Redstate

"They [critics of the plan] also say the buildings are, contrary to popular opinion, mostly handsome brick structures that will outlast anything HUD builds in their place."

One of my sisters there has often remarked since Katrina how there are help wanted signs everywhere, and yet all these able-bodied people who apparently refuse to work while living off the taxpayers have no problem showing up in droves whenever there is any protest - and even better if the idea is to turn it violent.

Dim bulb protesters.

A District Judge appointed by Clinton is about to be brought up for impeachment. He replaced a Carter appointee who resigned before he could get impeached.

Ref: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2007/12/court_refers_porteous_for_imp...

Will Leahy demand that Bush follow settled precedent and nominate a corrupt liberal for that seat?

The sad thing is that money has already been appropriated for public housing in NOLA that hasn't been able to be freed up for use yet, and they're still up in arms over trying to keep these wiped-out dwellings (which something tells me HUD built in the first place, contrary to the detractors). With these blighted cesspools out of the way, they actually have a chance at building new residences... but the victim class will have none of it, as it might cause a slight disturbance.

How sick.

"No matter how much lipstick you put on the taxation pig, it's still a pig... and it's currently snout-down in your wallet." - Michael Fisk

Reccomended just for the punny title!

John S. McCain III.

My other sister sent me this one...

Landrieu applauds City Council demolition decision

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, fully supported the New Orleans City Council decision to permit the demolition of four public housing units while reaffirming support for the mixed-income affordable community plan outlined in the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act. Landrieu is the principal cosponsor of the legislation.

“The City Council’s decision smartly recognizes that demolition and renewal must be considered hand-in-hand in order to move forward," Landrieu said. "It reaffirmed a wise commitment to the principles of affordable housing, community partnership, HANO reform and mixed-income development laid out in the Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act.
"In so doing, the Council rose above the divisive and misleading destroy-and-forget arguments of Sen. Vitter, the Times-Picayune and other opponents who refuse to look beyond the wrecking ball to see the foundation of a more smartly designed community of tomorrow.

“I am proud of the Council members for considering this issue with their heads and their hearts and for ultimately reaching the right conclusion for New Orleans and her people. I am also proud of the Catholic and Episcopal churches, local community leaders and all others for understanding that this effort was never about demolition, but about what happens next; and for having the courage to stand up for one greater New Orleans.”

This is a good diary you've got here. I would have written something about this yesterday, but I was driving home from Baton Rouge to Missouri for the holidays. So I'm glad you covered this.

I would like to add a couple of points. First, it has been widely publicized that about 4,500 units are being torn down in the four New Orleans housing projects about to undergo demolition. Many publications, including the New York Times have reported that about 3,000 of those units were occupied before Katrina. [1] Both those figures are accurate. HOWEVER, the total number of units actually occupied today is far lower than most people realize. We don't know exactly how many people are still living there or how many units are occupied at this time, but we do know that after Katrina many of these residents left and never came back. In fact, HUD says that at this point the majority of units about to be demolished are vacant. [2] Therefore, the 3,300 new housing units that HUD will build as part of this plan is more than enough to cover the housing needs of the city's former project occupants.

Second, I was listening to a local radio program on AM 870 for about 2-3 hours on my way up from Louisiana yesterday, and the vast majority of callers, perhaps nine out of every ten who called in, supported the city council's plan to demolish these structures. The reasons are fairly obvious. Many of these structures were woefully inadequate even before Katrina. They are full of asbestos, lead based paint, lead pipes, and all manner of other harmful substances. After Katrina they are also full of mold, rot, and other forms of water damage. It is because of conditions like these that the city council voted unanimously, in a resounding 7-0 decision, to demolish these structures. We should also note that the city council is hardly composed of a bunch of rapacious white capitalists. It includes three black members and four white members, and given the political orientation of the city it is dominated by Democrats (I believe all of them are Democrats, but I'm still working on finding that information). Moreover, all of them are long-time residents of New Orleans, unlike many of the protesters outside the city hall. Make no mistake, these people voted for this demolition plan because they believed that it was the best move for their people.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/us/nationalspecial/14orleans.html
[2] http://www.theolympian.com/national/story/305058-p2.html

Hang all traitors and secessionists! Hang them high!
- Me

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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.

race, having seen the debate with landrieux?

Nagin acted out during and immediatly after Katrina, but I actually believe him when he said he couldn't get qualified bus drivers, and

actually, the evacuation was success, but

I don't want to re-fight that!

The governor was the idiot in Katrina...

Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com

1) Ban guns so law abiding citizens can't defend themselves
2) Install cameras at government expense, or force private parties to install them at their expense
3) Tear down a block and rebuild it partly with government funds, making a whole lot of money for developers friendly with the city council in the process. And maybe get an awesome free kitchen renovation out of the deal.

#3 isn't going to be any more successful than #1 and #2 have been. The buildings don't cause crime any more than guns do.
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

Vlad

This whole deal was actually pretty amazing given the elephant in the room, race.

The sad reality of New Orleans is that the vast majority of the people who were displaced by Katrina from these housing projects were African American and from the permanent poverty class in New Orleans.

Generations of White Democrat politicians in the state, from Huey Long to Moon Landrieu perpetuated, aided and sustained the creation of this underclass. In the 70's with abandonment of white middle class voters from the Democratic party in the state and in New Orleans, a new generation of African American poverty pimps like "Dollar Bill" Jefferson came into power and based their political power not on seeking jobs to lift people out of poverty, but instead based on the power of more Federal dollars to be used as a narcotic to dull the senses of the African American poverty class.

In some ways, the actions of the New Orleans city council to use the aftermath of Katrina in order to break apart the locus points of the poverty class in New Orleans is truly amazing. I wonder where the merchants of racism like Jessie, Al and the other fellow bigots are?

Back in the day, my dad used to go get some of that "Free government cheese" handed out by Jimmy Carter's administration, not because he needed it, but because he could, by the way it was really nasty stuff.

One can only hope that the new governor, Bobby Jindal and Senator Vitter will give ever bit of aid to the New Orleans city council as they try to undo generations of hooking the poverty class on the narcotic called Federal welfare.

______________________________________
Proud member of the Barry Goldwater wing of the party !

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/17714.html

It's hard not to think in stereotypes when you see one woman yelling "Shut up white boy!" right after screaming "I will not be treated like a slave!" Then there's another group just looking to create an altercation with the cops so they can scream racism and police brutality.

As someone who grew up in New Orleans and attended more than my fair share of parades in every part of town, I have to say that NOPD cops have the most patience of any cops I've ever seen, but once you cross the line you're going to pay the price.

give us a break with the "Don't taze me, bro" stuff.