Yes Men dupe media in New Orleans this morning

[Anita Garcia]

<http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_08_28.html#176793>
Two members of the Yes Men, a group of environmental and corporate ethics activists, duped business executives and some news organizations earlier today when they posed as top HUD officials and announced the agency planned to renovate several housing developments now slated for demolition.
. . . .
After the speech, the audience of several hundred people applauded, and the conference organizer thanked Oswin for his comments. A group of news reporters huddled around the fake HUD officials asking questions about the apparent policy reversal. Some news organizations sent out breaking news alerts to the major development before learning it was a fake.

Shortly after the speech concluded, another member of the Yes Men, standing outside the Lafitte housing development, said she had called numerous contractors and told them to gather at Lafitte at 1 p.m. to learn about millions in contracting opportunities that would spring from the policy reversal. She refused to give her name. The Lafitte complex is one of four slated for demolition.

[Warpy]

1. When the anger at being duped starts to fade

maybe they'll realize they should have been angry at the administration all along for their anti American policies of allowing a major city to die along with the people who used to live there.

[Anita Garcia]

2. NAACP opposes public housing demolition

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and two other organizations on Monday called for a prohibition on razing public housing units in New Orleans. All existing public housing resources in the city should be “repaired and reopened,” according to a report issued by the NAACP, the Kirwan Institute for the study of Race and Ethnicity and The Opportunity Agenda.
<http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_08_28.html#176793>

[skids]

3. Discordianism with an honed political bent.

Very interesting.

[FSogol]

4. Isn't it against the law to pose as a govt agent? n/t

[lonestarnot]

6. Ugh yes.

[lonestarnot]

5. LOL This is totally fucking cracking me up!

Fight bizzare with bizzare.

[Clark2008]

7. Maybe I'm missing something here, but what was the point?

Why give out false info? What purpose does that serve in getting the decision reversed for real?

[lonestarnot]

8. The imposter was apparently permitted to speak on authority that he was

the person he was not really, :rofl:

[MissB]

9. Maybe it'll force the media to actually research claims made by

officials.

Nah.

[Clark2008]

11. Well, that's kind of difficult, to be honest.

I'm a former reporter and the problem is this: how do you get to the information to research it if the officials are stonewalling you?

You'd need a whistleblower or a sneak on the inside to show you the true documentation and that simply just doesn't happen like int he movies.

Just always remember that what an official at a public forum says is reportable as "fact" but that doesn't mean it's the truth.

A fact is not the same as a truth. For example, a police officer may write a report of facts as he knows them regarding a suspect, but the truth about the crime may come out in court.

(Edited for clarity)

[me b zola]

10. To bring national attention to the issue?

:shrug:

[tuvor]

14. Forces the government to remind people that they've made zero progress.

Maybe they need to be humiliated into action. Nothing else seems to be working very well.

[Anita Garcia]

19. That's the point to me.

I think they are brilliant and creative.
Political activism at its best.

[bloom]

12. gotta love 'em nt

[althecat]

13. Here's the Fake Press Release

10:30 AM CDT
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2006

HUD SECRETARY ANNOUNCES ALL
PUBLIC HOUSING TO REOPEN IN NEW ORLEANS

In a bold reversal of policy, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) announced today that they will reopen public
housing in New Orleans and embark on a bold new plan to help former
residents get back home.

At The Gulf Coast Reconstruction & Hurricane Preparedness Summit,
organized by Equity International
(http://www.katrinareconstruction.org), HUD Secretary Alphonso
Jackson admitted that the agency has been headed down the wrong path
for the last year.

"Our charter, here at HUD, is to ensure access to affordable housing
for those who need it the most. This past year in New Orleans, I am
ashamed to say that we have clearly failed to do this," said Jackson.

For many years, the official policy of HUD has been to replace
existing HUD projects with mixed-income developments, and to disperse
the remaining residents throughout the city. This policy has
continued after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans last
year, even though thousands of residents would like to return.

"We were wrong to prevent people from returning home at this critical
time, especially when the new master plan was going to keep them out
for good," Jackson said. "Today, it is my great pleasure to announce
to you that HUD is reversing our policy. From now on, and beginning
at all Orleans parish housing communities, our policy will no longer
be to destroy much-needed housing, but to do all in our power to make
it work."

The new plans include a significant increase in funding, amounting to
3.8 billion dollars in renovation and opportunity-creation contracts
in the affected communities. This is welcome news not only for the
public housing residents, but also for the contractors who can help
them get home. Equity International's Reconstruction Summit was
chosen for the announcement because it brings together key business
executives and government leaders at the local, state, and national
levels to facilitate new reconstruction and preparedness solutions.

"With the know-how in this room today, and this new funding package
from the federal government, we can fix New Orleans, not just for the
benefit of a few but for everyone," said Jackson in closing.

For the entire text of the speech, please visit
http://www.hano.us/announcement.html.

Media Contacts:

Rene Oswin
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410
[e-mail]

William Loiry
President
Equity International
[e-mail]
202-413-2258

Erica Orange
Communications Manager
Equity International
[e-mail]
202-494-9671

# 30 #

[DrunkenMaster]

15. The Yes Men Rule!!

If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend the documentary film released a few years ago about this amazing duo of corporate and government imposters. They raise more awareness than any march or protest. And no, they won't get arrested or sued for fraud: they are way to effective at embarrassing the scumbags who deserve it.

Check out their website at:
http://www.theyesmen.org/

It is creative resistance at its finest.

[KamaAina]

16. Howdy! This is President George W. Bush.

On this sad occasion, the one-year anniversaery of Hurricane Katrina, which is not just a date so stop saying that, I pledge that the Federal Government will fully fund all recovery activities effective immediately.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

GOTCHA! :P

[uppityperson]

17. This was to bring attention to the fact that this isn't happening?

On the 1st hand, why dupe people and then disappoint them again? On the other hand, get the information out in any way you can. :hug: to you guys.

[fed-up]

18. K/R what a great idea, even if some were disappointed it was a dupe n/t