Another one bites the dust...Van Jones, and chasing "treasure in Heaven"

I know, it's been a long time, but I've been busy gettin' full amid the clamor of restoring order in the new abode. So many things kept bogardin' their way into my consciousness over the last month, I thought my head would explode. I beg your indulgence as I go back and forth trying to get it all out.

What popped the proverbial cork this morning, was reading this HuffPo account of the "We-got-to-kick-your-ass-under-the-bus-my-brother" resignation of Van Jones, the Changeling's "Green Jobs' Czar" (what is it with this "Czar/Tsar" thing and the U.S. government??). And on Labor Day weekend no less!! Get it? Jobs' Czar - Labor Day? Never mind.

I just couldn't ignore all the shit that brought that one act to fruition (I tend to find interesting kernels in the distractions, what can I say). This is just a big ole Shepherd's Pie, bubbling with two dollops of "Karma's a b*tch" and "God don't like ugly," smothered with a thick, "For real, for real, I ain't your brotha, Brother" gravy and topped with a flaky, golden-brown crust of "The Struggle Continues!"

First of all, though I'd read and heard snippets of Glenn Beck's, "The Communist, Mr. Jones," I really wasn't paying close attention (his myopia just wears me the hell out). It wasn't until I made the ColorOfChange connection, that I was at once flooded with a wave of recognition followed closely by feelings of betrayal. Then, just as quickly, I was awash in what can only be described as schadenfreude. What? I'm human!

Okay, that might be a little melodramatic, but that's what it felt like. I absolutely loved the work Van Jones and James Rucker had been doing on behalf of Black people left to not only fend for themselves, being labeled as looters and refugees and then finally dropped off like a convict being released from prison with a few dollars and a see you later after Hurricane Katrina (nod to the 4th anniversary that just passed).

I absolutely loved how tirelessly they worked to try and help people get back home. As a matter of fact, it was following their site, their social activism in support of the voiceless, that inspired me to take my old ass down to New Orleans in 2006 to give the only thing I had to give to the effort (myself) -twice. Right is right and wrong is wrong - ColorOfChange was right on this one.

I fiercely supported them in this post, "Baisden & The Color of Change: Talk About Black-on-Black Crime!!!," back in November of 2007 when Michael Baisden tried to "re-route" Jena 6 donations to his own, hastily-formed-after-he-finally-got-a-damn-clue-about-exactly-what-happened-in-Jena organization by smearing ColorofChange with accusations of stealing previously collected money. Baisden was wrong on this one and ColorofChange had the proof - in black and white. I remember saying to myself, "Damn, for the first time in a long time, it seems we've got a Black non-profit actually doing non-profit work! No dippin' in the till or anything!" (I'm just playin')

But then, Jones and Rucker, et al spun the hell around, successfully bamboozling Black people into supporting the Florida & Michigan primary debacle - from supporting votes not being counted (mine being one of them), to strong-arming Black super delegates like John Lewis and members of the CBC to give us the damn Changeling! Yes, I felt betrayed.

I really coudn't wrap my brain around their support for this, "I'm-a-Black-man-only-when-I-need-to-be" candidate, particularly given both their very "for my people" track records. ColorOfChange was wrong on this one and since truth and the right thing is where I kinda like to hang my hat, I chalked it up to that First Black President Rapture and called it like I saw it in, Florida and Michigan Disenfranchisement, Super delegates - What's Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander back in February 2008. I've not looked their way since.

But then along comes Karma being the sho' nuf something else that it is, bringing the Changeling who - after having tried out his newly acquired, "quid-pro-quo" super powers by giving Jones a position in the "Big House" - unceremoniously showed his ass the door when it looked like, à la Rev. Wright, real trouble might be a brewin' as a result of this Brotha (and Jarrett protege) speakin' out like a, ahem, BROTHA, who can truly bear witness, would be speaking out! Priceless!

Gustav, Katrina and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

As we watch Gustav barrel toward New Orleans on this, the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Mother Nature will most definitely exact the kind of accountability heretofore avoided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The fact Gustav's course is opposite the track taken by Katrina, may well expose further incidents of shoddy work done by USACE - or not. We'll see.
Sending my constant prayers to those in the path of this storm...

Paper rain, Paper rain...St. Bernard and 9th Ward STILL "Bastards of the Party"

This draft's been sitting for nearly a month now. Responding to his comment on my 4/30 post, I told Clifton over at Cliff's Crib, "I read how they used newspaper as fill in the levee repair in the 9th Ward – I plan to blog on that today because I need a damn break from this election game!" Well, I did take a break, but as that pesky thing called Life just kept happening, I took a break from all of it - not just the elections. But I'm back now. And after a little catching up, I'll keep moving forward.

The picture above was taken of me standing next to a "repaired" portion of the levee in the Lower 9th Ward during my 2006 volunteer trip to New Orleans. I remember saying to the person taking the picture, "Shit! This is only about twice my height! How much water will this hold back?" Seems that was only one of a couple, more important considerations about which I should have been asking. At least that's what my usual FeedBlitz email update from thinknola.com. said on April 29th. In that update, Alan Gutierrez posted one new article: "Truth Stranger Than Fiction: Army Corps of Engineers Building Levees out of Newspaper." What??!! He was talking about expansion joints - those dark, vertical lines neatly spaced across the floodwall in the photo above (don't some of them look wet?). Who knew?

After reading the post, the comments and following all the links (this April 24th link from a local television station, "4 Investigates: Floodwalls stuffed with newspaper?" had a pretty interesting video showing the actual newspaper, dated May 21, 2006, being pulled from an expansion joint), I just sat back and said, "What the hell else???" It didn't take long for me to get an answer. Two days later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) scrambled to publicly defend the "leak" (pun definitely intended) in this April 26th article in the Times-Picayune, "Corps explains newspaper's use in floodwall."

Okay, never mind the Corps used unlicensed contractors and paid them a huge chunk of taxpayers' money to do half-assed work. And never mind the Corps said there were only three gaps in which this newspaper-stuffing "repair technique" occurred - I just have to ask, "AND THAT'S OKAY??"

Really now, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in St. Bernard (thanks to MR-GO) and devastated the 9th Ward and it's really okay the three gaps were only in these areas? Jesus!!! Along with impeaching George Bush and indicting every damned member of his administration, can somebody revoke that immunity from prosecution USACE so enjoys so they can feel just a smidgen of the pain and discomfort New Orleanians are still experiencing? Okay I'll admit it -I grew up liking the "The Avengers!"

But as my grandmother used to say when I'd ask her if things would ever change, she'd say, "Yeah, if you sit dey long enuf, it sho' will" (she meant it could get worse if we do nothing). So can enough of us at least get up off our asses and demand that 8/29 investigation? I mean dammit!!

And just as I sat there long enough, here came something else. Hindsight is surely 20-20 isn't it? My earlier question about how much water this will hold back is haunting at best, particularly given this article: "Katrina-Battered New Orleans Levee Leaking." In my February 9th post, I said, "...picture this: You're 6ft. tall standing in a 2ft. hole of mulch. A 6ft. wall of water hits you. Where the hell would you end up? By the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' own admission, areas where the levees broke could not even have withstood storm surges of six feet, forget what Hurricane Katrina threw at them!" Now - more wet spots!

Given the fact outside experts stated in the article, "...the type of seepage spotted at the 17th Street Canal in the Lakeview neighborhood afflicts other New Orleans levees, too, and could cause some of them to collapse during a storm..." isn't it obvious that St. Bernard and the 9th Ward continue to be the pretty much neglected "Bastards of the Party" (you should really check out that documentary!)? USACE, FEMA and a lot of Americans have all just thrown them a bone, still not realizing that the state of their safety remains just as, or even more relevant today as on the day Katrina landed.

If the federal government doesn't own that fact and do something way more significant besides throwing good money after bad - we'll all be holding our collective breaths during this, and every hurricane season from here on out.

I chose not to expound on any of these stories because I'd really prefer you click on the links, read the articles and watch the video for yourselves. After you do all of that, come back and tell me - "it's all good." If you do, idealistic me will know exactly, the kind of "stuff" of which we Americans are made.

RIP Ashley Morris - Wish I Hadda Known You

As I read my weekly "FeedBlitz" update today, I didn't know. I didn't get it. I'd only known him through his contributions to "Ashley Morris: the blog" and "Got that new package." What a spirit! My prayers and protection to his wife and young ones. I will keep his blog on my blog roll because he was my kind of man! Alan Gutierrez paid such a tribute to Ashley today and it never occurred to me why (too tied up in my own shit, if I'm honest). Like Alan, I've decided. I don't really care what is thought of me (okay, I never really cared.). As in Ashley's "FYYFF" post, walk in my damn shoes. People like Ashley were part of why I felt I had to go to NOLA the first time - and why I went back again. I had no "real" money to donate to schools or hospitals or anything - just me - and a proud heart that understood. I gave what I could and I'm so damned glad I did. Ashley had a proud heart too - strong, vocal and unapologetic. The love for his city was alive and palpable. It made me jealous and wanting sometimes. He loved and believed not only in the "rightness of the thing," but he believed in being FROM somewhere, FROM something. For that, there's a place in my heart for him always. He touched a lot of damn people, make no mistake! To Hana - take care Chere.

"Kool-Aid Kids" Really Earning the Moniker

Perusing different blogs, I came upon this article on The Huffington Post, "Obama Skipping African-American Event, Stirs Controversy." I clicked on the title and read the article about the senator declining Tavis Smiley's invitation to attend the annual The State of the Black Union conference held in New Orleans this year. When I went back to read some of the comments, I could not believe the level of vitriol directed at Mr. Smiley from supporters of Sen. Obama. It was like I'd thrown a bloody piece of meat right in the middle of a school of sharks.

The animus expressed towards Tavis Smiley had me scratching my head wondering, "Why in the world can't Obama supporters be FOR their candidate on the issues without caustic attacks on those who may or may not be for him?" I thought "not tearing people down" was one of the keystones of his campaign.

I'd not heard anything about this tiff until I read it on HuffPo. After so many versions of what happened kept popping up - each one larger and larger, I tried to find out if Tavis had addressed it in his own words. And he did. Here's the link: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/tavis/021408.html. I offered it in my comment on HuffPo saying, "At least when you chew him up and swallow him whole, it'll be based on his own words. Whether you like him or not, believe in what he's doing or not, what's going on here is certainly not the best of us - or is it?"

I received an interesting comment to my comment from an on-the-fence Obama supporter. Here's the text:

"I for one am not an Obama supporter...yet, I prefered Edwards. And just looking at the link you posted makes my blood boil. Exactly where is blackamerica located? What is it's population; it's system of government? I checked the CIA factbook and couldn't find it. Apparently it's leaders appoint themselves and include all black people as it's citizens by default without there consent. Put I am quite certain that the present election is no being run to be the president of blackamerica. Besides from what I see it's a dictatorship anyway, always telling it's citizens what to think and do."

I firmly believe in everyone's right to have an opinion and this comment required I have mine. So I replied:

I posted the link as I said, because if you like him or hate him at least complain based on the straight story, not something you heard. Michelle Obama was never offered as a replacement speaker as everybody here keeps saying. That it made your blood boil is totally on you, it is what it is - his explanation.

You checked the CIA factbook - cute. Try the declassified FBI factbook then, there's plenty information there. Black America is in the neighborhoods being gentrified; it's in those stores where they're followed around like they're stealing and they just walked in; it's in those homes where there are two hardworking parents unable to earn a living wage but are accused of being slackers; it's in those homes where single, hardworking mothers are raising their children and being called welfare mothers or worse because there's no "father" in the home; it's in those neighborhoods where decent, affordable housing does not exist; it's in those places of employment where the often over-qualified are seen as affirmative action hires; it's in those places where the go-fast boat owners bringing in the drugs serve less time, if any, than the street hustlers they hire to peddle their dope; it's in those public schools in horrible states of disrepair with old books and 30-40 kids to a class at times; it's in those neighborhoods where Driving While Black will still get you pulled over; it's in those banks where my interest rate will be higher than yours though our credit scores and incomes are the same; it's in those churches which still are the most segregated places in America; etc., etc., etc.

But as has been stated over and over again, we are not a monolith. But it does include all those Black Americans of African descent whose common bond is the color of their skin. Don't misunderstand me, there are some of us who'd prefer to forget the least of us, but it includes them too, don't get it twisted.

There are leaders for some who feel the need for them. That is hardly Black-specific. That what you see is a dictatorship always telling it's "citizens" what to think and do is your right, however I submit that after hundreds of years of slavery followed by Jim Crow and James Crow Esquire, Black America has a right to want to tell their own stories, share their own insights and offer their own solutions just as the immigrants who came to America ON the boat rather than IN the boat.

I preferred Edwards as well, voted for him in my non-primary in FL. Why? Because he at least had the courage to publicly acknowledge all of the above without fear of retribution (though retribution is exactly the reason I feel he's watching this race instead of being in it) and demand accountability for the mistakes that have been made in this country (that demand thing didn't sit too well with the status quo). I agree with the poster who said there are no easy answers and no, a day-long conference will not solve all our problems, but let's not pretend that electing a Black man for president will either.

The comment, along with the hundreds posted under the afore-mentioned article, seems indicative of the thoughts of many of his supporters (and almost-supporters). I came away from their comments feeling they somehow think electing the senator will confirm the irrelevance of "Black America" and the issues many of us still face; like he'll magically stir us all up in that old "melting pot" and Voila! We'll have a nice bowl of soup with everything forgotten and nothing having been done about any of it.

First of all, I prefer a bowl of tossed salad to a bowl of soup any day. I kind of like the distinct taste and look that each of my ingredients brings to the bowl. And secondly? After Jim Jones, that Kool-Aid thing just ain't that great.

New Orleanians Deserve More than Sen. Obama's "Check's in the Mail" Speech

After having listened to Sen. Obama’s speech in New Orleans on Thursday, I came away from it with that “Check’s in the mail” feeling. He was, as usual, long on passion and ambiguity and short on accountability, facts and concrete solutions but he said all the things people with little or nothing want to hear. Hurricane Katrina was the catalyst for the disaster in New Orleans, but it was not the cause. The cause was two-fold: government destroyed wetlands and, government-built levees whose design, construction and maintenance were knowingly flawed. Fearing exactly what happened that horrible day in August of 2005, residents of New Orleans, particularly those in lower St. Bernard Parish, had been demanding the shutdown of the man-made navigation channel – the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (NOT affectionately referred to as MR-GO) - which connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Port of New Orleans' Inner Harbor Navigation Canal in eastern New Orleans since 1989. Constructed by (you guessed it!) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in 1965, its excavation, construction and maintenance (mainly dredging) had a devastating, environmental effect on the virgin wetlands of St. Bernard Parish - wetlands which NATURE provided as a barrier against tidal surge from storms and hurricanes. But of course, MAN came along and (read - “dollar bills ya’ll”) decided that the 40-mile shorter route through St. Bernard” promised a safer and more efficient passage to the Port of New Orleans than the Mississippi River.” I received this primer on MR-GO from an ex-lifelong resident of New Orleans back in September of 2006 when I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. As we stood on Shell Beach where the monument to Katrina victims of St. Bernard stands, he showed me how the channel had widened from the original 650 ft. to approximately 2,000 ft. since the construction of MR-GO. I need not go into the specifics about the levees again, but just picture this: You're 6ft. tall standing in a 2ft. hole of mulch. A 6ft. wall of water hits you. Where the hell would you end up? By the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' own admission, areas where the levees broke could not even have withstood storm surges of six feet, forget what Hurricane Katrina threw at them! The New Orleans primary is today and I have no doubt that Sen. Obama will win it (call it my profound understanding of the "twoness" of us Black folks). If he goes to Washington, I hope he’s got more in store for New Orleanians than “Check’s in the mail.” Though the Corps is legally "immune" from prosecution or financial accountability for what has been lost, I hope he's got the cojones to use all this charisma and consensus-building to make them plug MR-GO and construct levees that will truly protect New Orleans.

To the Democratic Candidates: "Will You Support the 8/29 Investigation?"

I just had to post this video. A classic "fox guarding the hen house" observation by some high school students!

"No Way Out" for NOLA means No Way Out for Us

Sitting here watching the CBS 48 Hours Mystery program, "No Way Out," about the trial of the Manganos who failed to evacuate St. Rita's Nursing Home in St. Bernard Parish where 35 elderly people drowned as a result. As I watched, memories of homes I helped gut in the parish back in 2006 came rushing back and all I could think was, "Still no way out for New Orleanians."

Council for the Manganos said that but for the failure of the levees, those 35 people would have survived this "man-made" disaster. All the deaths were attributed to the negligence of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - never mind the Manganos' reckless decision not to evacuate though there were buses ready and waiting to help. He'd made the perfect argument and he knew it, the jury agreed. Mr. and Mrs. Mangano were absolved of all criminal responsibility for the horror of St. Rita's. No judicial way out for the victims' families.

Now, this past Wednesday, Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. dismissed the Katrina Canal Breaches Consolidated Litigation. As it turns out, the U.S. government (read USACE) is "immune" from legal liability for the devastation in New Orleans. So, again - no way out. No governmental agency will ever be held responsible for what happened in New Orleans then, or for what is happening there now. As a country we should be ashamed.

ColorOfChange.org circulated an email just before the last round of debates asking members to vote for the Katrina question" (sorry, after I voted I deleted the email so I cannot provide you with the exact wording) to be asked of both the Democratic and Republican candidates during the debates. The idea was if enough people voted, the question about what will be done about New Orleans would get asked and hopefully answered by the presidential hopefuls. I didn't watch the Republican debate (already know how they felt about Katrina - the Shrub fly-over said it all for me) but I did watch the smarmy Democratic debate and I don't remember hearing "the Katrina question" mentioned - at all.

What happened to New Orleans forever changed me. And as we stand, knocking at the door of what is inarguably the most historic, democratic presidential run in history, I expect - no, I demand, that the candidate who gets my vote has been similarly changed, and even more, realizes the need to do something life-changing about it. Why? Because, New Orleans is a microcosm of the world in which we live. The rightness of the thing trumps everything else. All this bullshit about vote for Obama because he's Black or vote for Hillary because she's a woman means absolutely nothing to me. What they intend to do for New Orleans matters to me because in my mind, as New Orleans goes - so does the country. And the sooner we all realize that, the better off we will be. And if we don't, there will be no way out for any of us.