This diary is from a comment I made earlier today that I decided would be put to better use in a diary. Here goes.
This morning, my buddy Darksyde issued this frontpage diary.
Netroots Nation sounds like it will be a huge success for a town that is currently knowing nothing but success. In fact, several of our finest musicians, the Neville Brothers and [http://www.iguanas.com/ The Iquanas have relocated there for the time being.
It was a sad day for us when these guys left town.
When it was announced that Netroots Nation would be held in Austin, this thread ensued. At that time I was ready to drop it as I felt my concerns had been addressed. And I pushed it out of my mind.
However, a few days later, the headline of the Times-Picayune ran this article which brought back my doubts from before. I believe if you read it, you'll understand why.
Look, I live here. I've lived here a long, long time. I have seen Mardi Gras (close to 1M or more people), Neurosurgery Conventions (50,000 people), Librarian Conventions, Denist's Conventions, Jazz Fest (650,000 people), French Quarter Fest (250,000 people) come through here. I'm sorry and I hope ya'll don't find this insulting but Netroots Nation might draw well, but do you expect more people than Mardi Gras? We've accommodated these groups as if it was just another day. And indeed, before people like the Presidential Debate committee and Netroots Nation ignored us, it was just another day.
We have the best trained police escort guys around. You will not find another, more hospitable group of people than us. We will treat you in ways many of you have never been treated before.
If NOLA had room for the Presidential Debate next year, then my guess is, we had room for the Netroots Nation Convention next year, too.
The entire city has wifi, the one good thing Nagin managed to get up and running after Katrina. Please read this kossack diary by Louisiana 1976 and this one, also by Louisiana 1976. We have state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment. I believe one of these diaries goes into more detail.
Before Katrina - New Orleans was the #1 Convention Center in the United States; the best equipped, plenty of rooms, huge, large, medium, small and in-between, venues available.
Once again, thank you for attempting to address the Gulf Coast's concerns about this but I think there might be more here than meets the eye. I certainly hope not, but my concerns and all those of the people who's comments you read in those diaries I linked to are also concerned and, I'm sure would appreciate an answer.
Have a nice Sunday. In the meantime, I'll be painting doorframes and worrying that someone doesn't fall off my balcony which doesn't have railings yet.
I'll sign off now, as I am beginning to feel my blood boil again. I am torn between wanting to let you people have it but back off because I am hoping there will be a more acceptable answer.
I believe I have presented enough evidence to make it obvious why I doubt the explanations given here. When my own newspaper front pages that we have availabity next year to hold a Presidential Debate, my radar goes up about Netroots Nation.
The following did not appear in the original post.
My husband and I have been wondering if the news of New Orleans' crime problems had a bearing on the decision not to hold Netroots Nation in New Orleans. If that is so, we need to know. It would only be fair.
Last month New Orleans hosted 23,000 Ophthamologists.
UPDATE:
Here are the links I thought had been carried over to this diary:
Here's the front page Times-Picayune article
Both of Louisiana
1976s diaries