NO Councilman doesn't want some evacuess to return

N.O. evacuees upset by councilman

Linky:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/2347416.html

By ELLEN TANDY
2theadvocate.com Staff
Published: Feb 21, 2006

From a report by News 2's Tony Jones




The president of the New Orleans City Council is on the defensive Tuesday after he and two other council members said they don't welcome displaced public housing residents who are unwilling to work.

During a meeting Monday, Council President Oliver Thomas said the city doesn't need what referred to as "soap opera watchers" right now.

Thomas said government programs and agencies have "pampered" people for too long, rather than actually improving their lives. He stressed that former public housing residents who are unwilling to roll up their sleeves are work are better off staying away. Thomas was on national television Tuesday explaining his comments.

"Anyone that wants to come and help with this recovery, you know, we want them to come back and participate," Thomas stressed. "What's the one thing we've learned? We've learned we can't count on the federal government. We can't count on the state government. And we can't count on the local government. So we need as many residents in this community, so that we can count on ourselves."

Despite Thomas' clarification, his comments have generated some heated conversations on both sides of the issue. Though the comments were targeted at residents of public housing in New Orleans, they nonetheless sparked strong reactions among job-seeking evacuees in Baton Rouge.

Before Hurricane Katrina roared ashore last August, Isaac Ray was a teacher in the New Orleans Parish School System. Since then, however, he's been searching for a new job -- and for a way to get back home to New Orleans. But after Thomas' comments, Ray isn't sure he'll receive a warm welcome when he is able to return.

"It's very insensitive at the point where people are trying to do something," Ray said. "For (him) to make that comment is, like I said once before, it's not giving them hope."

Whether they agree or disagree with Thomas' comments, evacuees in Baton Rouge seem to agree that the major hurdle to holding down a job in New Orleans is the lack of available housing there.




So apparently its OK for all the NO evacuees that live of the government and don't work to just stay in Houston for us to support rather than go back home to their own city.