January 2008 Archives
The Musicians' Village in the Ninth Ward is a project of Habitat for Humanity
The profile of the most visible voice supporting New Orleans was lowered yesterday when John Edwards suspended his campaign. While Sen. Edwards will of course continue to speak out for social justice in New Orleans, the Gulf Coast, the folks who live down here wonder if anyone else will. If the track record and recent behavior of the two leading candidates for the Democratic nomination is any indication, nobody will until after the party convention.
There's a good reason they'll blow us off: New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are just not essential.
Let's face it, there's no political capital that can be had here for either candidate. Louisiana's preference primary is on 9-Feb, four days after Super Tuesday. Every consultant working for either campaign is wrestling with the tactical moves needed to maximize their candidate's turnout on 5-Feb, while we New Orleanians take a break from rebuilding the mess we're in for a long-standing annual event. Mississippi's not even on the radar yet; by the time those folks vote on 11-Mar, the whole thing might be over.
There's not too much fear in either camp of reprisals for their neglect of New Orleans. After all, where are we going to go? A vote for McCain is a vote for another hundred years of war, so it'll be sometime next century before there will be money to help the region. A vote for Romney is only helpful if you want to see an all-white, all-wealthy New Orleans that hosts large sports events on the bulldozed land formerly owned by black people.
(on a side note, that's one of the reasons that all of you who hate the other candidate so much you're staying things like you'll vote for McCain can kiss my fat white butt. Before you go into the booth and vote Republican, I want you to visualize yourself telling the owner of a house that was washed away by the Federal Flood that the Democrat running is somehow worse than McCain.)
Now, once Labor Day comes and both sides have their nominees, things change a bit. It's no longer about comparing a candidate to another Democrat, it's contrasting them with Hundred Year Johnny or Mittens. This is when we'll see the nominee, no doubt, trotting out Ninth Ward residents like they're part of a minstrel show, to show how evil the Republicans are. The pundits and consultants will say the smart play is to focus on the things that get your candidate to Labor Day now.
That's not what leadership is about. Leadership is about getting out in front of an issue that is important to this country. It's about doing the right thing. Labor Day is right at the midway point in this year's Atlantic hurricane season. New Orleans and the Gulf Coast don't have time to wait for after the conventions, much less 20-Jan-2009 for either of these two sitting Senators to get work on our problems. We need that help now. People need housing, kids need schools, and we need assurances from the dishonorable pieces of crap who run the Army Corps of Engineers that their lies have stopped. But the "experienced" people will say there are other things more important right now, like locking up delegates.
That's a wasted use of experience. Experience in Washington is something that's in short supply when it comes to Louisiana. We have one Senator who divides his time between working against the interests of black people and whore-chasing, and another Senator who thinks it's more important to pander to Teleco companies and wingnuts than to do the job she was elected to do. One of our Congresscritters is under indictment and stripped of much of his influence, and the other resigned so he could more effectively screw us from the governer's mansion in Baton Rouge. (We're trying to change that last part by electing a true progressive to replace this last individual, but that's not going to help us in the short-term.) An experienced leader is needed to step up and do things that even John Edwards couldn't do, such as help break Vitty-cent's hold on the Landrieu housing bill. Alas, the wise, experienced types don't see it this way.
Some look at New Orleans as a "wedge" issue. They'll argue that helping New Orleans will only alienate folks in other parts of the country. "Katrina fatigue," they'll say. New Orleans is only good to be the occasional symbol of hope.
That's not what hope is. Hope is created by people who do the things that make this country better. Hope isn't about playing it safe. Senator Kennedy didn't pass on the keys to the Camelot-mobile for it to sit in the garage until the skies are clear and the weather is better. There is work to be done now, and that car needs to be taken out for a spin. It's a car that, when people see it driving through town, creates clear skies and hope. Unfortunately, it's not even idling in the driveway right now. There's a bumper sticker on it that's telling people the current owner is the only one who can drive it, and there's no guarantee that candidate's supporters will unify behind anyone else.
That's not how unity works. Unity is about bringing everyone together for a common cause. Right now, that cause includes helping people who have given up a lot for this country. Louisiana and Mississippi have lost more than homes and schools in recent years. Entirely too many men and women from the Gulf Coast have lost their lives in wars promulgated by the disrespectful and dishonorable piece of crap who lives in the White House. A candidate who wants Unity among Americans should speak for those fallen men and women and the families they've left behind in FEMA trailers.
I know that either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will be a better President than John McCain or Mitt Romney. I know they'll be lightyears better than the current occupant of the White House.
What I don't know is whether or not they're good people. They can show us what they're made of by taking ownership of New Orleans NOW and working to right the wrongs of the Federal Flood. Doing this now will make it all the more easier to jam New Orleans down the throat of the Republican nominee in the fall.
Greenwood Cemetery, from the westermost road inside the cemetery. In the background is First Baptist Church, a "megachurch" whose street address is Canal Blvd., on the opposite side of the cemetery. Behind the photographer is I-10, heading into downtown New Orleans.
A few weeks ago, there was some concern on neighborhood e-mail lists that First Baptist Church will be applying for a zoning variance to erect a large lighted sign on the back of the church that will be visible to drivers on I-10. The attitude of church members is that they have 700' of frontage to the interstate and they want to exploit that for evangelism.
This confused me, because when I drive by there, I see that the railroad right-of-way fronts I-10, and Greenwood Cemetery is right behind that. I think the church is talking about this frontage:
The church has a sign along the railroad right-of-way, here:
But they don't own that property.
The church wants to put up a sign on this side of their property, overlooking the cemetery. While I respect their right to do what they wish on their property, they're not being very good neighbors. When you come into New Orleans at night on I-10W, you cross over the 17th Street Canal and continue on the old Pontchartrain Expressway. Your first experience in New Orleans is darkness.
The Darkness of the Cities of the Dead.
On the right are Lake Lawn Cemetery/Mausoleum and Metairie Cemetery. On the left is Greenwood Cemetery. There are no artificial lights in any of these cemeteries. When the sun sets, it's pitch black inside them. Even at 60mph on the interstate, this darkness has a profound impact on visitors and locals alike.
First Baptist doesn't care about this, though. They want to put destroy a setting that has been around for 135 years. Travelers on the New Basin Canal experienced this on boats before the canal was filled in, and motorists have felt it since the 1940s.
I urge First Baptist to consider both the community and the dead. There are many things here that are uniquely New Orleans, and our cemeteries are one of them. I would also like to think that good Christians like the people of First Baptist would respect the dead and their families enough not to light their resting places up like Vegas.
Today's parade was the Krewe of Alla. "Alla" is a contraction of "Algiers, LA." It has no religious references, and Alla has a companion parade on the west bank, the Krewe of Grela. "Grela" is short for "Gretna, LA." I've been assured that, when people cross the Crescent City Connection to go to the Grela parade, Gretna cops don't fire shotguns over their heads.
West bank parades are much more laid back than either Uptown or Metairie parades. The crowds are smaller, there are little to no tourists, and the cops are NOPD.
Politicians lead off these neighborhood parades. Several of them have purchased vintage cars to ride in, so they actually contribute something interesting to the parade.
Mardi Gras was patriotic before Republicans tried to hijack patriotism for their own purposes. Alla featured units from the Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and here, the LA ANG.
The Marine Reserve Force Band, New Orleans (formerly the USMC 4th Air Wing Band), leads of many carnival parades. They're based at Naval Support Activity New Orleans, which is in Algiers, so Alla is their neighborhood parade
.
Time for the music! The lead band was a familiar one, the "Marching 100" of St. Augustine High School. St. Augustine is a Catholic, all-boys, all-black (the PC term here would be "historically black,¨ but I don't think there are any white boys at St. Aug) high school, 9-12. Their band is the pride of the school. There are schools where band kids are not considered to be high on the social ladder, but a young man in the Marching 100 has just as much status in the school as a young man on the football team. Possibly even more.
The St. Aug drum majors. The school is located on a section of London Avenue that was re-named in honor of A. P. Tureaud, New Orleans civil rights leader and St. Aug graduate. The school got a lot of water in the storm, and many of the band's uniforms and instruments were ruined. The band looks really sharp now.
Pride and discipline are hallmarks of the Marching 100. Personally, I didn't like St. Augustine when I was in high school. When I say that to folks now, they get uncomfortable, waiting to see if my dislike is racial in some way. I'll follow up that look immediately by saying "I went to Brother Martin." It wasn't a black or white thing with us--it was neighborhood. We just didn't like each other much.
Here's my school. I graduated in 1976, my firstborn in 2006 (the storm year), and my youngest is an 8th grader this year. He's in the second row behind the drums, can't see him here. When the bands were lining up, St. Augustine and O. Perry Walker, an Algiers public high school, formed up next to each other. They had a mini band-battle in the parking lot of a gas station. The Brother Martin band passed on joining in the competition--a corps-style band just can't keep up with a pair of high-stepping bands in the public eye.
Here are some of the auxilliary units from O. Perry Walker. The school is part of the Algiers Charter School Association, which administers schools in Algiers since the storm. The Catholic schools are same-sex, so the boys schools don't have the girls dance teams. Some of the high school bands are weak because the law says kids only have to attend school until they're 16. The public middle schools usually have bigger music programs as a result. Many of the middle school band directors will identify the boys with serious talent and connect their parents with the Fathers at St. Augustine, to get them into the Marching 100. Walker has come back strong from the storm, and their pride is visible on the street.
George Washington Carver High School's band. Carver is located in the Upper Ninth, next to what used to be the Desire projects. Another school that got really messed up by the storm, Carver is struggling to come back. Their band uniforms are just warm-up suits this year, but their instruments are all new and their sound is great. Carver High is fed from Carver Middle (located right next door).
In addition to the school bands, several professional groups ride in the parade. The bands will put together a little trailer and ride along, belting out anything from traditional Dixieland jazz to swamp pop.
In addition to bands, other marching units make up a Carnival parade. Junior ROTC drill teams are popular, because they'll do various rifle and marching maneuvers as they walk the route. This is the AFJROTC unit from West Jefferson High School. The Air Force played it smart in New Orleans when it came to hooking up with high schools. The Marines went for status by starting a MJROTC unit at Jesuit High School. The Navy did the same with Brother Martin. That left the public schools to the Army and Air Force. The Air Force started programs in the Jefferson Paris high schools, and they've been very successful. Instead of training and leading by example at a Catholic school where public university tuition is actually cheaper than the high school tuition, the USAF units are at schools where young men and women will actually enlist, to get the education benefits.
Mardi Gras may be about music, but it's also about catching beads and doubloons. Here's a neat float passing by.
"Throw me something, Mister!"
John Mac! John McDonough High School, located on Esplanade Avenue, near N. Broad. Not to be confused with McDonough #35 High School, John Mac is another high school on the rebound
One of John Mac's dance teams. Gotta love those coats and the second-line umbrellas. Gorgeous!
Pretty much speaks for itself, in terms of the loyalties of the krewe members. Many of the young men and women from these photos will continue their music careers at the collegiate level. Some will go to LSU's band, others to Southern's, still others to various colleges and universities across the country. There will also be kids who follow different paths than college, like Harry Connick, Jr., did after graduating from Jesuit, or Branford Marsalis did after graduating from De La Salle. These young men and women are the future of New Orleans music, and it's still sounding pretty good.
Carnival parades in New Orleans have been around since 1857. In the western 'burb of Metairie, it took an additional hundred years for them to arrive. Tonight, the Krewe of Caesar rolled through Metairie.
Metairie parades began in 1958, when the Krewe of Zeus rolled down Metairie Road. As the suburbs grew in the 1960s, so did the area's Carnival celebration, and more krewes formed and paraded. By the late 1970s, the Jeffeson Parish Sheriff's Office had concerns about the original parade route on Metairie Road. This particular street is a heavily-traveled, two-lane road whose winding path corresponds to the old Bayou Metairie waterway. When a parade stretched out over its length, as Carnival parades do, it gave first responders of all types fits. The parish began to nudge the krewes to move a bit north, to the six-lane Veterans Blvd., and now that street is the standard suburban parade route.
I don't care for Carnival parades in Metairie. They don't have the soul and feel of a parade in the city. The parish made a minor change in the route this year, so now the parades pass literally three blocks from my house. But I've managed to pass on my dislike for Metairie parades to my son to the point where, when I suggested today that he could have a "parade party" on Lundi Gras here at the house, he had an absolute fit, because that would mean missing the parades Uptown that evening.
Not everyone shares my dislike for suburban Carnival, however, which is why the principal of my son's high school asked the band if they would march in a Metairie parade, namely Caesar. The pitch from the principal was recruiting; they're a Catholic school, and most of the students post-storm are from Metairie. So, Brother Martin High School's band marched in Metairie tonight, the first time in over 20 years.
One thing about Caesar, though--they're big-time in terms of the money they spend on floats, costumes, and throws. The krewe was formed in 1979, by businessmen from Metairie, several of whom were in the Kewe of Zeus, the premier suburban parade at the time. The founders of Caesar committed to putting on a top-level parade, and they deliver on that promise annually. Here's one of their "super floats" passing by:
The boys marched and played well tonight, even though they were behind one of their rival schools, Archbishop Rummel High, in the marching order of the parade. It's an understandable situation, however, since Rummel is a Metairie school and BMHS were slumming. :-)
Tomorrow is another suburban parade for the boys, the Krewe of Alla, on the west bank of the Mississippi. The name is an abbreviation for "Algiers, Louisiana," not some redneck slight at Islam, in case anybody wonders. Alla is a day parade in a very different neighborhood, so it's a totally different experience that I'll describe tomorrow.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Newspaper reports from Baton Rouge claim newly elected Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal – who ran on a platform touting ethics reform and tougher ethics laws in state government – is being investigated for a possible ethical breach.
Hopefully we can exploit this for Gilda.
(h/t Karen)
Of course, there will be those who find it humorous:
This is why Republicans must be crushed.
During the Cold War, one of the very-popular methods of escaping the thought that the human race might wipe itself out in a flurry of mushroom clouds was the notion that space travel would expand and grow to the point where anybody could go into space. Authors wrote stories about commercial space travel, and Stanley Kubrick gave us a "Pan-Am" space shuttle in the 1969 movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey. There have been a number of private-sector initiatives towards this goal over the years, but Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines (and now Virgin Galactic) continues to move forward to make private space travel a reality.
Private space travel has been a dream deferred by the militarization of the US space program, which began with the development of the space shuttle, and was further nurtured during the presidency of St. Ronald of California. Manned spaceflight was seen merely as a way to deliver satellites to orbit; there was no long-range focus, no unifying goal like NASA had in the 1960s.
Dreamers and entrepeneurs abhor the vacuums created by government, and the vacuum in progress on manned spaceflight was no exception. Starting with SpaceShip One and the Tier One program (backed financially by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen), the movement has reached the point where Branson's company, Virgin Galactic, has revealed the design of their next second-generation spacecraft, SpaceShip Two. Sir Richard's also selling tickets for rides on the six-seat craft, to the tune of $200K apiece.
The buzz surrounding Sir Richard's press conference yesterday is all about "space toruism," but that's not where the money is. Oh, sure, Virgin Galatic is going to make some money by taking people into space, and into orbit when SpaceShip Three is developed, but the commercial applications of the technology are more than just Star Trek dreams.
The simplest way for me to get to Tokyo from New Orleans is a one-hour flight to Atlanta or Chicago, then a 12-14 hour flight from either of those cities to Narita Airport. If I'm going to Singapore, I'm looking at another 5-6 hour flight after clearing immigration at Narita and the appropriate flight-change layover. Combine that with the time change, and it's a 26-28 hour travel day. Sub-orbital space flight could change that dramatically. SpaceShip Two is designed to simply go up and come back down, not to orbit the earth. If I could go up on a sub-orbital spacecraft for a bit, the combination of the craft's engines and the Earth's natural rotation would allow the spacecraft to easily come down someplace else on the planet. Instead of regular airline flights, the trip to Tokyo could become a flight to a "spaceport" like Mojave Spaceport (home of Spaceship Two), then a ride to Japan on a "space plane."
Spaceship Two works on the same basic premise as the old X-15 "rocket plane." The spacecraft is lifted into the atmosphere by a carrier aircraft Spaceship Two's carrier is called White Knight Two, an upgraded version of the White Knight that carried SpaceShip One. Once the pair have reached a high altitude, the spacecraft is released from the carrier, its rockets kick in, and off it goes into space. The spacecraft then re-enters the atmosphere and lands like a plane.
Branson plans to test SpaceShip Two and its carrier by this summer. If all goes well, Virgin Galactic will order a fleet of five spacecraft and begin passenger service in 2009 or 2010.
I haven't gotten my jet pack or hyperdrive yet, but we've also been spared the nuclear holocaust that many science fiction writers postulated, either. Seeing a private company begin passenger service into space will renew much of the hope that Republicans and our government sap out of me daily.
The Senate is debating the FISA bill and its provisions for Telecom Immunity today. Leahy's substitute bill (which removes that immunity) was tabled.
Neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama are there today to vote, much less lead the fight for our Constitution.
Seems like they're both cut from the same cloth when you get down to it.
That's a roast beef po-boy from Parkway Bakery in Mid City.
I adamantly refuse to get involved in the on-going "my candidate is better than yours" crap that's taking place on the Democratic side of the presidential race. I have my opinions on who did well last night, but I am so not interested in being invaded by "truth squads" and trolls from other camps if I express those opinions.
So, have a po-boy. Sit back and listen to the people around you at lunch or in the coffee shop in the next couple of weeks. Find out what the average Republican sitting down the counter or at the next table is saying. That's what really matters, convincing them.
And enjoy your po-boy.
Music is such an important component of everything we do in New Orleans. Whether it's listening to WWOZ (hat tip to the inestimible Mr. Pierce up there in Newton, MA, for his regular 'OZ shoutouts in Dr. Alterman's blog) at the coffee shop, WTUL in the car, and whatever on your portable player of choice, we're as much about music as we are about food. Even on a cold Sunday evening in January (tonight), Offbeat has 36 live music listings.
For all that music permeates our lives here, Carnival is the Big Deal. Getting up early and getting out on the street on Mardi Gras is the High Church of New Orleans music. The boom boxes and car stereos start it off, leading into ad hoc groups walking down the parade route. They're followed by the brass bands which accompany the marching clubs like Pete Fountain's Half-Fast Walking Club, the Corner, Zig-Zag, Lyons, and Delachaise Marching Clubs. After each club passes by, the sound reverts to stereo systems of all kinds while everyone patiently sits and waits as the inevitible breakdowns which take place during the Zulu parade work themselves out.
The marching bands take the stage that is the parade route when Zulu and Rex roll. The experience ranges from military to junior high bands, but every one of them is part of the celebration. Once His Majesty's Calliope (the last float of Rex) has passed, the truck parades roll through most of the afternoon. The music goes back to stereos, but this time accompanied with the blaring horns of 18-wheelers as the drivers of the floats blast their way through the crowds.
So, here are some picks for your playlist. There are numerous ways to acquire these songs, byt the one I recommend most is Louisiana Music Factory (www.louisianamusicfactory.com). I'm not sure how much of this music can be had on iTunes; if you're more experienced with legal music downloads than I am, please comment.
Handa Wanda, by the Wild Magnolias. The tune's been around for longer, but the most common recording was made in 1970. This song speaks to me. It's what Mardi Gras is all about, at least for this white boy.
Mardi Gras in New Orleans by Professor Longhair. Many folks would put Fess at the top of the list, and I wouldn't argue. That's like trying to get in a discussion about whether vi is better than emacs, or other deep religious concepts.
Big Chief. Take your pick from Fess', Dr. John's, or Dirty Dozen's or Rebirth's versions. My most-listened to version at the moment is that of the Brother Martin High School Marching Band's, since my 13-year old trombone player has been practicing a lot.
South Rampart Street Parade. This march is best heard either live, played by a Marine band, or by listening to an Al Hirt recording.
Bourbon Street Parade. Satchmo's version is oh-so-good because of his vocals, but the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's is also great.
Stoned, Drunk, and Naked, by Anders Osborne. I figure this tune was written as a shout-out to the Krewe of Dreux, but even if it wasn't, it sums up the day's experience.
Iko, Iko, by the Dixie Cups. Accept no substitutes, even if their last name is Neville.
That's Enough Of That Stuff, by Marcia Ball. This is her shout-out to Fess, and she's got the skills to make it happen.
All On Mardi Gras Day. Dr. John's is probably the most popular version.
Brother John, by the Wild Tchoupitoulas. Again, Accept No Substitutes.
Take Me To The Mardi Gras, by Simon and Garfunkel. OK, they're...well, they're Simon and Garfunkel, but it's not a bad tune. If you don't like the idea, try Bob James' version.
If Ever I Cease To Love. The theme song of Rex, King of Carnival. A must.
Ooh Poo Pah Doo. If you have The Big Ol' Box Of New Orleans, you've got Troy Andrews' version, but Cyril Neville does this one great as well.
Junco Partner, by Professor Longhair. Another tune that a lot of folks have done. When you get a tune like this or Big Chief, it's no sin to mix in all the versions into the day's playlist.
I'm The Big Chief, by Anders Osborne and Monk Boudreaux. From their "Bury the Hatchet" CD, it's not Fess' tune, but one of their own.
Meet The Boyz On The Battlefront. Another well-covered tune, but I like the Osborne/Boudreaux version. Theirs brings out the calypso beat of the song well.
Mama Roux, by Dr. John. How can anybody be so white...and so funky?
Do Whatcha Wanna. My favorite version(s) are various ones with Kermit Ruffins and the ReBirth, but others do it well also.
New Suit, by the Wild Magnolias. Classic Mardi Gras Indian music.
Mardi Gras Mambo, by the Hawkettes. Art Neville's first band.
Carnival Time, by Al Johnson. It's not Mardi Gras until you play "Carnival Time."
Smoke it Right, another Osborne/Boudreaux song, because peace pipes are important on Mardi Gras Day.
Of course, you need a lot more music than just this list to get you through the day, so just mix in a few CDs by The Meters, Louis Armstrong, Dr. John, the ReBirth and the Dirty Dozen, along with any of your other favorite New Orleans artists and you're ready for parades!
Tangipahoa, Washington, and St. Tammany Parishes make up the north shore component of LA-01. They are called the "Florida" parishes because they were part of Spanish West Florida. If you look at a map of the US and follow the northern boundary of Florida west to the Mississippi, you'll see the connection.
Tangipahoa Parish's largest city is Hammond. Prior to the storm, Hammond carved out its own identity between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Its population increased dramatically post-storm, as companies relocated to Baton Rouge. Southeastern Louisiana University, located in Hammond, has seen an upswing in enrollment since the storm, due in part to this population increase. Hammond is located at the intersections of I-12 and I-55, so you have to go through it when driving east from Baton Rouge or north from New Orleans. It's not a true ex-urban city that you'd find in metro Atlanta or in DFW, because Hammond had an established identity and the sprawl is reaching out to it. Outside of the creeping suburban sprawl, Tangipahoa is primarily rural.
Washington Parish is a mixture of rural and industrial. Lumber is the main industry, and the trees feed the paper mill in Bogalusa. The lumber and paper mills are the parish's largest employers.
The combined populations of Washington and Tangipahoa are around 144K, but that's census data, so factor in a 20% increase as a post-storm guesstimate. That puts the current number at approximately 172K. Both parishes have a significant minority population, about one-third in each.
Outside of Hammond, the residents of these parishes are country folks. They're overwhelmingly evangelical Christians in terms of religion. There is a strong Catholic influence in Hammond that does not really extend out into the rural areas. Racial attitudes in most of these parishes would be considered as far from progressive.
St. Tammany Parish was primarily a quiet, rural area until the 1950s. Before the Interstate highway system, the primary ways out of New Orleans were US90, west to Houma, Lafayette, etc., or east to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, US61 north-west to Baton Rouge, and US11, going North from eastern New Orleans, crossing the lake on the eastern side in St. Tammany, then progressing north to Jackson, MS. The Maestri Bridge was the only bridge across the lake until 1956, when the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was opened. The Causeway links Jefferson Parish with the western part of St. Tammany, particularly the cities of Mandeville and Covington. Many believe the reason the Causeway was built in this location was because then-Gov. Earl K. Long so disliked the city of New Orleans and its mayor, Chep Morrison (who ran against Long for guv), that he would not agree to a more logical project that would have joined Orleans and St. Tammany together. When the bridge opened, wealthy New Orleanians began to acquire property on the north shore for weekend homes. As white flight built up Jefferson Parish in the 1960s, St. Tammany grew also. In the 1970s, the area became increasingly popular, as folks from other parts of the country moved to the area to work in the oil/gas industry. Many of them were already used to one-hour commutes and wanted to live in a less-densely populated area.
The 1980s saw an interesting phenomenon take place in the metro area. Instead of population shifting from the city to St. Tammany, many people from Jefferson Parish migrated north. In some cases, the attraction was to subdivisions with 1-2 acre lots. Others moved to St. Tammany because--get this--there were too many blacks in Jefferson Parish. Not that Jefferson was being overrun with the Eebil Coloreds, mind you, but there were a lot of folks who were so racist that they didn't even want to shop at the mall or the grocery with black folks. As a result of this second wave of white flight, St. Tammany became overwhelmingly white (90%) and overwhelmingly Republican.
In terms of government, St. Tammany is Everything That Is Wrong With Conservative Government. There's a story from the late 1980s, of a subdivision in Mandeville where a hog got loose and was hit by a car. The carcass remained in the street for several days, because the parish had no animal control department. There really wasn't a need for one in rural St. Tammany, since farmers and ranchers took care of their own situations. These followers of Grover Norquist created a suburban nightmare prior to the storm that has only gotten worse in its wake. Many of the major roads in the parish, such as US190, LA21 and LA22 are two-lane for long stretches. Traffic snarls are common, and drunk teens in SUVs often kill themselves and others at night. Schools are often overcrowded; in the 1990s, Mandeville High had to operate in "platoon" shifts, where essentially two separate student bodies and faculties used the same physical plant, one operating from early morning to the afternoon, the other from the afternoon into the night.
None of the anti-government attitude of St. Tammany stops these folks from wanting their share of federal pork, however. Like many conservatives, they feel they pay sufficient income taxes tht they want it back directly in terms of local programs and funding.
"Family values" is the tie that binds Catholics and Evangelicals together in St. Tammany (well, that and hatred of blacks). The Christian Coalition made serious inroads into parish government in the late 1980s/early 1990s, to the point where the parish school board voted to ban the book Voodoo and Hoodoo, by James Haskins, from public school libraries in 1992. The ACLU sued, and the Fifth Circuit tossed the appeal (backed by the Louisiana Christian Coalition) in 1997. The case gave national exposure to a segment of the metro area population already locally considered to be unhinged. Video poker gaming, legalized statewide in the 1980s, is outlawed in St. Tammany.
The racial makeup of St. Tammany is 90% white, and that's most likely higher post-storm. Unable to get traction for his message any longer in Metairie, David Duke moved to St. Tammany, which is now his base of operations.
In terms of Congressional races, St. Tammany has always had to take a back seat to East Jefferson, but several candidates from across the lake are considering the race, including former Governor Dave Treen (who now lives in St. Tammany), State Rep. Tim Burns, and Slidell Mayor Ben Morris. The best way for any of these candidates to GOTV will be to attack the Jefferson Parish candidates, such as State Sen. Steve Scalise and Parish Councilman John Young. There's a lot of bad blood between St. Tammany and Jefferson residents, mainly over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. A significant portion of St. Tammany residents work on the south shore, particularly in New Orleans. To get there, they have to cross the Causeway, drive down N. Causeway Blvd. to I-10, then take I-10E into town. The drive on the bridge is 30 minutes long, and the run on I-10E into town can be anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on traffic. It's the in-between part that creates the bad blood, however. N. Causeway Blvd. is a very busy local street, and Jefferson residents regularly oppose any changes to it that would favor the north-south traffic flow at the expense of the neighborhood. In the 1990s, the St. Tammany Parish Council offered to fully fund (in conjunction with state and federal financing) a project to make N. Causeway an elevated, limited-access highway between the bridge and the interstate. The opposition from Jeff parish residents was so fierce that there is still an overall lack of cooperation between the two parishes to this day.
A St. Tammany candidate looking to mobilize his base would do well to capitalize on the anti-Jefferson sentiment among voters. The logical blowback from this tactic will no doubt anger Jefferson voters and make them more inclined to come out for candidates from their side of the lake. If the Republican primary boils down to St. Tammany versus Jefferson, there will be a significant portion of the electorate who will be angry on March 4th, angry enough to stay home on May 8th. The evangelical/wingnut voters may also find some of the sordid details of the private lives of several candidates a turn-off. Unhappy wingnuts have a history of sitting elections out, and this may be one of them.
It's this north-versus-south dynamic that gives Gilda Reed such a great shot at this seat. The Republican primary is going to get ugly and bloody. Hopefully it will get ugly enough to drive would-be Republican voters to the other side.
Jefferson and St. Charles Parishes are the western suburbs of New Orleans. The eastern boundary of Jefferson Parish is the city line, at the now-infamous 17th Street Canal, sprawling west to the Louis Armstrong International Airport. The bulk of St. Charles Parish is clustered along the Mississippi River, as a large portion of the northern section of the parish is the location of the Bonnet Carre' Spillway, a flood-control system designed to keep the river from flooding New Orleans.
Jefferson Parish has been gerrymandered to separate black neighborhoods from white. Shrewsbury and South Kenner on the east bank as well as Waggaman, Avondale, Westwego, Harvey/Marrero on the west bank are part of LA-02. That leaves the the northern portion of Kenner, the city of Harahan, and unincorporated Metairie on the East Bank, and the city of Gretna on the west bank as part of LA-01. Of all these areas, Metairie/Kenner is the key.
If Metairie was an incorporated municipality, it would be the largest city in the state. There was never a move for "home rule," because parish government and the parish sheriff's office run Metairie as if it was a city anyway. Metairie was the main white-flight suburb of the 1960s, for one very simple reason: nobody lived there, so there were no black folks at all. With the exception of two mostly-black neighborhoods (Shrewsbury and Bunch Village, both part of LA-02), this was true right up to the storm. Something's changed since the storm, however--black folks have invaded Metairie. Since so many rental units in the city became unavailable after the storm, many residents of the city came out to Metairie to live.
The older portions of Metairie, "Old Metairie," and "Bucktown" are the two of the staunchest Republican areas in the metro area, for two of the most Republican of reasons. Old Metairie is the old money; the folks who live here are indeed "country club" Republicans, since the neighborhood backs up to two of the city's most exclusive country clubs. Other subdivisions in the neighborhood have been extensively gentrified, to the point where home builders would buy a 1800sqft house on a 50x100 lot, tear it down, and build a 3-story, 3000sqft home in its place. Old Metairie and Bucktown make up the 89th state representative district, which has the dubious distinction of being the district that sent KKK leader David Duke to the state legislature. Where Old Metairie was the money neighborhood, bucktown was a working-class area. Originally a fishing village, the neighborhood grew as middle class white-flighters left the city. By far, these are two of the most racist neighborhoods I've ever encountered in my life.
West of Bucktown and Old Metairie is the bulk of Metairie's population. The parish grew out from Metairie Road (which follows the path of old Bayou Metairie), and expanded north as land near the lake was drained and reclaimed. The areas around Metairie Road and close to the lake contain high-value properties, and the vast middle consists of smaller homes and lots of apartment complexes. Prior to the storm, even most of these apartments had majority-white tenants, since the homeowners in the vicinity were hostile to non-whites. Since the storm, however, that's changed. When businesses closed or left the metro area post-storm, that opened up rental units. When you've got a job and your old place was wiped out, you go where you have to. The amount of construction, rebuilding, and remodeling work available in the area has attracted a large Hispanic population, not all of which consists of undocumented workers. Many latinos coming into the area are Texans looking for new opportunities here.
West of Metairie is the city of Kenner. Kenner was originally a rural community with farms growing local produce for the New Orleans markets. The city hit a huge post-WWII boom, when the airport was expanded. Metairie residents looking to flip first homes and build something bigger, as well as out-of-towners who moved to the city during the oil boom of the 1970s fueled growth in the northern part of Kenner. Kenner also has a large hispanic community as well. The southern part of the city, south of Airline Highway (US61), is mostly-black, and part of LA-02.
The portions of St. Charles Parish that are in LA-01 are the communities of Destrehan and St. Rose. The map is deceptive, because the bulk of the land shown is the spillway. Destrehan and St. Rose are river road communities just west of Kenner. These are more established neighborhoods whose residents work primarily at the many petrochemical plants along the river. They are classic "Regan Democrats," conservative/moderate, blue-collar, pro-union. There has been some expansion from the city and East Jefferson to these communities post-storm as well.
The religious makeup of East Jefferson is primarily Catholic, but there are several large evangelical congregations here as well. There are a few mainstream Protestant congregations (Lutheran and Episcopalian). Evangelical congregations here have capitalized with dissatisfaction some have with the Catholic Church. There are also a couple of big Jewish in Metairie near the lake, Congregation Shir Chadash (Orthodox/Conservative) and Congregation Gates of Prayer (Reform).
Most of Catholic parishes in East Jefferson operate elementary schools. In spite of this, the public school system in the area is nowhere near as dysfunctional as in the city. Public schools are experiencing serious growth issues in the post-storm era, given the huge population surge. There are a number of private schools in East Jefferson as well., but the huge racial rift that existed in the city's schools doesn't exist here (since there were so few blacks in the area in the first place).
In terms of voter registration, East Jefferson is one of the most Republican areas of the state. The GOP always had a strong presence in the country-club subdivisions. The party pressed their advantage in the early 1980s by encouraging many local pols to switch. For many, the combination of a Republican president and the statewide change to open primaries enabled many to come out of the closet, as it were. It's now at the point where there are very few Democrats left holding office in the area.
The official Democratic party structure in the parish has been a disaster for the last twenty years. Purity trolls on the parish executive committee would regularly attack Democrats who tried to work with Republicans or endorsed Republican candidates, driving even more office-seekers to the GOP. What's left of a party infrastructure is no longer in a position to help a Dem candidate who's running parishwide, much less for Congress.
Still, it's unclear just how strong support for the GOP is in East Jefferson, mainly because there are no alternatives to Republicans. In the recent gubernatorial election, the area overwhelmingly went Republican, because two of the candidates in the open primary were local boys. The negativity of that campaign makes it clear that these Republicans don't respect the "11th Commandment" of St. Ronald of California. If that trend continues, their candidates won't hesitate to take the gloves off early. Some skeletons are likely to start jumping out of closets as well, which will also fuel voter dissatisfaction with these guys. It's quite possible that the combination of Bush/war fatigue, FEMA anger, and the uglieness of a closed Republican primary will disgust a sufficient number of people that a Democratic alternative such as Gilda Reed will be attractive.
This is why We Need Reed, and it's why you need to show her some financial love. The DCCC isn't going to notice her until she can prove she's got a chance, and she needs money to increase visibility. When people get to know Gilda, they like her. They see she's an alternative to upwardly-mobile professional politicians who use their constituents to feather their own nests. They see someone who will vote to end the war and help rebuild New Orleans. They see a candidate committed to their future.
Tomorrow: The North Shore.
With today's inauguration of Piyush "Bobby" Jindal as Governor of Louisiana, LA-01 no longer has a Congresscritter. A progressive Democrat, Gilda Reed, is running for in a special election (closed primary, 8-Mar, general election, 3-May). This is the first of a three-part series offering some background on the district. Today's installment focuses on the Orleans parish segment of the district, tomorrow we'll look at the "Suburban South Shore," and on Thursday we'll review the portion of the district that is north of Lake Pontchartrain.
Go here for a map of the district.
LA-01 was, for the longest time, the "New Orleans" congressional district. LA-02 covered suburban New Orleans, and LA-03 the bayou country south of the city. LA-01 and LA-02 essentially switched dynamics because of racial gerrymandering. The Democratic-controlled state legislature re-tooled both districts to give one of them a black-majority. Since LA-02 was safely in the hands of a popular Democratic incumbent (Lindy Boggs, wife of the late T. Hale Boggs, who held the seat from 1947 to 1972), the lines were drawn so that LA-02 covers most of Orleans Parish. The strong-majority-white sections of Orleans Parish were joined to the white areas of Jefferson Parish, along with St. Charles, St. Tammany, and Washington Parishes to make LA-01. LA-01 switched party control to Republican in 1977, when disgraced almost-speaker Bob Livingston won a special election to replace Chalmatian Rick Tonry, who resigned the seat after being indicted. Livingston's sexual hypocrisy proved to be his downfall as he resigned the seat in the midst of the Clinton impeachment drama. It turned out that Livingston was an even bigger freak than the Big Dog, and that didn't quite fit with the program. Livingston was replaced by David Vitter, who won a special election in 1999. Vitter did not seek re-election, choosing instead to run for US Senate in 2004, an election he won. Fresh off a loss to now-former Governor Catherine Babineaux Blanco in 2003, Bobby Jindal changed his residency from Baton Rouge to Kenner to run for Vitter's seat.
In terms of Congressional district construction, LA-01 is the "white" district and LA-02 is the area's "black" district. Many local politicians switched parties in the early 80s, jumping on the Reagan bandwagon, giving the party a strong presence in Jefferson Parish as well as the more white-bread portions of Orleans. The segment of Orleans Parish that is part of LA-01 is roughly analogous to City Council District "A." The city council's districts were also drawn along racial lines. District "A" consists of the neighborhoods of Carrollton, the University District, and Lakeview. All of Lakeview and selected Uptown precincts cross over into LA-01.
I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop in Lakeview to write this. Across the street is an empty strip mall that used to house a supermarket. Down the street is a 6-acre lot that used to be the location of Edward Hynes Elementary School, the neighborhood's public school, and one of the few bright stars in the fiasco that was public education in the city. Lakeview got hit by the storm as hard as the Ninth Ward. This is the neighborhood of the 17th Street Canal and expensive homes which were drowned in 11' of water. Unlike other neighborhoods, the people of Lakeview are more well-off, so the area is coming back faster.
Prior to the storm, this was a Republican comfort zone. The combination of older "Reagan Democrats" with upwardly mobile, younger Republicans helped propel white, Republican, candidates into city, state, and federal offices. The storm changed that dramatically, however. While the older, wealthy, residents of Lakeshore (the subdivision right along Lake Pontchartrain) received minimal storm damage, the upwardly-mobile residents of Lakeview south of Robert E. Lee Blvd. got hit hard. That's changed the perspective of many here. Flood insurance is either underwritten directly by FEMA, or guaranteed by them when written/administered by private companies. Like many homeowners in New Orleans, many Lakeview residents purchased their homes long before the flood insurance program existed, so they were not required by their lenders to carry it. Flood insurance only covers the first $250K of damage to a home. Since everyone here believed the lies of the Army Corps of Engineers, that level of coverage was acceptable to a lender of even homes ranging from $750K-$1million. Nobody ever thought a flood would force these residents to demolish their houses. Even the staunchest Republicans are unhappy with a government that's left them holding the bag for mortgages they simply cannot repay.
It's an understatement to say that these folks are angry. Initially their anger had a partisan face, as they blamed Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin for their problems. As they began the rebuilding process, many realized that ineptitude crosses party lines. They threw out District A Councilman Jay Batt (R), in favor of a Democrat, Shelly Midura. Still, in last fall's legislative elections, Lakeview passed over progressive Democrat Deborah Langhoff to put two Republicans in a runoff for State Representative (District 94). I
n terms of religion (and religion is always a huge factor in New Orleans), Lakeview is heavily Catholic. St. Dominic Parish and St. Paul's Episcopal (across the street from St. Dominic) define the neighborhood. There's a large Jewish community here as well, even though Congregation Beth Israel's synagogue on Canal Blvd. was heavily damaged and they've been forced out to Metairie to worship. This isn't fundigelical wingnut country; the Catholics and Episcopalians are anti-abortion, but they're also skeptical of Christian Dominionists. David Vitter's whoremongering is an embarassment to these folks, as was Livingston's before him. A candidate who can tap that sentiment can succeed here.
Lakeview is very white, but not exclusively so. A number of middle-class black who grew up in Gentilly moved into the neighborhood as they grew up and moved out of their homes on the other side of City Park. Still, the black population here is not significant in terms of identifying a "black vote." Lakeview is up for grabs in the special election. The post-storm residents of the neighborhood are willing to elect Democrats, so Gilda should pull votes here a Democrat would not have dreamt of getting prior to the storm.
Tomorrow: Jefferson and St. Charles Parishes.
Kos has been advocating that Michigan Democrats cross party lines in the state's upcoming primary and vote for Mitt Romney. The condensed version of the strategy is that Romney staying in the race is good for Dems. As part of his thought process on this, he offers a good contextual clarification between two groups that often oppose Republicans:
There are some concerned that this is "dirty tricks" and that we shouldn't "stoop to their level". This is perhaps the key difference between traditional liberals and movement progressives. The former believe that politics is a high-minded debate about ideas, the latter have seen movement conservatives use every tool at their disposal to steal power and cling to it. The problem is, politics matter, and so does the winner of elections. You can't bring a spork to a gun fight, because like Florida 2000, we lose every time. And while some may feel proud their personal ethics weren't compromised and that we "took the high road" through the recount battle, how many thousands of soldiers and Iraqis wish that Democrats had fought a little harder for Gore's victory?
There is one major difference between movement progressives and conservatives -- we won't cross the line into illegal behavior. But as long as we operate within legal boundaries, all's fair in politics. The stakes matter too much to unilaterally disarm.
On LiveJournal, there's a community, ljdemocrats, that is filled with "traditional liberals." The wailing and gnashing of teeth in there is an awful sound. But suggest going after the scum, and suddenly you're the bigger enemy. No, thanks, the last seven years have been enough.
Walgreens on Gentilly Blvd. and Frenchman, in 1962. Gentilly Blvd. from Norman Mayer to Elysian Fields was the commercial district for the Gentilly Terrace neighborhood, anchored by Economical Supermarket on Elysian Fields and the Maison Blanche Budget Store down the street.
The strip malls that sustained Gentilly Terrace for years had already become "ghost malls" long before the storm. The MB Budget Store became a Chuck E. Cheese, then an auto parts store. Gus Mayer on Elysian Fields and Gentilly became a Blockbuster, as the higher-end retail outlets left the neighborhood, either to go to the malls or close outright. What time and the trend towards malls and big-box stores didn't kill, the Federal Flood did.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department said a man killed in Marrero over night was Christopher Davis, 23, who was charged with murder last January. Police said Davis shot and killed Vincent Bartholomew in the 1600 block of Buccola in Marrero. But the District Attorney’s Office dropped those charges, saying witnesses wouldn’t cooperate.
If this is what we can expect from your presidency, I'm not interested.
Love,
YatPundit
PS: When I first read this, I let out a rant that would have made Ashley proud, but you're really not fukkin' worth transcribing it here.
PPS: Rep. Triple-J, if you want to help storm survivors, either get together with Sen. Landrieu and Rep. Waters and work for social justice here in New Orleans. Or come down, get a hammer, and help Habitat build a house. Otherwise, STFU.
At least three people have died in a 50-vehicle pile up on a busy motorway, blanketed by fog and smoke from bush fires in the US state of Florida. Video footage showed the smouldering remains of dozens of burned-out lorries and cars, and long queues of traffic on both sides of the motorway. Emergency services were shown at the scene attending to the wounded. The incident occurred on a stretch of Interstate 4, between Tampa and Orlando in central Florida.I remember driving to see Teh Mouse one year, and the side of the road was burning.
After the very-successful ride of the Phunny Phorty Phellows on Monday night, a number of folks in Mid City wondered aloud (and on line) why this couldn't become a regular event, where the PPP start by City Park and end up somewhere Uptown. The short answer has three letters:
ADA
That's the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA has opened many, many doors to disabled folks that would never have been accessible to them without direct legislative help. It's complicated our streetcar lines a bit, though. Here's how it works:
St. Charles - The St. Charles line, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The strict interpretation of this designation is that the line must be preserved in the state it was when it was listed, in 1971. That means the route is from Carondelet and Canal Streets to S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenues. The 35 900-series Perley A. Thomas streetcars that were operating in 1971 have been preserved and continue to operate on the line. NORTA (and NOPSI before them) is charged with making sure the line and the streetcars stay in good shape and operating.
ADA mandates that public transit be handicap-accessible, but this conflicts with the basic design of the 900s. They were built in 1923-1924, and wheelchair access wasn't an issue then. NORTA just can't cut holes in the sides of these vintage streetcars, so the line is exempt from the requirements of ADA.
Riverfront - The original Riverfront line opened in 1988, prior to ADA. It used three 900-series streetcars rescued from other places in the country after the Canal line was converted to bus operations in 1964. The line also used two Melbourne W2 cars that have center-opening doors. The stops on Riverfront are raised platforms, so a rider in a wheelchair could go up the ramp and board one of the Melbourne cars. When the line was re-worked in 1997, it was expanded to double-track and converted from standard (railroad) gauge to wide gauge. The changes were so significant that the line came under the ADA microscope. ADA activists were not satisfied with every other streetcar on the line being handicapped-accessible and insisted that all cars be in compliance. That meant the vintage 900s could not be used. NORTA decided to design a new class of arch roof streetcars. The 400-series Riverfront streetcars look very much like their green cousins, but they're equipped with wheelchair lifts.
Canal - The 2000-series Von Dullen cars also have wheelchair lifts on both sides, making them fully ADA-compliant.
The storm disrupted regular streetcar operations. Because of the severe damage to the ADA-compliant streetcars in the NORTA fleet, there's just no way to offer proper service until the 400s and 2000s are rebuilt. ADA isn't the only thing in suspended animation at the moment. Since the wiring and track on St. Charles were damaged by the storm, the 900s couldn't return to service on the historic line immediately. NORTA received approval to run the 900s on the Canal line, where the infrastructure was essentially intact in spite of the flooding in Mid City. So, for the last two years, the streetcars have been operating in an environment of regulartory anarchy.
NORTA anticipates that the the Von Dullens will be back on Canal this summer. When that happens, the regulatory limbo that currently exists goes away and the pre-storm rules have to return. That means green streetcars on St. Charles, red ones everywhere else. Last Monday's PPP ride can't happen under the pre-storm rules. Under those rules, the 900s that the PPP boarded at Beauregard Circle can't operate on "revenue runs" off the St. Charles line. They're not ADA-compliant, and the Canal line must maintain that compliance.
The 400-series Riverfront cars have wheelchair lifts, so they can operate on revenue runs on Canal. When they get to Carondelet and St. Charles, however, they run into a problem. The 400s didn't operate on the St. Charles line in 1971, so they're not on the NRHP list. If NORTA operates a 400 on St. Charles for money, the line would lose its ADA exemption. That would create a situation similar to what happened on Riverfront, and the 35 vintage 900s would no longer be able to operate on the line.
So, even though there now are track and electrical connections between the three streetcar lines, that connection between Canal and St. Charles exists solely for the purpose of streetcar maintenance. Once the Von Dullens return home to Canal Street, the 900s will go back to their barn on Willow St. The red cars will be able to switch onto St. Charles to return back to the shop at Carrollton Station, but they can't do it for a buck
.I have a modest proposal for the people of Mid City: If the Phunny Phorty Phellows decide to return to their traditional Uptown ride next year on Twelfth Night, charter a 400-series car and have one of your own! My guess is that the PPP will consider imitation to be the sincerest form of flattery. They're folks who like streetcars and like Mid City. Even if the party run was just from Beauregard Circle to the Canal barn, it would return some of the "neighborhood" feel of Carnival back to the area. The days of true "neighborhood" parades are long gone, as NOPD and City Hall have jammed almost every krewe into Uptown routes. Endymion still gets a pass on this, but Endymion is so huge that it has a life of its own. A Twelfth Night streetcar run on Carrollton and Canal would be something fun for everyone in Mid City, and we at CanalStreetCar (dot com) would gladly work with y'all to make it happen.
Every year, Haydel's Bakery on Jefferson Highway includes a special figurine with their king cakes. This is their rendition of a Perley A. Thomas streetcar, decked out for the ride of the Phunny Phorty Phellows. The original PPP would ride through the streets on Twelfth Night, announcing the start of the Carnival season. The tradition was brought back in the 1980s by a re-formed PPP. Instead of riding on horses, the modern PPP charter a couple of streetcars, ride, and party. NORTA rules don't allow alcohol on party cars anymore, but the PPP riders get their liquid fun in after the ride.
This year's ride of the PPP was the first since the storm, and the route was very unique. Starting at Beauregard Circle in Mid City, the PPP rode the Canal line down N. Carrollton, turned on Canal, going down to St. Charles. They switched to the St. Charles line, riding up to Napoleon, where the streetcars changed direction and returned back to Pierre Gustave Toutant's statue. Odds are, this won't ever happen again. By next Twelfth Night, the Von Dullens should be back in service on Canal and the 900s will return to operating exclusively on St. Charles. When that happens, a huge invisible barrier that is historic preservation will go up at Canal between Carondelet and St. Charles as the 900s return to operating exclusively uptown.
Don't get the impression that the PPP are a bunch of elitists who ride around on streetcars. They're a nice group of folks who take New Orleans seriously. Besides, anybody can charter a party car, for birthdays and other outings.
Of course, Twelfth Night isn't only about streetcars. It's King's Day, the Feast of the Epiphany. That means King Cakes. Every New Orleanian has their own favorite bakery and king cake. Haydel's is one of the biggest names in the ing cake business. The original "baby" in the king cake was porcelain, but the bakeries switched to plastic in the 1960s. About twenty years ago, Haydel's included a porcelain "Baby Charlotte" doll in their cakes, commerating the old way it was done. That doll was so popular that it's blossomed into a whole line of porcelain Mardi Gras characters that have included Rex's float, Pete Fountain, the St. Augustine band, and a carnival-decorated FEMA trailer. This year's figure is a coffee-and-beignets waiter like you'd see at CDM or MC, in white jacket and black bow tie.
Did you know that one of the first Republican smear campaigns was conducted against Andrew Jackson in 1828? The "coffin broadsides" were flyers printed by John Binns and others in an attempt to discredit Jackson by accusing him of "murdering" six militiamen in 1815. You can view one of the handbills here.
Jackson confirmed the verdict of a court-martial that convicted and sentenced the men to death for desertion. In 1828, supporters of John Quincy Adams published handbills, known at the time as "broadsides" which asserted the six men executed were indeed innocent. The handbills challenged Jackson's morality and ethics. Most of the handbills printed prominently featured six drawings of coffins, so they became known as the "Coffin Broadsides."
A three-month campaign by the British Army and the Royal Navy along the US Gulf Coast concluded with a pitched battle between American forces commanded by then-Maj. Gen Andrew Jackson and Maj. Gen. Sir Edward Pakenham south of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. Because of that battle, the campaign accusations didn't stick, though, because Jackson's defense of New Orleans trumped any charges his opponents could craft.
The British campaign started in Florida. The Spanish in Pensacola purported to be neutral, but still allowed the British to land and occupy their forts. British forces moved from Pensacola to Mobile in September of 1814, but found it already occupied by Jackson. Jackson's troops vigorously defended Mobile, forcing the British back to Pensacola. On 11-November, Jackson received word from New Orleans that intelligence gained from Jean Lafitte indicated that city would be the next British target. He arrived in New Orleans on 2-December and began to organize the city's defense. Unable to move up the Mississippi by the Americans in Fort St. Philip at the mouth of the river, the British entered Lake Borgne, to the east of the city. They proceeded to march from their landing sites on the western shore of Lake Borgne inland to the Mississippi, which put them in modern-day St. Bernard Parish.
By 23-December, the British began to move upriver, occupying the Jumonville and Villerie Plantations. Patrols probed into the LaRonde plantation and found it defended by Jackson, two regiments of US Army soldiers, the Louisiana Militia, and a hodgepodge of local units from New Orleans. The British pulled back to the Villere plantation at this point, awaiting the arrival of a new commander-in-chief, Maj. General Sir Edward Pakenham, GCB. Pakenham was appointed C-in-C of British forces in America after the death of General Robert Ross in Baltimore in September of 1814.
Pakenham's plan was to assault the positions along the Rodriguez Canal on the LaRonde Plantation. Jackson's forces fortified the mile-and-a-half of the canal that ran from the river to swamps just north of the plantation. Pakenham ordered a very typical, Continental-style seige attack, with one column advancing along the river road and a line of infantry advancing to the center and right.
A lot has been made of the role of the "Caintock (Kentucky)" riflemen positioned along the ramparts. Kids are taught that these riflemen are responsible for killing thousands of British troops on 8-January-1815. This isn't quite accurate. Pakenham's assault was based on the assumption that casualties would be high. His seige troops were to bring ladders with them, to be placed over the ramparts so the succeeding troops would cross them and overwhelm the defenders.
The 44th Regiment of Foot was tasked with bringing the ladders, but they failed to advance with them. Thus, they and the 93rd Foot (Sutherland Highlanders) were unable to cross the canal and ramparts. In fact, no British troops crossed the Rodriguez Canal save as prisoners of war.
While leading the second wave of the British advance, Pakenham's horse was shot from underneath him. While mounting a second horse, he was struck twice and killed instantly. Unable to breach the ramparts, the British withdrew from the field.
New Orleanians still give thanks to Our Lady of Prompt Succor for the deliverance of the city from the British, even though Jackson was a Protestant.
Maps are from Lossing's Field Book of the War of 1812.except when UNO is playing LSU in basketball or baseball, of course. I mean, take my friend Paul. He's a banker, went to East Jefferson, then LSU. In his office, he's got one of those models of Tiger Stadium on his bookshelf. He's as proud of going to LSU as I am of going to UNO. Same goes for the guys I know who went to Tulane, Alabama, Georgia, Boston College, and a bunch of other schools.
It's the white trash that gets on my nerves, the people who are obnoxious purple and gold, even though many of them sing the "GED Fight Song." You know, the guys that look like they just got released from doing 14 days in the Terrebone Parish lockup, and the women who kept the trailer warm for them.
I guess every big school has the townie wannabees like the Tiger fans.
We've had a lot of football fans down here lately. Last week, it was the folks from University of Georgia and University of Hawaii, whose teams played in the Sugar Bowl. It's New Orleans' turn for the BCS Championship this year, so this weekend, visitors who support Ohio State have been overwhelmed by locals and visitors alike who support the hometown heroes, the Tigers of Louisiana State University. For the visitors staying in downtown or French Quarter hotels, there's not much evidence that anything as cataclysmic as the storm happened here. Those who walk up Canal St. to Claiborne Ave. will see the old green Texaco building, with all its blown-out windows, or maybe they'll look back a block and see the empty housing project that's slated for demolition. For most of the folks cruising the Quarter, the only Hurricane they'll encounter is in a big green cup from Pat O'Brien's.
And we wouldn't want it any other way. New Orleanians are good hosts. As much as many of us are very, very angry about the way we've been treated by the federal government, both in terms of the lies told us that caused the Federal Flood, and BushCo's handling of the entire Gulf Coast region post-storm, we don't want to spoil the party. Those people knocking back "big ass beers" and various rum drinks are important to the city, for the money they leave behind and the good will they carry forward when they return home.
Turn the Janus statue around, however, and there's a totally different face we show. This is the one we put forward to politicians, activists, and folks we know care about the city's survival. We talk about the mess that is still Lakeview, Gentilly, and the Ninth Ward. We're very vocal about anything from the increased crime rate to the "Road Home" program to the demolition of hospitals. We appreciate it when we get attention from national political figures and the MSM, lest "Katrina fatigue" set in and diminish the severity of the problems here.
It's a fine line we walk and talk, in this Janus that is our city. We're happy when Fox News does a positive report on one of our special events, but get angry when we realize that they're doing it because it gives the rest of the country the impression that we're OK. We're OK, but we're not.
New Orleans for TouristsWhen your plane touches down at Louis Armstrong International Airport and you take a taxi or shuttle into the city, you pass through Kenner and Metairie, our western suburbs that are 90%+ rebuilt post-storm. By the time you arrive at your downtown hotel, you're ready to party. And there's no better city to show you a good time. Whether you're just down for a personal vacation, or for a big event, the food's hot and spicy, the beer's cold and wet, and the music plays all night. There's the debauchery that is Carnival, or the music of JazzFest. We've got serious sporting events this year, from the Sugar Bowl last week to the NBA All-Star Game just after Mardi Gras.
If you're a cardiologist, gynecologist, chemist, or engineer, you might be coming down for a convention. We still love the librarians for being so supportive by having their ALA convention here in 2006. We don't want you to forget the horrors that you saw on CNN of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the days right after the storm, but we still want you to come see the facility now and how far we've come in fixing things.
Let's not talk too much about crime in the city. The neighborhood associations in Mid City, Broadmoor, Bywater, and Faubourg St. John all stay on top of NOPD to get action and protection, there's not much a visitor can do about that. The "tourist" areas of the city are well defended. If you're not venturing out to score dope, and you exercise basic Urban Common Sense, you should be fine.
This is our public face. We know that tourism is our number-one industry, and we very much need y'all to come and spend money.
One other thought on the positive side of our Janus--this positive face we put forward to the rest of the world is not just a white one. The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club has not missed a Mardi Gras. The Essence Festival and the Bayou Classic (Grambling State vs. Southern University) football game both returned home in 2007. There are a lot of black folks who haven't been able to come home yet for one reason or another, but that doesn't stop us from inviting black visitors to town and showing them a good time.
Post-Storm New Orleans
Turn the Janus around, however, and things aren't so pretty. Last month's public housing debate/protest put a very public face on one of many serious issues with which we're still wrestling. The tales of homeowners who are trying to save their houses from unnecessary demolition by the city are incredible. Health care for those who have insurance and/or money has improved and returned, but the working poor still have little to no options.
Our public schools are in the midst of an experiment on a grand scale, charter schools. The only thing that can be said about the current state of public education in Orleans is that it can't be any worse than it was before the storm.
Crime is out of control. NOPD has focused on making sure that tourists don't get involved in or get near violent crimes, but that leaves precious little resources for the rest of the city. Lakeview and Gentilly are still being patrolled in large part by Military Police units of the LA National Guard because there aren't enough NOPD officers to put on those streets. It's like the diaspora didn't have a significant impact on our criminal element. These guys found out it was tough to make a dishonest living on Planet Hooston, so now they've returned, and are killing each other and creating way too much collateral damage.
Let's not forget our "colorful" politics in Louisiana. From Huey Pierce Long to Edwin Edwards to Marc Morial, we've had our share of scoundrels that have large numbers of admirers. A disgraced city councilman reported to federal prison last week after having been convicted of bribery. Federal prosecutors are still cleaning up the mess that was Marc Morial's tenure as mayor, much less dealing with anything that's come up post-storm. Every time a local politician gets caught up in scandal, it gives those brilliant minds at Fox News a chance to deride the city. The cesspool that is the comments section of the Da Paper's blog regularly likes to ignore the whoremongering of our Junior Senator in favor of every miscreant black pol we've had in the city in the last twenty years.
We managed to get through a second post-storm hurricane season safely, no thanks to the Army Corps of Engineers. For a component of the armed forces of this country to generate as many half-truths, distortions, and outright lies as the ACOE has over the last forty years is just incredible. To think that men and women in uniform have forsaken the honor of their oaths to this country and the Constitution in the interests of covering their asses is, well, it's something we'd rather not think about. We don't have any choice than to expose the dishonor that is the Army Corps of Engineers, in the hopes that will they fix what they've lied about here in New Orleans. We also hope that perhaps we can shame these people into coming clean about other projects in other parts of the country that may not be what they've claimed all these years.