Chirac, Katrina and Social Housing, or, "Wind, Wind and More Wind"
Chirac managed to bump Katrina off its top spot in the headlines when it was revealed on 3 September that he'd had a small stroke. Sorry, "minor vascular incident". Suddenly it looked like the greatest threat to a third term in office was not Interior Minister Sarkozy but his own aging body. Nicolas Sarkozy found his own ambitions under threat by Prime Minister de Villepin who was not forthcoming about Chirac's condition. Sarko was joined in his sulks by the left-wing parties.
Katrina, in turn, had pushed social housing down the page. Score 2 for Villepin who's letting Sarkozy do the dirty work of evicting poor people from their dangerous squats. Although Sarkozy didn't really help himself by planning dawn raids on the first day of school which guaranteed heartbreaking photos of little kids surrounded by armed police. One of the evictions was on my side of the city and Paris14.info was on hand to take photos and is now trying to keep track of what's happening to the children now that they've been moved to a hostel at some distance from their school.
Commentators have not been slow to make the link with how poor black Americans were treated after Katrina and how poor black people here are treated with regard to housing.
Your fun fact for today: I've mentioned the law requiring 20% social housing. Sarkozy was the mayor of the wealthy suburb Neuilly-sur-Seine from 1983 until he stepped aside in 2002. Neuilly scores low with 3%. 50 logements sociaux are now being built there to help comply with the law. Satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné notes that the sign on the construction site actually announces the arrival of logements familiaux. Wouldn't want to scare anyone now, would we?
Katrina, in turn, had pushed social housing down the page. Score 2 for Villepin who's letting Sarkozy do the dirty work of evicting poor people from their dangerous squats. Although Sarkozy didn't really help himself by planning dawn raids on the first day of school which guaranteed heartbreaking photos of little kids surrounded by armed police. One of the evictions was on my side of the city and Paris14.info was on hand to take photos and is now trying to keep track of what's happening to the children now that they've been moved to a hostel at some distance from their school.
Commentators have not been slow to make the link with how poor black Americans were treated after Katrina and how poor black people here are treated with regard to housing.
Your fun fact for today: I've mentioned the law requiring 20% social housing. Sarkozy was the mayor of the wealthy suburb Neuilly-sur-Seine from 1983 until he stepped aside in 2002. Neuilly scores low with 3%. 50 logements sociaux are now being built there to help comply with the law. Satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné notes that the sign on the construction site actually announces the arrival of logements familiaux. Wouldn't want to scare anyone now, would we?