Comments on People Get Ready: The night out against the Night Out Against Crime

yeesh! Good thing I was out of town--if I'd gone, ...

2006-08-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

yeesh! Good thing I was out of town--if I'd gone, I'd've had a stroke AFTER I went all G Bitch on everybody. And we wonder why depression and suicide rates are skyrocketing? I didn't lose anything (but my job for 2 months) and I am ready to be committed.

Give 'em hell, Schroeder!

The youtube system limits video to 10 minutes and ...

2006-08-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

The youtube system limits video to 10 minutes and 100 megs.

The videos I uploaded this AM are all at about that length.

You really are a geek Karen. I don't know -- is th...

2006-08-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

You really are a geek Karen. I don't know -- is that true? Well they could have done two 12 minute pieces, or two 10 minute pieces ...

Or how about doing the thing on a Saturday and Sunday, with opportunities to see the presentations a couple of times. Or a recorded presentation for passersby to view if they want and then ask questions.

Lots of ways to do this differently, and I'm just coming up with sh*t off the top of my head. I'm sure "planners" could come up with some great ideas if they actually gave it some thought (if not, maybe we need fewer planners in the process, and more citizens).

Not being a real geek, I have to ask the question?...

2006-08-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Not being a real geek, I have to ask the question? What is the length of a YouTube Video,is it not 12 minutes? What is the length of the Planner Presentation? 12 minutes...

Oh, and I meant to add: In Mid-City we are pursuin...

2006-08-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, and I meant to add: In Mid-City we are pursuing getting help from UNOP simply because it seems foolish not to get all the technical assistance we can. I still see our planning effort as belonging to us, the community of neighbors, not to Lambert or UNOP or anyone else.

No, I didn't retype, that's a straight copy and pa...

2006-08-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't retype, that's a straight copy and paste from e-mail. I figure since Lambert's being paid for this work with public money there's no ethical question in sharing this missive. Indeed, I'm just helping him get his message out. He should be paying me! And you!

"What if their work sucks?" Yeah, I worry about this too. We still haven't seen a written report from our assigned planner. Come to think of it, I believe he said we'd have it by now.

Wham bam thank you maam!Wow -- that's pretty amazi...

2006-08-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wham bam thank you maam!

Wow -- that's pretty amazing!

Wouldn't it be interesting, though, if for the sake of inspiring integrity in its own ethics, Lambert backed away from the City Council's noncompetitive appointment, and submitted itself to a competitive selection process to turn in a unified plan?

I know, they're probably too far along at this point. But what if their work sucks?

Did you hand type the letter? There are a couple of typos.

Thanks B.

Oooo ... I love shiny objects. Maybe they should throw beads too.

Schroder, I thought you and your readers might be...

2006-08-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Schroder, I thought you and your readers might be interested in this letter from Paul Lambert, distributed via e-mail.

Dear Friends,

We are now entering the last stage of meetings during the next 30 days in the City of New Orleans’ Rebuilding Plan Process and it is extremely important that every resident of the city participate at this stage as the neighborhood project, policy and investment priority list for implementation and funding is finalized. All meetings will be noticed in the Times- Picayune, and other local media outlets and a detailed meeting schedule by neighborhood is available on the planning team web site www.nolanrp.com. A schedule of meetings in Baton Rouge, Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas to obtain the input of displaced residents will be available Monday August 7, 2006.

Through the years working in New Orleans and leading a series of highly charged projects, I have always admired the passion New Orleanians have for this world-class city. Your deep love for New Orleans is stronger than every, and is an inspiration to people across the world.

In March of 2006, my firm was honored to accept the challenge to serve as an integral part of New Orleans’ renaissance and rebuilding. We were unanimously selected by the New Orleans City Council to work with you to develop neighborhood plans in order to bring New Orleanians home. Already, 10’s of thousands have participated in neighborhood planning sessions to repair and revitalize New Orleans, and these meetings and exchange of ideas continue in all flooded neighborhoods. Because I realize that you already have a great deal to cope with, we also want to take this opportunity to add clarity to a process that has become unnecessarily blurred by politics.

Lambert Advisory and our team of local and national planners are working on behalf of the residents of the 49 flooded neighborhoods in the city. We have gathered your input, considered your unique issues, and we are nearing completion of a neighborhood- by-neighborhood recovery plan that will be submitted by the end of the summer to the city planning commission and city council.

I am confident that the plan we have devised together will meet with your enthusiastic approval. Once it does, it should immediately be submitted to State and Federal funding agencies to spur the release of significant funding for neighborhood projects. It cannot and should not wait for the fledging Unified New Orleans Plan which the principal organizers have indicated will not be ready until late spring, 2007.

I am particularly distressed that we are receiving multiple inquiries from residents who have apparently been led to believe that if they do not select a planner from the UNOP list; their neighborhood will not receive funding. This is patently false and an abuse of community trust. You absolutely DO NOT need to choose a planner from the foundation’s list to obtain funding for projects and investments in your neighborhood. It would be foolish and wasteful if the Unified New Orleans Plan duplicate work already completed. Their capable planners would better serve New Orleans by helping plan for the 23 non- flooded neighborhoods we have not assisted, develop a CBD plan, and then further focus on planning for specific projects and specific industries that are so critical to the revitalization of New Orleans: the medical districts and corridors, retail and commercial districts, the working waterfront, a recreational lakefront and more.

Under the existing contract my company has with the City of New Orleans, I can assure you that the plans we have devised together will qualify for State and Federal funding. Our team works directly for the City of New Orleans, the entity which must submit plans to State and Federal funding agencies. Your continued participation at our planning meetings will only hasten the development of the plans, their approval and submission for funding.

Know that we will continue to stand with you in your fight to rebuild your lives and communities. On behalf of the New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Team I am,

Gratefully yours,

Paul Lambert

Managing Principal, Lambert Advisory

Good grief. This whole thing sounds perfectly awfu...

2006-08-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

Good grief. This whole thing sounds perfectly awful, Schroeder. No wonder Karen is all balled up. I would be too.

Your account of the Sunday meeting made me feel the chaos but this one seems like a cold slap in the face.

"Now they're going to have to admit to everyone that the whole point of the UNOP process is to once more assert the status-quo pre-Katrina power, class, and crony superstructure on emerging grassroots neighborhood organization efforts."

It has seemed to me, watching from afar, that this disaster might afford an opportunity to change that, and that new, less tainted, leadership could emerge from the ruins. Maybe not.

*sigh*

I've made note of same.

2006-08-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

I've made note of same.

I am going to spend the day in the fetal position ...

2006-08-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

I am going to spend the day in the fetal position sucking my thumb, when I grow tired of that I will try and figure out how to sell 3 Flooded Family Houses. As far as UNOP goes. There is no There There. We have smoke we have mirrors and a bright shiny penny that isn't even made of copper anymore.

I was trying to count heads of the people who are employed in this process. Certain folks that may have made a big noise now are on the payroll

Smoke....Mirrors...Shiny Penny