Nagin nails one

Our levees withstood Gustav with Category 3 storm surges and Category 2 winds. Clearly, this is not sufficient. Our community deserves a flood protection system that allows us to feel secure in the face of storms, rather than dealing with frequent evacuations.

The rest is just the usual bullcrap.

Losing

City demolition continues unabated.... accelerated, in fact, by the Mayor's "Gustav state of emergency" order to abolish review of the demolition permitting process. And while I think it's very cute that the kids tend to get some of their indignant complaint letters read these days, I think that we're finding the indignant letters of the internet age are just as easy to ignore as the indignant letters of olden yesteryear. Welcome to the new age.

But which Tier were they in?

Mandatory evacuations cost people money. Very often the expense exceeds people's disposable income. If the government is going to force people to spend money they don't have, it should plan to compensate them when they return. If the government is going to arbitrarily force some people to stay away longer than necessary, then we might be talking about punitive damages.

Of course, according to the Mayor, none of this would be a problem if we all worked in the hyper-lucrative food prep industry.

Quote of the Day

NOPD Spokesperson:

Despite conflicting reports, that location is closed, according to state Department of Social Services spokeswoman Cheryl Michelet. There is only one site open in New Orleans today, she said, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which began taking applications at 8 a.m.

Lines at that location began forming around 1 a.m., and for a brief time around 7 a.m., police officers were sending people away from there as well, telling them to report to the New Orleans Public Library Branch at Tulane and Loyola avenues. That site has never been on a list for food stamp distribution, and it was unclear why the police believed it would be open. However, the public library has never been one of the sites listed by the Department of Social Services either on the Web site or by Michelet.

"I don't where (the officers) got that information from," said Bob Young, New Orleans Police Department spokesman. "All we are involved in is crowd control."

The lesson: Never trust the police. Also... any minute now, I'm expecting Library administrators to call this NOPD-generated incident a library "customer service" problem and sign everyone up for another day-long seminar.

Update for the commenting kids: The football post. It's coming... trust me. We're still a bit behind schedule around here.

Priority 1 and Priority 1A

When I got back to town Wednesday evening (in proud violation of the Mayor's stay-away-til-midnight order) I, like most people who had been unnecessarily frightened from and then obnoxiously kept out of their homes, had a lot of unexpected chores to deal with. I also... again, like most returnees, I'm sure... had two particular questions on my mind I wanted answered.

Before I left Nashville, I said that Priority 1 would be figuring out exactly how the "tier" reentry system was devised, why it wasn't widely publicized prior to evacuation, and if it was, in fact, even legal. I failed to mention that Priority 1A would be finding out who was stupid or irresponsible enough to leave yet another unsecured barge (and 69 other vessels as it turns out) adrift in the Industrial Canal during a hurricane. Thankfully, WCBF is already on the case of Priority 1A... and with much more fascinating detail than any other published report thus far.

Yellow Blog will re opened soon too

Sorry to disappoint, but the housekeeping duties both at home and at work have been putting a crimp in things over the past few days. First, there was no power, then there was cleaning to do, then there was a fridge to re-stock, then there was a football game to attend (more on that soon), now there are lots and lots of books to shelve. You know the drill. We'll be back later with more football lowlights and evacuation complaints.

Power is back up

This morning when I saw an Entergy truck driving the wrong way up one-way Carondelet Street, I knew something was up. Sure enough we're finally back up here at Yellow Blogging world headquarters. The load gets backed up pretty quickly when you're without internet access for two whole days. I've got about a hundred emails to read, a ka-billion news feeds and blogs to check on, pictures to upload, and... something to do with the Tweeter Tube, and, of course, a shitload of complaining to do. So naturally I'm running right back out of the house to mess around and get something to eat.

More later.

Have fun storming the castle

This morning Orleans parish is the only place in Louisiana still attempting to restrict reentry. So far I'm hearing conflicting things about who can get through and where. The bottom line is this is all ridiculous and I'm going home no matter what. Leaving Nashville in a few minutes. Will try and Tweet from the road.

By the way I pretty much hate Twitter as an evacuation tool since I can't get any information from it until I get somewhere with an internet connection... and by that time I might as well just read the freaking news.

Breaking the contract

T-P's James O'Byrne:

Under Louisiana law, it is still legally not possible to forcibly remove people from their property and make them leave in advance of an approaching storm. So every evacuation becomes an implicit contract between the officials and the public. You tell us the truth, and the risks as the scientists and forecasters see it. We'll try to make good decisions for the sake of our families.
When that contract is broken, as I believe it was in the case of Gustav, then the tradeoff is that fewer people leave the next time

There's much more. I'll sign off on every single line of it. This really does call for a major class-action lawsuit against every lying official who was in on this unholy business of lying to and subsequently dismissing the citizenry as if their lives and finances were unimportant... as if they were children unable to make grown-up decisions based on accurate information.

Many people who cannot afford to miss a few days of work much less pay for the gas and lodging expenses of this evacuation have lost a great deal of money. Some have lost their lives. Many more will likely lose their lives when they understandably ignore the non-credible warnings of the liars in charge of calling the next actually necessary evacuation.

This is unacceptable. It demands an answer.

"Piss on ya"

As good a way as any to sum up the reentry strategy for Unnecessary Evac 2008

Authorities are strictly monitoring re-entry into Jefferson Parish, stopping all vehicles to ask for drivers' identifications and parish-authorized placards that were distributed before the storm.

The parish reopened today at noon for first responders, emergency medical staff and local business people who registered and received Tier 1 and Tier 2 placards.

About 20 cars and their hot, increasingly frustrated drivers waited on the shoulder of U.S. 90, hoping they would get into the parish today even though they don't have official passes. Many had been waiting since early Tuesday morning, and several had strong words for Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard.

"Broussard wants you to jump when he says evacuate, but to come back, it's 'piss on ya!" said a frustrated Rodney Ory, who lives in Harvey.

When Broussard and Nagin ordered Unnecessary Evac 2008 they warned residents who chose to remain that they would be "on their own". As it turns out, those who decided to leave have been left on their own. How much longer can they expect people to sit out on the highway?

Update: Well here's your answer.

S

everal checkpoints in Jefferson Parish where returning residents had been stopped were removed late Tuesday.

Also, parish officials removed the sand barricade on Airline Highway at the Orleans Parish, allowing traffic to flow freely between the two parishes.

Parish President Aaron Broussard said Tuesday the parish would be reopened on Wednesday at 6 a.m. for all residents who had evacuated for Hurricane Gustav.

I'm guessing Orleans will wise up sometime tonight. When we get back to town item one on the agenda is reexamining this "Tier" system.

Well once again here we are.

Here's your latest parish-by-parish reentry info.

ORLEANS

Reentry: Announcement expected today.

Roadblocks have been set up...

As helpful as that isn't, this is even more fun.

JEFFERSON: Those with Tier 1 and Tier 2 placards are allowed back starting at noon today. Those are first responders and business owners who received reentry placards from the parish.

Parish President Aaron Broussard will make announcement at 5 p.m. today about return guidelines for other residents. If you are two days drive away, he suggests to begin repositioning yourself to within a one day drive back to the parish.

Never mind the "tiers". What happens if I am not found to be "repositioned" properly? Am I penalized for a false start?

Update: More bullshit from Orleans here. Here are your "Tiers":

City officials started allowing essential recovery workers back into the city Tuesday morning, she said. Categorized as Tier 1 under the city's re-entry plan, the group includes first responders, hospital and utility workers, government contractors and subcontractors that provide critical services and volunteer rescue and response organizations.

The city is still working on logistics with the state to bring home residents who left town on state-chartered buses through the city's free evacuation program, she said. That process should happen before week's end, she said.

The city likely will open Wednesday morning to Tier 2 workers, including employees of building supply companies, medical supply companies and financial institutions, Quiett said. Tier 3 personnel, including gas station operators, grocers and other retailers could get in by Wednesday afternoon, she said.

Quiett stressed that residents not carrying placards issued by the city to companies and organizations that requested priority reentry will not be allowed beyond checkpoints being manned at all roads into the city by Louisiana National Guard soldiers and state troopers.

When was this ridiculous system publicized? Is it even legal? At least those of us familiar with the way anything in the city operates can rest assured that it is not being implemented very effectively. If I weren't tired of driving I'd be on the way home now. I'm going back tomorrow.

Gonna have to fight our way back in

I can't say this any better than Varg. Just go read him. This entire exercise has been about everyone's interest but yours, New Orleans.

Update: Huck also has this diagnosed correctly. Local pols learned one lesson from Katrina: Become better liars.

Tired... headachy

After much distress, we ended up thankful to spend the night in a clean room in Livingston, Alabama last night. We finally made it to Nashville this afternoon where we watched the world mercifully decide not to end this time.

As anyone who glances at the post below can tell, I'm obviously pissed. I've got a long shit list involved here which includes... just about every local political official (names to be named later), the State of Mississippi, CNN, MSNBC, The Weather Channel, every weather-person involved in the Gustav forecast who isn't named Bob Breck (Breck was the only one to get it exactly right. Much more on this later), the guy who stayed in the room next to us last night, Alabama drivers, and whoever is responsible for leaving yet another barge in the Industrial Canal during a hurricane.

But this is not the time. I may be pissed, but I'm also incredibly thankful. I'm thankful that... while Gustav has caused much loss of life and property in Louisiana... the no longer unthinkable catastrophic events of three years ago were not repeated. Labor Day weekend in New Orleans will forever be a time for us to meditate on those events. This year that exercise became more involved, more costly, and more exhausting than any of us had planned.

Relief, exhaustion... anger somewhere... but mostly just a blinding headache right now. More when this finally ends.

Behind the count

Jindal claims here that the massive, politically motivated, forced, unnecessary evacuation has only killed 3 people. It's actually 7 now.

Update: Stop the presses, here's 6 more.

The evacutation WILL be Tweeter Tubed

Only able to send txt messages to Twitter from the road. Shutting down here and taking off.

Packed

The last time this happened I said I'd bring more of my stuff with me. But it looks from here that the only things I've done differently are

1) Pack a few more clothes.

2) Pack my cd collection.

3) Clean out the fridge.

Just opened a bottle of wine. We're going to get up in the morning and go towards Nashville. Just not much else to do at this point. I won't be able to update the Yellow blog for a few days if I'm on the road. Will update Twitter via txt message but that's about it. Be safe, everybody. We might still get through this okay. In fifteen minutes they're going to announce the Powerball winners. I'm feeling kind of lucky.

Nagin talking

At this point they are all saying what we've expected them to say all along. They want to make sure everyone is appropriately motivated to leave, sure. But they also want to make sure everyone heard them unequivoquably tell people to get out no matter what. That's fine. I've said all along that the time to decide what to do would be tonight or tomorrow. Right now it looks iffy but potentially very bad. We are packing right now.

Sightseeing

Uptown New Orleans is almost as much of a ghost town right now than it was during Ivan. We walked down to the Bulldog this morning to catch some of the LSU game. Got some pictures on the way back.



Set is here

Wacky crisis planning

This morning, the landlord left some plastic bags hanging on our door with the following letter.

Just a thought

There are STILL currently no tropical storms or hurricanes anywhere in the entire Gulf of Mexico.