Nix Bits

Like “Our Mayor”, Chief of Recovery Ed Blakely seems to have a way with words. And he has some local bloggers fired up. The discussion at Ashley’s is particularly lively.

In the article Blakeley attacks local “buffoons” and the city’s racial polarization among other topics. A lot of people seemed to have taken his comments as attacks on New Orleanians in general. Others — myself included — think he was attacking the same targets we all do on a regular basis, including his own boss. I think he knows better.

He also found a patchwork of residents who had returned home bursting with ambition but lacking support to rebuild their neighborhoods.

“Rather than being welcomed back, they were sort of filtering back into their city with a feeling that they had been neglected and that no one was there to help them, and rebuilding their homes on their own, literally on their own with almost no government assistance at all,” Blakely said.

While I am annoyed with Blakely’s constant touting of his own credentials, I think people are hyper-sensitive to his comments. New Orleans and it’s residents have taken a pretty steady beating from critics who think we’re both crazy to live here and too lazy and/or stupid to help ourselves. I think those lazy/stupid elements are present and I think those are the buffoons Blakely is referring to including the buffoons the buffoons elected. I’ve lost patience with them too. We’ve tolerated some intolerable corruption and foolishness for too long and we need some real leadership. So if this guy is ruffling some feathers then that’s fine by me.

This benign, or malign, or incompetent neglect is working, in its way. It’s leaving the rebirth of the city to New Orleanians. The relief has come in large measure from individuals and small groups working despite governmental and corporate neglect and ineptitude. Many of the city’s visitors these days are workers. Combined with the daily efforts of New Orleans residents who refuse to abandon their homes, recovery is coming slowly. The “American Spirit” of proud self-reliance? The residents of New Orleans can lead a tutorial on the topic.

Link.

Update: Varg has the most well-reasoned take on the matter I’ve seen so far.