Random Big Easy thoughts

It's hot down here.
Very hot,
dripping hot,
I wish I had AC, I'm sleeping in a tent in dusty dirty jobsite, wondering what the heck am I doing here (my wife is very adamently wondering the same)

Listening to some of the stories of the illegal immigrants here in New Orleans, makes you realize how good we have it here in the USA. They've observed murders, rapes, gone long, long stretches without water while jumping trains to the north, dodging thieves and roving gangs...all to come here to work long hours at $10 bucks an hour (if lucky) to live in a run down apartment with 4 or 10 other guys and send most of their money home via wire transfer. How many are willing to go so far to get a better life...

A group of us met in Dorchester last week to talk about ways to alleviate the violence. I was surprised to find out about the amount of shootings in Hyde Park. I was more distressed to listen to an attorney who is afraid to speak out against the Mayor's policy's for fear of reprisal. Already their family home has seen out of the ordinary tax increases compared to their neighbors because of public criticism. How close to dictatorship are we....

New Orleans has slowed down, big time...it is just too hot to work, not much to look forward to except Reggie Bush, there is still no real plan for rebuilding, the school system is behind schedule for opening. It is hard to believe anyone would send their kids to school here. The shootings continue, very much on pace with Boston, with only about 40 percent of the population. I think Nagin is just saying the city is coming back, it is hard to believe there are 100 thousand people wanting to come back in the near future. This may just become a great unique city of 250,000, which is very dependent on tourism, fighting a battle of attracting people to the scenic places while the other stuff slowly decays....we'll see, but I love this town...
just crazy stuff, all the time, an accident on the highway, people lying in the road...but my 911 call wouldn't get picked up, a man walking down the street with his young (four and 3?) swearing and cursing and talking about getting out his pit bull....I fear for those kids, how does that attitude affect a young mild...)

The group who wrote the letter to the mayor asking for more cops (of course no response) has reluctantly decided to move forward on pursuing the lawsuit. I really wish we could put together a comprehensive plan to engage youth, increase police presence, and better the schools...okay, that last sentence sounded way too sappy...i'm getting tired, off to bed, i'm not being coherent.

Smile and make someone's day! What is nice about down here is the empathy for all the citizens..