going to offer some more thoughts below the fold.  SPOILER WARNING – don't go there if you haven't read the book.

Nagin’s 39 Pages of “New Rules”

Okay, Our Bushite-wanna-be Mayor is trying to push another agenda on the folks who are trying to pull their lives together after the Federal Flood of New Orleans and the callous disregard given by all levels of Gov’mit when it comes to real people.

This is the latest insult/threat:

Crossposted from GentillyGirl

Nagin Wants to Cold Cock the NOLA Bloggers (and everyone else with a brain)

Crossposted from GentillyGirl

“No-See-Um” Nagin, our transparent, or is that the invisible, Mayor took umbrage over the flap concerning his little play-time fun with “Do Nothing” Riley, our Chief of Police. He’s also bitchin’ because the media is against him and his sparkling record here in NOLA, causing Racists to come out of the woodwork and make him live in fear for himself and his family. He also talks about the “evil” Blogs, and how if he is approached wrongly he will cold cock the person(s) responsible.

Try to cold cock me you worthless piece of political trash, and I’ll sink my knee so deep in your genitals that you will sound like Minny Mouse for the rest of your life. That or I’ll stick a 7 inch pump somewhere (but you might like that, Bitch.). You always find a way to make yourself look so freakin’ silly, and by extension you soil the images of the folks here who are ACTUALLY doing the rebuilding. You are NOT an asset to New Orleans.

I was going to take this rant farther, but there are too many good NOLA Bloggers who have already weighed in on this poop:

Try Dr. Morris, or the Zombie, or DangerBlond, or Adrastos, Maitri, Think NOLA, We Could Be Famous… (and yes I know I missed some, but I’m busy hiring protection.)

And there are my pieces from last week.

I wonder if we Bloggers can get Restraining Orders against this congenital Repug lunatic?

Sinn Fein!

Update: I missed these few comments from Nagin’s interview this morning:

“Nagin: I don’t know. I’ll probably settle down and get to the business of the recovery. I’ll probably go talk to an attorney and the FBI about hate crimes and all that good stuff, but I’ll be back to business.

Roberts: Have you received any direct threats?

Nagin: I’m not going to get into that. I’m a fairly high profile person and I’ve made some pretty hard decisions and it’s made some people angry. So it is what it is.”

So I guess that “No-See-Um” Ray doesn’t believe in Free Speech, the telling of the Truth or Civil Disobedience. It’s just sad… he should return to the world of cable TV and spare the rest of us anymore of his insanity.

Curtsey to the Swampwoman for filling me in.

OMG! Colbert has us on his On Notice board.  Thanks Leigh! (I think…. Need to get the Rad Faeries to protect me.)  

Raping New Orleanians…

Alright, Betts and I are racing to get our Federally Flooded house ready for us to return to. (Try paying a mortgage, and rent on what is basically a home that passes as a dumpster AND paying for contractors and the materials.) Material costs have gone up over 30% because the home building industry is going down the tubes due to the junk mortgage B/S. The Gulf Coast is the only place left for the home building industry, and they are fucking us royally.

Since we have to buy four bathrooms and three kitchens for the Trans Compound, we needed to get some lavatory faucets for our baths in the main house. It came in around $200 for the lavs. (I don’t buy junk.) What shocked me was that our kitchen sink stuff is running at $270. Sweet Zombie Jesus, they are just chunks of metal.

Our carpet company really helped us out for the two carpeted rooms in the house: Lowe’s wanted almost 250% more and we got better products. We also caught a sale on some area rugs that we need since the bulk of the house is done in Terrazo tile. (Wake up in the middle of the night needing to potty? Running across tile is torture. I want our tootsies to be warm.)

So I now present an essay/diatribe from last August concerning the insanity of our our consumer society that I witnessed after joining a buying club when it comes to potties:

(Crossposted from GentillyGirl  

LA-01: Meet Gilda Reed’s Republican Opposition

Docudharma Note:  When I set up an account here, I originally intended NOT to simply cross-post my dKos diary.  That said, this is different.  I'm proud to be part of the 24 hours of blogging for Gilda Reed, progressive candidate for Congress from LA-01.  This is my entry in the round-the-clock blogging on dKos:

I was two years old when my family left Methuen, MA, for New Orleans. My mother, a NOLA native, didn't care much for Boston winters. She told my dad she was going back home with us kids and he was welcome to join us. My parents initially rented a house on Bonnabel Blvd., in Old Metairie, then bought a house not far away on Dream Ct. They moved closer to the lake when we outgrew that house, and that's where they lived out their lives.

T. Hale Boggs represented Metairie/Jefferson until his death in 1972. His wife Lindy succeeded him in the LA-02 seat and continued to represent the suburbs until the 1980 redistricting put Metairie/Jefferson in LA-01. There are still more Democrats registered in LA-01 than Republicans. It's just a matter of reminding them that Dems have done better by them historically than Republicans ever have or ever will.

This is what they will remember:

They'll remember the mold that covered the walls when they returned after evacuating for the storm.

They'll remember how they ripped out the walls of the houses they worked most of their lives to build and pay for.

 

They'll remember how so much of what they owned was carried away by trash collectors as worthless. (BTW, these photos are from my house.)

But most importantly, they'll remember the man who did absolutely nothing to help:

and they won't be too well-disposed towards those who think he did a good job.

Like Steve Scalise.

Gilda's opposition on the Republican side consists of Steve Scalise of Jefferson, Ben Morris of Slidell, and Tim Burns of Covington. Polls indicate that Scalise currently leads this field, with Morris five points behind him. (There is a 33% “Uncertain” in this race.) In spite of the large Uncertain percentage, my money is on Scalise, because the Republican money is on him.

Steve Scalise is 42 years old, from Jefferson, LA. He is married and has one daughter. His degree (from LSU) is in Computer Programming, and he lists his employment as a Computer Systems Analyst with Diamond Data Systems, a Metairie company specializing in DoD work.

In actuality, Scalise is a career politician, having been elected to office for the first time at age 30. He has been a Louisiana State Representative for the past 12 years (District 82). Scalise was unable to stand for a fourth term because of Republican-initiated/supported term limits. In spite of numerous expressions of interest in running for LA-01, Scalise ran for the State Senate (District 9), in the fall of 2007. His opponent in that race, former JP School Board member Polly Thomas (R-Metairie), predicted the exact situation that is unfolding now–that if PBJ were to win the LA-GOV race, Scalise would immediately qualify for LA-01, in spite of not even having been sworn into the office for which he was currently running. Thomas was savagely attacked by Scalise in the campaign for suggesting that he would abandon District 9 (if he were to win LA-01, Scalise would serve in one legislative special session and never represent the district in a regular session). Since the general election for LA-01 is 8-May, Senate 9 will be without representation, since there will be no time for a special election to fill the remaining 90% of Scalise's term.

Scalise is Roman Catholic, a graduate of Archbishop Rummel High School.

Scalise's positions on various issues:

Iraq

Scalise lists “Strong National Defense” as an issue for his campaign, but there is absolutely no reference to the current Middle East wars on his website. The disrespect this does to our troops as well as the intelligence of the voters of LA-01 is incredible.

Guns

Scalise has been the NRA's go-to guy in the LA legislature for over a decade. He has authored legislation for the gun lobby on several occasions, most notably a bill to retroactively prohibit municipalities in the state from suing gun manufacturers.

Abortion

Scalise is pro-life and has a 100% pro-life voting record with the Louisiana Right to Life Federation. The Louisiana Family Forum named Steve Scalise “Outstanding Family Advocate.” The LFF closely aligns themselves with Radical Cleric Dobson and Focus on the Family as well as Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council. Favors no exceptions for rape and incest.

Flood Protection

Scalise's campaign website says he supports funding 100-year-storm protection for Southeast Louisiana, yet he stands by the records of his predecessors. His friend David “Diaper Dave” Vitter, and PBJ both fully supported the Cheney Administration's ongoing underfunding of flood control projects for Southeast Louisiana. Scalise offers no explanation for this conflict in his words and actions.

Housing

Opposed re-building of affordable housing initiatives post-storm.

Healthcare

Voted last year to cut 1,532 state jobs from the budget, most coming from the Department of Health and Hospitals. Adamantly opposed to rebuilding Charity Hospital New Orleans, even though it was one of the state's largest employers, teaching hospitals, and the primary source of healthcare for the metro area's uninsured.

Education

Voted last year to cut $177 million in education funding from the state budget. Supports tuition tax deductions for families that have children in parochial schools.

Marriage/Gay Rights

Chief architect of the 2004 “Defense Of Marriage Amendment,” which defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The amendment overwhelmingly passed in the legislature and at the polls. It was upheld in several court challenges and is now a part of the state constitution. Supports restricting no-fault divorce.

Voting Rights

Took the lead in deveoping “ballot integrity programs” for the LA Republican Party. The plans included increasing the number of Republican “poll watchers” for the 2002 Landrieu-Terrell Senate race.

Smoker's Rights

Opposed a ban on smoking in Louisiana restaurants (the ban passed and went into effect on January 1, 2007). What is significant about Scalise's opposition is that he did what one of his primary benefactors, the Louisiana Restaurant Association, told him to do. In many states, state-wide smoking bans are welcomed by restaurants, lest a county-by-county patchwork create inequities. In Louisiana, however, restaurants are gambling venues. By banning smoking, video poker players who want to drink, smoke, and gamble, have to go someplace else. That has caused a huge drop in restaurant gambling revenue. Scalise conveys the impression that he is a gambling opponent, but he serves a special interest that has made a lot of money from video poker in the last 15 years.

The Company He Keeps

  • Scalise's “Honorary Campaign Chairman” is former LA-01 Representative and almost-Speaker Robert Livingston. Livingston was forced to resign in the midst of House deliberations on the impeachment of President Clinton for being involved in a sex scandal, because he was implicated in a sex scandal. (Livingston is referred to as “almost-Speaker” of the House because he was Majority Leader at the time of Newt the Gingrich's resignation in 1996. Gingrich quit because he failed to deliver on his pledges to expand the GOP majority in the chamber. Livingston resigned before he could be elected Speaker. I point these things out here because I am utterly amazed at how many young progressives are ignorant of the GOP antics of the 1990s.)
  • Supports Senator David “Diaper Dave” Vitter, in spite of his involvement with prostitutes.
  • Endorsed by the House Conservatives Fund, who are also endorsing Adrian Smith (NE-03), Bill Sali (ID-01), David Davis (TN-01), Doug Lamborn (CO-5), Jim Jordan (OH-04), Michelle Bachmann (MN-06), Peter Roskam (IL-06) Tim Walberg (MI-07), Vern Buchanan (FL-13), and Jim Ryun (KS-02).
  • There are numerous “whispers” floating around Scalise, the sort of stuff that sounds like it comes right out of a Karl Rove-operated campaign. We cannot confirm any of these sorts of allegations at the present time, so we will not dignify them here. No doubt his Republican opponents will pull out those guns before the 3-March closed primary.

    Rebuilding Louisiana: Gilda Reed 24-Hour Online Fundraiser

    Help us support Kossack Candidate Gilda Reed for Congress in Louisiana's 1st District! She's running in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Bobby Jindal. We'll be posting diaries about Gilda for the next 24 hours to raise support and bring attention to her candidacy. Please join us and learn more about this great Democratic candidate!

    Donate to Gilda securely via ActBlue.

    The Soul of America

    Crossposted from GentillyGirl

    So according to Dr. Morris, the networks in their crazed basketball frenzy keep referring to New Orleans as the “Soul of America”. Interesting considering how we have been treated post-Katrina/Rita/Federal Flood. Hell, I thought we weren’t worth the thought about the Future. (Thanks Bush Administration.)

    We here in New Orleans are the Soul of America. It’s not about the French Quarter or the drinks on the streets, it’s about our belief in our Culture, our History and our Future. To live here, I mean truly LIVE here takes one to a place of acceptance and worship. What we have here cannot be imagined in most of the localities of America. We are our own.

    I live this Reality day by day, and I thank the Goddess that She sent me home years ago. I had to be a part of this scenario… have to be a witness. Seattle: fucking Californication, Portland: being carved up as I type, San Francisco: god damned dot-com yuppies forced us out. I know… I was there for most of this shit.

    All I have left is my hometown, and I’m not willing to let the bastards win, period. I’m like a creature backed into a corner, and it’s my turn to strike back. This is my home and my folks… I can’t back down.

    For years I’ve fought for others, but this is what She wanted me to do: Fight for Her city. I see her statue on Decatur, and She tells me to fight. Therefore I fight.

    New Orleans is a place that inspires. It also is a haven for those of us who no longer wish to face assimulation. We are ourselves, and what can be more realistic than that. We live… and love, and welcome  those who are searching for a safe-place.

    Our world here is something that cannot be sacrificed to corporate desires or the entertainment crowd. We live as we always have. Our world is an anachronism, and yet, we are America’s hope. This is the last place to be assimulated to the corporate vision of the Borg. We are ourselves: Sinn Fein.

    Betty and I are sworn to return, and soon it shall be so, but we did so because we believe in the culture here. We could have gone anywhere after the Flood, but we both agreed that we must stand for this wonderful place. Where else can a real Human Being live in our dessicated land? (Not any city I know of.) How could we look in a mirror if we just walked away?

    Everything, every one here… my soul screams for. This city has been home for my folks for almost three hundred years.  Far be it from me to abandon familial ties. I must stand for New Orleans and the Coast. This is a labor of Love, not only for the Isle d’ Orleans, but for the country I gave some of my life for.

    Wake up and understand: we are under attack from the elite 3%. Speak your voice and we can screw these fuckers to wall. Ya’s just gotta believe.  

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