Slow Comin' Back

[stevekenson]

I really love New Orleans and feel a special connection to that city, so it has been terribly sad to see it struggle so hard to recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

According to a recent NY Times article, the population is at only 62% of pre-hurricane levels (although up almost 13% from a year ago). There are still tremendous numbers of abandoned and gutted houses and other buildings, and the murder rate promises to outpace last year’s record. Most of the residents who are digging in and rebuilding are doing so largely without help from the state and federal governments (most haven’t gotten anything from the “Road Home” program), while billions are being spent abroad to prop up a failed coup in Iraq.

I really miss New Orleans: Christopher and I haven’t been there since the year before Katrina. We’re hoping to go back for a visit sometime next year. I only hope the spirit of the city I knew is still there when we do.

Comments

[athanasios.livejournal.com]

Most of the residents who are digging in and rebuilding are doing so largely without help from the state and federal governments (most haven’t gotten anything from the “Road Home” program), while billions are being spent abroad to prop up a failed coup in Iraq.

This is so upsetting. "Rebuild Baghdad for the Oil Companies..." But lets ignore a national treasure! I am so disgusted with the current administration.

[elissa-carey.livejournal.com]

Do you read docbrite's journal? (It's Poppy Z. Brite.) She's in New Orleans and has talked about her difficulties going home, rebuilding her life and the "Road Home" fiasco she just underwent.

[effrenatus.livejournal.com]

Harry Shearer has blogged a lot about New Orleans over the past two years. If you want to keep up with the developments on the city, his blog is a good place to get the latest news that isn't showing up in national media.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/

-mls

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

It's different now, though if you're in the French Quarter (my dad still lives there) you don't notice as much. Going beyond there, you hit strange juxtapositions, sections that seem back to normal and then others still vacant and rotting (yes, in some cases literally). I don't think the city will ever by the same as it was, but the good news is more people are going back and more businesses are returning and things like the Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras retain some of their old spirit, if on a smaller scale.

[garan-du.livejournal.com]

One of the sources for my biography lives there. He says that the crime is much worse now than it was before the storm (and it was bad before the storm). There's a lot of folks down there that really need to get off the planet so that the rest of them can get on with their lives.