HURRICANE KATRINA

The Saints are a pretty good miniature of the City of New Orleans.  Everybody believes, but for some reason things just don't always go right. 

Over all, I think the Saints are a lot less important to the city than things like education, but that's just me.

In my previous blog entry, I made some political statements.  Three out of the four people who actually read this blog wrote me to tell me that I was off base, so I changed it.  Thinking about it, though, I'll just say what I said in a different context and let it go at that. 

First, though, I'll give a good example. 

Here's an article from www.wwltv.com:

School board president believes delays in opening Orleans schools a plan for takeover

06:54 AM CST on Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Orleans School Board President Torin Sanders said he believes that delays in getting parish schools open are part of a plan to allow the state to take over the largely failing system.

Sanders accused the State Board of Education of purposefully trying to slow the opening of schools until legislation allowing the takeover can pass in the current special legislative session.

"I think there's been too much of a rush on a lot of levels to change our system and change our city without the input of its residents, most of whom are black and poor," he said.

Orleans is the only school system in the areas hit by Katrina that currently has no schools that are open nor any firm plans to do so.

Recent school performance scores showed that almost 90 percent of the parish’s school scores were below the state average, making them eligible for takeover based on Governor Blanco’s proposal.

Currently about 20 newly-formed charter schools are slated to open in either December or January, but those schools, while they will be public schools, won’t be under the direct supervision of the current board.

Sanders said that at least four schools on the east bank could open immediately and he urged that they be allowed to do so.

Tuesday the United Teachers of New Orleans filed suit against the board to force it to open public schools.

Sanders said he shares the group’s frustration.

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The New Orleans school system is - and has been for 40 years - a nearly total disgrace. The school board members change, but all these "leaders" simply are incapable of running a proper system of any kind. They continue to whine and complain to keep their authority while those they claim to represent huff and puff in support. Then, when it comes time to actually teach these poor kids, the parents who raised such a ruckus are nowhere to be found.  Parents need to realize they play a role in this too. The school system is not boarding school, although there seems to be a "the government will raise my kids, they are not my responsibility (unless more money for me is involved)" mentality which has helped to destroy this city. To make matters worse, most of the teachers in the system are poorly educated and unqualified to educate anyone. Just listen to them anytime they get an opportunity to speak - most cannot even speak proper English. The board is more vicious towards each other than soap opera characters. And they can't understand why the system is in shambles??? The system is in dire need of a takeover...but should the State really do that?  Is the State the answer?

I don't know, but it comes down to something that I really do believe.  The Democrats have run New Orleans since Reconstruction.  If they had such a great plan, the place wouldn't be an armpit in many respects.  Now while it's true that we've had our share of Republicans in office from time to time, for the most part the Democrats run New Orleans.  Check the numbers.  Remember this when it's time to vote. 

That isn't to say that I think we should vote just for Republicans, but we definitely have to get rid of these old dog democrats that have been stealing our money - and our futures - for a long time.

But I'm getting away from the point.  Here is a black man - Orleans School Board President Torin Sanders - who said, "I think there's been too much of a rush on a lot of levels to change our system and change our city without the input of its residents, most of whom are black and poor." 

Now, who is Torin Sanders?  Well, check him out: 

He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Howard University and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He also attended Union Baptist College Seminary. Pastor Sanders also holds a Master's of Social Work from Tulane University and has completed coursework for a Doctoral Degree at Tulane.

He is an adjunct professor at Southern University of New Orleans School of Social Work. He founded the New Orleans Family Empowerment and is the former Children's Bureau Program Director. He is also a former board member of Crimestoppers and Each One Save One and vice president of Volunteers of America. He is an Orleans Public School System Social Worker and was a Kingsley House Parent-Child center supervisor.

Wow!  That's one smart cookie!  The man obviously has a lot of things to his credit.

How is it, then, that he's stupid enough to want to keep in place a system that has - FOR 40 YEARS! - provided a substandard education to our children - "most of whom are black and poor"? 

Here's a hint:  he's a democrat.  So are all the rest of the board members...  There's something really strange going on here.

There, that's about all the politics I can stand for a few more weeks... 

Please excuse the disruption.

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Bumper sticker I saw today:

NEW ORLEANS:  Proud to swim home.