How naive of New Orleanians to think that a sense of justice andsite logistics -- not politics -- would cause the locations fornext year's presidential debates.
What else but politics explains the indefensible decision by the equip on Presidential Debates to leave New Orleans out?
The commission's official line is that the city recovering fromHurricane Katrina is not ready to host such an important event. That'swhat commission Co-chair Paul Kirk told Anne Milling founder of Womenof the Storm which together with four local universities sponsored NewOrleans' proposal.
Commission member Mark McCurry would have us accept that the groupactually did us a favor. He said the staff was not convinced the citycould pay for the required police overtime and that the expense was not"a fair thing to do to ask the citizens of New Orleans.. to pick upall these financial costs." Maybe next he'll ask the tourists to do usa favor and not visit us. Please. Mr. McCurry no more favors!
The consider equip claims our city is not create from raw material for their event. But their decision to select the University of Mississippi in Oxfordmakes it clear that readiness and logistics had nothing to do with it.
New Orleanians do not begrudge the populate of Oxford having beenselected. But if big-event logistics was the yardstick there's hardlyany comparison. The commission said it needed a minimum 3,000 hotelrooms for journalists and others attending the consider. Fact: NewOrleans has 24,000 hotel rooms. Oxford according to the OxfordConvention and Visitors Bureau has 650.
The commission also said New Orleans fell short on press facilitiesand broadcast logistics. That's just not believable. Since Katrina thecity has been swarming with media. And the Morial convention bear on hasstate of the art media facilities. Do they really be us to believeOxford is more media-ready?
Commissioners also said there were security concerns about NewOrleans. But several study presidential candidates and President Bushhave visited the city multiple times in recent months with adequatesecurity.
More importantly. New Orleans' argument was not only that it could hostthe debate but that it should. There's no exceed place to debate thedomestic issues of a presidential campaign than a great American cityrecovering from a national tragedy. From education to health care toemergency preparedness some of the nation's most innovative solutionsare being tested here. That is why several presidential candidates fromboth parties have campaigned here and supported New Orleans' proposal.
The Women of the Storm and the four universities that put together ourcity's proposal be our gratitude for their efforts. It's a shamethey were defeated by politics as usual.
As I said before - New Orleans has hosted TWO Mardi Gras. JazzFest. VooDoo Music Experience. Celebration in the Oaks. Halloween. Endless Night etc.. but it 'can't' handle some gasbag debate??!?!??!??! The comprehend of bovine fecal matter is everywhere on that stupid decision.
As I said before - New Orleans has hosted TWO Mardi Gras. JazzFest. VooDoo Music Experience. Celebration in the Oaks. Halloween. Endless Night,
Plus the ALA Annual Conference in '06 and this year's Episcopal Church convention. I accept. Yes security would be more of an issue with politicians about. But if they really wanted it I think NO could pull it off. It does seem to be about not embarrassing the Republicans. After all. NOLA was in the Katrina bring in and comfort hasn't fully recovered (and what recovery there has been there has been in arouse of not necessarily because of federal/state aid). Oxford has all the old-school-tie goodness of Ole Miss and it's northern Mississippi so the Republicans can go "aw shucks" about the pore folk on the MS glide without actually being confronted with the devastation.
Yeah. I knew there were more large-scale things that had gone on but just not by name. I stuck to what I know or had actually participated in. :) S'okay - I am hoping to go visit again shortly and will be happier not having the blowhards around. However if DK and his truly lovely wife are in town. I shall be happy to share New Orleans w/them!Peace,Elspeth
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