open letter to a closed media
it appears the the local media (TV and TP as well as Gambit) is busy reporting stories about business as unusual in the Big Easy (crime, corruption, and frustration). Readers are growing tired of false expectations and bad promises. Readers have grown weary and bleary-eyed of the focus on the BAD NEWS of bad, bad New Orleans. Shouldn’t we try to see something positive? Wouldn’t we be more likely to get people to return? Wouldn’t we be more likely to get businesses to stay? Wouldn’t we be more likely to convince other states to help? You know… it’s the old flies and honey cha cha cha… Vigilantes and murders may sell papers, but they’re not going to help the economy. I know there is good news out there, I beg you to shout it from the top of monkey hill… we need it. We need it desperately. We need it now. No shots need to be fired. No crimes have to be committed. But, is that such a bad thing? BLOG THIS!
October 13th, 2006 at 3:32 am
We need both, the source of positive news and a crusading newspaper (which Gambit is in no wise, nor the Picayune) to root out the remaining legacy of Morial the Second, Dollar Bill, and all of Nagin’s cronies.
We need an outlet that is going to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.
And I continue to think that the core of the blogger corps could provide the nucleus of such a publication, starting online.
October 13th, 2006 at 6:43 am
I can tell you that the constant negativity of sites such as New Orleans Metroblogging (see today for a “turn out the lights and blow up the bridges” bitg of hysteria) almost kept me away from a fantastic job and, so far, a decent life here. The crime and corruption are horrible, but … life here for me, near City Park, is not exactly the proverbial Living Hell. And there’s an all-day breakfast place opening up a half-a-block away from me soon, another gelato business, another coffee shop, etc., etc. I can go see some of the best music in the country any day of the week, which I couldn’t in my former residence in a somewhat smaller southern city.
(This was a city, by the way, where I was still either a hit-and-run accident victim or a botched mugging victim or something, exactly which I’ll never know–and I’m left with a numb spot on my left lip a year-and-a-half later, permanent scars–and along with this bit of joy came almost social life and nothing even remotely like the food and musical culture of NOLA).
I’m also weary of reading letters like one I just saw in the Times Picayune in which a guy goes on about how together the government is in his new what, 95 percent white?residence of Portland. I think Portland’s a great place too, but … c’mon, Portland’s the whitest city in America. And it’s becoming more so, while also becoming richer in its downtown core areas:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/18/AR2006061800605.html
October 13th, 2006 at 6:45 am
And here’s something positive:
Friends Of Lafitte Corridor Meeting
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2006 - 2PM
at Bayou Coffee House - 326 N. Jefferson Davis Parkway (across from
Mercy Hospital)
Meeting will be on rear deck of the coffeehouse.
Parking on street or in lot at rear of coffeehouse facing N.
Rendon St. (Deck is accessible from parking lot.)
October 13th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
We certainly need a damn MAVERICK. Some person, group or even a friggin’ IDEA, that will be equal parts no BS and equal parts innovations, ideas and inspiration. I would trade the elation of the Saints homecoming if I could go back in time and reverse the results of the mayoral election. I don’t hate Nagin, I just don’t think he’s the man THIS job. He would probably be an adequate Mayor for a city that needed to be maintained. But I think he lacks the vision needed to bring New Orleans back.
And yes, there are numerous wonderful things happening in the city. And it often gets overlooked.
I’m just waiting for Mr. Clarke the Carondelet and Canal praline man to come back. When I see him it will be a joyous day.
October 14th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Why quit now? We’ve been running ourselves down for generations. This is something I have harped on several times, though not so much on the media side of it. And I agree with Mark: can’t we have both? I posted on my blog a week or two ago:
“They talk about losing teams developing an attitude where they simply forget how to win, and let every setback erode their fragile morale until loosing is almost assumed…
We expect both perfection and failure out of everything we do. Perfection in this world is impossible, so we always find the failure, and the reason is always our own corruption and incompetence. No matter what transpires any blip or snag is enough for the choruses of “we can’t” to begin. “Welcome to New Orleans,” has in many ways become a self fulfilling prophecy.”
I’m not advoacting a tinkerbell strategy, but if we can’t believe in ourselves why the hell should anyone else?
October 14th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
“I’m not advoacting a tinkerbell strategy, but if we can’t believe in ourselves why the hell should anyone else?”
Bingo!
My experience from “out there” and outside the blogger support “out there” is that we are a laughing stock. Yes, that is what I hear. I haven’t wanted to say it out loud but there it is. Between all the stories of Fema money squandering, the re-election of Nagin, the pointing of fingers, all the bad press we are truly considered a third world — out of this galaxy! I cannot tell you how many times I’m asked why I still live here and when am I going to move. NEVER!
I do agree with Loki - there is good going on and we need to get it out there! We DO believe in ourselves, we DO believe in NOLA. We need to project that!
The corruption surely needs to be dragged out in the l light of day and cleaned up so, yes, the bloggers that do that so well need to persevere. But the ones who aren’t so politically focused or connected need to shout the goodness out! We need balance, ya’all. Balance!
I confess even I have stopped reading some of the blogs because of all the negativity….bring me back! Bring other lost readers back! Write the garbage going on but put in a few positive thoughts too. Point out other blogs that are focusing on the positive. I just don’t believe we have the same cohesiveness we had immediately post-K. We need to get it back!
And that’s my 2 cents. Take it or leave it! ;)
October 14th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
i’m glad my words have had “loki-esque” ramifications,,,, p.h. fred BLOG THIS!
October 15th, 2006 at 5:24 am
Actually if you look at the byline that was PH Fred’s post, but I do agree. My finacee has told me many times to stop seeing only the negative, and I must confess a year of it has me burnt out.
There is a need for both. Usually Alexis is the one making the more positive posts seen here, I do the bitchy negative stuff. That is another reason for bringing in guest posters and new regulars such as Fred.
As a dear friend from MOMs Ball often tells me, “I’ll take what little postitive I can out of each day and use that to keep me going.” Amazing how much living here resembles M*A*S*H, isn’t it? Dibbs on being Hawkeye!
October 17th, 2006 at 6:42 pm
I can’t help but respond here to Ray’s comment on a letter I wrote to the T-P (under an alias [I'm shy]) after a particularly difficult conversation with a dear friend still in the city. I’m unsure what Ray’s gripe is (Portland’s too white? Too rich? Both? I’ll go and read the wapo article later), but my issue, in mentioning my new surroundings, was to present an example of what is possible, a contrast to what is going on in NOLA now, what New Orleans could be with halfway decent leadership.
I don’t think Ray’s “95%” demographic statistic is accurate; it certainly wouldn’t seem that way in my neighborhood. My neighborhood, well, feels like home. Granted, downtown gentrification is an issue, but there are still areas of this city evincing racial diversity, and there are certainly efforts being made to ensure affordable housing is adequetly funded and available–for sure, more so than in LA today. I have nothing to do with Portland’s demographic spread, and I don’t judge it on that basis. I’d think by now we’d all had enough of judging cities on the basis of racial stats (and affiliated assumptions). My concerns are much more fundamental.
It’s works vs. doesn’t work. It’s affordable vs. unaffordable. It’s safe vs. unsafe.
And so, thus, here is the good news: there are people like me, who have left NOLA for varied reasons, who have set out to experience other places, get exposed to other ideas, to seek better ways of doing things, to find new inspiration, and who hope to come back, not to change New Orleans into some other place, but to help make it work, better than ever before, while retaining its soul. The recovery of the city is going to take a very long time if it happens at all, and as some re-settlers grow weary and need a break, there will be replacements, refreshed and reenergized, their love for NOLA undiminished, ready to get back and get to work.
October 18th, 2006 at 4:17 am
Only if I can be Klinger. We are so on track for the wedding. The real downside is that we might have to drink a bottle of Mogen-David to get the bottle. Truly harsh. I hoe you appreciate all we are going through for the two of you.
October 18th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
Cord:
Here’s part of what I’m talking about re Portland being majority white: Try getting together a regional supra-government of the Portland METRO type. Could it ever happen, or would African-American voters be (rightly) suspicious that the goal is to strip black voting power? Would some old-school white leaders use regional governance as an excuse to lord their power over everyone, or ignore minority concerns altogether?
Meanwhile, how do you fight sprawl without completely pissing off middle class black people who finally found themselves a piece of the pie in New Orleans East? Would you believe what residents of NO East were calling for at the Unified New Orleans Plan meeting on Saturday? LESS DENSITY!!! And Portland’s thing has been more density, to my understanding, in a progressive fashion. But being progressive is easier where you are. I imagine you have people still ticked about higher densities, but you don’t have even issues to contend–well, maybe ones similar on the surface, but not ones that are even remotely so thorny.
October 18th, 2006 at 5:59 pm
Ignore race in a city? Just treat the urban area as one whole organism, and act color blind, a la (the intentional TV news commentator spoof) Stephen Colbert, who doesn’t see race but is seeking a new black friend? Urban and minority politics are often combined subjects in PoliSci and urban studies oriented programs for myriad good reasons.
October 18th, 2006 at 6:55 pm
i’m so glad the conversation continues…viva la resistance? BLOG THIS!
October 19th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
It would take alot of work on the part of the average American adult to “ignore” race, a conscious effort that would negate its own excersize (as the afformentioned spoof demonstrates). Again, I stated that I do not “judge” Portland on the basis of it’s racial makeup (and maybe in clarifying that clunky sentence, I should correct my flub in saying I “have nothing to do” with its demographics; what i should say is that the demographics have no bearing on me).
Of course there are two very different political dynamics in these two cities, influenced to an extent by vastly different populations, histories, etc. The successes of Portland weren’t brought up to suggest that NOLA needs to emulate methods. I’m not getting how New Orleans having an Afr. Amer. majority population negates the value or feasabilty of progressive planning and green policies. Yes of course it’s essential to make sure no one is disenfranchised, and there are innummerable issues stemming from hurricane damage and displacement that Portland didn’t have to deal with (such as questions about the East and other areas and what the ramifications of a smaller footprint are, esp. when the issue isn’t sprawl but flood protection). And there are major problems (crime, levee stability, $) that need to be gotten under control first. I think Varg’s notion of a MAVERICK is interesting–not just good leadership, new good leadership. A fresh approach to unique problems. But I think the goal of a healthy, functional city can have some commonality across the board, and the best policies of other locales can be of use, even if greatly modified.
October 19th, 2006 at 6:35 pm
Cord:
Mavericks can tend to be rather dangerous and off-the-wall sometimes. (Go take a look at the mayor of Jackson MS if you want an example. A straight shooter, a maverick, elected with a biracial 88 percent majority now under indictment for destroying rental property in an anti-drug and crime crusade, and almost certainly guilty.)
What’s needed is strong and wise leadership, not a frickin’ maverick asshole. Governing well is all about building coalitions and knowing how and when to make smart compromises, something Portland’s planners and progressive leaders did continuously throughout the years (deciding not to ignore the suburbs/inner rings, for instance, after years of focusing so much on downtown). And they didn’t have even halfway as much of a minefield to work through as even the best leader in NOLA would–something I thought I explained pretty well, thanks.
October 19th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
An addendum: If you think we easily could have regional, metro-wide planning of the sort seen in Portland (the type that crosses municipal boundaries, more specifically, with a supra-regional government making large-scale planning decisions) in New Orleans, you should read
Here, it is explained that Jefferson Parish officials are going to keep NOLA poor out of their fine area–well, all poor, but their policies are really aimed at NOLA poor. You think a “maverick” could break through this sort of thinking? Your mistake, I’m presuming, is thinking that I’m putting down the African-American population in some vague manner or underestimating the capacity for change due to this majority somehow. I’m not. I’m talking about political reality. I would, however, add that economics interacts with race here, so the issue’s more a case of poverty on top of race.
October 19th, 2006 at 8:30 pm
Excuse me, this article, at nola.com:
“Jeff Council Opposes Plans for Poor.” Top story of the day there, for now.
October 19th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
After reading Ray’s own blog, I realized that my letter to the TP struck a nerve, as he says it’s his professional purview to discuss the “bizarre opinions” of some letters, and proceeds to address only mine. Maybe it’s best that I address his concerns directly. Sorry if this is a diversion from the thread, but I feel like I need to clarify some things. First, I’d like to apologize if I did use the term “creative class.” I certainly didn’t mean to use it in a snobbish manner, nor to create the impression that I overvalue work in creative fields. “Working class” seems a bit dated, and could be used to summarize alot of subgroups including the one in question, but it doesn’t really account for what my/our primary output/involvement/interests are: working within and/or contributing to the human/creative/cultural dialogue, locally, nationally and beyond, as artists and administrators, musicians and writers, designers and programmers, etc. & etc. Hopefully it can be agreed that there is some degree of economic and civic importance to such work, particularly when much of it takes place within the “gift economy”–and many of us work equally hard at our day jobs, be it service industry, hairdressing, teaching, whatever. I don’t think “yuppie” applies to me or my friends, because we don’t have money, and are not directly en route to making lots of it. In the economic sense “class”, alot of us are probably “lower”. I dislike generalizing, but the prime commonality among my peers (in NOLA and PDX) is trying to simultaneously make ends meet while trying maintain a serious commitment to our creative pursuits. I would be interested in any reasonable terminology that could put the awkward “creative class” to rest. Please nothing involving “bohemian.” But I will stand by the assertion that, regardless of nomenclature, this general group has been and will continue to be beneficial to any American city, and certainly to New Orleans (primary example: any assertion that the city is better off without musicians would rightly be considered ludicrous). All of this is to say that it would be foolish of a city to undervalue the contribution made by lower income citizens and/or to willfully underserve them/push them out. And I think a high rate of violent crime indicates underserved low-income populations, regardless of why they are underserved.
I think it is at best poor reading to paraphrase my original letter as indicating I “wonder why New Orleans’ can’t be the same, or why it can’t be as progressive, etc.” as Portland. Whoa…I think I’ve been clear throughout that this is not my thinking or intent. Please refer to above posts (I’d happily link the original letter if I could find it.) And please let these cities remain as different as is right and necessary, but I do think it fair and smart to suggest New Orleans, like Portland, could benefit from reliable bus service and garbage pickup…even recycling. Inasmuch as implementing these things (and others), I don’t advocate a “frickin’ maverick asshole” so much as leadership that is serious and sane, inventive and capable of smart compromise, as Ray says, “strong and wise”–which by LA standards, could fit a definition of maverick. I do think current leadership is so far failing to deliver. As for Jefferson Parish–there may well be no hope.
October 19th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
One further note: A cursory view of the history of race relations here (OR) would show plenty of thorniness, as racism was no less pervasive or institutional in this region than anywhere else. The progressiveness of the city is a relatively recent phenomenon, and is not neccesarily appreciated in other areas of the state. And I can’t make informed comment on matters of trust or suspicion of city/regional leadership.
October 20th, 2006 at 1:48 am
But Portland, as noted, has a super-regional government that, I should have noted, involves several counties and not just municipalities (three and 25, respectively). So having a metro New Orleans government like the Portland METRO, which drives the whole planning-oriented regime, would necessarily involve Orleans AND Jefferson Parish.
Anyway, come comment at my site! Thanks!!
October 21st, 2006 at 1:28 am
Cord! good to see you checking the site, and especially good that you are adding a lot of lucid commentary to it. Too bad you won’t make the weding, I could introduce you and Ray and then sit back and enjoy the fun….
I think you both have a number of points, and knowing you both I believe that you are not far off from each other in your basic viewpoints. I also think that what it really boils down to is a class issue where the poverty is fueled and exacerbated by the piss porr educational options. The fact that the majority of the poor are black is the unfortunate side effect of being in the deep south. People will always look for reasons to hate each other, and visible differences like skin color are an easy out for the assinine.
As to the powers that be, fuck ‘em. ambrose Bierce defined an honest politician as one who stays bought once he is bought. That about covers it, here in the Third World especially.
Wish I had time to get into detail, but I am BURIED in wedding mania. Keep the conversation going, its a damn good one!