LAT: Power Shifting With Population (away from NO) in Post-Katrina La.

[DeepModem Mom]

Power Shifting With Population in Post-Katrina Louisiana
Evacuations to rural areas and other states decrease New Orleans' clout in the Legislature.

By Ellen Barry, Times Staff Writer


....Before hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there was a familiar equilibrium in the Louisiana Legislature, whose hallway still is pocked with bullet holes from Huey P. Long's assassination. Black Democrats were key allies of Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, and conservative rural lawmakers harbored age-old grievances about New Orleans' grip on political power.

Now, with the city's population dispersed — and no indication of whether, or when, most residents will return — some lawmakers hope they are witnessing a permanent reversal of fortunes, said Elliot Stonecipher, a political analyst based in Shreveport.

"Even good people are quietly sitting back, not lending their support to the rebuilding of New Orleans," Stonecipher said. "What you're seeing is a lot of people snickering and winking and nodding…. This is something they thought they would never see."

Late Monday, Rep. Karen Carter — a New Orleans Democrat and member of the Legislative Black Caucus — argued for a change in a bill to reduce the tax rate for businesses from 3.8% to 3.3%. The break, she said, should not be extended to oil companies that have seen record profits in recent months....

***

Carter exited the floor a few minutes later, looking drained. The tax breaks had passed overwhelmingly, and her amendment was voted down....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-legislature17nov17,0,614380.story?coll=la-home-nation

[Al-CIAda]

1. All is going according to PLAN.

They want to flip the state, and will allow any amount of injustice, tragedy, and misery to do so. Its a sick, diabolical plan, but it IS a PLAN, make no mistake.

Jendal (Bush's little butt-boy) will be the next Governor.

[Ian David]

6. "Operation: Drown The Negroes". n/t

[ugarte]

2. I am soooo surprised...

The dirty secret is that there are many white people in Louisiana who think Katrina was a blessing...kind of got rid of, you know, a "problem".

[Al-CIAda]

3. I have heard that openly stated more times than I can count.

[Ian David]

7. "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans..."

<snip>

The latest elected official to step into the swamp was Rep. Richard H. Baker, a 10-term Republican from Baton Rouge. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that he was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/09/AR2005090901930.html

[OneBlueSky]

4. New Orleans without its black population will be sterile . . .

who's going to want to visit a Disneyfied version of NO with paid street performers replacing the indigenous Mardi Gras Injuns? . . . not me . . .

[ugarte]

5. And Louisiana without New Orleans will be Alabama....nt

[LSparkle]

8. You're right ... didn't Ray Nagin want to encourage casinos in N.O.?

Yep, turn it into an annex of the riverboat casinos in Alabama and bring in more rednecks ...

BTW, I love your screenname!