The FBI says that New Orleans had the highest murder rate of any large US city in 2008. Why?
STRAUSSIAN
The Federal government has been so very generous with New Orleans, handing out billions in free money.
And yet, far from being appreciative, the people of New Orleans choose to kill themselves and one another - at a higher rate than any other large city in ALL OF AMERICA!
With 179 murders in 2008 - for a population of only around 300,000 - New Orleans recorded a murder rate of somewhere between 57 per 100,000 people and 64 per 100,000 (depending on which population statistics you use).
This is ELEVEN POINT FOUR times higher than the national average of 5.6 per 100,000 - 11.4!!! Holy crap!
Folks, we are basically talking about third-world murder rates with New Orleans. New Orleans is a third-world city by that measure. It's not even close to being part of the first world.
Why? Why is this being allowed to happen?
Why is Republican governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana letting this happen?
Why is Democrat mayor Ray Nagin letting this happen?
Why are the people of Louisiana letting this happen?
Why are the people of New Orleans letting this happen?
This is an American disaster, folks. How the heck can we solve it?
Source:
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/despite_drop_in_crime_new_orle.html
http://blog.nola.com/news_impact/2009/06/CRIME060209.jpg
Answer
The murder rate has nothing to do with whatever aid did trickle down to New Orleans. The rate was also very high before Katrina, and reached about 80 per 100,000 in 1995.
At least 97% of the murders in New Orleans are directly related to drug trafficking, and primarily to crack cocaine. Another 2% are domestic incidents. That doesn't make the crimes OK, but the average resident or visitor doesn't have to worry about it. Note that other crime in New Orleans is at or below the national average for cities.
The problem is now and has been for decades the link between city government - more than just the mayor & city council - and drug trafficking.
Drug criminals have been an integral part of the New Orleans political establishment for over 20 years, and their influence on politicians has been such that every effective anti-drug law enforcement program has been stopped asap by the city's administration. That included even programs paid for via federal or state grants with requirements the programs be operated for X years.
On a more individual level, the part of New Orleans society that directly harbors the drug customers & street-level dealers (who are the ones being killed) has historically lived in public housing/section 8 type neighborhoods. They DON'T WANT the law enforced in their neighborhoods because they are making a living from drug dealing either directly or through their friends & relatives. They do want the police around but ONLY to "stop the violence". In other words, they want the police to create a safe workplace for drug dealers, which is impossible. This is happening in some other cities, also - not just New Orleans.
However, the size of the public housing population meant it's leaders (through telling people how to vote) could swing most local elections (for mayor, city council, district attorney, etc.) and many state elections. That meant local government interference in the drug business = someone else winning the next election. Yes, that also meant even less-scrupulous people than is normal (for politicians) were elected to office - it isn't just the lack of altitude. This is happening in some other cities, also - not just New Orleans.
The problem is complicated by the fact there are also indirect influences from the drug trade. For example, how many fewer luxury cars would be sold if the drug trade was suppressed? Same with luxury homes, jewelry, and other status symbols. The drug trade is a business with a structure & hierarchy like any large corporation and middle to upper management is paid well. Over time, many parts of New Orleans' society began to think that benefiting from the profits of drug trafficking (ex. selling Cadillacs) was normal. The murders are simply a sign of the societyâs and governmentâs willful inability to stop the violence. This is happening in some other cities, also - not just New Orleans.
Any criticism of city government over the issue has resulted in the silencing of the critic by shrieks of "racism" (if the critic is not Black) and "Uncle Tom-ism" (if the critic is Black). It has worked for decades, and you may get similar accusations in response to your question. That is also why Jindal and previous Governors have left the city to whatever happens â few politicians can withstand the threat of being labeled a racist. Only George Bush had the intestinal fortitude to do something about it and multiple federal investigations (starting before Katrina) have sent numerous local politicians to jail for corruption. Those investigations continue, and we shall see if the Obama administration ends them.
Katrina killed more than 1800 people and destroyed more lives & property than one can imagine, so I am not glad Katrina happened. However, for good or bad, Katrina radically changed the political landscape of New Orleans. The huge "vote how you are told" public housing/section 8 population is about 75% gone, which means the ability of their "leadership" to swing elections is also gone.
The changes since 2005 in city government are very visible, with most of the city council being replaced, a new DA, and so on - down to the school board.
However, Nagin is still mayor and he owes a significant part of his re-election in 2006 to the old system, which was able to deliver the win via the extraordinary measures taken to allow evacuees in other places to cast their votes (and to vote how they were told). Even then, Landrieu would have won if misguided Republicans had not voted against him by voting for Nagin.
The elections of 2010 should continue the positive changes we saw from the 2008 elections.
It will still take time before having a more honest city government results in a lower murder rate.
New Orleans is not alone in the situation, and cities like Detroit & Baltimore are having the same problems for the same reasons. For good or bad, cities like Detroit & Baltimore have not had a Katrina to break the symbiotic and unholy relationship between drug trafficking and local government.
Fear for them.
Wish us well.
The murder rate has nothing to do with whatever aid did trickle down to New Orleans. The rate was also very high before Katrina, and reached about 80 per 100,000 in 1995.
At least 97% of the murders in New Orleans are directly related to drug trafficking, and primarily to crack cocaine. Another 2% are domestic incidents. That doesn't make the crimes OK, but the average resident or visitor doesn't have to worry about it. Note that other crime in New Orleans is at or below the national average for cities.
The problem is now and has been for decades the link between city government - more than just the mayor & city council - and drug trafficking.
Drug criminals have been an integral part of the New Orleans political establishment for over 20 years, and their influence on politicians has been such that every effective anti-drug law enforcement program has been stopped asap by the city's administration. That included even programs paid for via federal or state grants with requirements the programs be operated for X years.
On a more individual level, the part of New Orleans society that directly harbors the drug customers & street-level dealers (who are the ones being killed) has historically lived in public housing/section 8 type neighborhoods. They DON'T WANT the law enforced in their neighborhoods because they are making a living from drug dealing either directly or through their friends & relatives. They do want the police around but ONLY to "stop the violence". In other words, they want the police to create a safe workplace for drug dealers, which is impossible. This is happening in some other cities, also - not just New Orleans.
However, the size of the public housing population meant it's leaders (through telling people how to vote) could swing most local elections (for mayor, city council, district attorney, etc.) and many state elections. That meant local government interference in the drug business = someone else winning the next election. Yes, that also meant even less-scrupulous people than is normal (for politicians) were elected to office - it isn't just the lack of altitude. This is happening in some other cities, also - not just New Orleans.
The problem is complicated by the fact there are also indirect influences from the drug trade. For example, how many fewer luxury cars would be sold if the drug trade was suppressed? Same with luxury homes, jewelry, and other status symbols. The drug trade is a business with a structure & hierarchy like any large corporation and middle to upper management is paid well. Over time, many parts of New Orleans' society began to think that benefiting from the profits of drug trafficking (ex. selling Cadillacs) was normal. The murders are simply a sign of the societyâs and governmentâs willful inability to stop the violence. This is happening in some other cities, also - not just New Orleans.
Any criticism of city government over the issue has resulted in the silencing of the critic by shrieks of "racism" (if the critic is not Black) and "Uncle Tom-ism" (if the critic is Black). It has worked for decades, and you may get similar accusations in response to your question. That is also why Jindal and previous Governors have left the city to whatever happens â few politicians can withstand the threat of being labeled a racist. Only George Bush had the intestinal fortitude to do something about it and multiple federal investigations (starting before Katrina) have sent numerous local politicians to jail for corruption. Those investigations continue, and we shall see if the Obama administration ends them.
Katrina killed more than 1800 people and destroyed more lives & property than one can imagine, so I am not glad Katrina happened. However, for good or bad, Katrina radically changed the political landscape of New Orleans. The huge "vote how you are told" public housing/section 8 population is about 75% gone, which means the ability of their "leadership" to swing elections is also gone.
The changes since 2005 in city government are very visible, with most of the city council being replaced, a new DA, and so on - down to the school board.
However, Nagin is still mayor and he owes a significant part of his re-election in 2006 to the old system, which was able to deliver the win via the extraordinary measures taken to allow evacuees in other places to cast their votes (and to vote how they were told). Even then, Landrieu would have won if misguided Republicans had not voted against him by voting for Nagin.
The elections of 2010 should continue the positive changes we saw from the 2008 elections.
It will still take time before having a more honest city government results in a lower murder rate.
New Orleans is not alone in the situation, and cities like Detroit & Baltimore are having the same problems for the same reasons. For good or bad, cities like Detroit & Baltimore have not had a Katrina to break the symbiotic and unholy relationship between drug trafficking and local government.
Fear for them.
Wish us well.
Can I take the train from new orleans to san francisco?
steve l
Can I take a luxury train from new orleans to san francisco?
Answer
The Sunset Limited goes from New Orleans to Los Angeles. From there you catch the Coast Starlight up the coast.
http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train
I highly recommend the Coast Starlight. It's one of the most scenic rail routes in the country. The tracks are just yards from the ocean. If you have sleeper accommodations, you have access to the historic Pacific Parlour Cars that use to run on the famous El Capitan route from Chicago to Los Angeles in the 1960's and 70's.
http://www.trainweb.com/accommod/parlour.html
The Sunset Limited goes from New Orleans to Los Angeles. From there you catch the Coast Starlight up the coast.
http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train
I highly recommend the Coast Starlight. It's one of the most scenic rail routes in the country. The tracks are just yards from the ocean. If you have sleeper accommodations, you have access to the historic Pacific Parlour Cars that use to run on the famous El Capitan route from Chicago to Los Angeles in the 1960's and 70's.
http://www.trainweb.com/accommod/parlour.html
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