From an article in the Picayune about last night’s City Park board meeting, at which various groups spoke to the board about redeveloping the park:
Housing advocate Elizabeth Cook said she found it “appalling” and “obscene” to be discussing golf courses while thousands of New Orleanians remain displaced two years after Katrina.
I’m sorry, but two years down the road, I’m getting really sick of this argument. In fact, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and call it downright offensive.
First, we couldn’t have Carnival because people were still displaced. Then we couldn’t have JazzFest. Indeed, over the past 25 months, hotel developments, street fairs, and even Hurricane Katrina remembrance ceremonies have been criticized because they haven’t focused attention or resources on the displaced. Rather, they’ve encouraged those of us who live here to spend money on–gasp!–ourselves.
Well, that’s all beginning to sound very “grieving widow” to me. At some point, we kinda have to move on, right?
Now, before you start hammering out hate mail, please note: I’m not saying that we ought to forget about displaced New Orleanians. On the contrary, we ought to do as much as we can to bring them back–unless, of course, they’ve found cities with job markets and school systems and crime stats that trump those available here. But really, what’re the odds of that?
Still, for folks to badger present-day residents into forsaking every bit of personal pleasure in the meantime is…well, it’s quite possibly the most selfish thing I’ve ever heard. There are several hundred thousand people living in Orleans parish, and roughly a million in Greater New Orleans. Why does our quality of life have to be put on hold? When do we get to dance a reel and wear a red dress to the party, Jezebel? Sheesh….
And just for the record, I’m not an ogre. Nor am I a regular golfer (though I do enjoy playing when I have the chance). However, I ain’t no Queen Victoria, either: I can only take so much abstinence.
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