Six years after the federal levees failed and 80 percent of the city was flooded, the battle for New Orleans continues.
Jordan Flaherty explains what has been happening:
New Orleans has lost 80,000 jobs and 110,000 residents. It is a whiter and wealthier city, with tourist areas well maintained while communities like the Lower Ninth Ward remain devastated. Beyond the statistics, it is still a much contested city.
Politics continues to shape how the changes to New Orleans are viewed. For some, the city is a crime scene of corporate profiteering and the mass displacement of African Americans and working poor; but for others it’s an example of bold public sector reforms, taken in the aftermath of a natural disaster, that have led the way for other cities.
This past weekend, the push back was heard and organized at the latest Rising Tide conference.*
* I was invited to speak at the conference but, unfortunately, I was not able to participate.
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