The purpose of this diary is to recruit all NOLA Kossacks and others who care about and love New Orleans and support her recovery and that of the rest of the over Great-Britain-sized area devastated by levee breaches, Katrina and Rita to write diaries for the first monthly Katrina Diary-athon, which will be in March.
During this busy campaign season, consistent attention needs to be focused on the fact that New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana's ravaged parishes are still far from recovery and are being neglected by BushCo. This is why these monthly Diary-athons are needed. Details below the fold.
The topic of the first Katrina Diary-athon will be: Debates, Netroots Nation: How can we get these to be held in New Orleans?
Diarists should discuss such questions and issues as:
What political forces had been brought to bear on the Commission for Presidential Debates to pressure them to reject New Orleans? Could something of value have been offered them by the Bush Administtation to reject that city?
Why such an unqualified city as Oxford, Mississippi (only 650 hotel rooms) has been chosen instead. And the fact that a New Orleans debate in which Katrina would have to come up would paradoxically be more beneficial to the Mississippi Katrina survivors when it comes to addressing what they're dealing with than would be the Ole Miss debate, far from the Gulf Coast.
Whether or not the nominees of both parties will take Gov. Bobby Jindal and Lieut. Gov. Mitch Landrieu up on their invitation to take part in a New Orleans town meeting. How those of us who have ways to contact the candidates can e-mail them to persuade them to participate in a New Orleans town meeting.
The reason a New Orleans debate--or town meeting--will be necessary--I mean, think about all the debates that have been taken place. Do you recall any in which New Orleans and Katrina were major topics?
Why Netroots Nation has so far been rejecting New Orleans as a venue for its conventions.
How we can keep the pressure on the Netroots people to choose New Orleans as the venue for Netroots Nation 2009. How we can plant the seeds of doubt in those folks that any choice other than New Orleans would be a good one.
Are the Netroots Nation people true progressives?
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New Orleans and her people need the visitors and money such events as the tentative town meeting and conventions would bring. Such events are vital to New Orleans' recovery. For her to be denied the opportunity to host these things could starve her recovery.
The target dates for this Katrina Diary-athon are Thurs. Mar. 20-Fri., Mar. 21--about a month after the Gilda Diary-athon. It would start at 7AM Pacific that Thursday with a new diary up every 2 hours after that, with an overnight break. I'll take the first time slot Thursday (though due to having to get set up at the library, my posting will be closer to 7:15AM or so) but all other time slots are free. All times are Pacific. Here's the schedule:
Thursday, Mar. 20
7AM Louisiana 1976
9AM blueintheface
11AM chigh
1PM mlharges
3PM Avila
5PM YatPundit
Friday, Mar. 21
7AM Crashing Vor
9AM
11AM pico
1PM Chicagoa
3PM leo fender
5PM Patriot Daily
(If Mar. 20-21 turns out to be a bad time for most people, the dates are subject to change to a later date.)
And the topic is just a guideline--if you'd like to post on any topic having to do with New Orleans or Katrina, feel free to do so!
Please sign up for a date and time in the comments below. This is so others will know which time slots have already been taken. And when it's closer to the Diary-athon (about 2 weeks or so) I'll be posting a reminder diary which will also let the rest of the community know this is coming up. Thanks to all!