seven thoughts about new orleans june 2011

Seven Thoughts About

New Orleans

1RaceRaceRaceRaceRaceRaceRaceRaceRace

African American Population in New Orleans

2Everyone Left

80,000 left behind

25% of New Orleans Do Not Own Car

100,000 people - 27% of NOLA lived below poverty line

8300 Prisoners Left in Cells

The Result

3Everyone

Suffered Damage

Many Never Made It Out 1,700 direct deaths

Danziger Bridge2 killed4 shot

Seven Police Officers Charged with Murder

Impact on Children?

African American Neighborhoods

Were Most Flooded

Feet of Water

Black – over 10

Dark red – 8 to 10 f

Red – 6 to 8

Yellow – 4 to 6

Blue - 2 to 4

Green 0-2

Scope of DamageMississippiLouisianaAlabamaFlorida

Katrina Damaged

90,000 Square Miles

Area from Boston to Baltimore

Inland hundreds of miles

4Our NeighborsDid Not Want

Us

Before we were close enough to speak, they began firing their weapons over our heads.”

St. Bernard Parish:

September 2005

Rent Only to Blood Relatives

Ordinance

Jefferson Parish Council Passes Resolution Opposing

Tax Credits for Housing. Member

Chris Roberts: "With the number of jobs out there,

nobody should be

on public housing unless you're ignorant or lazy." October 2005

We do not want “thugs” and “trash” from New Orleans

public housing projects.

Everyone with dreadlocks or che-wee

hairstyles will be stopped by law enforcement.”

Sheriff Jack StrainSt. Tammany Parish

Noose Around New Orleans for African-American and Moderate Income Renters

“We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn’t do it, but God did.”

Richard Baker, U.S. Congressman (R-La) Days after Katrina

6Privatization of New Orleans

• Public Schools to Charter Schools

• Public Housing to Private Developers

• Public Healthcare to Private Providers

• Public Oversight to• Private Oversight

September 15, 2005School Board Converts

First Schools to Charters –Meeting in Baton Rouge

Largest Union in LouisianaUnited Teachers of New Orleans

DECERTIFIEDafter 35 years

7500

people

lose

jobs

Refusal to Reopen Public Hospital –that saw 350,000 a year

Demolished 4000 public apartments

7The Money

Who Got the Disaster Contracts?

2% Rule of Gulf Coast

• 98% of the money distributed in a disaster ends up enriching corporations

• 2% gets to the people.

Example #1 – Blue Tarps on Roof

Example - Blue Tarps – 2%

• SHAW GROUP 1st got $175 a square to put on the tarps.

• Shaw subcontracted the work out to A1 CONSTRUCTION for $75 a square.

• A1 subcontracted the work out to a WESCON corporation for $30 a square.

• Who in turn subcontracted it out again to guys who did the work for $2 a square.

Shaw Group got contract for$175 a square (100 sq ft)

-subcontracts for $75/square earns $100 each square-

average roof is 1500 square feet – 15 squares

X 15

Per roof!

A1 Construction gets $75/square subcontracts out for $30/square

X 15

Per roof!

Roofers get $2 per square (of original $175)

Example #2: Ashbritt Inc of Florida• Received no-bid contract

for $579 million to pick up trash in Mississippi

• Miami Herald reports company does not own a single dump truck!

• MH also reported the company gave $40,000 in previous 12 months to GOP lobbying firm

Example # 3: Circle B Enterprises - Georgia

• Awarded $287 million no-bid contract to build FEMA trailers

• Company filed for bankruptcy year before• Company does not have a website• Company had no license to manufacture

trailers in GA.

Example # 4 – Disaster Capitalism

• $200 million in CDBG $ to bail out a private utility corporation, Entergy New Orleans.

• Parent Entergy Inc. reported a net cash flow of $777 million dollars for the third quarter of 2006.

• Louisiana is saying this $200 million in CDBG funds counts as low and moderate income people of New Orleans – most not even back.

Lagniappe

Analysis&

Lessons Learned

Lesson:Build and

Re-Build Community

Self-Reliance

Value every single life equally

Don’t Wait for a Leader-Become One

Lesson: Prepare for Love-Hate Relationship

with Government

Disaster can be a lens to reveal structural injustices in our community

race gender class

Educational opportunity for us to learn about ourselves, our institutions,

and our communities

Justice-based Reconstructionwill NOT be funded

We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values

Our Hearts Must BeTotally Open

to Injustice and Painand

Totally Opento Hope and Love

Wherever you find tragedy and injustice

You will also find

resistance and

inspiration

Don’t Want CharityDo Want Justice

Do Want Solidarity

If you have come to help meyou are wasting your time.

But if you have comebecause your liberationis bound up with mine,

then let us struggle together.

Solidarity

Lila Watson – Aboriginal Activist Collective

Justice Challenge? Solidarity and Never Again!

www.loyno.edu/~quigley/