“Noise Comes From From New Orleans and Baton Rouge”
When I read the quote from The Advertiser, I must say, it deeply disturbed me and even alarmed me.
On Thursday, in an editorial, the Advertiser which is a Lafayette-oriented newspaper said, ““We hope that our legislators will use their positions to remind the legislature regularly that there are important issues that affect the people of the state who live west of the Mississippi River no matter how much noise comes from New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and that storms and their effects have caused new and more expensive ways of doing things to everyone north of Alexandria.”
In making this statement, the Advertiser listed the legislators in position of power from the Acadiana area.
Since I am originally from New Orleans but currently reside in one of the neighboring Parishes, I agree that for many years, the New Orleans area has felt as if “we” were the center of the world or, at least, the center of Louisiana.
I do believe that where New Orleans goes, so the rest of the state goes since it is the only International city in Louisiana.However, I feel it is time for this region to stop being so egocentric and to look to see what we can do to help the rest of the state.I also believe it is time to “make noise” and thank them for their assistance in the legislature and for those many days after Katrina.
Those outside of the New Orleans-Baton Rouge corridor are very hard working and decent people.Primarily, due to the advent of the Internet, I have personally become very good friends with many individuals in all parts of the State and have grown immensely from those relationships.They are now brothers and sisters to me.Prior to the Internet, I thought they spoke a different language, however, I am sure due to mass communications, many now feel the same way as I do today Our family is now just extended and we are better people for that extension.
Parts of lower Southwest Louisiana was hit very hard due to Hurricane Rita.The swath of damage due to Katrina was so enormous and hit such a high population zone that it has obscured the losses suffered by those living and working in the Southwestern part of the state.
Thus, I feel with oil hovering at one hundred dollars per barrel, we should put financial resources into many parts of the state without breaking the budget cap and without growing government.With any extra surplus, we should pay down the debt or invest in one-time expenses and not create a ballooning government. We owe it to our brothers and sisters from all over Louisiana to help build their infrastructure, their roads and highways so all of Louisiana becomes more economically viable.
Louisiana, as a whole hurts when any part of it is suffering.Those outside of Southeast Louisiana need us just as we certainly need them and our limited resources should consider their opportunities.
In a strange way, the New Orleans area has suffered a death in the family due to Katrina.Everything we have known has changed.
For many reasons, I believe much of the same goes for the rest of Louisiana.However, we do not give credit where credit is due.We do not hear other parts of the state cry when it is in need.With the new incoming Governor, Bobby Jindal, and the new legislature, let us hope that the New Orleans area continues to recover.But, let us also focus upon the other areas of the state since their wants are great and they deserve our attention, regardless of any “new found” power.It is just the right thing to do.
Many people, from all of Louisiana were hurt by Katrina.The demands upon their respective infrastructure were sorely tested.They took in the suffering evacuees with no questions being asked.We owe our fellow Louisiana citizens a tremendous sense of gratitude.
We have the moment to grow stronger bonds with the small towns and the bigger cities and collaborate in every way possible.We are stronger as a state when we stop the petty jealousies and egocentricities that have plagued us for too long.Unquestionably, there have always been limited resources. We have fought like cats over the green.And, yes, our “mode of operendi” has always been the north against the south, the east against the west, New Orleans against Baton Rouge, and even New Orleans against the other parishes in the region.Hopefully, must of this will soon be history.
So, if New Orleans region and Baton Rouge has made a lot of “noise”, it is time for us to cheer and clamor for the rest of the state, too.Together and in many respects though technology, we can make Louisiana greater than it is.It is a new millennium.We all want our “fair share”.While we hope that the rest of Louisiana understands the devastation suffered in the New Orleans region, it is time to end the “us” versus “them”.In fact, it is time for “us” to pay more attention to “them”.
Thanx prof, you are yet more proof. As I said, morning patrons do seem to relish the fascist inuendos....... Written by and again
on 1/7/2008
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The great cities I see do have all of the "attractions" consolidated in one area (as in N.O.). Cities like Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Natchitoches and Alexandria will develop and thrive - not due to New Orleans - but rather despite its cost to the rest of the state. New Orleans is a prime example of politicians gaining power by pandering to those on the public dole - dysfunctional, poorly educated, high illegitimacy rate, high crime, a largely unskilled workforce, too poor to evacuate from an approaching storm - what a mess! The things I love about this city - the music, food, etc. is mostly African-American culture. It is such a shame that there are so many of our fellow Americans who think living on the public dole is a birthright due to slavery, when in fact it is slavery's curse (if not in fact another form of slavery itself). Written by kerry fox
on 1/7/2008
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The name "Desmarais" was perhaps spelled "Desmarest" or some other way when François stepped off the ship from Mobile to New Orleans around 1720. He died in his early Twenties but fortunately for me left a son. Now in Lake Charles and in Abbeville, it`s spelled many ways. When I was born, my mother was afraid of being laughed at as a military wife with a French name, and she spelled it Demary, so for Social Security purposes I'm still "Robert Demary Sullivan" and couldn't even find my records until I found that out. All those facts are interesting only as a way of pointing out that many, many New Orleanians are Acadians, Cajuns, and Creoles from Acadiana, who came "to town" or "en ville" because we didn't want to stay down on the farm after we'd seen the bright lights. I've spent forty years in love with New Orleans and with Creole and Cajun Louisiana and slowly learned that the Northern Parishes have value too, even though my grandfathers didn't think it worthwhile to build a north-south highway. At the time, nobody wanted to go to North Louisiana. Those days have disappeared, gone with the wind of Katrina and Rita and so many other storms, meteorological and otherwise. Actually, I'm proudest in New Orleans of reversing the shame of being French, which I experienced when attending Tulane in the Sixties, into the pride of being French by co-creating what became the French-immersion school of Audubon Montessori. There are now five immersion schools in the metropolitan region. I'd like my old age to see the metropolitan region become Greater New Orleans as a single city, perhaps with internal mayoralties and councils, but with a single Grand Mayor and Grand Council to represent us all to the world and to cooperate with a greater Louisiana in the vision of Louisiana Speaks. I don't mind being considered quixotic. I've always been dismissed and then quoted and then followed. That's not a bad legacy. Happy New Year, and God bless us everyone! Written by Robert Desmarais Sullivan
on 1/4/2008
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What the rest of the state wants is not more help from the state, but less handouts to New Orleans. Southwest Louisiana pulled itself up by its own bootstraps after Hurricane Rita while all the country heard from New Orleans was a bunch of whining and complaints about how they weren't getting enough from the Feds. Meanwhile, NOLA has been exceptionally slow in cleaning up its dysfunctional politics and culture of corruption, while tolerating a level of crime that is a disgrace.
Southwest Louisiana will pass up offers of help from the state if we can only be freed of having to subsidize New Orleans. Written by chaubert
on 1/4/2008
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"By and again" - please lay off the early-morning drinking. It makes you ramble. Written by Professor
on 1/4/2008
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Both posts below were meaningless. (Not only short, but also an accurate observation. So how about that?) As for the boring piece above, well, perhaps it was wrote but I believe it to merely be rote. So, to me it appears meaningless as well. After all, if what is put down isn't steeped in understanding ALONG WITH honesty then it is merely more hypocrisy in the mix. I would think that most of the world deplores fascist innuendo. But then again, it would appear the patrons relish it with their morning facsimiles Written by and again..............
on 1/4/2008
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Professor, dear, we are being nice to each other this morning. We agree with want you said. Stephen used more words but said it nicely too. This state must learn from Katrina, not simply New Orleans. We forgot the people destroyed by Rita to a great extent. We rode that storm out as we were in its path as a result of our evacuation from New Orleans. We saw and heard the stories but so little has been said. It is time for all people in this state to unite to make Louisiana what it should have been decades ago, a vital productive part of the U.S. Let's go for it!!!! Written by RhettsWife
on 1/4/2008
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I agree, Stephen. While New Orleans is important, it is by no means "more" important. (how about that - I made a short post!) Written by Professor
on 1/4/2008
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