Sunday, April 02, 2006
Ourselves and What Army, Pals?
Don't really have time to fully explain the angry comments that I just made on another blog. I will say that on weekends I tend to feel the anti-Prozac effects of a medical treatment most acutely and that I first read the post after last night's game, which wasn't anything like Prozac. AND it's the weekend after my monthly trip to city hall to make my COBRA payment; a trip that always leaves me both angry and mystified. It's unbelievable how easily I can observe so much waste and sloth in a city government that's laid off nearly two thirds of its work force (excluding the police and fire departments). I'd be happy to point it out to anybody who wanted to make the trip.
Like I said, rushed for time, so just read all of the links. I believe that Lolis Eric Elie has mentioned the subject once, other than that, it's been ignored. Also, back in December, I was amazed that an article about the resignation of the head of NORD didn't raise at least two obvious questions. Remember, the article was written two months after the city layoffs and that the agency had gone from roughly 400 to roughly 20 employees. Also remember, the mayor did say that the layoffs were "pretty permanent." In addition to the upper level personnel retained, there also seems to be quite a bit of mid-to-upper level staff retained, including supervisors who no longer have staffs to supervise and each department's individual PR person.
None of the above absolves the federal government for its responsibilty for the city's condition; hell it's even because of the unreliable mail service that I make a monthly trip to city hall.
Like I said, rushed for time, so just read all of the links. I believe that Lolis Eric Elie has mentioned the subject once, other than that, it's been ignored. Also, back in December, I was amazed that an article about the resignation of the head of NORD didn't raise at least two obvious questions. Remember, the article was written two months after the city layoffs and that the agency had gone from roughly 400 to roughly 20 employees. Also remember, the mayor did say that the layoffs were "pretty permanent." In addition to the upper level personnel retained, there also seems to be quite a bit of mid-to-upper level staff retained, including supervisors who no longer have staffs to supervise and each department's individual PR person.
None of the above absolves the federal government for its responsibilty for the city's condition; hell it's even because of the unreliable mail service that I make a monthly trip to city hall.
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I didn't take your comments as angry. I admit I focus heavily on the fed gov, because as a former PR guy that's where I know we need to be focused right now. That's where the money is.
As I pointed out, I'm pretty much f---ing unhappy with Nagin. Example--the car deal. Yeah. let's turn down the deal that pays us in favor of the one that costs, then fail to meet the FEMA deadline for reinbursement. I think that about speaks for itself. The rest of them are about equally worthless.
Or let's discuss all of the potential flood protection money that's been diverted into boondogles like improving the locks on the Industrial Canal by our benighted delegation.
I think we need to focus public opinion outside of NOLA on the feds for now. If I had been able to register while I was home (I didn't have a legal NOLA address until the day before I boarded a plane back to Fargo) I would definitely not be voting for any incumbent, anywhere, and my wife won't be. She doesn't know the players and is taking my advaice, so I guess I do sort of get to vote by proxy.
The need to clean out city hall, the assessors, to replace the rump school board with a liquidation school board that exists solely to discharge past debts at pennies on the dollar (the way post-civil war governmental agencies did), all of that needs to happen.
But we need to be squeezing the feds, because that's where the money is. I want to see the Benjamins.
I think to qualify as irrationally angry in NOLA right how would require you physically harm somebody (excluding just about any representative of any governmetn agency; that would be justifiable whatevercide based on PTSD).
Just about anything else, including venting on my blog (or send me email or calling me, well, whatever comes into your mind at the monent), via blog, email, phone, in person, that's just coping.
Hell, come to the next bloggers meetup after I'm back, let me buy you a drink and you can explain to me why I'm an idiot in person. If you do, then I'll probably have to try to convince you and my wife jointly that I'm not. But maybe if I ply everybody with enough alcohol, I can win that one, if only for an evening.
As I pointed out, I'm pretty much f---ing unhappy with Nagin. Example--the car deal. Yeah. let's turn down the deal that pays us in favor of the one that costs, then fail to meet the FEMA deadline for reinbursement. I think that about speaks for itself. The rest of them are about equally worthless.
Or let's discuss all of the potential flood protection money that's been diverted into boondogles like improving the locks on the Industrial Canal by our benighted delegation.
I think we need to focus public opinion outside of NOLA on the feds for now. If I had been able to register while I was home (I didn't have a legal NOLA address until the day before I boarded a plane back to Fargo) I would definitely not be voting for any incumbent, anywhere, and my wife won't be. She doesn't know the players and is taking my advaice, so I guess I do sort of get to vote by proxy.
The need to clean out city hall, the assessors, to replace the rump school board with a liquidation school board that exists solely to discharge past debts at pennies on the dollar (the way post-civil war governmental agencies did), all of that needs to happen.
But we need to be squeezing the feds, because that's where the money is. I want to see the Benjamins.
I think to qualify as irrationally angry in NOLA right how would require you physically harm somebody (excluding just about any representative of any governmetn agency; that would be justifiable whatevercide based on PTSD).
Just about anything else, including venting on my blog (or send me email or calling me, well, whatever comes into your mind at the monent), via blog, email, phone, in person, that's just coping.
Hell, come to the next bloggers meetup after I'm back, let me buy you a drink and you can explain to me why I'm an idiot in person. If you do, then I'll probably have to try to convince you and my wife jointly that I'm not. But maybe if I ply everybody with enough alcohol, I can win that one, if only for an evening.
I agree on the need to focus on the shortcomings of the federal government, but the Poppy Z. Brite post did make me angry, for the reasons I further explain in the next post. I couldn't begin to count the number of times that I've heard that the city's deliberately dragging its feet. If the people who love the city refuse to honestly address the questions that the people who hate the city are already asking, it only confirms their prejudices, even if only in their own minds and they still control the money.
I certainly wouldn't call you or most other local bloggers idiots, I wouldn't link to you all so often if I thought that. The only La. bloggers that I would call idiots are willful idiots, Jeff Sadow and Chad Rogers come to mind.
I wouldn't rule out every incumbent BTW, since I approved of but didn't idolize Thomas before, I'm not that disappointed. I'll have to look at his opposition. He does seem to be the only council member who responds to email, the rest don't even empty their mail boxes often enough for email to always go through. One of the councilmen at large is actually more accessible than the district councilmen, in my experience.
I am looking forward to the next bloggers meet up, really wanted to make the last one.
I certainly wouldn't call you or most other local bloggers idiots, I wouldn't link to you all so often if I thought that. The only La. bloggers that I would call idiots are willful idiots, Jeff Sadow and Chad Rogers come to mind.
I wouldn't rule out every incumbent BTW, since I approved of but didn't idolize Thomas before, I'm not that disappointed. I'll have to look at his opposition. He does seem to be the only council member who responds to email, the rest don't even empty their mail boxes often enough for email to always go through. One of the councilmen at large is actually more accessible than the district councilmen, in my experience.
I am looking forward to the next bloggers meet up, really wanted to make the last one.
Keep in mind that PZB didn't say We Not OK becuase if the alien other's fault, at least not to my memory. I'll have to go look again. The theme is We Are Not Ok, and that's an important message to get out to the nation at large since we are so dependent on the kindness of strangers.
My sister's bigget take away (as we like to call it in the Bank of Many Meetings) was that governemnt was not helping, any government. The only aid they received was from friends and strangers.
That's something else I'd love to see people right about: how, when government at every level failed them, people they knew and total strangers strangers stepped in to help.
That's a story that shouldn't be forgotten. If anything, it tempers the anger of We Are Not OK. We need to tell America you are ok, but the folks in Washington are not.
My sister's bigget take away (as we like to call it in the Bank of Many Meetings) was that governemnt was not helping, any government. The only aid they received was from friends and strangers.
That's something else I'd love to see people right about: how, when government at every level failed them, people they knew and total strangers strangers stepped in to help.
That's a story that shouldn't be forgotten. If anything, it tempers the anger of We Are Not OK. We need to tell America you are ok, but the folks in Washington are not.
You're right about PZB, but I read that post shortly after writing my post about the napkin subterfuge. She clearly wasn't fooled, but even she allowed Nagin to get away with lying without having to commit to the lie. Assuming the subject ever cimes up again, I probably won't be happy until I hear a reporter ask him, "Are you saying that the contract proposal was drawn up on the back of a napkin? If not, why do you keep implying that it was ?"
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