Are the Project Dwellers Being Exiled From New Orleans

You didn't know this about me but, I was raised in the the Calliope Projects (officially B.W. Copper) by my grandmother. She called 37?? Thalia Pkwy Apt B, home for over 35 years and refused to leave even during Katrina. She was bused out and now lives with my cousin in Memphis, thanks for your concern. Anyway, several months ago, around Thanksgiving, I retrieved the last of the her personal items that were savageable and had not been eaten by rats. I knew then that none of us would ever return and I was right. HUD has just proposed that the poor residents of 4 housing complexes (including my childhood dwelling) do not deserve to live there ever again. Yes, that's right they are tearing them down to make way for "mixed income housing." See link http://www.wdsu.com/news/9377298/detail.html How exciting for the city, unless you are any one of the thousands of residents who have systematically been locked out of their homes without any recourse.

To me the message here is "Don't Bring Your Broke A$$es Back." How else do you explain that in a city that needs rebuilding and repopulating is tearing down housing that may be structurally salvageable and are definitely in demand. For those of you who argue the merits of mixed income housing I have one question. Would you welcome renters in your suburb. Look at what happened in Houston? Every crime committed in the past thirty years have been blamed on New Orleans residents. Our children are being branded as incapable of learning. We are wearing out our welcome.

No, I am not advocating modern day Jim Crow "seperate but equal" accommodations, but let's face it people in similar situations are more comfortable around each other. I know the misconception is that "these people" are spending their money on drugs, bling-bling, and guns. However, where do you think the people serving you burgers at McDonald's, Wendy's, and those other minimum wage jobs live; or the elderly on a fixed income who have to decide whether is buy Ramen needles or Celebrex live; or the grandmothers taking care of their grandchildren who were orphaned during the "just say no" generation (including me) live? Hello?

The bottom line is that in a capitalist society there will always be rich and poor, have and have not, CEO's and security guards. So those who have decided that the poor have no place in a "Post-Katrina New Orleans", ponder this. The residents of the closed projects will receive housing vouchers to live wherever they want. Scary thought isn't it?