Young Professionals Devoted to Restoring NOLA to its Former Glory

FOX ^ | 08/30/07 | Maggie Linebeck

[Froufrou]

A few years back, the big acronym was "DINK," for "double income, no kids." In New Orleans, it's “YURP, “ for "Young Urban Recovery Professionals." It's a small but growing trend in the population here in New Orleans — young professionals who have moved to the city after Katrina to help it rebuild and grow.

It didn't start as any kind of organized movement, but a group called "NOLA YURP" estimates there are at least 5,000 of these young people in the city. They range in age from 21 to 35 years old and come from all walks of life — they may be accountants or attorneys or architects. Some are young people who are from here. They may have gone to college out of state and decided to settle someplace else. Now, many are finding their way back home to help their family and their city.

But there's another segment of YURP who have no filial connection. NOLA YURP director Nathan Rothstein says it's a common story. In the two years since Katrina hit, many college students had the opportunity to visit New Orleans on Spring Break volunteer trips. They saw a real need. Then, once they graduated, these same kids decided to relocate to New Orleans.

Why do these young people come here? Rothstein says many feel like they can have the most impact in New Orleans. They can really make a difference here. They can directly help people who need it and also feel like they're a part of rebuilding a great American city.

[massgopguy]

What glory? The place is so corrupt, the last honest citizen there was a pirate.

[Malsua]

What, they bringing murderers and thieves in rotating shifts?

[Red Badger]

We’ve sunk what, a BILLION DOLLARS into that rat hole and they still need more? Hell they could build a whole new town inland......

[Beckwith]

They better hurry - - the barometers dropping.

[Froufrou]

True. One student’s letter read aloud on Clear Channel yesterday said that ‘10 years after, the police force will be honest and uphold the law.’

But, with Louis Farrkhan headquartered there, I don’t hold much hope for their improvement.

[Beckwith]

Please add your own apostrophe - - thanks.

[WatchOutForSnakes]

This isn’t addressed to you but to everybody in general. This is a good story with young people willing to help. Young people trying to make a difference in a region. Why the immediate negativity? Why the immediate, unrelated slams at N.O. and Louisiana? I for one am grateful to them for moving here and trying to help. Let’s at least give them a chance.

[DancesWithBolsheviks]

Lots of federal money coming in. Social services consumption has decreased (sorry Houston). Old decaying buildings and infrastructure will be replaced. Sounds like an opportunity.

[Red Badger]

An opportunity for corruption to blossom and flourish.............the old power structure is still there. Even A hurricane couldn’t blow that away............

[DangerDanger]

“Why the immediate negativity? Why the immediate, unrelated slams at N.O. and Louisiana? I for one am grateful to them for moving here and trying to help. Let’s at least give them a chance”

I agree completely. The greatest victories are birthed in the depths of the greatest disasters. Give the YURPS a chance.

I visited New Orleans five times pre-Katrina, and one time post-Katrina. NOLA’s not for everyone, but then again neither is Witchita or Boise or Little Rock. However, The French Quarter is THE place to be if you like your life and food a bit spicy. IMHO, it’s the greatest section of any city anywhere in America.

[RoadKingSE]

They better hurry - - the barometers dropping.

Man the boats YURP's!!

[jdlh8894]

This guy gets it. Believe it or not this came from DU.1696378, Katrina, Katrina, Katrina Posted by ronald2914 on Thu Aug-30-07 09:20 AM As a 7 year resident of Louisiana one only has to LIVE HERE to see why New Orleans hasn't been built back, unlike the majority of those who keep harping on this issue. New Orleans won't be built back as it was (thank God for that) simply cause what is the point. Let's see let's spend a ton of money rebuilding a city that is in effect underwater with no guarantee it won't flood again. Yeah most businessmen want to invest in a place with those type of odds. In addition Louisiana is full of the most laziest, fattest, non working people the deep South has to offer. Hell it has taken them 6 months to replace a roof on one house near here and another 6 months for them to pave a mile of road, something that could be done in Texas in all of two days time. Now ask yourself 6 months to pave one mile, how many miles in New Orleans and why haven't they been built back. Let's dump more money into New Orleans, why so the crooked state politicians (a state ran better than most 3rd world dictatorships) can siphon it off for their own pet projects. However most of you are right Bush should have done more after the hurricane. What he should have done was place the sorry 3rd world hell hole of a "failed state" under Martial Law, installed the General in charge of the Post Katrina Clean up (a Native of Louisiana by the way) as governor, got rid of the stupid Mayor, instituted a dusk to dawn curfew. Then everyone on the state welfare rolls should have been told, want your checks here's a mop, broom and bucket go clean up your own city and state, seems to me there is a whole city that needs rebuilding down there, so why are most in New Orleans complaining "we can't find work" when jobs exist all over the city. They can't find work cause they might actually have to get off their obese butts and actually do something for the money they earn. Then like some foreign country when they showed some improvement slowly given the state control over their finances and government. The only mistake Bush and the Federal Government made was allowing Louisiana politicians to maintain control over the very state they put in such a piss poor condition to handle a major disaster to begin with. New Orleans is the 4th largest sea port in the country, meaning they have warehouses like crazy in New Orleans, yet how many of those warehouses were stocked with food and water beforehand (I mean they had 200 years of "hey one day you might face one hell of a storm" warnings) before Katrina oh that's right they had to have some place to store those Mardi Gras floats. When you have a city that is built underwater, who's priority is more one of getting drunk and having a party than it is maintaining a quality of life for it's people, and a disaster strikes well then. Trust me New Orleans and Louisiana were a "DISASTER" long before Katrina, it just took the hurricane to lift the veil and let the rest of the country see what folks living here knew all along. Louisiana is the 3rd world of the US.

[jdlh8894]

Sorry about the non-paragraphs.

[Froufrou]

I understand and applaud your optimism. Please understand:

Some of us from host cities, myself included, have had unpleasant firsthand experiences with evacuees and this leaves a bad impression of the NOLA people in general.

But I posted this for the ‘goodness’ you saw in the article, not for the purpose of badmouthing the lazy few.

It’s been said there are four unique cities in America. Yours and mine are two of them. I therefore can’t help thinking of NOLA as a ‘sister city,’ regardless of the bad eggs I witnessed here after Katrina.

[DancesWithBolsheviks]

Wow. Democratic Underground huh?

[jdlh8894]

Well, it was only his 2nd post so he’ll probably be gone before the day is over.

[CajunConservative]

http://www.new995fm.com/cc-common/mainheadlines2.html?feed=209149&article=2502729

[Froufrou]

I love that place. Hubs and I almost bought a timeshare on our first trip. Would have, had it not been for the Napoleanic code!

[half-cajun]

What’s your city?