New Orleans Judge Says to Homeless Residents, Wait Until November

A lawsuit filed in Louisiana last June seeks the immediate re-opening of New Orleans' public housing units. Judge Ivan Lemelle recently ruled that the case deserves to be heard and a trial is set for November 26th, 2007. Hardly "immediate".

The suit is being brought against US Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson and the Housing Authority of New Orleans by a collaborative effort between the Advancement Project, the law firm of Jenner and Block, and New Orleans' attorneys Bill Quigley and Tracie Washington.

Advancement Project Co-Director Judith Browne-Davis shared her frustration with the press:

"It's a mind-blowing, emotional experience to watch a city, famed for its food, fun and fabulous cultural significance, get more or less wiped off the face of the Earth. But then, to make matters worse, we witness a government that openly suggests that New Orleans - in particular its African-American citizenry - just weren't and aren't worth saving."

To exacerbate the problem, the flood has caused a major housing shortage in New Orleans, which in turn has caused rent payments to skyrocket. If ever there was a need for public housing in New Orleans, it is now.

And although many of the public housing projects suffered minimal damage, local and federal authorities have made plans to tear them down and put up "mixed-income" developments. Exactly what the city hopes to accomplish by this we do not know, but you can bet a major real estate development company is greasing some pockets in New Orleans and Washington.

So our question is - Why wait until November to hear the case? Are the courts that busy prosecuting people for smoking marijuana? Are they overwhelmed with traffic violations?

Read more about this lawsuit here (PDF File) at the Advancement Project's website.

Read This Book! Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

At the risk of losing some of our more conservative (but really, that's an oxymoron. Is there anything "conservative" about George Bush?) readers, I have to tell you about this book.

From 'Where Have All the Leaders Gone' by former Ford and Chrysler president Lee Iacocca:

"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

"You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

"I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. "

You Can Buy it Here: Where Have All the Leaders Gone?