New Orleans Murders Soar — New York Times Blames Hurricane Katrina
The citizens of New Orleans are so angry over the rash of murders — 12 since December 28th, that 3,000 demonstrated their civic outrage in a march on City Hall, Thursday. Just for comparison, Los Angeles a city of almost 20 million, reports only 4 murders so far for 2007. Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley showed up to answer the protesters — but were not allowed to speak by the organizers.
Pallbearers carried the casket of Helen Hill. An intruder shot her to death in her New Orleans home. (Photo Mary Ann Chastain/AP)
“We have come to declare that a city that could not be drowned in waters of a storm will not be drowned in the blood of its citizens,” said the Rev. John Raphael Jr., one of the opening speakers.
Despite the fact that New Orleans, has suffered from one of the nations highest murder and violent crime rates for decades, the New York Times says, Storm Left New Orleans Ripe for Violence.
“The storm of violence that has burst over this city since New Year’s Day can be traced in part to dysfunctional law enforcement institutions, aggravated by a natural disaster that turned the physical and social landscape of New Orleans into an ideal terrain for criminals.”
Just eleven days before Hurricane Katrina struck, an AP article of August 18th, 2005, reported 192 murders so far, the year had a total of 210. In 2004 it was worse, with 265 murders. In 2006 there were 161 murders in New Orleans — 23% less than 2005.
The blame for these grim statistics is not hurricane Katrina, but the ineptitude of Mayor Ray Nagin, his corrupt Police Superintendent Warren Riley and District Attorney Eddie Jordan. The city government should be declared a national disaster. The New Orleans Police Department is so hopeless that Mayor Nagin asked the governor for more National Guard troops in June, 2006 — less than a month after he was re-elected for a second term!
Mayor Ray Nagin needs to be recalled and to do it they need 101,927 valid signatures of registered voters on a recall petition. Hey while they ‘re at it they should do the same to the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. Wouldn’t that be sweet.
Posted: 0312PST 01/13/07
autone.wordpress.com
An Angeleno's View of the World 
But, but, it has to be Bushhilterhalliburtons fault! It can never be the fault of the violent welfare titsuckers!
No wait! It has to be someone elses fault! It simply could not be the fault of the denizens of the chocolate utopia of that useless twit Nagin! That’s right, it’s the swamp gas from the rot of the ruins of the 9th ward that made them do it! Yeah!
If we took a look at all Cities now being governed by incompetent liberals,you will find Cities that are mostly slums.Crime is prevalent and corruption dominate.The only deciding factor is LIBERALISM.
What? Not a direct “blame Bush”? Oh, wait, W was directly responsible for Katrina, so it is that after all.
To Janiphx – don’t you think your drowing in generalizations.
Here is a great example of how we are spending billions in Iraq and just th emoney that was stolen or misused could be put to good purpose in New Orleans. I have been on the fence about rebuilding New Orleans and was leaning to the not rebuilding due to the likelihood of a flooding recurrence if another Hurrican level 4-5 comes through. The Engineers are not rebuilding stronger levees by the way, but merely putting them back to the inferior and inadequate pre-Katrina status. Maybe the government should probably reclaim “New Orleans” (whatever that might mean) in a major eminent domain action. Then, something should be done by combining the insurance and government funding. I see insurance situation like this:
1. Those owners of homes/businesses who did not carry any property insurance should be not compensated for anything but the land.
2. Those owning homes and businesses and carried coverage for both flood and property damage should be fully covered by the insurance and then compensated by the government for the land value.
3. Those owners who lived in a designated flood zone yet failed to carry flood insurance, only carrying property insurance is a problem with regard to liability – it’s hard to apportion the damage, but that is what is called for. Then the land again would be bought by the government.
4. Those owners who carried all the insurance that was recommended and did not live in a designated flood zone is the big problem. The insurance and the government should be required to pro rate the costs of the damage caused by the flood and then the government would buy the land.
Land value is not generally covered by oridnary or flood insurance. I am not aware of the insurance that could cover land value in these cases, maybesome kind of toxic waste situation may be out there.
The government should immediately file a class action against any insurers failing to timely pay valid claims and subject the carriers to punitive damages.
It was not hard to predict there was going to be bigger criminal problems give that criminals were there already as evidenced by the shooting at the actual victims, as well as the doctors, police, and other first responders trying to save lives during the hurricane. The hurricane just attracted like kind to the area. It’s disgusting.
To use the phrase (forgive me)
WATER SEEKS ITS OWN LEVEL
You could put the entire national income in New Orleans and nothing would change unless you get rid of the age old corrupt political system in the entire state of La.
The money stole/misused in Iraq wouldn’t match the money stolen/misused by the dhimmi’s in La.
Give it a rest libbies. You’ll have to dig to come up with one honest politician in La or for a fact in the United States. Hasn’t watching the comedy since the election taught you anything? The entire dhimmi party is either inept of criminals. The past week was the best comedy in history by the congress and it will only get better. I’m staying out of D.C., the Klingon’s might excape from the white house with the help of congressman Wu Wu.
yup its all about the mayor. George “doing a heckava Job Brownie” Bush had no mistakes to pay for in this disaster.
Last time I checked, when a natural disaster affects multiple states on the scale of hurricane katrina, it’s a federal issue. The notion that Anderson Cooper could get to the Superdome, but President Bush couldn’t get the National Guard there to restore order or even drop off food, is absurd. The fact that we’re in IRAQ right now is the reason for the multi-week delay, and that explains why it took three or four weeks to get even minimal national guard participation.
Do you people even believe in “accountability” for the President? Or is it only when the opposing party controls the White House that you want them to pay for their ineptitude?
Steven – Your argument might be more credible if you were to weave a few facts into it.
First, concerning your statement that the President waited to long to deploy the National Guard into New Orleans to restore order or drop off food. In reality, he does not have the right to federalize and authorize the actions you are suggesting unless we are invaded – here is a pretty good article the National Guard Command and Control.
http://www.intel-dump.com/posts/1126296246.shtml
If you take the time to read the post you will see that it was in fact the responsibility of the governor of LA to marshal the troops.
Second, your assessment of why it took so long to order the National Guard into New Orleans is based on the notion that there were simply not enough available troops due to activations to support the Iraqi conflict. The fact is that roughly only 1/3 of the LA NG troops were deployed at the time of Katrina. Within 24 hours of the disaster 7,500 NG troops began deploying to the affected region.
http://www.nationalreview.com/robbins/robbins200509020719.asp
Third, discussing culpability of the President for the in the Katrina disaster is a bit more complicated than “Hey, send some people and some stuff there and fix it”. Two days before Katrina made landfall, President Bush declared a State of Emergency. The following day FEMA began to move stockpiles of supplies into the region but outside the threat zone. Really no use to put all of the materials into the devastation and have it accidentally destroyed. After that it was a bit of a waiting game and haggling with the governor who wanted to maintain control of the troops and situation. After the request was finally made it had to be processed though the proper agencies and channels – cumbersome but those are our laws to ensure checks and balances.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-09-07-katrina-responsibilities_x.htm