Posted on 10/24/2005 7:42:18 PM PDT by ncountylee
The rumors of the candidacy of former Orleans Council President Peggy Wilson for Mayor are now confirmed. In an interview with The Louisiana Weekly, Wilson confirmed that she had met with a group of consultants and has begun fundraising for a bid for the city's chief executive post.
Three months ago, the idea that a Republican, much less a white Republican, seeking the Mayor's office would have brought nothing but the proverbial "guffaws" of the impossible or quixotic. Yet, with a February election looming, and most of the city's population gone, perhaps permanently, the former Council President's quest seems less unlikely.
A large portion of Wilson's former Council District A, silk stocking Uptown, was relatively unharmed by Katrina, and the term limits advocate is one of the few Republicans with populist enough appeal to pick up white votes in the normally Democratic bastions of the French Quarter, Fabourg Marigny, and Algiers-areas that survived the storm with little damage or population loss.
Race, however, plays the dominant card. The recent post-Katrina survey done by the Red Cross shows, however, that at best 40% of the population of Orleans Parish will be Black by February. Perhaps even less.
(Excerpt) Read more at louisianaweekly.com ...
I am typing this from uptown New Orleans. I see no evidence of federal money for rebuilding. I do see people getting their insurance checks, I see people getting loans from local banks, I see people using their personal money.
Since you seem to know so much about New Orleans, tell me where is the tax money?
Federal monies are building that bridge to nowhere. Yep.
"Fine city" relatively speaking of course. :)
If you have been there for a while, you have seen evidence of plenty of federal money paying for troops to keep your home from being burned and/or looted. All those helicopters flying overhead [except for the privately hired ones that were landing in Audubon Park near Audubon Place] were federally funded.
As to federal funds for rebuilding, perhaps if you are a little more patient, the City will progress to that point.
That said, many FReepers have been agonizing over the situation in your city. We really care. You, as an individual, might engender a little more sympathy and understanding if you were a little more pleasant.
And she shouldn't be supported because of this?
She was pretty ineffective in her time on city council and on the levee board.
She probably worked harder than all the rest of the NOLA bureaucrats and cops combined.
All of these monies originated from donations (other people's contributions) and the initial federal aid package (about $10 billion or so) that was immediately passed by Congress.
Since you seem to know so much about New Orleans, tell me where is the tax money?
Given the infamous history of corruption of the Crescent City, I'd say the money has been urinated away already.
This is not quite fair.
New Orleans is a city with many, many problems ... some of them possibly insurmountable.
The French Quarter is only a few blocks of the City ... and it has changed from a residential area to an area of bars and teeshirt shops.
"Uptown", which includes the Central Business District, Lower Garden District, Garden District, Uptown, University area and Carrollton is an area which has a population with a higher rate of advanced degrees than the U.S. in general. The people are not only educated but, also, cultured and civic minded. This area did not flood but has been battered mercilessly. Other areas of the city have fared much worse than uptown ... they are not even marginally inhabitable yet.
I suspect that a lot of people are simply tired of hearing about New Orleans because the only things they are hearing about New Orleans are not very inspiring.
Anyone who has been housing Katrina refugees understands that they have gone through various predictable stages of denial, grief, ... and, now, we seem to be slipping into anger because of the long term frustrations experienced.
Many of the posts on Free Republic today would lead me to believe there is a full moon. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day!
I've heard rumors from Baton Rouge that Mitch (and perhaps Mary) Landrieu are thinking about changing parties to take advantage of the demographical shift in Louisiana, particularly in NOLA. What would y'all think about that, if true?
(this is just rumors I've heard, nothing to back it up with.)
Why are you commenting on an election you will not vote in?
We all have a right to comment on ANY election whether we will vote in it or not. Some bigeasy you are. Unsoak your head will ya?
That wasn't the poster's point. Their thesis was that because their tax money were paying for rebuilding, they had a right to tell me who the acceptable candidates were. This regardless of their knowledge of local issues, candidates, etc.
That said, many FReepers have been agonizing over the situation in your city. We really care. You, as an individual, might engender a little more sympathy and understanding if you were a little more pleasant.
That's funny that you would say that because I have seen only limited evidence, usually in a private message from a freeper who didn't even post on the thread. Generally, I have to hear about what a sh-thole New Orleans is, although I doubt any of them have any first hand knowledge of the city.
However, what I do see is the usual suspects showing up on these threads, contributing nothing except GOP talking points that are hardly relevant and twisting themselves into illogic defending George the Profligate.
I explained why I didn't like Wilson to Extremist's post with no animus whatsoever. Considering I am the only conservative in Orleans Parish, you would think I might know what I am talking about. However, he responded with the usual venom that comes when you don't tow the party line on this forum.
This rumour, said to be "all over Baton Rouge" was posted last night on nola.com.
Political opportunism would be nothing new for Louisiana or New Orleans, e.g. Hizzoner [Nagin] changing his party registration from Republic to Democrat to run for mayor.
These rumours, however, if true, would be carrying political cynism to new levels ... even for New Orleans and Louisiana.
Perhaps such an election would be a good time for a strong write-in candidate.
The Landrieu's are a crime family and will remain democrats. IMO
As the city is presently constituted, Mitch Landrieu cannot be elected mayor of New Orleans, regardless of party affiliation.
There used to be two of us! LOL
I, myself, have tried in thread after thread to play devil's advocate to help people to understand New Orleans or, at least make them stop and think.
There are no easy solutions ...
Anyone who re-elects that corrupt bastard Nagin, deserves everything he dishes out in the future.
There are no easy solutions ...
My parents spent their whole lives fighting the Good Republican Fight in New Orleans. New Orleans is truly a "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." I'd like to say I have hope for it now... But I'll have to wait and see.
LOL
G'night, All!
It's not about "towing the party line" and I'm not a Bushbot.
But you're against a woman who has a decent shot at winning mayor. Unfortunately, you don't like her just because she's "screwed" up on zoning codes or supported a bad mayoral candidate. BIG FREAKING DEAL. This is petty - you sound like a Dem accusing Republicans like DeLay & Rove of "crimes" that never existed while Dems have committed every crime short of serial killing.
Anybody - and that includes RINOs, moderates, and pro-abortion Republicans - is a better alternative than re-electing Nagin. If NOLA re-elects Nagin then I have spent my last dollars in NOLA. Yes, I've been there, and it stunk, literally and figuratively.
It's nothing of the sort. Since I live here, I know that large portions of the city need to be rezoned. Wilson is not the person to be in charge of that process. There are other reason not to support as well, but you wouldn't understand them because you don't live here.
Anybody - and that includes RINOs, moderates, and pro-abortion Republicans - is a better alternative than re-electing Nagin. If NOLA re-elects Nagin then I have spent my last dollars in NOLA. Yes, I've been there, and it stunk, literally and figuratively.
Where did I say I was voting for Nagin? That being said, if the election is between him and Mitch Landrieu, Nagin becomes a lesser of two evils choice. Kinda similar to the same way I held my nose and voted for Bush last November.
I've been to Wisconsin too. America's dairyland, my ass. More like America's wasteland.
No.
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