For anybody who thought Louisiana would get a far better deal from BushCo under GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal than she did under Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, they'd better think again. For Bush's pattern of abuse against Louisiana seems to transcend her politics. According to the Baton Rouge Advocate,

Bobby Jindal,  angered over the increased costs that storm-wounded Louisiana must shoulder for construction of hurricane protection levees, asked Washington for more time — and a little fairness.

Under the latest war spending bill, Louisiana must kick in $1.8 billion by 2011 in order to activate $5.8 billion in federal funding needed to strengthen the New Orleans-area levee system.

Jindal said Louisiana’s share for repairs to the 360-mile, federally maintained levee system, is higher post-Katrina, than before the storm. "It seems ridiculous," Jindal said, tersely.

going on regarding what politicians and other people have been saying about this current flooding and what they said after the federal flood about New Orleans and those it impacted. I was cynical enough and had had my suspicions as I noticed that something was missing.

To wit: Nobody, even though some of the currently-affected communities along the Mississippi which had also been affected in the flooding of 1993 have been flooded again, has been telling the folks in these communities that they should not rebuild......

This is in light of the fact that not only could I not get anyone to commit to a June Blogathon, I was also unable to think of anything fresh and new myself to write on regarding New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Region.

Besides this, lately I haven't felt up to writing on the subject. I've felt burned out. And I find my own lack of good ideas and passion far more frustrating and discouraging than not being able to sign other people up.

The next Daily Kos NOLA/Gulf Blogathon has been scheduled for Wed., June 18th and Thurs., June 19th. (Time slots to sign up for are below the fold.)

While, as with all previous blogathons, all in the DKos community are invited to publish diaries on anything having to do with New Orleans, Katrina, and Rita, and even a good rant will do, I wish to extend special invitations to all Front Pagers who would like to do so to post diaries presenting and defending their opinion that New Orleans and recovery from Katrina and Rita are not worthy of being covered on DKos' front page. More below the fold.

One of the things that my friends find paradoxical about me is that I love military history, military fiction, and good war stories, in spite of the fact that I'm a liberal, dKos reading (and worse, participating) DFH.  I'm usually good about putting aside the personal politics of authors of military fiction, particularly the more knuckle-dragging types like Tom Clancy.

I'm part of the Diary Rescue team, which is a great way to get exposed to a wider range of Kossack diaries. I pick time slots to read that I wouldn't normally, in the hopes of finding interesting gems. One that I found is Jeff Huber, a retired US Navy Commander, blogger, and I was pleased to discover, author of military fiction.

This diary is intended as something of a rant. Because this saddens me and makes my blood boil every time I think about it.

But before I vent, here's a caveat: as I said in yesterday's diary, 9/11 tore me apart. So this is by no means intended as a put-down of the trauma 9/11 survivors went through or a complaint about the well-deserved sympathy and support they've gotten.

Rather, what pisses me off is is the fact that survivors of 8/29--whether of Katrina, the federal flood, or of Rita--have not been receiving the equal aid, synpathy, or other treatment to that received by 9/11 survivors, that they deserve. What blueintheface brings up--the fact that Daily Kos hasn't been paying enough attention to New Orleans and Katrina, is the tip of a very big iceberg involving the MSM and many politicians that has been keeping storm and flood survivors from getting the attention they have a right to receive.

I've often imagined many in the DKos community have been wondering why I care so much and have been so passionate in my support of New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Region from afar, after having been to New Orleans but once, over 30 years ago. And how Hurricane Katrina and the federal flood have had such a tremendous, shattering impact on me though I witnessed them safe and dry far from the sea in central Illinois. And how not only could I be well-deservedly hard on BushCo, but even take Clinton and Obama to task for not paying enough attention to New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Region. And why I feel so strongly about this I started the NOLA/Gulf Blogathons. I'll go into that in more detail below the fold--but first I'll tell you how 9/11 impacted me.

It's that time of year, when the weather in Southeast Louisiana is nice (when it's not raining, of course), and crawfish are cheap and plentiful. Those are the perfect ingredients in making a crawfish boil.

More photos and comments below the fold...

former Mayor Marc Morial isn't happy with the management of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center here in New Orleans, because they've been downplaying the Morial name in recent promotions and other literature they generate.  

I haven't chatted with hizzoner in some time, so I thought I'd write him a letter...it's below the fold.

The April NOLA/Gulf Blogathon took place approximately two weeks ago, and in spite of the crush of campaign diaries, it was, thanks to all who wrote diaries and otherwise participated, a success. The diaries were all very thought-provoking and deserved more attention than they got from the DKos community because all raised questions regarding what BushCo was, and is, really up to regarding the federal flood.

This is to announce that the next NOLA/Gulf Blogathon has now been scheduled for Thurs., May 15th and Fri., May 16th. Hopefully by then the campaign stuff will have started winding down--and hope to see you there!

Yesterday on a campaign stop replete with photo-ops in New Orleans, Sen. John McCain made an attempt to distance himself from the failings of the Bush Administration during Katrina and the federal flood by saying "Never again..." and spinning himself as someone who would have been more proactive than had Bush regarding this disaster.

But does McCain really represent a change from BushCo incompetence, if not outright genocide, in New Orleans? Would a McCain administration really aid New Orleans' recovery? Is McCain a friend of New Orleans, or a foe?

2000-series Von Dullen streetcar #2012, receiving a new paint job in the shop at Carrollton Station, uptown New Orleans.  The federal flood forced 6' water into the streetcar barn at Canal Station, ruining the 2000s.

Guste family tomb in the "new" section of Metairie Cemetery.  The patriarch, liam J. Guste, Sr., married the former Marie Louise Alciatore, thereby marrying into the family of Antoine Alciatore, the founder and first proprieter of Restaurant Antoine.  The Gustes now own and operate the city's oldest restaurant, and do it very well.

I love Giada De Laurentis, and both of her shows on Food Network.  I was looking for something a bit out of the Creole/Creole-Italian realm, and came across this dish on the Food Network Website:  

Recipe and how-to photos below the fold.

The story of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard's handling of emergency preparations for suburban New Orleans and his leadership post-storm have been widely discussed and documented.  When Broussard stood for re-election, the division of the vote in Jefferson Parish was clear:  Voters whose houses were flooded as a result of Broussard's decision to evacuate pump operators out of the parish voted against him.  Voters in neighborhoods unaffected by these man-made floodwaters supported him.

Priorities.

"Our" government is spending $434 million per day, $3 billion per week and $13.2 billion per month on Iraq. And still no one can tell us why, not even it's architects

As Americas infrastructure crumbles, as the Iraqi government builds a surplus. As New Orleans languishes, still destroyed, still hanging on by a thread, still essentially abandoned by both government and the Republican lauded "private sector." (Please read commonscribes diary
on the insurance industry and NOLA!)

Crossposted from Docudharma

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This is the first part of a 2-part Earth Day-themed series on environmental issues in the Gulf Region.

Not only were Katrina, the federal flood, and Rita massive human tragedies, they were for reasons which will be detailed below easily this nation's biggest environmental calamity.

And their potential impacts on human health and life in New Orleans and in the rest of the affected area are still being assessed over 2 1/2-years later. More below the fold.....

Down in New Orleans today, they are burying the noted blogger, citizen activist, rabid Saints fan and local bon vivant Ashley Morris. He leaves behind a wife and three young kids, and they need your help.

Ashley Morris

Now, this isn't really "fundraising," and there's nothing tax-deductible about it, so I hope site will indulge me...