(no subject)
Friends,
New Orleans isn't in the headlines these days, but what's about to happen there is incredibly important and needs our attention now.
I've learned from ColorOfChange.org that Black and poor folks are about to be locked out of New Orleans permanently. There's an atrocious rebuilding plan that will give huge profits to real estate developers, while pushing poor and Black residents out of New Orleans. The plan is quickly gaining traction.
Sadly, no one in Washington is standing up to stop what's happening, or to fight for an alternative--not even Black or progressive members of Congress. Congressional staffers in Washington D.C. say the public isn't paying attention, and representatives who want to fight for New Orleanians don't feel like they have the public behind them. Now is a time when we can truly make a difference if we speak out together.
I've joined ColorOfChange.org's campaign to fight against the forced gentrification of New Orleans--and to push Congress for a better plan which serves all New Orleanians. I wanted to let you know what they're doing, and urge you to get on board:
http://colorofchange.org/baker
The plans on the table require displaced residents to come back to New Orleans and start the planning process for rebuilding, completely on their own. If too few are able to return, government (through a corporation set of for the purpose) can sell their property to developers who will turn around and build new, higher-priced housing and make huge profits, or turn the neighborhoods into park land.
It makes no sense. Katrina scattered working class and poor people across the country. Many of them want to return. But it's outrageous for politicians to expect them to come back to New Orleans and rebuild their homes under these conditions--where there are no jobs, no opportunities, not even the electricity to power a drill!--without even the promise of help. It's a set-up, and it will push these people out of New Orleans forever.
Things get clearer when you see who's behind the plans. At the federal level is Congressman Richard Baker.[2] You may remember him--he's the Republican from Baton Rouge who said this, after Hurricane Katrina: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."[3] At the local level is Joseph Canizaro, a big-time real estate profiteer and a personal friend of Bush. Neither of these men has been a friend to the poor or Black folks of the region, and their plans reflect this.
There are better ways to go about rebuilding New Orleans. Instead of lining the pockets of development interests and wealthy landowners, federal funds could be the fuel for bringing residents back, for providing job training, temporary housing, and jobs related to building and repairing their neighborhoods.
At times like this, we expect Black and progressive members of Congress to fight for what's right. But they aren't. As it stands, there's no political price to pay for ignoring New Orleans' working class, black and poor residents. There's no public political support for those who want an inclusive, fair rebuild, either.
Those in Congress who want to do the right thing need to know that we've got their backs (and that we'll hold them accountable if they don't act). Those that wish to sell out New Orleans need to know that there will be a political price to pay.
Please join ColorOfChange.org's campaign. It takes only a minute and can make all the difference in the world for hundreds of thousands of New Orleanians.
http://colorofchange.org/baker
Thanks.
New Orleans isn't in the headlines these days, but what's about to happen there is incredibly important and needs our attention now.
I've learned from ColorOfChange.org that Black and poor folks are about to be locked out of New Orleans permanently. There's an atrocious rebuilding plan that will give huge profits to real estate developers, while pushing poor and Black residents out of New Orleans. The plan is quickly gaining traction.
Sadly, no one in Washington is standing up to stop what's happening, or to fight for an alternative--not even Black or progressive members of Congress. Congressional staffers in Washington D.C. say the public isn't paying attention, and representatives who want to fight for New Orleanians don't feel like they have the public behind them. Now is a time when we can truly make a difference if we speak out together.
I've joined ColorOfChange.org's campaign to fight against the forced gentrification of New Orleans--and to push Congress for a better plan which serves all New Orleanians. I wanted to let you know what they're doing, and urge you to get on board:
http://colorofchange.org/baker
The plans on the table require displaced residents to come back to New Orleans and start the planning process for rebuilding, completely on their own. If too few are able to return, government (through a corporation set of for the purpose) can sell their property to developers who will turn around and build new, higher-priced housing and make huge profits, or turn the neighborhoods into park land.
It makes no sense. Katrina scattered working class and poor people across the country. Many of them want to return. But it's outrageous for politicians to expect them to come back to New Orleans and rebuild their homes under these conditions--where there are no jobs, no opportunities, not even the electricity to power a drill!--without even the promise of help. It's a set-up, and it will push these people out of New Orleans forever.
Things get clearer when you see who's behind the plans. At the federal level is Congressman Richard Baker.[2] You may remember him--he's the Republican from Baton Rouge who said this, after Hurricane Katrina: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."[3] At the local level is Joseph Canizaro, a big-time real estate profiteer and a personal friend of Bush. Neither of these men has been a friend to the poor or Black folks of the region, and their plans reflect this.
There are better ways to go about rebuilding New Orleans. Instead of lining the pockets of development interests and wealthy landowners, federal funds could be the fuel for bringing residents back, for providing job training, temporary housing, and jobs related to building and repairing their neighborhoods.
At times like this, we expect Black and progressive members of Congress to fight for what's right. But they aren't. As it stands, there's no political price to pay for ignoring New Orleans' working class, black and poor residents. There's no public political support for those who want an inclusive, fair rebuild, either.
Those in Congress who want to do the right thing need to know that we've got their backs (and that we'll hold them accountable if they don't act). Those that wish to sell out New Orleans need to know that there will be a political price to pay.
Please join ColorOfChange.org's campaign. It takes only a minute and can make all the difference in the world for hundreds of thousands of New Orleanians.
http://colorofchange.org/baker
Thanks.