During the flooding, I saw a photograph showing a white couple wading in water up to their waists who were "getting supplies." Another photo showed a black man in the same situation who was "looting."
2
Your title implies racism. But the article speaks to something else.
"That the extent of the flooding is directly connected to the perception of recovery is also reflected outside New Orleans. The survey shows that people in neighboring Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes, both of which were predominantly white and were catastrophically flooded, have even dimmer views of the extent of recovery than the residents of New Orleans."
You further point out that the population was on a downward projector - I know why, because of crime in the city that hosted conventions. I've been their 4 times before Katrina and someone in my party was robbed every single time, at gun or knife point.
Then comes Katrina and many that left never returned, keeping the money and settling elsewhere. So a number of people being questioned didn't even live there before Katrina.
New Orleans is a joke. Anyone that lives there will tell you that crime is on the rise in 'certain' areas and it's not safe to walk off Bourbon street, even if it's a shortcut to your hotel.
No, not about race, it's about how badly your neighborhood was flooded. But I also believe that a certain percentage of the population is never happy, never has enough.
"That the extent of the flooding is directly connected to the perception of recovery is also reflected outside New Orleans. The survey shows that people in neighboring Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes, both of which were predominantly white and were catastrophically flooded, have even dimmer views of the extent of recovery than the residents of New Orleans."
You further point out that the population was on a downward projector - I know why, because of crime in the city that hosted conventions. I've been their 4 times before Katrina and someone in my party was robbed every single time, at gun or knife point.
Then comes Katrina and many that left never returned, keeping the money and settling elsewhere. So a number of people being questioned didn't even live there before Katrina.
New Orleans is a joke. Anyone that lives there will tell you that crime is on the rise in 'certain' areas and it's not safe to walk off Bourbon street, even if it's a shortcut to your hotel.
No, not about race, it's about how badly your neighborhood was flooded. But I also believe that a certain percentage of the population is never happy, never has enough.
7
Your title for this article leads one to presume there is a racial difference in the reactions. However, in the text you end up denying this with the information on the white flooded areas. So was the title just to get attention? Shouldn't it have been flooded and not? Also where is the information on the other races in New Orleans. You know it just wan't a town of blacks and whites.
7
Having just come from there and talking to a few folks the biggest issue they had were schools, and housing, wages transportation. As one bartender said that while New Orleans grows so does the need for service industry providers. As she put it not all people want/need a 4 year degree people need a place to hone skills elsewhere and perhaps an apprenticeship after. Restaurants are huge and growing by leaps but there are less people with skills to supply the need. Beside that we have ALEC and Jindal running around the state and slashing everything, blaming the poor neither being accountable for their failures or looking for new ways to fix. They too hold wages back. If the income of a city is going up this should reflect in the pay. Public transportation was also cited as a problem. If you push the poor out they have to have a way to get back in and that is transportation. Gentrification is swell if you're the one doing the gentrifying but it can be psychologically damaging, painful process for those being gentrified. You're screwing with an ecosystem, a labyrinth so to speak. I think Obama can help with many of these things.
3
Maybe we should regard the choice to remain in post-Katrina New Orleans as a litmus test for an individual's intelligence and subtract 20 IQ points from everyone who has chosen to do so. The region is sinking ineluctably beneath sea level and no amount of Congressional allocations and voodoo spells can prevent this.
9
How about telling this to the LA Gov and legislature. To relocate people requires RESOURCES. To protect the occupied lowlands requires RESOURCES. Either way you twist it, who gets the RESOURCES to change their situation and condition so as to avoid living in a flood zone????
1
Maybe we should regard this perspective on intelligence
as a litmus test of soul, in the various senses of the word.
People throughout history, all over the world, have been loathe to leave
their homelands and their finely, deeply woven communities despite turmoil, catastrophe, and peril. It's human nature, it's in our DNA. To be forced to wander from home community is a great sorrow (cf Old Testament).
There are many other factors besides intelligence that play into people's decisions.
If you'd apply your intelligence, you might consider the difficulty of mobility
in the US for those who lack money and education, aside from the
soul's need to stay close to those we are close to.
as a litmus test of soul, in the various senses of the word.
People throughout history, all over the world, have been loathe to leave
their homelands and their finely, deeply woven communities despite turmoil, catastrophe, and peril. It's human nature, it's in our DNA. To be forced to wander from home community is a great sorrow (cf Old Testament).
There are many other factors besides intelligence that play into people's decisions.
If you'd apply your intelligence, you might consider the difficulty of mobility
in the US for those who lack money and education, aside from the
soul's need to stay close to those we are close to.
3
Here's a little "Breaking News!" about the federal funded - Road Home - program for the Metro NOLA area:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/feds_agree_to_massive_roa...
"A 2014 estimate said that nearly a billion dollars in grant money had not been properly accounted for, though state officials say the true figure is far less.
The noncompliant grant recipients generally fall into two buckets, with considerable overlap between them. Between 6,000-7,000 or so people accepted grants to help rebuild their homes but never moved back in. About 16,000 or so took grants, usually about $30,000 or so, to help elevate their homes but never did.
HUD's agreement with the state will allow certain people to apply for additional money to help finish their homes or elevate them, provided they can demonstrate that the money they already received was spent on qualifying expenses, the definition of which will be expanded to include up to two years of housing costs for people who were displaced after the storm.
For those who can show their elevation grants were used to finish fixing their homes, they will not be obligated to follow through on elevation..."
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/feds_agree_to_massive_roa...
"A 2014 estimate said that nearly a billion dollars in grant money had not been properly accounted for, though state officials say the true figure is far less.
The noncompliant grant recipients generally fall into two buckets, with considerable overlap between them. Between 6,000-7,000 or so people accepted grants to help rebuild their homes but never moved back in. About 16,000 or so took grants, usually about $30,000 or so, to help elevate their homes but never did.
HUD's agreement with the state will allow certain people to apply for additional money to help finish their homes or elevate them, provided they can demonstrate that the money they already received was spent on qualifying expenses, the definition of which will be expanded to include up to two years of housing costs for people who were displaced after the storm.
For those who can show their elevation grants were used to finish fixing their homes, they will not be obligated to follow through on elevation..."
6
As always with the NYT and its comments, it's all about racism.
In contrast to the almost singular inability of the black community to rebound, look at what happened to the Vietnamese community, located in Village de L'Est, also in the Ninth Ward. They were completely flooded out by Katrina, but took matters into their own hands and rebuilt their community. With little/no help from FEMA, and in the face of attempts by Ray Nagin to turn their neighborhood into a toxic waste dump, they banded together and succeeded where their black neighbors have manifestly failed. Today more than 90% of the estimated 25,000 Vietnamese residents in southeastern Louisiana are back (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-30-4013234752_x.htm).
Check out this Emmy-nominated documentary about their story, which is available on PBS until 24 Sept: http://worldchannel.org/programs/episode/village-called-versailles/
In contrast to the almost singular inability of the black community to rebound, look at what happened to the Vietnamese community, located in Village de L'Est, also in the Ninth Ward. They were completely flooded out by Katrina, but took matters into their own hands and rebuilt their community. With little/no help from FEMA, and in the face of attempts by Ray Nagin to turn their neighborhood into a toxic waste dump, they banded together and succeeded where their black neighbors have manifestly failed. Today more than 90% of the estimated 25,000 Vietnamese residents in southeastern Louisiana are back (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-30-4013234752_x.htm).
Check out this Emmy-nominated documentary about their story, which is available on PBS until 24 Sept: http://worldchannel.org/programs/episode/village-called-versailles/
24
It's true that the Vietnamese, like all recent migrant groups to the USA, are resourceful and energetic, industrious and ambitious. What your analysis ignores, however, is the fundamental fact that African Americans did not migrate to the USA - they were brought to the Land of the Free in chains and kept as slaves for hundreds of years.
Compared to Americans of Northern European stock, Native Americans also live in relative apathy and great poverty on their reservations. Native Hawaiians have the best-funded school system anywhere on the planet, but it doesn't seem to make that much difference.
When you take human beings, rip them away from their roots, dispossess them of their ancestral lands, and enslave them for centuries, it does something to their spirit. Just look at the experiences of the Celtic tribes in Ireland under the centuries-long rule of their Anglo-Norman overlords. 'Racism' is too simple a term to describe the original sins of cultural genocide and of slavery.
Compared to Americans of Northern European stock, Native Americans also live in relative apathy and great poverty on their reservations. Native Hawaiians have the best-funded school system anywhere on the planet, but it doesn't seem to make that much difference.
When you take human beings, rip them away from their roots, dispossess them of their ancestral lands, and enslave them for centuries, it does something to their spirit. Just look at the experiences of the Celtic tribes in Ireland under the centuries-long rule of their Anglo-Norman overlords. 'Racism' is too simple a term to describe the original sins of cultural genocide and of slavery.
3
Colenso, I frequently hear arguments such as yours, but rarely do I hear any answers to the problem. Are you saying that such populations have no ability whatsoever to improve their situation? How does that explain the remarkable achievers in the black community?
3
Before Hurricane Katrina, the black population majority in New Orleans had some measure of political clout with a parade of black mayors and city council members. But they did not have any corresponding socioeconomic power. Which was a particular problem. Because the New Orleans black community suffered disproportionately from poor public schools, inadequate health care, bad housing, unemployment, middle class flight and crime. Moreover, the last black mayor of New Orleans- Ray Nagin- was an incompetent corrupt criminal.
New Orleans is a mere microcosm of the impact of race in the midst of American urban change. Black and white New Orleans know and live different realities. So do most Americans. Race and class seemingly creates a persistent inextricable American caste for a physically identifiable minority with a unique history. That colored context perspective works to the real, neutral and imagined disadvantage of blacks in comparison to white peers at every socioeconomic educational level.
New Orleans is a mere microcosm of the impact of race in the midst of American urban change. Black and white New Orleans know and live different realities. So do most Americans. Race and class seemingly creates a persistent inextricable American caste for a physically identifiable minority with a unique history. That colored context perspective works to the real, neutral and imagined disadvantage of blacks in comparison to white peers at every socioeconomic educational level.
13
If the folks who look like you are simply in the business of stealing money that's intended to help you, then you have no political clout at all - in fact, you're prey.
2
Tolerance for crime, corruption, and gaming the system are a cancer to any community. It is the recipe for social and economic stagnation. Examples exist throughout South America and Africa. No racial component is needed.
If New Orleans were populated by Swedes who climbed to the same lifestyle as the current residents, it would remain a mess.
If New Orleans were populated by Swedes who climbed to the same lifestyle as the current residents, it would remain a mess.
9
Yup, that's what happened in Detroit too.
2
Katrina was a tragedy I will NEVER forget witnessing! The death, by water and the collateral deaths that occurred when the city was in such devastation and disarray should not be forgotten! The human toll must be remembered and the lessons learned shared widely. I've attended emergency training since Tropical Storm aka Hurricane Sandy overwhelmed NYC.
Having traveled to New Orleans prior to Katrina: all was not well. It's a great and entertaining town for merriment & music but real disparities in housing, employment, infrastructure; I suggest the school system as well, exist. Poor people were forced to leave New Orleans, the only place they knew. They have not returned. Public/affordable housing that could have remained, suffering some damage but was not totally destroyed-- was torn down and people were forced to move, regrettably.
From the article: "The L.S.U. survey found that more than a quarter of the city’s current residents had moved here since Katrina. Those who did so were wealthier and more likely to be white and college educated than those who lived here before 2005."
There it is. Those that weathered the storm, financially, stayed-- black and white. For more of the population most irreversibly effected, being poor and black, New Orleans is where they "used to live." The recovery was recovery for those in a condition to recover; many residents in New Orleans like other major US cities are workers or unemployed with few to no options so far as affording to stay.
Having traveled to New Orleans prior to Katrina: all was not well. It's a great and entertaining town for merriment & music but real disparities in housing, employment, infrastructure; I suggest the school system as well, exist. Poor people were forced to leave New Orleans, the only place they knew. They have not returned. Public/affordable housing that could have remained, suffering some damage but was not totally destroyed-- was torn down and people were forced to move, regrettably.
From the article: "The L.S.U. survey found that more than a quarter of the city’s current residents had moved here since Katrina. Those who did so were wealthier and more likely to be white and college educated than those who lived here before 2005."
There it is. Those that weathered the storm, financially, stayed-- black and white. For more of the population most irreversibly effected, being poor and black, New Orleans is where they "used to live." The recovery was recovery for those in a condition to recover; many residents in New Orleans like other major US cities are workers or unemployed with few to no options so far as affording to stay.
2
Actually, you are wrong. Most did not return because the took a bunch of money from the Fed on the promise to re-build. They wanted the money and are not being held accountable - $30,000 was enough for some to move and life high, for a short while. Now they stay in those areas, not contributing anything, sorry to say.
3
As a resident of New Orleans for three years (1971-1974; I was a student at Tulane University law school) I can assure you that many of the systemic problems confronting New Orlenas post Katrina were around well before Katrina and the levees wrecked so much havoc and damage. To begin with, the public schools were physically inadequate and were staffed by teachers, many of them at least, whose teaching credentials were suspect and their morale was worse. Most "nice" kids (read "white") attended the many private Jesuit Catholic and, yes, even Jewish schools in the city.
Actually, in at least a few repects, black life was far better pre-Katrina. Take the Ninth Ward for example. A large number of those homes were actually owned outright by the people who occupied them. How come? Because many of those homes had been occupied by the same families for generations and, over the years, home ownership and neighborhood cooperation were often more prevalent than not. But those houses often represented the only real "wealth" those families had. When Katrina and the levees destroyed those neighborhoods (you can also include East New Orleans) lost not only their worth but theirself worth as well. Once stable neighborhoods became crime centers.
Actually, in at least a few repects, black life was far better pre-Katrina. Take the Ninth Ward for example. A large number of those homes were actually owned outright by the people who occupied them. How come? Because many of those homes had been occupied by the same families for generations and, over the years, home ownership and neighborhood cooperation were often more prevalent than not. But those houses often represented the only real "wealth" those families had. When Katrina and the levees destroyed those neighborhoods (you can also include East New Orleans) lost not only their worth but theirself worth as well. Once stable neighborhoods became crime centers.
13
I am happy you went to law school while you were passing through New Orleans. But black life was not "better" pre-Katrina. The Ninth Ward was a no-go zone of poverty and despair - easily ignored while tourists flew in for a few days of drunkenness on Bourbon Street. Sorry, but you do not know New Orleans.
7
There is only one Jesuit high school in New Orleans. The others are staffed by different religious orders.
1
All those posting about NOLA being below sea level should understand two things:
People seem to forget that (1) The US economy requires that a large port be available linking the Gulf and the Mississippi River system; and that, (2) New Orleans remains the best location for that port. If New Orleans didn't exist about where it is, we'd have to build it there.
And the Dutch are about to write of Rotterdam, Europe's biggest port and the Netherlands' second-biggest city, anytime soon ... Rotterdam exists where it is for the same reason that NOLA exists where it exists: for basic economic reasons. If there were not a city there, the Dutch would have to build one.
People seem to forget that (1) The US economy requires that a large port be available linking the Gulf and the Mississippi River system; and that, (2) New Orleans remains the best location for that port. If New Orleans didn't exist about where it is, we'd have to build it there.
And the Dutch are about to write of Rotterdam, Europe's biggest port and the Netherlands' second-biggest city, anytime soon ... Rotterdam exists where it is for the same reason that NOLA exists where it exists: for basic economic reasons. If there were not a city there, the Dutch would have to build one.
11
If New Orleans goes, so should San Francisco. Imagine, building near a major fault line.
4
Just so everyone knows, it wasnt only black people who got flooded out. The whole city, minus those just off the levees, got flooded.
Maybe the next time the Lakefront could also be noted as part of the devastation.
Maybe the next time the Lakefront could also be noted as part of the devastation.
9
I am sure a similar divergence of views would be true in any community with stark income inequality. Katrina and aftermath simply exacerbated the situation.
3
Maybe so - but here's another element that local officials say has made returning to, especially the Lower 9th Ward, more difficult.
A significant number of these lower income properties were 1) not insured, for either flood or any other form of natural disaster; and 2) because many of these properties were passed down by family members from generation-to-generation, the actual transfer documents were never created or recorded. Subsequently, actual proof of ownership was impossible and qualifying for any property-related form of disaster assistance could not be undertaken by the current/displaced resident/owner.
Without qualifying for government assistance for their real estate, many of those displaced have not been financially able to rebuild and have abandoned their former residences while starting over. And residential blight now plagues much of the Lower 9th and the City is slow to either control the overgrowth of vegetation or remove the remaining, uninhabitable structure.
A significant number of these lower income properties were 1) not insured, for either flood or any other form of natural disaster; and 2) because many of these properties were passed down by family members from generation-to-generation, the actual transfer documents were never created or recorded. Subsequently, actual proof of ownership was impossible and qualifying for any property-related form of disaster assistance could not be undertaken by the current/displaced resident/owner.
Without qualifying for government assistance for their real estate, many of those displaced have not been financially able to rebuild and have abandoned their former residences while starting over. And residential blight now plagues much of the Lower 9th and the City is slow to either control the overgrowth of vegetation or remove the remaining, uninhabitable structure.
2
Whoa. The people of the 9th ward that owned their homes were given $30,000 grants to rebuild. Many took the money and left town.
2
Surely a different view from the Robin Roberts piece on ABC News last night. From her, there is no one responsible for any of the mismanagement or the subsequent racial disparities except former mayor Ray Nagin. Nothing about George Bush, "Heck of a job" Brown or FEMA mismanagement. And Bobby Jindal? What has been his role in making this fine city better during his term as governor?
13
I love New Orleans. I grew up in New Orleans, but it has always been and still is, a dump. You out of towners only see the lovely tourist traps. And we can extract money out of you like no one else.
5
Ask yourself first: "Is the federal government responsible for my total wellbeing?"
In reality, your health, education, and general welfare is a state function. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an after-the-fact response and there was some emergency material on-the-ground, available for delivery immediately after the storm, but local officials were in control of the City. The only salvation would have been for the federal government to have immediately seized control of New Orleans from the Mayor and State, but that didn't happen.
The Army was the only real salvation for the tens-of-thousands displaced by the flooding. And after all, the responsibility for the failed levee falls at the feet of the Corps, they built it and there were many faults found to have been incorporated in its construction.
BTW - the former Mayor is now a convicted felon and has been relocated to an appropriate Club Fed.
In reality, your health, education, and general welfare is a state function. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an after-the-fact response and there was some emergency material on-the-ground, available for delivery immediately after the storm, but local officials were in control of the City. The only salvation would have been for the federal government to have immediately seized control of New Orleans from the Mayor and State, but that didn't happen.
The Army was the only real salvation for the tens-of-thousands displaced by the flooding. And after all, the responsibility for the failed levee falls at the feet of the Corps, they built it and there were many faults found to have been incorporated in its construction.
BTW - the former Mayor is now a convicted felon and has been relocated to an appropriate Club Fed.
5
I forgot to mention that the POTUS will be in town this week, and that forgiveness of about a billion dollars within the Road Home program has just been announced. And a new program will allow even more to get their fair share of the federal dole.
So keep the presses rolling, because the federal money supply isn't anywhere near where it needs to be!
So keep the presses rolling, because the federal money supply isn't anywhere near where it needs to be!
2
“Times are not good here. The city is crumbling into ashes. It has been buried under taxes and frauds and maladministrations so that it has become a study for archaeologists...but it is better to live here in sackcloth and ashes than to own the whole state of Ohio.”
― Lafcadio Hearn, Inventing New Orleans: Writings of Lafcadio Hearn, 1888
As President Bush said in Jackson Square on September 15, 2005, "There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans."
And as a lifelong resident of New Orleans (with an apartment in New York), I still feel a day away from New Orleans is a day wasted.
― Lafcadio Hearn, Inventing New Orleans: Writings of Lafcadio Hearn, 1888
As President Bush said in Jackson Square on September 15, 2005, "There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans."
And as a lifelong resident of New Orleans (with an apartment in New York), I still feel a day away from New Orleans is a day wasted.
5
I just remembered that at the time some people said Katrina was "good" for New Orleans, because it devastated many high crime areas, and many of those residents living in those areas had to disperse and leave to go to Texas, of all places.
4
Having just returned to NO, albeit temporarily, since my departure in 2007, I can say that the city's appearance is still one of decrepitude. Friends and relatives bemoan still-corrupt politics; lack of meaningful opportunity; out-of-control violent crime; and general stasis. What I see for myself seems to corroborate these opinions. I love this city but would not want to move back here. The streets (and overall infrastructure) are in such dismal shape that it looks like (this is not hyperbole) Beirut. I will not go certain places because I fear getting shot and killed. If one can overlook these things, there are still many great restaurants,
Oh, and the heat is oppressive!!!!
CA I love you and will return shortly.
Oh, and the heat is oppressive!!!!
CA I love you and will return shortly.
4
Except for the heat (although in August, we give you a run for your money), your comment could be about New York City.
4
The City has been under Democratic management for the past ten years, and they haven't been able to advance "Change you can believe In" - sounds like the same leadership the rest of America is experiencing - So what's your complaint?
3
It is disheartening to have people judge New Orleans so harshly. I am a multi-generational native. I remember when one could walk the streets at any time. Drugs dumped into the city during the late 70s thru now changed that. The seemingly intentional placing of people into political and facilities' leadership positions who were not from New Orleans and who seem to have personal ambitions' also eliminated the dedication and upward progress that was occurring after WWII.
There have always been brilliant black people in New Orleans and there has always been a brain drain.
There are things that happened with Katrina that no one could really understand unless you were there. Try living in a city with NO CHILDREN for a whole year. Go back and look at the pages of people who DIED AFTER Katrina.
I'm impressed with what the people of New Orleans have done with only the dedicated leadership of people from the city like The Black Men Of Labor.
I got back to New Orleans early November 2005. My computer, fax, phone were all working. I immediately began helping people with 'whatever' ... but I couldn't find a paying job doing outreach or what I was doing for free ... it was interesting to watch organizations come into the city to 'help' and hire only 'Creole Men' and young people from other states. & I'm not whining ... just saying most of the comments and even news articles that I have been reading don't get 1/10 of what really is and has happened in New Orleans.
There have always been brilliant black people in New Orleans and there has always been a brain drain.
There are things that happened with Katrina that no one could really understand unless you were there. Try living in a city with NO CHILDREN for a whole year. Go back and look at the pages of people who DIED AFTER Katrina.
I'm impressed with what the people of New Orleans have done with only the dedicated leadership of people from the city like The Black Men Of Labor.
I got back to New Orleans early November 2005. My computer, fax, phone were all working. I immediately began helping people with 'whatever' ... but I couldn't find a paying job doing outreach or what I was doing for free ... it was interesting to watch organizations come into the city to 'help' and hire only 'Creole Men' and young people from other states. & I'm not whining ... just saying most of the comments and even news articles that I have been reading don't get 1/10 of what really is and has happened in New Orleans.
11
I remember a trip to New Orleans where my friend and I missed the last bus to our motel in Metairie, so we had to walk from Bourbon Street at 2 in the morning. We met some wonderful people along the way and felt in no way threatened, except by our boss who found out about it!
1
No one should be allowed to build a residence below sea level, especially under a looming earthen levee. It's beyond irresponsible.
11
After Hurricane Sandy I feel the same about the NY area.
6
Many Dutch would disagree. More than a quarter of the country is below sea level.
6
Including the shore lines and river deltas, but if they can get private insurance with no taxpayer subsidies and no FEMA dollars, after the inevitable occurs, they can live wherever they can afford.
3
All you Katrina/New Orleans "experts" should read Gary Rivlin's incredible, factual, and non-judgmental book, Katrina:After the Flood. It explores what went wrong (everything), who did wrong (everyone), and was it fixed right (a resounding "no"). Stop making judgment because of preconceived notions about race and income in NOLA - read something for a change and gain some understanding as how we as a country are letting a great American city die a slow death.
12
If in fact there is an eventual hero to emerge from the Katrina disaster, it will likely be now-retired-Gen. Russel L. Honoré - who was able to restore some form of order to the City and get the tens-of-thousands stranded in-and-around the Superdome - evacuated.
He is arguably the only individual with the competence to address the multitude of problems that faced the City on and after August 29th, ten-years ago.
He is arguably the only individual with the competence to address the multitude of problems that faced the City on and after August 29th, ten-years ago.
5
Wow, so much negativity and misinformation in the comments section. New Orleans is a great place to live, not just to visit. Despite its problems, which any city has, it's better than it's ever been. And to be frank, it's hard to live well anywhere in the USA if you're poor and/or black, not just Louisiana or New Orleans. Also, the mythical Lower Ninth Ward was not the only majority black neighborhood affected by the storm and levee breach, nor was it the only neighborhood affected by the storm and breach. In fact, it's a small neighborhood, that yes, was badly damaged, but due to a flood wall failure. Talk to the federal government and Corps of Engineers about that: An error in engineering or construction that didn't have anything to do with city management or systemic racism. Finally, the storm was very broad in damage along the Mississippi and Louisiana coastlines. New Orleans flooded because of failures in infrastructure. The havoc and heartache the breaches wreaked were terrible to be sure. But the city is better in 2015. No one should want to go back to where it was in 2005.
6
Sure it's tough all over. But the difference is that New Orleans had a place for poor black people, and at the center of its cultural identity. The rest of the country really does not.
3
Robert T., I know it feels really good to pretend to care a lot about black folks, especially if you think it means you can attack other people, but the fact is that there are strong, long-standing, unique (and uniquely) African-American communities all over America.
6
It's hard to live well anywhere, if you're poor and of any race, but a lot easier to live poor in the US than in most Third World countries.
6
Well I haven't been to New Orleans since 2009. Seemed like a nice place but there's definitely an unsavory element.
Also I watch the First 48 and some of the crimes featured in New Orleans seem particularly brutal. I recall one case where some kids killed a Dominos Pizza driver. One of them had on an anklet bracelet. He didn't care ordered the pizza and then shot him. I don't even think they robbed him of much.
Also I watch the First 48 and some of the crimes featured in New Orleans seem particularly brutal. I recall one case where some kids killed a Dominos Pizza driver. One of them had on an anklet bracelet. He didn't care ordered the pizza and then shot him. I don't even think they robbed him of much.
11
If you can't trust a television program designed to promote the worst of humanity for a reliable perspective, who can you trust? A similar murder of a delivery man, a thrill killing, happened in New Jersey some years back. Do you also avoid New Jersey?
5
I recalled the same incident/ had the same thoughts sef!
2
New Orleans segregation is no longer a problem it's a disease. It plagues the housing market, healthcare system, education and every aspect of the life of black new orlenians. They get pushed out of the neighborhoods their great grandparents lived in because of growing unaffordable property taxes and gentrification. And these are hardworking people, not unemployed or government dependant mind you. To make matters even worse; the projects that were built for less affluent citizens (which surprise, surprise most are black) are being sold by this slightly corrupt city to the highest bidder; exiling these people into the worst possible neighborhoods. Yes, the recovery has been for the affluent new orlenians that are mostly white; not the poor and black.
23
I was born in New Orleans. The projects were crime ridden slums before Katrina and were flooded out and looted crime ridden slums after Katrina. They have been replaced with mixed income housing developments.
Yes, white people have moved to the city and invested a helluva lot of time and money in housing stock in white neighborhoods. What is that to complain about? Would you rather we have left our neighborhoods in shambles?
Yes, white people have moved to the city and invested a helluva lot of time and money in housing stock in white neighborhoods. What is that to complain about? Would you rather we have left our neighborhoods in shambles?
26
I hope that Governor Bobby Jindal can find some time, with all the demands of running for President, to focus on New Orleans' citizens, schools and structures that aren't on their feet after 10 years' suffering.
11
Gov. Jindal has had very little time for Louisiana and its governance the past two years. He's had even less time for New Orleans, which has never supported him politically. Fortunately, his term of office ends soon (but not soon enough). We have no expectations of anything beneficial from the man during his remaining few months in office.
7
Bobby Jindal is not running for president, he's running for DEAD PRESIDENTS and a cabinet post.
1
I recently read New Orleans was second only to Detroit in the murder rate. I was there in February as it is where my cruise left and returned. Every shop owner said the crime had gotten so much worse. I met a woman at a meeting whose home was being looted as she was moving out. A charming city to visit but I would never want to live there.
17
"...a couple of hard facts:... places that were worse-hit by the flooding, such as the Lower Ninth Ward, have taken much longer to recover." Not a fact at all. Lakeview was just as hard-hit by the flooding as the Lower Ninth, although the Lakeview damage was less photogenic, and white middle/upper-middle class Lakeview did not fit as well into the consensus media narrative that Katrina was a race-based disaster as did the black working class Lower Ninth. Lakeview, despite being the worst-hit of areas, has "not taken much longer to recover."
Among reasons for Lakeview's widespread recovery and the Lower Ninth's spotty: Lakeview properties generally had flood insurance (the insurance was required by mortgage holders, and property owners were mostly affluent enough to buy it even when not required to), while many of the homes in the Lower Ninth were inherited, had no mortgage, and were not insured for floods. The Road Home program set up to cover uninsured losses favored Lakeview because the amount of funding was tied to the pre-Katrina appraisal, not to the cost of replacement. Lakeview land was worth more than Lower Ninth land, and thus a Lakeview owner would get more money for his property than the owner of a similar property in the Lower Ninth. Middle and upper middle class people have more resources for rebuilding from other assets than do working class people. The difference in recovery rate depended not on amount of damage or race, but on class and finances.
Among reasons for Lakeview's widespread recovery and the Lower Ninth's spotty: Lakeview properties generally had flood insurance (the insurance was required by mortgage holders, and property owners were mostly affluent enough to buy it even when not required to), while many of the homes in the Lower Ninth were inherited, had no mortgage, and were not insured for floods. The Road Home program set up to cover uninsured losses favored Lakeview because the amount of funding was tied to the pre-Katrina appraisal, not to the cost of replacement. Lakeview land was worth more than Lower Ninth land, and thus a Lakeview owner would get more money for his property than the owner of a similar property in the Lower Ninth. Middle and upper middle class people have more resources for rebuilding from other assets than do working class people. The difference in recovery rate depended not on amount of damage or race, but on class and finances.
28
White Lakeview v Black Lower 9 Sad to compare. How about some facts?
The Lower had armed soldiers who prevented residents from returning, not Lakeview. The Corps of Engineers bulldozed structurally sound homes in the Lower 9th Ward, not Lakeview. Residents were threatened that their neighborhood was contaminated, Insurers paid disproportionately less to residents, the govt. Road Home program paid disproportionately less to lower income residents, (as per the lawsuit that then did not then pay to remedy the situation), no new school has been completed there, unlike Lakeview, and the list goes on. There were many other fronts of discrimination against its residents including disallowing FEMA trailers due to "uncertified" water, lack of electrical, telephone and cable services. The endless message of overgrowth, crime, disinvestment and blight there is categorically opposite to that of safe, mown, Lakeview has been treated.
The Lower had armed soldiers who prevented residents from returning, not Lakeview. The Corps of Engineers bulldozed structurally sound homes in the Lower 9th Ward, not Lakeview. Residents were threatened that their neighborhood was contaminated, Insurers paid disproportionately less to residents, the govt. Road Home program paid disproportionately less to lower income residents, (as per the lawsuit that then did not then pay to remedy the situation), no new school has been completed there, unlike Lakeview, and the list goes on. There were many other fronts of discrimination against its residents including disallowing FEMA trailers due to "uncertified" water, lack of electrical, telephone and cable services. The endless message of overgrowth, crime, disinvestment and blight there is categorically opposite to that of safe, mown, Lakeview has been treated.
7
The article claims that the neighborhoods "worse-hit" by the flooding, citing only the Ninth Ward in specific, "have taken much longer to recover." And that is simply not true, because Lakeview was just as damaged as the Lower Ninth and is one of the better recovered areas, arguably the best recovered. Hence the rate of recovery is not, as the article postulates, based on the degree of flood damage, but on other factors, most of which have to do with more resources, public and private, being available to middle/upper middle class people than to working class people. Of course, the areas that didn't flood, primarily on the riverfront natural levees, have recovered very well--see the gentrification of the Bywater (pre-Katrina mixture of working class and "bohemian") in the Upper Ninth which saw little to no flooding.
I think the evidence suggests that it is more class than race which has promoted/impeded recovery. Case in point: St. Bernard Parish, which is overwhelmingly white and working class, and where, as the article points out, the residents are largely dissatisfied with the rate of recovery. As far as the media are concerned, St. Bernard Parish, with its poorer white population and almost 100% of its structures destroyed, doesn't even exist. Despite the fact that the population of St. Bernard is overwhelmingly white, public and private resources were largely not available to promote recovery.
I think the evidence suggests that it is more class than race which has promoted/impeded recovery. Case in point: St. Bernard Parish, which is overwhelmingly white and working class, and where, as the article points out, the residents are largely dissatisfied with the rate of recovery. As far as the media are concerned, St. Bernard Parish, with its poorer white population and almost 100% of its structures destroyed, doesn't even exist. Despite the fact that the population of St. Bernard is overwhelmingly white, public and private resources were largely not available to promote recovery.
14
All true, MB, I don't disagree with your retelling of the hardships faced by many, not just residents of the Lower 9. There is only one public school in Lakeview, Hynes Elementary, and it was indeed rebuilt. OPSB and charter schools have been rebuilt and built anew all over the city, including just up St. Claude Avenue from the Lower 9. These schools, including Hynes, benefit black residents from all over the city.
Why am I not surprised? My guess is that if you ask the same questions anywhere, you'll get equally disparate views.
4
You're correct. Today, the Chief of NOPD is blaming the lack of employment opportunities for the criminal behavior. Tomorrow, the Mayor will again blame the lack & decline of sufficient federal funding for the record murder rate, numerous armed robberies, and routine drive-by shootings.
Meanwhile, the collective infrastructure of the City crumbles from its pothole marked streets, to its collapsing sewer systems, to the brain-eating amoeba that's been found in the Metropolitan area's supply of freshwater being pumped out of the Mississippi River. So "flush hard, New Orleans needs the water."
Meanwhile, the collective infrastructure of the City crumbles from its pothole marked streets, to its collapsing sewer systems, to the brain-eating amoeba that's been found in the Metropolitan area's supply of freshwater being pumped out of the Mississippi River. So "flush hard, New Orleans needs the water."
3
White people had more than black people BEFORE Katrina (including money and education).
Therefore, most white people are better at scamming the system/accessing aid than are most black people.
So white people got more than black people AFTER Katrina, and
White people have more than black people AFTER Katrina.
Pretty simple really.
I am glad that I visited New Orleans BEFORE Katrina. I had a good time and I never need to go back (Bourbon Street just ain't my thing).
Therefore, most white people are better at scamming the system/accessing aid than are most black people.
So white people got more than black people AFTER Katrina, and
White people have more than black people AFTER Katrina.
Pretty simple really.
I am glad that I visited New Orleans BEFORE Katrina. I had a good time and I never need to go back (Bourbon Street just ain't my thing).
2
Demagogue the issue more.
11
So, in other words, nearly two out of five white persons think there hasn't been an adequate recover, versus nearly three out of five African-Americans.
This is only a stark racial divide in the cynical, drama-besotted, self-promoting world of the Times newsroom.
This is only a stark racial divide in the cynical, drama-besotted, self-promoting world of the Times newsroom.
66
So ... you don't think that 60% is starkly larger than 40%? It's half again as many people.
20% is a significant difference in public opinion polls. In an election, the difference between 40% and 60% can mean completely different outcomes.
There are some people affected by the storm and levee breaches who think they should have gotten more than they had before it, and that unrealistic expectation isn't a black or white thing or a New Orleans thing. Perhaps it's just a narcissistic victim thing. But, the fact is that replacing what you had, or think you had, always costs a whole lot more than what insurance or government provide, and way more than you think it will. Housing and rebuilding (e.g., to higher base flood elevations, finding reliable construction workers) are always much more expensive. So, often you never get back to normal or return to how you lived before. The way back becomes a grieving process that takes time, and when you can't get back to that previous normal, for whatever reason, poverty, systemic racism, bad decisions, fraud, and just lack of time and money, it can overwhelm you. Trust me, I know first hand the good and bad, and know intimate stories of many survivors. Some decided to leave and move on with their lives elsewhere. Many, like me, stayed, and just muddled through as best we could, and still do. There were a few "winners" after the storm, people who had good insurance and competent adjusters and contractors, but most people suffered even more losses, from bad adjusters, poorly thought out assistance programs, bad or non-existent records and documents, and very often deceitful and incompetent contractors. Unrealistic expectations can make it worse.
9
Just tell me:
Is New Orleans below sea level?
Are the re-built levees still anchored in sand?
Is the sea level rising?
Is New Orleans below sea level?
Are the re-built levees still anchored in sand?
Is the sea level rising?
19
Yes, New Orleans is below sea level. Elevations vary from as much as 20 feet above to 13 feet below.
The levees ultimately sit on a 1,000 foot thick layer of Mississippi mud and silt. It is not 'solid ground'. Load more weight on top,,, and it will sink faster.
The sea level is rising 2 to 3 millimeters per year, about 6 inches total in the past century. (At the same time the land has sunk 5 to 20 feet,,)
Add to the equation,,, dewatering. As the ground subsides,, more pumps need to pump more water to keep the surface dry,,,, which pumps the water out of the soil causing more subsidence.
The levees ultimately sit on a 1,000 foot thick layer of Mississippi mud and silt. It is not 'solid ground'. Load more weight on top,,, and it will sink faster.
The sea level is rising 2 to 3 millimeters per year, about 6 inches total in the past century. (At the same time the land has sunk 5 to 20 feet,,)
Add to the equation,,, dewatering. As the ground subsides,, more pumps need to pump more water to keep the surface dry,,,, which pumps the water out of the soil causing more subsidence.
10
Some of New Orleans is below sea level. All of New Orleans is below the level of the Mississippi River.
In so far as the substrates supporting our levees are concerned, we've been told that they are now firmly founded, but that assurance comes from the Corps of Engineers, who said as much before KATRINA.
And the sea level does appear to be rising. At the same time, the whole neighborhood of southeast Louisiana is subsiding at about ½ cm/yr. And the marshes that formerly buffered N.O. from storm surge are rapidly morphing into ponds and open water.
In so far as the substrates supporting our levees are concerned, we've been told that they are now firmly founded, but that assurance comes from the Corps of Engineers, who said as much before KATRINA.
And the sea level does appear to be rising. At the same time, the whole neighborhood of southeast Louisiana is subsiding at about ½ cm/yr. And the marshes that formerly buffered N.O. from storm surge are rapidly morphing into ponds and open water.
3
I guess residents were not given enough Visa credit cards that they used for luxury purchases, instead of using to rebuild their homes and for living expenses in the meantime.
New Orleans has always been a world under itself. Remember - Louisiana has parishes, not counties and its civil law is based more on French and Spanish law than English law. It has always had extreme poverty and no amount of federal money poured into it has ever made much difference. Corruption is a major force - more like a Third World country than the rest of the US.
When one lives in a flood plain below sea level, one should not be particularly surprised when it floods. Clearly, the governmental infrastructure of New Orleans failed miserably during Katrina. And crime has always been a HUGE problem in New Orleans. Many years ago, while we were away for the winter, I rented our house to a visiting teacher from an elite private school in New Orleans. He was astounded that there were people walking in the neighborhood...gasp!..even after dark. That was not possible in the Garden District where they had a home. The crime is black on black and black on white and it never seems to get any better.
There were problems in New Orleans before Katrina and there are still problems there. I don't see anyone finding a solution to what is basically a way of life for many of its residents.
New Orleans has always been a world under itself. Remember - Louisiana has parishes, not counties and its civil law is based more on French and Spanish law than English law. It has always had extreme poverty and no amount of federal money poured into it has ever made much difference. Corruption is a major force - more like a Third World country than the rest of the US.
When one lives in a flood plain below sea level, one should not be particularly surprised when it floods. Clearly, the governmental infrastructure of New Orleans failed miserably during Katrina. And crime has always been a HUGE problem in New Orleans. Many years ago, while we were away for the winter, I rented our house to a visiting teacher from an elite private school in New Orleans. He was astounded that there were people walking in the neighborhood...gasp!..even after dark. That was not possible in the Garden District where they had a home. The crime is black on black and black on white and it never seems to get any better.
There were problems in New Orleans before Katrina and there are still problems there. I don't see anyone finding a solution to what is basically a way of life for many of its residents.
19
Way to go disparaging a whole group of people you know nothing about. Were there people who abused things after the storm, yes there were and they were both black and white. Most people however were traumatized and were more interested in survival and finding their families.
4
Clearly you've never lived in New Orleans and you've not paid attention to where you have lived in the US. I lived in the Garden District before and after the storm and -- gasp! -- I walked at night through the neighborhood. Just like I do in Chicago, a city that is also known for corruption and crime. Corruption is as American as apple pie and so is crime. We are the gun capital of the industrialized world and we have government that is beholden to corporate interests. Both of those hard realities transcend state and city boundaries. But whatever. Those who know the least about New Orleans are the first to judge the Crescent City.
5
The City's greatest fault - before, during, and immediately after Katrina, was the almost total lack of local leadership.
Knowing that a significant segment of the Metropolitan population did not have the means to evacuate, the Order was given too late. Then when the water flowed into the bowl that holds the City, there was not adequate emergency sheltering available. To the extent that some of the early arrivals at the Superdome actually had to break into the building! And busses that could have been used to house & move the displaced citizens, were allowed to remain in a parking lot that flooded - allegedly because no one could find the keys or drivers that could have helped to move them to the elevated Interstate! The list goes on...
Like I posted earlier, some of those local officials now reside in a Club Fed, but nobody now wants to blame them go figure.
Knowing that a significant segment of the Metropolitan population did not have the means to evacuate, the Order was given too late. Then when the water flowed into the bowl that holds the City, there was not adequate emergency sheltering available. To the extent that some of the early arrivals at the Superdome actually had to break into the building! And busses that could have been used to house & move the displaced citizens, were allowed to remain in a parking lot that flooded - allegedly because no one could find the keys or drivers that could have helped to move them to the elevated Interstate! The list goes on...
Like I posted earlier, some of those local officials now reside in a Club Fed, but nobody now wants to blame them go figure.
3
New Orleans is sinking, geologically. There is nothing that can be done about that. Many portions of the city are more than 10 feet below sea level,, and still sinking. To build levees higher,, means they must be heavier. heavier means the sinking will be accelerated. You cannot win.
The Old River structure is in immanent threat far up river of Baton Rouge. The Mississippi tried many times to take the shorter, steeper route to the sea,,, and it will win. When is the only question.
The erosion of the coasts has made New Orleans a seafront city,,, because the river no longer transports silt to refresh the swamps and coast. (Yes, some sea level rise, a few inches,,, but mostly a lack of annual floods that used to recharge the land.
Any and all monies spent trying to save New Orleans,, will eventually go for nothing. It is not an if,,, or a maybe,,, it is only a when. A new site needs to be chosen. Based upon the future and science,, not politics. Rebuild there.
The math, the physics, the hydrology, the geology have nothing to do with black or white. I do not see the value of an article that is meant only to divide, not unite. "We", live in New Orleans, not "They".
The Old River structure is in immanent threat far up river of Baton Rouge. The Mississippi tried many times to take the shorter, steeper route to the sea,,, and it will win. When is the only question.
The erosion of the coasts has made New Orleans a seafront city,,, because the river no longer transports silt to refresh the swamps and coast. (Yes, some sea level rise, a few inches,,, but mostly a lack of annual floods that used to recharge the land.
Any and all monies spent trying to save New Orleans,, will eventually go for nothing. It is not an if,,, or a maybe,,, it is only a when. A new site needs to be chosen. Based upon the future and science,, not politics. Rebuild there.
The math, the physics, the hydrology, the geology have nothing to do with black or white. I do not see the value of an article that is meant only to divide, not unite. "We", live in New Orleans, not "They".
31
"divide not unite". Business as usual. Meanwhile Afro-Americans fall further behind. Millions of unskilled and semi-skilled jobs were lost to Latinos. The new wave of "undocumented migrants" are Asians. I doubt if they're overly concerned about racism.
1
Professional and blue collar minorities have been greatly marginalized by the local and federal government. Disparages in insurance settlements due to devaluation of home assessments has caused financial hardships in rebuilding many neighborhoods. Neighborhoods with higher home assessment were successful in acquiring adequate funds to rebuild.
This is a case study of a city in stress caused by insurance irregularities.
Insurance commissioner doing little to remedy the problem.
This is a case study of a city in stress caused by insurance irregularities.
Insurance commissioner doing little to remedy the problem.
12
Many Black families moved to our city after Katrina. Some found jobs & stayed, some returning to New Orleans after awhile. Too many Black families, often women & their children, moved from city to city, school to school within the same cities, to collect anything & everything that was being given away free. II imagine the lives of those who were uneducated, unemployed, & used to gaming the system have not improved their lives or their children's futures.
26
And when some were relocated they were put in areas that lacked transportation and other basic services such as mental health agencies. A lot of people didn't do well because they were so out of their element. I know here in Texas when they complained about a lack of transportation, they issued bicycles. It was sad to see old men riding bicycles in the heat but they did because they had to. Most people put in these kinds of situations without family to rely on like they did in New Orleans did not make it. It was extremely difficult for them to adjust and even to get treatment for their post traumatic stress that many of them suffered from. Hard to understand if you weren't in their shoes.
9
It will never be the same place after Katrina - period. Places and people who were in the areas hardest hit like lower ninth ward choose not to reinvest and know one can force them to. So if the survey expects positive perceptions from residents who came back to these areas expecting the old neighborhood to be in tact as before, they will of course be unhappy.
4
This is nothing new. If you conducted a similar survey before Katrina, you'd have observed the same disparity. New Orleans is a study in contrasts, between the haves and have-nots and it's all along the racial divide. The causes are many and I'm not sure anyone knows them all. Among them: terrible public education; poverty -- it has always been a poor city in a poor state, both notably corrupt; racial attitudes can be extreme; few job opportunities for the unskilled and uneducated; a laissez faire attitude that blankets the city like river fog, and corrupt cops, for starters. Yet, at the same time, New Orleanians can be incredibly generous. All the musicians, black, white and creole, chipped in to rebuilt the homes of city musicians after Katrina. In many ways it is the most beautiful, entertaining, classy city. In others, downright scary. And I STILL love it!
17
The press keeps pushing this idea that New Orleans has not really recovered. Get over it. New Orleans is better than it ever was. Less poverty, less crime and the former mayor is in prison.
30
New Orleans was terrible for black people before Katrina - segregated schools (all the white folk pulled their kids out of the public school system in the 1950s and this persists today), segregated neighborhoods and woeful healthcare (the state diverted all Medicaid funds to Charity Hospital so if you were poor you had only one place to go - and trust me, it wasn't great). The only difference for the city now is that the poor black population that existed below the flood level was literally washed away to Houston. Nothing got better for these poor people. Which is why I cringe when I hear about New Orleans' "resurgence," which essentially means gentrification of a whole city.
58
New Orleans has been run by Democrats for over 100 years. Whether it was Ray Nagin or the Landrieuxs or John Breau or Huey Long. Corruption and discrimination.
21
"Which is why I cringe when I hear about New Orleans' "resurgence," which essentially means gentrification of a whole city."
What's wrong with gentrification? Why the idea of cleaning up the mess and making way for a decent living is something to "cringe" upon?
What's wrong with gentrification? Why the idea of cleaning up the mess and making way for a decent living is something to "cringe" upon?
14
Not quite. Pre-Katrina, you at least had black communities, full of many homeowners, people who were settled in the city and had been there for years, some for generations. These were established communities with rich cultural histories, and they made New Orleans one of the most vibrant cities in America.
Many of those communities were wiped out, many of those homeowners never recouped their losses, and many of those people with generational roots in the city never came back. As a country we've done very little to help them, and it is still a tragedy.
Not to mention that the entire educational system in New Orleans has been privatized. There are no more public schools, just charter schools - so not only is the city being "gentrified," as you say; for those poor people who remain, many aspects of their lives have become an experimental testing ground and a free-for-all profit grab.
Many of those communities were wiped out, many of those homeowners never recouped their losses, and many of those people with generational roots in the city never came back. As a country we've done very little to help them, and it is still a tragedy.
Not to mention that the entire educational system in New Orleans has been privatized. There are no more public schools, just charter schools - so not only is the city being "gentrified," as you say; for those poor people who remain, many aspects of their lives have become an experimental testing ground and a free-for-all profit grab.
14
the government needs to spend billions more in new orleans to rebuild all the low income housing and create jobs for minorities---there is way too much wealth inequality in that city
7
Maybe they should move to San Diego, where there is no wealth inequity and jobs for everyone.
22
No, the government does not. The wealth inequality is more likely the shipping of manufacturing jobs to Asia and Central America. Those manufacturing jobs make the middle class.
9