There were some good points in the blog from nola.com that youbetterwork posted. Public housing haters in the beginning, rational thinkers towards the end.

Please don't think I am in favor of public housing, but does anyone have any better ideas? (pay people more, for one, not building them all in one spot either) Stop picking on the poor!

"Demolishing homes in the Empire, from New Orleans to Gaza: Rachel Corrie knew that 'We Reap What We Sow'"
http://www.chycho.com/?q=Rachel_Corrie

"Why did Rachel Corrie sacrifice her body to help those she barely knew? Because she understood that "We Reap What We Sow". She knew that if she did not try to prevent the homes of others from being destroyed then one day her home, the home of those she loved, or the homes of her nieghbours would be threatened by the same powers."

Will they use the same CAT bulldozers they Israelis use?

Good old fashioned ethnic cleansing. Right in our own backyard. Fabulous.

A Palestinian like destruction of NOLA. Dammit, Israel has taken over Amerika.

"The outburst of violence came amid concerns..."
Just want to make sure anyone who hasn't seen the videos knows that this outburst of violence was an outburst by the police, not the peaceful citizens who were being illegally shut out of a public(thats us) building. Facism is alive and well in America's reich.

I agree alirandyabi. It's often remarked that the U.S. is marching towards fascism. It's already here.

The photo says it all. New Orleans is still a city where White cops beat up on Blacks as a normal routine. And as a normal routine, a White dominated Business Establishment calls all the shots, including destroying affordable housing stock for lower income Blacks. They do not want the Black Diaspora from Katrina to return.

Any one remember Rachel Corrie?

The (majority white) city council is serving the interests of (white) money which aims to turn New Orleans into a (white) disney land. This has been in the works for decades. Katrina provided the moment.

The bleeding edge of gentrification.

No one is homeless as a result of this. No one is without housing. Everyone who was in the buildings were given homes elsewhere. No one should want to return to those buildings. These public housing structures need to be torn down. There is a reason every member of the council voted yes... This "reporting" does not reflect reality. The violence was initiated by activists who wanted to be arested.

This is outrageous and sickening. The life of the poor worth nothing to the federal and state governments and other policy makers. The poor have become "no people" in their "own country". When Hurricane Katrina struck, both Federal and the State governments have used it as an opportunity to "throw" the poor onto the streets, without food and shelter. It is incomprehensible how the US government is spending so much money on the "construction" (read: destruction) of other countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, ignoring the poor Americans in its own country. The politicians and the bureaucrats in the US are the prime examples for greed and scapegoating the weak and vulnerable. Instead of helping the poor whom they are supposed to help, they are chasing them out of their own shelter, and confiscating and denying whatever little the poor possess.

Attracted to self-gratification and its reinforcing images, the American public is diverted from what matters most - challenging wars of aggression, loss of civil liberties and human rights, violations of law, gutted social services, environmental harm, and policies benefitting the privileged at the expense of beneficial social change. Media theorist Neil Postman once called Americans the most over-entertained and under-informed people in the world and wrote about it in books like "Amusing Ourselves to Death." The corporate power has muted the heart, mind and voice of the public. This has resulted in muted reaction to the unfettered, out-of-control and predatory corporate power, and in the neglect of the greater good. The general public is blinded to (uninterested about) the democratic decay in a corporate state disdaining the public interest and providing essential services. The public is uninterested about the government diverting the national wealth to the growth and prosperity of the corporate power.

In this season of Christmas, the American public behavior of ignoring the plight and misery of the poor, weak and vulnerable corrupts it and the spirit of the man it honors. Jesus Christ identified himself with the socio-economic poor (who were marginalized by the state and religious powers) in words and deeds. His teachings from the Sermon on the Mount and message to love thy neighbor, not kill, and do unto others as you would want them doing to you, and his deeds to bring the poor from the margins of the society to the "center" of the society are expressions of what he envisioned, that is, a society of justice, love, and peace. In the spirit of the season, thoughts should be on helping others and defending the poor in the midst of the onslaught of the corporate power. It's a sad testimony to a society obsessed with greed and self-gratification at the expense of beneficial social change. At Christmas, it defiles the Christmas spirit and ignores the needy.

This makes me think of the book im currently reading, planet of slums by mike davis. One of the things in common with dictatorships in the developing world wether "democracies" or "communist" is the "cleaning out" of the poor to places where they will be less visible to people with money. Im kinda shocked to make the link here and realize this isnt just in poor countries that it is happening. I knew about gentrification, but this is exactly the model of bulldozing entire slum areas to make way for infrastructure people with money will use. Now those poor black neighboorhood cant be called slums, but the idea is there, to just raze down a neighboorhood and replace it with something where they cant afford to live, and replace them, too.

re 1:20pm

troll alert!

The PHOTO speaks a lot about the identity of the AGGRESSOR and OCCUPIER, and the VICTIM. It clearly explains the situation in New Orleans in particular, and in the US in general.

A reality check to Youbetterwork-

You say no one is homeless- Then what about people being kicked out of emergency motel housing and trailer housing?

It's not like the luxuary or market housing that will be built is any safer from floods and storms. The people and the government will pick up that pork and corruption-laden bill too. Watch!

When the flooding happened blacks looted and whites found stuff.

The peper spraying and tasering of 2000 people is Bull Conners all over again. Make no mistake about that.

There was at least criminal negligence on the part of federal, state and local officials but mostly concerted, planned, conspiritorial greed at work. The RICO statute should be enforced against all.

Anyone who isn't wealthy beware, Bush and his regime, what and who they stand for steal from you too.

¿Pero que haces ahì cuando la lucha està aqui? Te necesitamos.

I am really ashamed of this country today.

I did not say no one was homeless - I said no one was homeless as a result of this. The demolition of unoccupied and damaged housing that people have been relocated from makes no one homeless... Besides, if you are homeless you can't live in HUD housing here anyway.

There are no more emergency motel housing vouchers. That ended with those people getting section 8 vouchers. They have plenty of places to live. I know there are tons of section 8 homes because they are overpriced for normal people like me who live in New Orleans but can't afford to live in section 8 housing. As far as people living in free trailers for two years (rent free) and now being asked to leave them due to unforseen health risks (formydehyde) my only comment is that I wish I had free housing for two years.

"The peper spraying and tasering of 2000 people"
It was more like 3 or 4 people... And they did that on purpose to get more attention to this cause.

I'm not making these comments to "troll" I'm doing it to remind everyone that not every outrage is real and not every cause need be supported. I back plenty of causes and plenty of liberal goals. Forcing black people to live in substandard getto's that don't meet code and calling that "housing" is not a cause I support. These places are the murder capital of the USA. They are dangerous, damaged, and poorly planned.

Welcome to New Orleans Year Zero. Pol Pot must be proud.

Americans are paying a high price not only in housing costs but the high cost of the emotional distress coming from our gov't basically they want us all dead unless we are wealthy enough to keep up with them we must come with lots of money to burn for large homes, paying for our own health care and education... It is sad what this country has come down to, they will gentrify new orleans for the wealthy whites the same way they changed all the us cities similar to boston where the working class neighborhoods were replaced with high tagged developers costing the average person a 100x more to live.

ubetterwork........ shame on you.. your not even there so how can you be so cold to your fellow american and fellow human being, you can twist an idea based on your hard soul but read the real facts! it's not about living off the fat of the land, we are all not as privileged as u and your hard upbringing that's an obvious, they are making high tagged homes in place of the demolishing so what is your proposal for where they will get the money for that??? merry christmas to you too!

youbetter work:
Of course those places are poorly planned. That's why you get more money to build BETTER PUBLIC HOUSING. You don't kick poor people out to make way for housing they can't afford. 2 wrongs don't make a right!

What the hell is wrong with this country? Are we that contemptuous to the poor? Are we THAT selfish? Spend 2 friggin' trillion dollars on this debacle in Iraq, and yet we can't HOUSE, FEED, and GIVE ADEQUATE HEALTH CARE to our poor? I'm really pissed!

A country is as strong as its weakest citizen, and those of us at the bottom of the heap are being made weaker by the minute. God Bless America!

THIS IS DISGUSTING!!! I am SO ASHAMED! The WORST traits of this country are bursting to the surface for ALL to see! SHAME ON US! Shame on us for what we did to the Native Americans. And Shame on us for what we did to people from Africa. SHAME SHAME SHAME!

Thankfully, I believe in karma and reincarnation, and I know the oppressors will reincarnate as the oppressed until they learn the lesson. WE ARE ALL ONE. Like it or not.

I want to use words that express inner feelings that are beyond "disgust" and "shame" to describe the repulsion I feel. We have government and rulers that back bullies and gets a smug "kick" out of piling on the little guy when he gets knocked down.

No one is getting kicked out. Everyone has already been relocated for 2 years. More money is being spent for better housing.

And I do live here. I have lived in New Orleans for a very long time. I am not rich. I work for a homeless charity here in New Orleans. I know that these people are NOT homeless. No one has been kicked out of anything. These old buildings are damaged and need to be replaced. No one lives in any of these buildings. Some of the public housing is open, plenty of vouchers are avilible to live in section 8.

The real tragedy here is the people that live in tent cities under the I-10 overpass and on the steps of city hall. We have a tent city on the steps of city hall of thousands of people. None of this discussion includes any of those people. HUD will not lift a finger for the homeless and these activits are fighting for the rights of people who already have a place to live, not for the people who don't... That's the real crime not being address by this distracting farce.

.

We are not suprised of this last bold attempt at gentrification of an area occupied predominantly by poor blacks.

Did these poor blacks not know that they have little "rights" in America or did they expect to be left on prime property while white Americans wait anxiously to occupy same?

Wake up minorities - this is 21st century American inverted justice.

As another New Orlenian, one who was actually THERE for part of the events outside city hall yesterday, I'm with youbetterwork. The people sprayed/tasered (at leat most of them) were not "nonviolent protestors." They were people who broke an iron gate open (by pulling on it, no mean feat) and when they prevented police from shutting it again, were tasered and pepper sprayed to make them let go of the gate. (I urge readers to check the videos available through www.nola.com) One can argue that there were better ways to make them let go of the gate, but any removal of people clutching the gate and refusing to let go was bound to be violent. (Even prying fingers loose is violence.) Pepper and tasers are better than old fashioned billy clubs, though still undesireable.

We can of course argue about whether they should have been excluded from the council meetings, and go in to the balance of the need of the council to do business without people making conversation in chambers impossible by chanting, versus the interest of the citizenry in being present, giving testimony, and observing while the city council deliberates. And a great many people there wanted to do just that. (Public Access has been replaying previous meetings in which they brought proceedings to a halt by chanting slogans.) Regardless of the propriety of excluding them, their point of view has been expressed clearly (and repeatedly) in council testimony over the past weeks, and again for several hours yesterday. (Again, check www.nola.com for coverage.)

As to the comments thatthe pepper spraying and tasering is bull conners all over again, you'll find if you watch the videos that a significant proportion of those sprayed or tasered were white, and in all likelihood (New Orleans being what it is) never lived in public housing. In fact, BOTH of those protesters tasered were white. (Assuming reports are accurate.) And at least one of those apparently arrested, a leader of one of the anti-demolition movements, is a professional tarot card reader who, never having lived in the projects, had the gall to call former project residents who praised the demolition and redevelopment plans "sell-outs." Whereas many (if not most) NOLA police officers are black, with a black chief of police. So the claims of white on black oppression just don't fly.

And finally, in response to Bill Quigley's (my former professor) question as to whether this is what democracy looks like; yes, professor, it is. ELECTED representatives VOTED to allow demolition. THe fact that your position is opposed by the majority of New Orleans, and lost in a vote by New Orleans representatives, does not give the losers of the vote the right to smash their way into city hall. Allowing a small and vandalous minority to overturn the will of the majority of New Orleans (and it is, white and black alike) would in fact be the opposite of democracy. Being in support of demolition does not make on undemocratic. Being violent and threatening in the face of the will of the majority of New Orleans, executed through due process by duly elected representatives, nakes on undemocratic. (Before anyone takes exception to my characterization of some of the protestors as violent and threatening, consider the threats posted two weeks ago to burn down condos if the projects are demolished.)

My, I have gone on, haven't I? Well, to summarize:

1. Regardless of the propriety of limiting the number of people in council yesterday, all points of view were heard (Quigley himself, as well as NAACP officials, gave testimony) and the protestors, by breaking in to city hall, began the violence.

2. Neither the vote, nor the attitudes towards it, nor the violence it sparked, were split down racial lines.

3. The majority of New Orlenians (based on my own, admittedly unscientific method of a sense gleaned from living in this city) are in favor of demolitions. Attempting to circumvent this democratic decision by forcing their way into the chambers and preventing deliberations and a vote by oushouting the witnesses and council members was in fact undemocratic.

"The real tragedy here is the people that live in tent cities under the I-10 overpass and on the steps of city hall. We have a tent city on the steps of city hall of thousands of people. None of this discussion includes any of those people. HUD will not lift a finger for the homeless and these activits are fighting for the rights of people who already have a place to live, not for the people who don't…"

Interesting comments, and I'm in no position to refute what you say, since you're down there.

But, what is the reason for demolishing perfectly good homes? Can they not be restored and the community be invested in? And what if developers come in and build expensive homes - will the original tenants get them?

Possibly, but history suggests this is for gentrification, not for community building.

Christian Zealots at work. Their only virtue is crulity and avrice.

They aren't perfectly good homes.
As I've said before, they are dangerous, damaged, and poorly planned. The current buildings break up the grid system, limit emergengy access, have no (or very little) handicap access, and have aged poorly.

They are not fit to live in.
No one lives in them.

There is no need to build new homes for the former residents because they already have a place to live.

Don't take my word for it: here is a local news link.

http://blog.nola.com/graphics/2007/12/hano121907.gif

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2007/12/demolition_protests_ignore_som.html

As far as gentrifing the 6th ward (Treme area where some of these buildings are and where I live)... Well, let's just say that we will take whatever new construction anyone throws our way...

I am so disgusted and appalled at the claims by two particular individuals here that I am just going to attach this link and say nothing more:
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/67/24786

Everyone read killyt's link.

This is about CONTRACTS!! In DC, no less. This situation is usually you have industry people 'lobbying' HUD, thinking that they can get away with treading on poor blacks. Well, obviously those ghettos are dirty, violent deathtraps, so I'll graciously solve your problem for $100 million. All of the S8 housing I know of (in KY at least) seem terrible (upon further reflection, it's because they're full of black people) but I've never been in one, so I really would have no idea, would I?

Yes, let's use our common sense here at common dreams- PROFIT and RACISISM is a reasonable explanation.

And the kicker.... there is a housing shortage! Build more Sec8/mixedinc. housing before you tear down the old!!!

Bottom line is they are destroying the homes for the poor and replacing them with mostly homes for the middle class. These new homes will not house the former inhabitants. So all of the apologists for this blatant bit of social cleansing can spin the facts however they want. It doesn't change the basic equation. Tear down poor people's homes, put up homes they cannot afford to live in. Get it? If they were replacing these buildings with new upgraded homes for the original inhabitants, then you'd have an argument, otherwise, you are falling for the neo-liberal con game.

Amerikkka's Palestine

Who remembers Bush hugging the poor black lady and promising that America would help them rebuild? Just one more sad day for America. We should all travel there and stand-up with those poor folks, but we won't. Good job Brownie!

youbetterwork--you say you would love to have free housing for two years. I challenge you to live in a 24-foot trailer with a family for even two months and not be on the verge of insanity. Add the fact that they are set up in vacant lots with no place for children to play and you have a recipe for disaster. At least in public housing, people had friends and support systems to make their lives bearable.
Katrina was a blessing for the capitalist developers, just as 9-11 was for the Bush crime family.

The facts that Youbetterwork is trying to avoid, is that they are bulldozing these low rent places to build condominiums or "mid-income" housing that the people who were living in these 4500 buildings wont be able to afford. So unless the US governement is gonna build those 4500 building back, inside New Orleans, i dont see why people should be happy about this. Why not build back 4500 buildings so that the people living there can go back to where they were?

On the subject of "2 year free rent" Greg Palast tried to get inside those trailer park setup for displaced people to do some reporting and he was arrested. People said living conditions there were appalling.

Im a canadian BTW but i watch closely whats going on in the US cuz we always get this shit 20 years later.

Just a note: The buildings that are being torn down are not "vacant" and the people that were living there have NOT found other homes. In fact, the people that lived in these houseing units were not allowed to return to there homes even though they had not been damaged. They were denied re-entry by the police. They were (and are) locked out of their own homes.

I agree that "public housing" of the type in New Orleans have not worked from their inception. But until the City Council guarantees that all 4500 units will be replaced by 4500 of Section 8 housing that directly benefits the poor and the needy, be they black, brown, white, or purple, it is clear that these demolitions are just a rip off by the elites. It's just another form of aparteid (sp). Kindof like ethnic cleansing without the dead bodies laying around.

Get the millatary to destroy it, they are good at demolishing cities.

For more information on this, please go to rascistpolicestate.com

vaudree, yes I remember Rachel Corrie, the young woman that the Israeli barbarians/killers cold-bloodedly ran over and killed with their tanks. Did they ever get charged with crimes against humanity for that, or did they get away with murder since the U.S. supports them all the way.

The idea of "mixed income" housing is fundamentally flawed. "Mixed income" is supposed to be optimal in that it disperses the bad elements so they can't concentrate, so they don't turn neighborhoods into "hoods". The middle/uppers provide the deterrent.

The problem is that the class structure is preserved. This is priority number one of course. The middle/uppers need to feel superior to compensate for their character stubs, most fundamentally the insecurity taught by their parents through shaming for any egalitarian, cooperative, or solidarity impulses. Meanwhile, kissing ass to economic superiors is oh just wonderful. This protocol for "upward mobility" is taught to daughters by mothers, to sons by fathers, it's there, it's real, it's highly relevant, and taboo. You shall not discuss it. This is some of the inspiration for the 60s rebellion.

So optimal ain't really optimal at all. These middle/uppers think they're more productive member of society. They are NOT more productive because their output is ultimately net negative. We need full cost accounting to see it. The list of negatives are huge - fossil fuel gluttony, general material gluttony, massive capitalist exploitation, enabling imperial warfare, and political camouflage for "public servants" neglecting infrastructure such as the New Orleans levees and all the rest of their duties.

So the middle/uppers are really complicit pawns and lackeys to the corporate crime gangs and mixing them with the lowers only does what - you guessed it - exposes the lowers to what they're missing - the petro-fired facade of the "good life". This keeps them working their odd jobs but they'll never join the middle/uppers because the lowers must be kept ignorant and the hierarchy must be preserved. Besides there are no respectable opportunities up there for respectable people.

"Mixed income" housing is not needed in an egalitarian society. For a model of egalitarian tour the Santa Clara valley and note the very small deviation in housing size. That's egalitarian. No wonder the crime rate is low. Especially in comparison with Los Angeles, New Orleans, etc.

So don't bother analyzing any more of the the capitalist's schemes - they're all designed to preserve the hierarchy at all cost. Ignore them and build the alter-society from the ground up. Instead of "mixed income" try one size fits all (you betcha), garden plots in the front yards, and small independent farmers, craftsmen, merchants all around. Crush the hierarchy.

The intended government housing for black males is well known. The government is just trying to give secure living space to them. Why would these people complain? They seem to be malcontents just like those Indians lounging on those reservations. They complain even though we let them have casinos. Next thing you know those border jumping beaners will want enough pay to buy frivolous crap like food, clothing, and shelter!

They should thank their lucky stars we haven't had to liberate them like the middle eastern robe wearers!

Look, just look, at what has happened to America.

Now, this has been going on for a long time (just ask the black or indigenous communities), but rarely has the hubris been so great that they act so brazenly and in the open to make speculation dollars on the misery of the surviving victims of the avoidable catastrophe: the flooding by Katrina.

Indifference, tax-paid mercenaries who shoot survivors, while the homegrown defenders, the National Guard, is sent far away, paid to enforce the taking over other people's resources. Nice.

WHERE IS THE CONGRESS ON THIS?? WHY are they not speaking out, going on tours and STOPPING the dismantling of an American community?

THIS outrage should be the subject of a Floor Debate in the House! Right? yeah, sure.

Enough.

We need new vision, new organization, new leaders. Period. The others? Forget 'em.

USE them where you still can, but build anew for the future with people who tell it like it is.

Prime example: Cynthia McKinney.

She talks about what SHOULD be done in New Orleans and what should be done to those that abuse the situation.

She faced off publicly with Donald Rumsfeld over the issues American mercenary slavery, of undiscussed war games being held coincidentally during 911, and over unaccountable Pentagon funds.

Where have you ever heard about that? Or of anybody DOING that?

NO ONE else in our Congress has that kind of guts. Want to see courage? This is a MUST-SEE. Watch as the "good 'ol boys" try to cover for one another — and she persists.

She also was the FIRST congressperson to introduce an impeachment resolution for Bush & Cheney.

For doing all this, for standing up for America (as we EXPECT our representatives to do), Democrats and their funders attacked the campaign of this six-term Congresswoman.

Think about that. They attacked HER! For standing up for us all. Have they ever attacked Bush...or Cheney? Have they even questioned them or "slapped their wrists"? Hmmm...now, quick, tell me: Whose side are they on?

Cynthia is now embracing the change we need. See Cynthia's announcement about seeking to be the presidential candidate for the Green Party: RunCynthiaRun.org.

None of this stuff is easy. We've left stuff slide for DECADES, so digging out of the mess will require dedication, vision and work. Don't expect instant results. But we must START now. Any further postponement of our duty to our nation is only calling for more of the same — and worse. We're under attack; and it looks like "they" live here.

Youbetterwork - Prove it! Go there and find all those folks. You are talking out your Bush!

Fuck Bush. I would love to see him with a "Mission Accomplished" banner spanning across two buildings designated for demolition. I mean lets tell the truth Bushie. Even if it isn't his doing, I am to the point where I blame everything on the piece of shit.