Re-populating New Orleans
OOPS: the draft was published in error. This is the correct version:It's hopeless for me to try to keep this blog in chronological order. Some events are swirling as fast as did the hurricane force winds.
Truth be told, I must confess that while writing has been cathartic, it also forces me to relive the pain and emotions of the past few weeks. People who think of me as the consummate gourmet might be surprised to know that I am perpetually sick to my stomach these days.
We're glued to the news in search of any information about our neighborhoods, yet the constant repetition of horrible images batters our brains. Knowing that our situation is out of our control, and in the hands of politicians jockeying for power and federal funds, is mind numbing. Call me a cynic, but the chances of money trickling down to affected evacuees seems like a cruel hoax. Corrupt politicians and land-grabbers are poised to pounce on the poverty stricken.
While the national media paints a sensationalist view, we find the best sources of local information are often less sophisticated and informal (examples: Charles, Mama Pizzo).
The news cycle du jour is about re-populating the less impacted areas of New Orleans. This seems more like public relations than public safety. Electricity is not restored, water is unfit for bathing much less drinking, phones are knocked out and 911 is down, and hospitals remain closed. The EPA has yet to weigh in on soil and sludge, and the public infrastructure is not fully restored.
We know a few brave souls who made the trek. They promptly left, disheartened by the chaos. Roads are blocked by trees and power lines, and debris remains widespread. Flat tires are commonplace because boards with nails litter the streets. Mama Pizzo's neighbor navigated the security checkpoints but was unable to reach his home by car or boat due to massive destruction and downed trees. His call to her, stating that the area "looked like an atomic bomb had dropped," prompted days of crying and worry.
The news by a parish (county) official on TV that 30,000 homes would have to be bulldozed produced an impromptu breakdown at the dinner table the other night. Our plates are full on many levels - not all good.
It's probably safe to say that one's outlook depends on whether your worldly possessions, livelihood and memories are safely on high ground or completely submerged in toxic crap.
In one particular e-mail list I am on, a fellow PR practitioner is rallying for the city - calling for a return of tourists. The message is "let's support New Orleans and its businesses." Noble, but not without issues. I just read about armed guards with shotguns posted outside the Sheraton. I wonder if the tourist commission in Baghdad is offering the same line?
The tourist economy of New Orleans is vital, so I can understand why people want to protect it. From where I sit, though, this seems surreal. A friend who owns an establishment in the French Quarter visited his business then turned around for Florida. He called the return "premature."
Yet another friend who owns Mother's Restaurant jumped at the chance to go home, electricity or not. He wants to inspect his business - alarmingly close to the Convention Center and the epicenter of a lot of human misery - and get back to work. Life as an evacuee is making him stir crazy; he'd much rather stir a pot of gumbo propped on a propane tank on the sidewalk.
What's right, what's wrong? Nobody really knows.
posted by CP for Ragan @ 12:15 AM
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