I saw an article last week that said that business in New Orleans are having to close early and on some days because they can't find enough help...
They say they are paying very high salaries for busboys, waiters, waiteress...etc...but, can't find employees...
SOOOOOOOO...why aren't these people that can't pay for their own propane, lining up in the streets for these jobs??
A neighbor of ours was born in New Orleans and lived there for years. She returned to visit family last month and said that Burger King and McDonalds were offering a $6,000 signing bonus if an employee stays for six months.
I read that it was lack of housing and transportation that prevented refugees from returning to NO and taking those jobs. The FEMA trailers provided them, they say, are too far away across the river for them to get to work. There is free ferry service across the Mississippi River, and the jobs are right there on Bourbon St. et al.
There is no housing available in the NO area. Some business owners have even allowed their workers to live in their own homes.
That's the same question I had.
I also recall reading a while back that Nagin wasn't too happy that Hispanics were coming in and taking a lot of the jobs that he felt should go to the good folks of NOLA. Guess he didn't think to ponder why his people weren't showing up for work and the Hispanics were.