Welcome to 2 Cents for Nola

On August 29^th 2006, I found myself holding hands with ten other strangers on the lawn of the Provincetown Unitarian Universalist Meeting House. Exactly one year ago Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Standing in the rain some 1,600 miles away from corrugated cars, gutted homes, and homeless residents, I try to imagine what my first day in New Orleans will be like.

This September I am working at the Neighborhoods Planning Network(NPN). The organization’s mission is to create an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in rebuilding their communities. More succinctly, an organization whose purpose is to organize the neighborhoods in getting what they need. The website is still in its early stages yet I encourage you all to visit it: www.neighborhoodsplanning.com.

Before I leave for New Orleans, with my trusty compadre Matt Saldana riding shotgun, I am in the process of contacting the displaced Gulf residents living in Massachusetts. Ms. Barbara Abdur Rahim, from Children Services of Roxbury, is one of the chief handlers of the over 500 family cases that have relocated in Massachusetts. With her help I am attempting to connect with the displaced and offer the resources of NPN:

Compared to the 200,000+ people who have not returned to New Orleans it may be a drop in the bucket. Yet, I believe the lack of pro-active initiatives is what transformed Katrina from the worst natural disaster into the worst human disaster of our country’s history.

As this is my first entry into I will explain the purpose and objective of this blog. Today more than ever time is of the essence. With respect to news we often only have time for the first page of a newspaper article or a sensational report on national news. This blog is a resource for anyone who is interested in:

a.) The on-ground stories of New Orleans. From rebuilding to red beans &
rice, I hope to share with you a sliver of the personal side of life in New Orleans.

b.) Staying Informed. After visiting the Gulf Coast in March I came back and hurled my frustration around the dinner table. “Where was the news about the lack of progress,” I demanded. Perhaps near page A13 in the Globe or as an occasional 5 minute segment on T.V. Hopefully, my blog can keep the information in-depth & interesting. The Gulf Coast should never be out of sight and mind.

I am not a polished journalist and sometimes I may go way off on a tangent. Yet I hope that the spirit of what I say, not the semantics, convey the information (And I also hear Brian laughing from afar). Below is a piece I wrote which is my unscientific, totally personal opinion on a question being asked around the world.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my entries. Please make comments or questions.