What one President giveth another President takes away could be a political axiom in the United States, but I don't think in the history of the country has there been as obvious an example as the fate of Louisiana, specifically her jewel of a city New Orleans.
In what is now seen as one of the all time real estate deals ever, the United States under President Thomas Jefferson purchased Louisiana from the French. Now more then 200 years later it seems that George Bush is willing to let New Orleans be sold out from under the people who lived there and in the process, destroy the soul of not only the state but maybe even the United States.
Ever since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the working poor and poor neighbourhoods of New Orleans; home to all the housing projects and subsidized housing in the city as well as housing the majority of the city's black population, it's become painfully obvious that there is no intention of allowing those people ever to move back into their old neighbourhoods.
Oh there have been announcements from the political bosses saying things like "you can't expect us to build anything for these people if they don't move back?' Well you can't expect them to move back if there's nowhere for them to live either.
In the meantime, the number of public schools in New Orleans has been reduced to four while 34 private "charter" schools have been approved. So, if the thousands of people from places like ninth ward ever do move back – what's there going to be for them? Four schools in a horribly under funded public education system to send their children to in the hopes of them getting something that passes for an education? That's not exactly encouraging people to move back home again, is it?
One of the hardest hit groups in the community were the musicians of New Orleans. The world watched and listened for news of Fats Domino when it was discovered he was missing in the floodwaters when the levees broke and breathed a sigh of relief when he was found safe and sound. It was story repeated time after time amongst the musical community of New Orleans, watching their lives and livelihood float away in the post Katrina floods.
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