This right wing version of American Democracy that is being practiced in New Orleans is fascist and extremely disturbing. Corporate Media refuses to report on atrocities such as this...Corporate Media is working to keep us distracted so that these fascist actions can thwart the will of the American people.
Are there any principled journalists left in corporate media who will insist on reporting this information?
Check this out.
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7 comments:
Where is the "right wing" portion of this? The entire city council of New Orleans is DEMOCRAT. New Orleans has been a Democratic stronghold for decades. Yes, the fed'l govt is involved, but, this housing that is being demolished is terrible housing. Even when I grew up there, the conditions were terrible. Why would the City want to re-create those conditions? Housing is NOT a right. If a government decides to help by providing government housing, well and good. But the government does NOT have a responsibility to do so. New Orleans is broke. The state of Louisiana will stay broke as long as New Orleans is broken. Instead of spending that money on recreating high rise slums,and yes, it would become a slum eventually. An idea would be to provide low interest loans, 0% down, on low cost homes. Make it worth the while of the developers to build said homes.
Before Katrina, the police were hesitant to enter that "housing development" that is being torn down. The city council knows the conditions that formed under the past democrat councils. And they know that the laws and culture of "gimmee" is alive and well in New Orleans. If there was no money to refurbish those hi-rise slums before Katrina, why should there be money now, to repair mold infested, storm damaged, old buildings? If the politicians of Louisiana would stop STEALING ALL OF THE MONEY from their citizens and provide opportunities instead of hand outs that make them dependent on the "ruling party", perhaps the citizens of NOLA would be better off. Every New Orleans refugee that I've met in other states say that they have no intention of returning because they have discovered that the politicians and press of New Orleans have lied to them. These people have discovered that it IS POSSIBLE for them to get good jobs and a good education for their families. They have found that there is non corrupt government. That most schools do not have rampant gangs and drugs. That people of different skin tones, not colors, but tones! do not have to be racist. They are happy where they are. And most of these people that I met have come from the "government housing."
Louisiana has a history of corruption and New Orleans is the worst offender. The election of Governor Jindal is a sign that the people of Louisiana are tired of the status quo that is so dearly beloved by the politicians in New Orleans.
Just thought you might like to see what the citizens of NOLA are saying about this:
http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/12/public_housing_plot_or_paradis.html#more
Hope you check out the comments.
Cargosquid--First, I did not label the NOLA city council as Republican or Democratic; I don't see party affiliation as relevant to the point I was making. BUT if you know for a fact that the the NOLA city council is Democratic, I have no quarrel with you preferring to label them as democratic fascists.
I have no doubt that there are right wing fascists in both parties.
I define the term fascist as a person who is dictatorial and/or has extreme right-wing views. I am using fascism in this way--a governmental system led by a dictator using their power to forcibly suppress opposition and criticism--to describe the New Orleans city council. Check out this YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMBWAXfGsc4
Something is obviously very wrong when a city council and the citizens they are supposed to represent have reached such a state as seen in that video. Government leaders should be using their power and resources to enable a public dialogue to occur and build trust with NOLA citizens.
I remember when the Norfolk city council set their agenda to demolish "affordable" apartment complexes while promising that the new neighborhoods would include enough housing units so that the displaced would have housing...Guess what...it never happened. Maybe NOLA has a history similar to Norfolk's of catering to rich developers and ignoring the needs of the local community? (Yet with the right city council it can work so well. San Francisco successfully demolished it's public housing units and fulfilled it's promise to insure adequate housing would be provided in the new developments. The city ended up reaping lots of benefits in the new arrangement and no one was left out in the cold. This is just an example that is very possible to have the benefits equitably distributed between the "rich" developers AND the benefit of the people living in the community. Do I need to remind anyone that the citizens of San Francisco are activist and have been known to riot when their city council refused to listen to them?)
Unfortunately, in many local city councils rich developers often get their way over the objections and at the expense of the local citizens.
Locally, Norfolk citizens scored a great victory after lots of hard work in the Bay Oaks situation....and yes, Norfolk City Council should be voted out after their "fascist" behavior in this situation. I'm bringing up developers and Norfolk b/c I think it's possible that the citizens of NOLA may have many good reasons to distrust their city council and the wealthy developers that are currently swarming around their city like wharf rats.
I LOVE New Orleans. I'm grateful, I had the opportunity to spend time down there pre-Katrina. I am concerned about New Orleans preserving it's incredible cultural traditions and fear that razing the "black" areas is going to wipe out much of what makes NOLA such an incredible city. However, I did not grow up there as you say you did. I did peruse the Times Picayne and found a variety of opinions (some disagreed with me and agreed with you...I believe the majority of the editorials I combed through I found lots of common ground.)
I called a friend who lives down there and has taught in the public school system in NOLA for a number of years. He says that many NOLA residents view the public housing units as historical, solid buildings that should be renovated and restored. If they want a mixed neighborhood allow a mixed group back into the renovated buildings but definitely public input should be nurtured not suppressed, in his opinion.
He also told me that since Katrina, NOLA folks scorn apathy and have become much more involved in local, state, and /or national politics. Imagine a community where it's "kewl" to be political.
Here's one letter to the editor that should be made available to folks interested in what is happening in New Orleans. Feel free to post it for your readers if you want.
The heart of New Orleans can't afford the rent
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1197800939210500.xml&coll=1
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Recently the Rand Corp. delivered its economic development study to the New Orleans City Council. The study made a number of recommendations, among them a transparent, inclusive economic development process and further development of strong industry clusters such as arts and entertainment.
Meanwhile HUD, at the urging of real estate developers and with the blessings of our local public officials, is set to demolish any possibility of Rand's recommendations by eliminating affordable housing for many of the city's culture-bearers.
Washington Avenue and LaSalle Street, where the Magnolia public housing project is located, is considered worldwide to be one of the most important neighborhoods in the history of American music and culture.
It is a place where the creative activities of some of New Orleans' most socially and economically marginalized citizens gave rise to the birth of rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll. It is a place where Mardi Gras Indians come to sacred ground in an intensely spiritual celebration to honor St. Joseph.
HUD, in concert with the private profit sector, deems these neighborhoods "concentrations of poverty."
In reality they have been, in fact, concentrations of creativity that provided the foundation for New Orleans' recovery from the oil bust, fostering the growth of the city's tourism industry.
This is how we thank these citizens.
New Orleans should be ashamed of itself for once again failing its most vulnerable, yet often most creative citizens. It should be ashamed to allow the region's legacy of segregation and discrimination, as perpetrated most obviously by Sen. David Vitter, to prevail once again.
Sally Stevens
Mu apologies to Star...She sent her comment to me to post b/c she's having difficulty logging on to our blog for some reason.
I forgot to log out and then log in under her name...
I just don't want to take credit for her reply and her work....
buzz...buzz...
A quick note to cargosquid.
Having seen the Lafitte Housing Project first hand, I can attest that those houses were in very good shape. The were the best looking buildings in the neighborhood, so how will tearing down the best buildings in the neighborhood improve the neighborhood, which is what HUD is alleging?
By building condos probably too expensive for anybody in that neighborhood to purchase? Whoever can put up that kind of money will likely not even like the surrounding neighborhood, which is pretty humble and delapidated, so why would he or she even move there, unless it becomes a gated community, a little fortress in said neighborhood?
I have a suspicion they want to redevelop the entire neighborhood eventually. But that would mean driving out thousands more black people. I hope I am wrong.
Unfortunately I'm hearing the same thing Mac....that because these building weathered the storm so well the land they sit on has become even more "treasured" by developers.
I'm so angry that my tax dollars are being spit, a la Bush, to make the rich richer. These monies should be used to renovate these wonderful buildings so the folks that were living in them can live in them again.
Amazing that so many folks are saying that that the renovations should not take place b/c this would "ghetto-ize" the blacks. These weren't "ghettos" folks these were the wonderfully creative and historic neighborhood cultures that make New Orleans the special artistic area it is famous for.
Greedy, wealthy elites are trampling the poor and middle class and using our tax dollars to do it.
Buzz...Buzz....
I agree with that letter about the rent in NOLA. The whole thing is terrible. What you see happening in NOLA is not racism,but greedy politicians wanting to use eminent domain to increase tax dollars. Public housing is a drain. New private housing is a tax boost. Its not about getting rid of the blacks in NOLA. Its about getting rid of the poor sections. Please don't misconstrue this as that I'm against affordable housing. But where is it mandated that the local government is supposed to provide "affordable" housing? Land is at a PREMIUM in NOLA. The state is screaming for money. NOLA provides 70% of the tax revenue for the state. Do I think that a mix of housing would be best. Yes. But, yet again, short sighted, greedy, politicians AND citizens will screw it up in New Orleans. HUD probably wants to lower the population density. All of the Housing Projects in NOLA were crime ridden and drains on the city budget. I think that my objection to the word fascism was that I automatically assumed that you were bashing the GOP again. Unfortunately the Democrats and the left continually try to associate that word with the Republicans. My bad. Oh, and fascism is not far right. Fascism is a socialist phenomena.
Instead of right or left, which was developed by marxism, why not say authotarian and free.....or progressive and free market....
Left and right don't mean anything, since fascism and communism are two sides of the same coin. Both are governments vs the individual.
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