You could kind of see this coming... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3676263.html New Orleans says it won't give free ride 3 City Council members' words to poor trouble Houston officials, some evacuees By ERIC BERGER Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle New Orleans doesn't want its poorest residents back — unless they agree to work. That was the message from three New Orleans City Council members who said government programs have "pampered" the city's residents for too long. The news that some New Orleans City Council members weren't keen on the city's poorest returning home added another layer of discomfort in Houston, where local residents and elected officials alike have stretched to meet the needs of thousands of Louisiana residents in the months after Hurricane Katrina. Chief among the complaints: Houston didn't discriminate when New Orleanians — from the poorest to the richest — filled this city's homes, hotels, motels and shelters. And Houston didn't flinch when nearly 100,000 evacuees needed subsidized housing for up to a year. So why, asked one Houston city councilman, are only the educated, healthy and employable welcome back in New Orleans? "A city is a combination of all kinds of people," said Councilman M.J. Khan, whose district has absorbed most of the city's evacuees. "We definitely want everybody to be productive, wealthy and educated. But in any society it's not always possible. We cannot pick and choose who will live in a city." Khan was among those who responded negatively to the comments of New Orleans elected officials Monday, which were published by the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We don't need soap opera watchers right now," said New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas, during a housing committee meeting. "We're going to target the people who are going to work. It's not that I'm fed up, but that at some point there has to be a whole new level of motivation, and people have got to stop blaming the government for something they ought to do." 'A lot of pampering' During that same meeting, according to the newspaper, officials with the Housing Authority of New Orleans shared their plans. Some residents who lived in public housing before the storm will be able to return. Future residents, however, will have to comply with new restrictions, including a series of questions about employment history and job prospects. In other words, people will have to express a willingness to work to qualify for public housing, officials in New Orleans have said. Later in Monday's meeting, Thomas, who is black, reiterated that his remarks were intended for African-Americans. "There's just been a lot of pampering, and at some point you have to say, 'No, no, no, no, no.' ... If our legs don't hurt, you can walk somewhere," he said. "I'm saying these things to motivate my people." Councilwomen Renee Gill Pratt and Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson agreed with Thomas. One evacuee in Houston, Angelo Edwards, called the statements politicking, saying that what New Orleans residents in Houston want most is affordable housing so they can return home. "We're not running for re-election over here," said Edwards, vice president of the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association. "What we're trying to do is find a way to come back home and rebuild the city. I hope those statements weren't a blanket indictment on all the residents of public housing in New Orleans." New Orleans has scheduled its city elections for April 22. Efforts to reach Thomas were unsuccessful Tuesday, but Clarkson said she and the other elected officials aren't targeting the elderly or disabled who once lived in New Orleans public housing. "But it is an indictment of those who can work, but don't work," she said. Clarkson also said the city eventually wants to bring everyone back, but needs to start with workers first, to create a tax base. Then, eventually, she said, New Orleans will have the resources to support everyone, including the unemployable. New Orleans' desire to pick and choose is a luxury that Houston didn't have, said Khan, remembering the immediate days after Katrina. 'Arms wide open' "When this Katrina situation developed, we welcomed people with arms wide open," he said."We never scrutinized who should be coming into the city, we never turned anyone back. In the same way New Orleans cannot now say that everyone who is disabled, or cannot work, should have to stay in Houston." Shortly after Katrina struck New Orleans — and with Houston's shelters and hotels full — Mayor Bill White and other local officials devised a plan to provide long-term housing for evacuees. More than 80,000 evacuees signed up for the program, which provided one year of rent-free living in an apartment as well as free electricity and gas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reimbursing Houston for the housing program's expenses. A major component of this initiative, city officials said, has been reaching out to those evacuees in Houston apartments to help them obtain job skills and find employment. "Our overwhelming concern is one of helping people get back on their feet, and then helping them find a job," Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. "That's what the Houston mentality is, this is a working town." eric.berger@chron.com
As usual, you come in taking the high road. Do you care to provide any stats or you just gonna toss out baseless accusations?
There have been many stories about Houston's increase in crime since Katrina. Here's one from the Washington Post. I'm sure you can google some more if you're curious. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/05/AR2006020500884.html
There actually have been quite a few articles even beyond the one bigtexx posted... They aren't "baseless" claims
Everytime I talk to my friend who works for the Houston Parks Department I ask if he is enjoying his new neighbors. He is never amused, but I can't help pushing his right wing buttons.
I don't think it is really a conservative or liberal issue. I interned in the Mayor's office this summer and think they do a good job of running the city... even though I tend to be conservative. I would think they are just as concerned about crime as a conservative. I believe I heard that Mayor White has recently requested additional money from FEMA to pay for increased cops etc...all the articles.. data.. etc seem to show that crime IS up.
this is NIMBY but with people instead of nuclear waste or something. i can hardle blame nola for doing this, but i just wish it was another town that had this burden.
I was speaking last week at a conference for primarily African American architects about my trip to New Orleans and the issues with the recovery. I mentioned that I've heard people in Houston complaining about increased crime and other problems with Katrina evacuees. One of people there started to laugh and said like "Houstons are complaining about increased crime." From the moment that many Katrina evacuees started to go to Houston I've been hearing complaints about increased crime, a bunch of poor shiftless people, and even increased disease. Well for the rest of the country Houston's image isn't that great either. Just remember that Houston also sits in an area of high hurricane risks and if a tropical storm like Allison can flood the city just imagine what would happen if a storm as powerful as Katrina where to hit the city. Those of you who are complaining about evacuees from New Orleans now better hope that other cities and states are going to be as welcoming because Houston's rep is as bad, if not worse than New Orleans.
Sis, I think you mean well (as evidenced by how you dropped the fact that you're talking to African Americans on how you're helping in New Orleans so we'd all know...), but frankly it's a pretty easy thing to say when you're living in Minnesota and not having to deal with it on a daily basis.
I am from New Orleans but grew up in Houston and this really pisses me off. I want the city of Houston to be paid back by FEMA or whoever owes us the money. Plus the few knuckled heads that are suspected of the crimes that I have read about online, should be subject to serious Texas penalty. I am talking death. Some of these characters have been given ample oppurtunity to get their lifes straight, so I am not optimistic that they will change. Plus they are making those doing the right thing look bad now. I expected New Orleans officials to do this. To purge those they dont want back, and just not rebuild for those communitys who they dont want back. If you are into real estate you should look to make some money in New Orleans now. If I am the Mayor of Houston, I would go to New Orleans and b**** them out on camera. It is their fault their city is corrupt as it is and is as impoverished as it is. Now they want that to be someone elses burden. That is bull****!
First off I'm not your sister. I called FB on this already. Second I was invited to speak to that conference and the only reason why I mentioned it was african americans was to point out that it wasn't whites with the prejudiced image of Houston as a chocalate city and thus a crime ridden city not to say that I'm speaking there to do good, although I hope something good comes from it. Third I've mentioned previously about going to New Orleans and even posted a thread here while I was down there. Fourth if my example of helping the people of New Orleans motivates the rest of you do something for them then that's good and if I get credit or not that's fine. Finally you might not know much about Minnesota but in Minneapolis there are many refugees. In my neighborhood alone there are many Somalis, Hmong, Central Americans and Bosnians. I'm all for and having Katrina evacuees come up here and some of the groups I've worked with have helped a few resettle here but most don't want to move to someplace so cold. It would be great though if more did so I can finally get some good beignets. Seriously though the same things have been said about every refugee population but just remember Houston could very easily be a refugee population. Its easy to complain about refugees but we all could potentially be refugees.
