The past few weeks we’ve waited and anticipated the Saints’ post-season run. For at least a week, the whole state was enthralled by the possibility of the Saints marching in to Miami. Mainstream news outlets from NPR to ESPN recognized the importance of the Saints, especially to those hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. The month of January was dominated by talk of the Saints and little else.
Through all the talk, “welcome distraction” and “sense of normalcy” were terms constantly employed to describe the effect of the Saints on New Orleans. Indeed, the leadership, execution and results garnered by the Saints serve as a sharp contrast to the failures, incompetence and declining morale of Louisiana, especially in New Orleans.
When the Saints began the season many hoped they would be a symbol of recovery for the battered city and state. After returning from a horrendous 3-13 season, the Saints rebounded to set several franchise records and accumulate numerous accolades, including Sean Payton’s AP NFL coach of the year. After a history of losses and disappointments, the Saints emerged as the unified hope of the state. Unfortunately, they have only distracted from the real recovery effort.
Louisiana’s recovery has not gone as well as the Saints’. For the most part, recovery has been slow and largely unsuccessful, marred by costly delays, fractious politicking and most of all, an unbelievably incompetent leadership. It would be impossible to convey how infuriated I am with recovery efforts so I’ll report January’s failures in hopes you will cultivate your own furious outrage.
January began with a bang. Murders started the first days of the New Year. At one point New Orleans averaged one murder per day despite the fact the New Orleans population is a shadow of its former strength. As of Jan. 20 there were 15 murders with few signs of the murder rate abating.
The outrageous violence prompted a citizens’ march on City Hall in hopes of prodding the leadership to take some kind of effectual action. In response, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu tried to put the violence in context saying, ” … the city always had a crime problem.”
And we are supposed to be OK with that? Thanks for caring, Lieutenant Governor.
With the responsibility of reducing violence primarily falling on Mayor Ray Nagin, I have severe doubts that this trend will deviate.
Speaking of Nagin, I think we have a contender for my “most incompetent public official” award which, of course, is currently held by Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Among the accumulating problems in New Orleans, Nagin tries to defend himself by putting the blame on someone else or financial shortcomings. Of course, he’s full of it. A Jan. 19 article in “The Advocate” reported New Orleans is eligible for an additional $280 million, some of which Nagin has not even tried to obtain. As the director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security put it, “We don’t read minds down here … They have to apply for it.”
How in hell did he get reelected?
Mad yet? But wait – it gets much worse.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco has taken much fire over progress of “The Road Home Program,” as she should. The program has been maddeningly slow. Since its inception in June 2006, the program has only mailed 258 checks out of 101,657 applicants as of Jan. 22. By comparison, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour reported they have already issued 9,902 grants of around 17,000 applications.
Instead of trying to produce results to rectify these numbers Gov. Blanco has wasted our time again by trying to shift blame to someone else, calling for a congressional investigation into the federal aid response to Katrina and publicly stating that she was disappointed that President Bush did not mention Katrina in Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
Excuse me, Governor, but playing politics isn’t building homes, curbing crime or administering checks. Maybe you should worry about properly spending the money you have before you ask for more. The Parable of the Talents comes to mind. If you can’t be trusted to wisely use the money you have, what makes you think the Feds are going to give you more?
I used to think Gov. Blanco was just incompetent, but this recent rash of politicking has made me suspect she’s also a disingenuous party hack, all at the expense of recovery efforts. I could go on, but frankly my disgust is already exceeding my word limit.
Saints fans across the state have much to celebrate and look forward to in the future. It is strange and a little ironic that the Saints, who were once perennial losers, are now the only thing keeping the state’s morale high. Well, that and maybe statewide elections.
Now, all I have to say is, “Sean Payton for Governor.”
He’s the only leader that’s given any real hope for this state.
—–Contact Jonathan Lo at jlo@lsureveille.com