New Orleans, LA

As we all know, Ray Nagin believes that the New Orleans murder rate is part of the city’s “brand”.

“It’s not good for us, but it also keeps the New Orleans brand out there, and it keeps people thinking about our needs and what we need to bring this community back,” he said. “Sure it hurts, but we have to keep working every day to make the city better.”

Well, as reported as that was, what is more disturbing is how the murder rate is viewed across the world. New Orleans’ life blood is tourism and a “brand” of murder is not good for anyone. Stories are cropping up across all of the many media about the crime rate.

From MSNBC, New Orleans murder rate on the rise again:

Last year, university researchers conducted an experiment in which police fired 700 blank rounds in a New Orleans neighborhood in a single afternoon. No one called to report the gunfire.

From Medical News Today, Already High Murder Rate Increased In New Orleans After Katrina:

“Compared with rates in cities of comparable size, murder rates in New Orleans have been substantially higher since at least 2004, and the disparity has been worsening since then,” the study’s author said. The comparable national murder rate in 2004 was 13.2 per 100,000 people, compared with 57.1 in New Orleans. Two years later, the calculated murder rate in New Orleans was 96.6 per 100,000 people - more than eight times higher than a projected comparable national average of approximately 11.9.

From WDSU, New Orleans’ Crime Increases In 2nd Quarter:

Overall violent crime has increased, according to the raw numbers. New Orleans is on track to lead the nation in homicides per capita for the second straight year. Slayings jumped 14 percent during the first six months, while armed robberies rose 44 percent over the first half of 2006.

From Detroit News, Crime holds back New Orleans:

“This is a city that’s very fragile. People are deciding every day their future. And the criminal situation is leading people out of this city,” City Council President Arnie Fielkow said at a heated July meeting in which city officials lashed out at Jordan.

These are all recent headlines and none of them look good for New Orleans. It’s time to do something about it. Nagin needs to leave office. With the racism in the city right now, I don’t see that happening. The Hat needs to leave office, he has already said that won’t happen. Blanco needs to crawl under a rock. Broussard needs to go away.

You know what the city needs? It needs to ban the politicians. Give them the boot. Chase them out of town. It seems to me, the city would be a better place in complete anarchy than being led by these idiots. Know what I mean?

LewisC

new orleans, crime, nagin, idiots