[StBernard] NOLA mayoral debate

[Westley Annis]

Watched the "debate" on MSNBC tv tonight.
 
Chris Matthews asked a question about why the rest of the country should
subsidize people building houses below sea-level.  Mitch Landrieu responded
that being below sea-level wasn't a big issue and cited the Dutch and their
control structures on the North Sea as his basis for that answer.  But then
he mentioned the bigger issue about the Port of New Orleans, cargo going out
and in, LA's oil/natural gas contributions to the country etc.  
 
Since this was a national broadcast I hope it gave folks out "there" some
things to think about.  I've abbreviated the entire discussion on this cuz
I'm tired of typing.
 
Now, we all know it's about more than wheat/corn from the North and oil and
gas from our offshore area.  It's because of who we are and where we're
from!  It's about our lifestyles and our Joie de Vie.  Case-in-point:  Since
we were/are up here in Alabama, during Carnival, I sucked it up and ordered
a King Cake (ridiculous prices!)  I got the King Cake, some beads and a
tee-shirt.  (I had fun with the front desk ladies over the beads.  This
hotel had an open area that looked over the breakfast room and I went to
that area to throw the beads saying "Now ladies, you KNOW what you have to
do to get beads!).  Anyway, during different discussions I talked with a few
of the desk staff about Carnival.  At one time I mentioned something about
the Bards of Bohemia and I said "Well, that's on old-line krewe..."  I had
to explain what that meant.  
 
So what I'm getting at is that after talking to, at least this little group,
they realize how important New Orleans is, the importance of the
contributions to culture and many other things.  This little group of folks
realize it has to be saved and repaired.  (still can't get a decent bowl of
red beans, sausage and rice up here though damn!)  And I'll tell ya...if I
can get this group of Alabama rednecks to see what we contribute, if we work
on it, we can let the rest of the country know "what it means to miss New
Orleenz"!
 
Jim