N.O. crime on the rise.

[NCB]

Also jednc, I'm just curious, aside from what you see on the national news, exactly how familiar are you with what is going on in New Orleans right now, and where all of this federally funded money, which has not even arrived yet, is going? Are you saying that we in New Orleans should not be recieving money to repair the levees, improve and revamp our school system, bring health care back to the city, and fund and literally rebuild a police force the can stop crimes like these from occuring, all because the murder rate, not the overall crime rate, has gone up in New Orleans as people return? Honestly, what did you expect? In a city where the police force is worn down to the bone in terms of officers, and the population continues to increase as residents return, did you expect the crime and murder rate to go even further down from the level it was at before an additional 100,000 people returned?

[dimebag1980]

And please tell me, where exactly did TSmith say that he is happy these people are back?

I know I certainly didn't see it. But hey, some people see things the rest of us may not.

[SlidellWX]

Ummm...we are all Americans that I would assume pay federal income tax each year. Since the catastrophic flooding was mostly due to poor design from the United States Army Corps of Engineers...it is only correct that the tax dollars of America go to correcting the problem. I am sure that my taxes have gone to pork projects in North Carolina that serve little if any purpose...so assisting in the rebuild and future protection of an American city...and the nation's largest port...should not offend you. Would you agree that no federal or state tax dollars should be used to help repair Wilmington and Morehead City when they get hit by a Category 5 hurricane...and that these cities should be abandoned. Your attitude supports a slippery slope of decline that is frankly disturbing.

[TSmith]

Jednc, with higher population comes more crime. It's not that hard to understand. In fact, Chief Reilly said the exact same thing on WWL 870am just a couple days after my post, so I couldn't have been far off base.

I've noticed your posts on other boards, and you have the same message in all N.O. threads regardless of the topic. Just go away... you are what is commonly called a "troll".

[dimebag1980]

Ummm...we are all Americans that I would assume pay federal income tax each year. Since the catastrophic flooding was mostly due to poor design from the United States Army Corps of Engineers...it is only correct that the tax dollars of America go to correcting the problem. I am sure that my taxes have gone to pork projects in North Carolina that serve little if any purpose...so assisting in the rebuild and future protection of an American city...and the nation's largest port...should not offend you. Would you agree that no federal or state tax dollars should be used to help repair Wilmington and Morehead City when they get hit by a Category 5 hurricane...and that these cities should be abandoned. Your attitude supports a slippery slope of decline that is frankly disturbing.

Very well put, SlidellWX.

[UptownNewOrleans]

Are these really the people you want back? Talk about looking for a silver lining! Are you really that desperate to regain a modest population that you will celebrate thugs and their criminal activity as proof NO will rise again?

Just more proof...not one more dime needs to go there.

I'm not one for name-calling because I think it's beneath me, but this guy is a clown. I was one of the main ones that said I would much rather have a smaller population at the expense of less crime. I don't think anyone from NO wants the city to regain a modest population if it means the thugs & criminality will return.

[dimebag1980]

^Guys, don't take it too personally. He's just another of those "Charlotte is GOD" people.

And as TSmith said, a troll.

[jednc]

Honestly, what did you expect?

Honestly, I expected every thing that has happened in NoLa, post Katrina (which should shame that city...but it won't). You definitely live up to the reputation. The "faulty" levees that the ACE built should have never been needed in the first place. If you don't have sense enough to build a city above sea level, then at least have sense to leave when it's destroyed by the sea! Certainly don't ask the rest of us to pour (or should that be "poor" in this case?) money down the drain, literally and figuratively.

As far as name calling...how sad. If you can't respect someone else's opinion, that's not my problem. But, I won't call you names for stating what you think about a topic. Say what you want about me...you don't know me, so it doesn't hurt me. It actually proves my point...which I realize you'll never see.

[UptownNewOrleans]

It's almost funny though, because you'll never see a response from him.

[dimebag1980]

Honestly, I expected every thing that has happened in NoLa, post Katrina (which should shame that city...but it won't). You definitely live up to the reputation. The "faulty" levees that the ACE built should have never been needed in the first place. If you don't have sense enough to build a city above sea level, then at least have sense to leave when it's destroyed by the sea! Certainly don't ask the rest of us to pour (or should that be "poor" in this case?) money down the drain, literally and figuratively.

As far as name calling...how sad. If you can't respect someone else's opinion, that's not my problem. But, I won't call you names for stating what you think about a topic. Say what you want about me...you don't know me, so it doesn't hurt me. It actually proves my point...which I realize you'll never see.

The people living in New Orleans right now didn't build the city below sea level. I'm afraid that was done long before you and I were ever born, my friend.

Why do we rebuild after any major disaster, for example in California where earthquakes are not just a possibility but rather a certainty? Why do we rebuild any area that's prone to the same disasters, I ask you?

You know not what you talk about and you're proving that now.

[jednc]

Point well taken. I don't think we should pump money into any bottomless pit whether it be the NC coast (where btw NC has laws that prevent rebuilding in certain cases), L.A. or La. And trust me, I know who built NoLa. I know the history of the city. But, surely we are smart enough to A) not be forever shackled by someone else's mistake, and B) realize that the environment has changed and La has a lower altitude (do you call it altitude when it's negative?). It might be time to walk away.

[dimebag1980]

You've got to understand that people are going to want to label you a troll when you come in saying things like this.

As long as you understand this, and if your opinions are valid, then I will respond to you.

I believe it's a disservice to the American taxpayer to tell him/her that all those years he/she was paying into the system are going to amount to nothing. How do you tell someone they can't return to the place they were born and raised? Where all their memories are? This is America, for crying out loud, not Cuba.

[NCB]

It might be time to walk away.

I would just like to make one quick statement in relation to the levee situation.

If the Federal Government would grant Louisiana our fair share of our oil royalties, which would equate to about $50 billion in the next 30 years or so, Louisiana would not only be able to pay for the majority of levee repairs and improvements, but would be able to pay for for coastal wetland restoration, without the help of any federally funded money.

And I will say this, flat out, and I truly believe the majority of Americans feel this way, New Orleans is just to culturally, historically, economically and uniquely important a city to abandon after a natural disaster. New Orleans contributed greatly to the westward growth and development, and history of our nation, and to let it die now would just be something un-American, IMO. We're spending hundreds of billions of dollars every year to rebuild and help countries all across the globe without even turning our heads, but when the situation arises in our own country, we have to think twice about it?

I realize that we all have different opinions here, and I respect that, so this is an area where we will all just have to agree to disagree.

[TSmith]

I realize that we all have different opinions here, and I respect that, so this is an area where we will all just have to agree to disagree.

Well said. And thankfully, ole Jed is in a small minority. I guess it shouldn't suprise us that this viewpoint would show up in a New Orleans forum. It was only a matter of time.

I enjoy lively discussions (without insults) on this topic because I believe that the facts are on our side in this matter. It's an easy argument, because it is so easy to point out just what New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole contribute to this country. What is frustrating is that many accross our own country have no idea just how important this city and this state is to their own country. They just put gas in their cars and turn on the heat in their homes thinking that it just arrives out of the blue. It doesn't just arrive... chances are, it comes from Louisiana.

Most don't realize that the federal government's 2nd largest source of revenue is oil and gas activity in and off the coast of Louisiana... supplying this country with the funds it takes to make all of our lives better, and this world a little safer.

All who doubt my assertions should take the time to read THIS.

[NCB]

All who doubt my assertions should take the time to read THIS.

Great website, Travis. Thanks for linking it. That truly shows you just how much Louisiana contributes just to one extremely major and important industry in the U.S. And that is yet another reason why we need our fair share of our oil royalties here.

Quoting the "Conservative Cajun"

In 2005, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming all made more in tax dollars for oil extracted from federal property than Louisiana. That’s disgusting, and it needs to change. Now.

[richyb83]

Thanks TSmith for that link. Wow, interesting conversations here tonite.

Thank the innovative Bobby Jindal for getting(when) Louisiana it's fair share of offshore oil royalties. He has done some unheard of things by getting this proposal to pass. It's ashame he was not our governor in the first place IMO ! Jindal wants to run again in 08'. But Louisiana had to get Blanco. She found the buses to get her those votes in the end; where were all those buses before Katrina ?? Please Louisiana !

[NCB]

It's ashame he was not our governor in the first place IMO ! Jindal wants to run again in 08'. But Louisiana had to get Blanco. She found the buses to get her those votes in the end; where were all those buses before Katrina ?? Please Louisiana !

Blanco won simply because (racist) voters, mostly in north Louisiana, didn't want someone who was Indian as our governor. It was that simple. They would rather see someone who had proven herself to have no leadership skills or knowledge of the position whatsoever run our state than someone with an Indian backroud. Even if he was Rhodes Scholar and had been on and lead countless national and local commities in his short life.

And then of course you had the women who voted for Blanco just because she was a woman.

[dimebag1980]

Blanco won simply because (racist) voters, mostly in north Louisiana, didn't want someone who was Indian as our governor. It was that simple. They would rather see someone who had proven herself to have no leadership skills or knowledge of the position whatsoever run our state than someone with an Indian backroud. Even if he was Rhodes Scholar and had been on and lead countless national and local commities in his short life.

And then of course you had the women who voted for Blanco just because she was a woman.

Hey, why's it got to be north Louisiana?

Most of the people I know (myself included) were Jindal supporters and were so upset when he didn't win.

[NCB]

Hey, why's it got to be north Louisiana?

Well, even though the overall voter results map is pretty even overall, Jindal did recieve quite a few less votes in north Louisiana when compared to SE Louisiana:

http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/sta...f=5&elect=0

[dimebag1980]

Well, even though the overall voter results map is pretty even overall, Jindal did recieve quite a few less votes in north Louisiana when compared to SE Louisiana:

http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/sta...f=5&elect=0

Oh, I believe it... I was just messin with ya.

BUT I see Caddo Parish went to Blanco... go figure!! At the time, I was voting in Caddo Parish so I did my part to try and tip the scales in Jindal's favor.

Bossier Parish, as you can see, is where the smart people live. That's why I live in Bossier Parish and have lived there most of my life. No, not because I'm smart, but rather because I like living amongst them.

[NCB]

Bossier Parish, as you can see, is where the smart people live. That's why I live in Bossier Parish and have lived there most of my life. No, not because I'm smart, but rather because I like living amongst them.

Yes, and hope to learn "their ways."

[dimebag1980]

Yes, and hope to learn "their ways."

But of course.

Hopefully some of it'll rub off on me. Been 26 years now, and I'm beginning to run out of faith.

[richyb83]

Thanks Nate for those stats. Interesting indeed ! The ironic thing for me is seeing Orleans Parish with Blank-o over 68%. Jindal is good for this state ! Interesting to see the parishes that went to Jindal. Including Blank-o's stomping ground Lafayette. Wow Jindal had nearly 75% in St.Tammany. I was also glad to see parishes with larger pop. such as EBR, Bossier, Ouachita, and Jefferson go Jindal's way ! Maybe there is hope ?

[ramalam]

Blanco won simply because (racist) voters, mostly in north Louisiana, didn't want someone who was Indian as our governor

Actually, the reason Blanco won is that blacks, as usual, voted almost exclusively for the Democratic candidate. The largest concentration of blacks is (or was then) in Orleans Parish, in the south. I believe if race is going to be brought into play as to why Jindal lost, it should be the partisan racial voting pattern just noted. That's not to say some whites (or blacks) didn't vote for Jindal based on his Indian ancestry, but I don't think it was enough to sway the election.

I think things would be different next time, post-Katrina.

[NCB]

Actually, the reason Blanco won is that blacks, as usual, voted almost exclusively for the Democratic candidate. The largest concentration of blacks is (or was then) in Orleans Parish, in the south. I believe if race is going to be brought into play as to why Jindal lost, it should be the partisan racial voting pattern just noted. That's not to say some whites (or blacks) didn't vote for Jindal based on his Indian ancestry, but I don't think it was enough to sway the election.

I think things would be different next time, post-Katrina.

The black vote from Orleans parish is definately a very large factor. I've just always heard/thought that it really only contributed to the vote from north Louisiana. But you do bring up a good point, and I could be wrong.