The Katrina Effect - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Kuan · #16 05-10-2006, 07:37 PM

There were a lot of offers to take in Katrina refugees in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Shelters were gonna be set up and emergency relocation assistance funds were allocated. The response was dissappointing. I think only something like 2% took the city up on the offer. Go figure...

Botnst · #17 05-10-2006, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lebenz

Do you think there will be any change other than delay in rebuild plans if the area is damaged by storms this season to the same degree as last?

In a sane world the levee system below NOLA would be totally abandoned and the areas of NOLA significantly below sea level would be abandoned. By abandoning the levee system nutrients and sediments would flow from the Mississippi River into the marsh. This would essentially fertilize the marsh vegetation, which stabilizes the highly mobile, highly organic silt. Meanwhile, the rejuvenating vegetation would trap the sediments carried by the over-bank flooding, building land back into the marsh.

But we don't live in a sane world. Instead we taxpayers will pay billions up front to rebuild levees inadequate to the job for which they will be built. See, subsidence will swallow the levees requiring constant upkeep to keep them at protection height. Also, by preventing over-bank flooding, the marsh vegetation will continue to die exposing the substrate to increasing erosion and saltwater intrusion, killing even more vegetation.

On the human front, more whites than blacks have returned to NOLA and the burbs. Also, because of a lack of skilled and unskilled labor, Latin Americans are moving into the city. The city has shifted from 80% black to about 40% black. By the way, did you know that Louisiana STILL has a legal definition of who is black? I think it's something like 1/16th. So if your great-grandpappy was black and everybody else was white, you're in! The races are so blended in NOLA among the older families that pigmentation alone is insufficient for racial determination.

It is very likely that the next mayor of NOLA will be white. He is the brother our senior senator (Mary Landrieu). His name is Mitch Landrieu. The Landrieu name is big in NOLA because of the bright star of the former mayor, 'Moon' Landrieu, a man of great ability and unexpected honesty. People still think highly of Moon and so, Mitch has some cachet from that goodwill.

Concerning the shifting ethnicity to majority anglo-white to minority Latino-white (as compared to say, Dominicans who are usually Latino-Black) this is actually a return to the late 18th century when Louisiana was owned by the Spanish. One of the Spanish governors was a general named O'Rielly. Go figure. That is soooo New Orleans.

mikemover · #18 05-11-2006, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

There were a lot of offers to take in Katrina refugees in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Shelters were gonna be set up and emergency relocation assistance funds were allocated. The response was dissappointing. I think only something like 2% took the city up on the offer. Go figure...

Yep.

A job fair was held in downtown Atlanta to help the evacuees find work....

Only a pathetically small handful of evacuees showed up.... 95% of the attendees were locals.

The Katrina refugees were apparently too busy enjoying their free hotel rooms and apartments, waiting for the next handout.

Mike

TX76513 · #19 05-11-2006, 08:15 AM

Jackson just announced there post Katrina crime on the AM news today. I need to find the source link to give accurate numbers. Most crime was up 16 - 20% except carjacking it was up 161% - that number I do remember. Yes, they did point a finger at new residents (evacuees)

Benzadmiral · #20 05-11-2006, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lebenz

Do you think there will be any change other than delay in rebuild plans if the area is damaged by storms this season to the same degree as last?

One change is that, if I have to evacuate this time, I ain't coming back. I've been wanting out of this hot crime-ridden joint (where I grew up, BTW) for some years, and I only came back because of my own inertia/laziness and the fact that my employer kept on paying me and subsequently reopened.

I'm crazy to stay here. Let's face it, if your home town of Pompeii is destroyed by fire and ash, you don't go back and rebuild on the slope of the volcano. You move to Rome.

Hatterasguy · #21 05-11-2006, 08:34 PM

Come to CT, I'll help you buy a house.

mikemover · #22 05-11-2006, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral

I'm crazy to stay here. Let's face it, if your home town of Pompeii is destroyed by fire and ash, you don't go back and rebuild on the slope of the volcano. You move to Rome.

An excellent point.

Mike