HumidCity

Maitri posts the best synopsis of the past several days in New Orleans that I have yet seen. Gets right on down to the nitty gritty, and boy is it gritty….

Via Vatul Blog:

On returning to New Orleans, I’ve discovered that the city wrongly demolished a home, Jessica Hawk (from Ohio) was found murdered in her home on the 3000 block of Chartres in the Bywater, two people were shot to death at an Uptown intersection where my friend takes frequent afternoon walks, McSame and Bush will make their obligatory New Orleans visits this week (for more cake, I’m sure) and, to top it all off, Mayor Ray Ray will be presented with “The Award of Distinction For Recovery, Courage, and Leadership” by a group called “The Excellence in Recovery Host Committee,” led by a prominent member of our City Council.  I feel like a bit character in a poorly-reenacted mashup of The Enemy Within and Mirror Mirror set in New Orleans.

Yes, corruption and incompetence are found wherever power and money are to be had, but not like this, not when we should all be extra-vigilant during this reconstruction.  Returning to pre-Katrina dysfunctional bullshit is not recovery.  It makes me want to run screaming back to Ohio or Wisconsin.  The Upper Midwest is not exempt from flood, government incompetence and crime, but it’s not an excuse to dodge the issue that there are serious problems down here, and that almost 25% will leave if we as a city don’t address them.

There, short and (not so) sweet.

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

Well it looks like Kevin Allman, a journalist colleague of mine who I have great respect for, has hit pay dirt on the great Nagin Award Controversy ™. Dig it (and Digg it when you go read the whole thing):

It was a perfect storm for outrage: The very week that the mayor’s office was under attack for its role in the burgeoning NOAH scandal, the entire city council was served with federal subpoenas, the FBI raided the former offices of NOAH, a formal investigation began over potential mismanagement of federal rebuilding funds, and the whole shiznit hit The New York Times…a pretty little party invitation went out.

The honoree: Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who was to be honored by a group called “The Excellence in Recovery Host Committee,” which was presenting the mayor with “The Award of Distinction For Recovery, Courage, and Leadership.” There didn’t seem to be much (anything, frankly) about “The Excellence in Recovery Host Committee” anywhere on the Web, and, in Clancy DuBos‘ words in a blog reaction, it “did not exist in official, corporate form according to the Secretary of State’s office.” Was it a charity? A fundraiser?

He got ahold of host and co-chair Stewart Juneau, a well known Louisiana developer/samaritan, and had a very interesting discussion. I highly advise checking it out. Not only did KA get a lot of answers, but he also managed to get invited and will be able to report back from the proceedings themselves. If there is going to be a journalist there I’m glad its him.

Go read.

-Loki, HumidCity Founder