[NormsRevenge]

Can somebody paste Looter Guy on this one? Thanks! 8-)

PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2006 Woody Penouilh Jr. of the Treme Brass Band walks past the repaired Industrial Canal levee after participating in a 'remembrance walk' through the Ninth Ward in memory of those who lost their lives during Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 29, 2006. Many lost their lives due to severe levee failures throughout the metro area. REUTERS/Sean Gardner

[wideawake]

"I love New Orleans and always will," said Jones, 39, who now works at a hospital affiliated with Duke University. "I could have made a go of it there, but it would have been slow and arduous."

Then that's not love, Jonesy.

[King Moonracer]

I thought the brains drained out of NOLA years ago. Thats why its a Dumbocrap plantation.

[bcsco]

Less than half New Orleans' pre-Katrina population of 455,000 has returned.

Well, duh. Why return to a city built below water level with the World's largest river on one side and a very large lake on the other? It may well come to pass that the only ones remaining will be those who can't live off the dole Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco provide.

[stevem]

If Mayor Nagin is a manifestation of the brain power extant in New Orleans, I submit the city din't have far to fall.

[AbeKrieger]

This is a pre-Katrina headline.

Had there been brains, there would have been evacuations.

[Condor51]

I could be wrong, but I believe the 'brain drain' occurred in 1801 when Spain 'gave' N.O. back to the Frogs.

(and I bet Napoleon is laughing his butt off now on how he screwed Jefferson by dumping that hellhole on us)

[cowtowney]

I think ‘brain drain’ in New Orleans is when the Tulane basketball team goes to an away game.

[RedBeaconNY]

Tulane University has been actively trying to recruit me to their school over the past year... I keep telling them 'no.' They don't seem to get it.

[R.W.Ratikal]

Of course Mayor Nagin's press conference at which he said he wanted New Orleans to be a city strictly for blacks did not do anything to attract producers, business people and others who would pay taxes and contribute to the community.

Such racial hatred as that displayed by the mayor only slows down the return of responsible people. Of course Nagin was easily re-elected. Most voters in NOLA are Democrats and black and so they voted for Nagin.

It's hard not to conclude that blacks in Louisiana prefer their representatives to be racists and crooks. (Congressman Jefferson (D-LA), who was caught taking a bribe, was also re-elected. Jefferson's sin was to get caught taking such a small bribe.)

The billions of taxpayers' dollars that went to NOLA has been squandered, stolen or misspent. The tremendous amount of money sent to NOLA was its main chance to recover.

New Orleans will no doubt recover some days but it will not be the same NOLA it was BK (Before Katrina). The sense of history, of old New Orleans, the legacy of jazz and all that was unique has gone forever.

[dangus]

I thought Narlin's problem was not ENOUGH drains...

[hgro]

"New Orleans threatened by `brain drain'"

There actually was brains there at one time?

[ConservaTexan]

Whether a full-blown brain drain is under way is unclear. But some suspect so, and fear the exodus will only get worse.

From what I witnessed at the Astrodome (I volunteered after the storm) and what I have seen on television from the people and leaders of NO after the storm, if this brain-drain continues they should have a skull full in 1-2 more years.

[untrained skeptic]

Less than half the people returned.

Why are they making a big deal about the fact that about the same percentage of professionals did not return as did the rest of the population.

The article's own numbers confirm that there isn't a greater percentage of professionals that did not return as compared to other people.

Why do they act surprised that only 5 of 11 hospitals are now open when less than half the people returned.

They are trying really hard to make a point that their own facts don't support.

The AP should fire this idiot.

[Professional Engineer]

There's an assumption in this...

[pleikumud]

And meanwhile our elected congressmorons and the Bush administration are pouring billions of taxpayers' dollars into the drain.

[Laserman]

This is a joke right?!! Any town that would reelect Ray Nagin after his complete failure in Katrina obviously has NO brains to drain!

[pepsi_junkie]

Hmm, let's see. Federal government has pledged to rebuild New Orleans with umpteen billions in funds flowing in there over the next several years. City's professional ranks leaving. These two say that there will be a city with lots of cash floating around but few people to step up and take it.

In a decade I expect that we'll be seeing some fellow who figured out how to be the man who rebuilt New Orleans and consequently became a billionaire. Opportunities like this dont come along often, and are not for the faint of heart. But for the bold, the risk takers, well, this is a once in a lifetime chance.

[MaxMax]

Considering the corruption in the past, the crime then and now,
no price would be enough. I'd be safer working for KBR in Iraq. Unarmed..

[mrmargaritaville]

So much for the "choclate city".