New Orleans is Doomed Wednesday, May 28 2008

It’s doomed week here on the Frazier Blog. Yesterday was a little something something about America’s need for a News Network that is “black” focused. Just ridiculous. But there is more foolishness going on in America’s favorite dumping ground, NOLA.

The metro area suffered a great loss last week because of the lack of jerk-offs doing their job. NOPD officer Tommy Felix died while driving to work over a week ago. It was around 3:30 in the morning and Officer Felix was driving on the Claiborne Avenue drawbridge when his vehicle plunged off the bridge into the Industrial Canal, killing Officer Felix.

When I refer to the “jerk-offs” not doing their job, it might be an insult to normal everyday jerk-offs. Here is my problem or one of them anyway. The bridge and its mechanics have been broken for over ten years. The bridge is designed to have a steel barrier come down to block lanes while the drawbridge goes up. The bridge also has a “second” barrier that was not lowered due to operator error. Obviously the barrier that has been inoperable for 10 years is one issue while the operator error is another. Well to most people it is. But not the great feeble worthless state of Louisiana. The state is already spinning this as “well it’s all the operator’s fault”. Uhhh no it is not. The states failure to have this problem corrected, for over ten years now, is yet another example of the fraud that elected officials have brought upon the good hardworking people of New Orleans and Louisiana. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the bridge has not had lights since Katrina and the State DOT (Dept of Transportation) has done nothing about that either.

As a side note, has anyone heard Mayor Nagin asking for someone, anyone, to get their ass down here and fix the bridge? Nah, people dying in New Orleans keeps the brand out there ya know.

Speaking of his worthlessness, he is the real reason I think New Orleans is doomed. Why you ask? It’s the things that are not spoken about that make me feel this way. Here are the big three from the last week:

The City Council wants to change the way Sewage and Water Board members do their jobs. The council feels that on a board as important as this one, should have engineers and others who deal with the type of issues that we are confronting. You know, like water leaks throughout the city that are sending good clean water basically to waste because the system is crumbling. You know little things like that. Well the Mayor is basically president of the S&W board. And Mayor Nagin does not want any changes on the board. Basically he wants to use it for what it is used currently. A politically appointed board that does nothing but waste taxpayer funds while the system crumbles. Here’s an example for you: Rev. Ben Edwards is a member of the S&W Board. Yes he is a Pastor. He also paid for billboards in Houston, Atlanta, Jackson and other cities with high numbers of displaced residents, asking for New Orleanians to come on home and vote for Mayor Nagin in the 06 election. I’m sure though that the Rev knows all about sewage and water. No need for an engineer, someone, who is actually qualified, when we’ve got the Reverend to pray over our broken water system.

The riverfront of New Orleans is one of the city’s untapped jewels. Rarely is there a spot on the river that is in use for the public. Wharves, wasted city buildings etc basically uses the riverfront currently. Well use is not the right word. They are just there; the riverfront in New Orleans is basically wasted at this point. Many local organizations have worked on developing the riverfront after Katrina. All with the idea of doing it right, not huge condos on the river etc, just use for the public. Parks, bikeways etc…Some real beauty in a beautiful city. Oh wait, Mayor Nagin is against it, meaning no money for this idea has landed in his wallet yet. So with the Mayor against it, it’s done. Finished. Until the Mayor figures out how he can make RayRay a little extra spending money.

I am not going to go to deep into the other deal. Basically it deals with the filthy disgusting NOLA airport. The state has made overtures to take the airport off the city’s hands. It’s a very wise deal in my opinion which would need to be tweaked etc to work for all parties (NOLA, State and Kenner) but it can and should be done. The airport is also a haven for politically connected losers (i.e. Pampy Barre’) to get their city contracts that are twice what any other city would pay to skim money off the taxpayers again. Yeah you guessed it; the Mayor is against this move as well.

No explanations for his ass-holiness on any of these. Just a misspelled, mistyped one pager from his 175,000$ a year press secretary. Yes folks, as long as this ass is Mayor of New Orleans, we are doomed

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Reading the headlines Tuesday, Apr 29 2008

Some good stuff came our way today. I bitched about this awhile back and I am one thrilled New Orleanian that we have gotten a Presidential Debate to come to NOLA!! Leave it to the “new media” to get it done. Thank goodness. Again, I cannot wait for John McCain to bumble around here telling everyone how committed the Republicans are to “rebuilding”. Nor can I wait for the winner of the other two losers to come down here and lie to our faces about how much “they” have done for the recovery. Now I guess we just have to wait to see if both party’s candidates will actually show up.

On other local stuff, two things really have stuck out lately. First, and this news has not been covered yet because the radio station is the first one to go with the story. The New Orleans recovery department is going through a “re-organization”. The 17 targeted recovery zones are now….wait for it…..DONE. No more targeted recovery zones. Now the recovery department will focus on blight in Districts A, B, C & D. Please note that District E is not mentioned. District E is New Orleans East. Yeah the area that suffered more destruction than any other area. No focus on blight there? And another thing, it’s been 3 freaking years and the office of recovery is just now figuring out that blight might need to be focused on? Katrina was a real disaster but the government of New Orleans post Katrina is starting to look worse than anything a hurricane did to us.

The other thing that got my blood boiling was to hear that former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial and his family are up in arms because of a name change to a city owned building. Marc’s dad Ernest Morial or Dutch, basically got the convention center built during his time in office. The convention center is named Ernest Morial Convention Center. Nothing wrong with that but times change. Needs change. The group running the convention center decided that New Orleans needed to be spotlighted in trying to sell the center to group looking for convention space. That’s just smart business frankly.

Well Marc Morial and his clan don’t see it that way. The newly named New Orleans Morial Convention Center has received a letter from Marc and the clan dealing with the name change. He has accused the convention center of trying to ruin his father’s good name by changing the name and trying to get more business to the city.

I find it interesting how a man who is under investigation for years of corruption while being Mayor can say that a name change is ruining his father’s good name. You know what Marc? You RUINED his good name years ago with your corrupt ways. YOU ruined the good things your father did for this city because you were a freaking disaster as Mayor. How everyone in this city looks at you and knows you were lining your pockets off the hard working people of New Orleans. What a FRAUD you are Marc Morial.

Last but not least, if you care about this city as much as you say you do, then you should KNOW that we must do whatever we can to bring business back to New Orleans. Even if it meant naming the convention center the FREE DRINKS FOR EVERYONE CENTER.

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Tough times Monday, Apr 28 2008

I awoke Saturday morning to the headline that the Head of the FBI in New Orleans, Jim Bernazzani, a man who has lead the fight against corruption in New Orleans was being shipped out of town. The radio station has had him on as a guest almost weekly since we returned to the airwaves after Katrina. He has always been straight forward with us and we really admired him and his efforts.

At some point last week, he spoke with two TV stations about a possible desire to run for Mayor in 2010. (Boy we need someone like him running this city). Well the FBI’ers in DC did not take too kindly to that and shut it down. And shipped him out. It’s not really my place to tell the FBI how to run their biz, but I can say that this is NOT what the city needed right now. The last thing New Orleans needs is shipping out a guy who has done nothing but fight to get this situation straight. And that is all Jim has done.

I understand the conflict of interest. I understand that you cannot go after corrupt politicians while being one yourself. But that’s the thing. Jim never said he was running, just said that he was THINKING about running. I’m thinking about a Big Mac for lunch, does that mean I am getting a Big Mac? No it does not.

The guy is almost 65. He will be forced to retire soon anyway. While I understand the FBI shipping Mr. Bernazzani out of here, I don’t have to like it. And I don’t like it. We are in the fight of our lives in and for New Orleans and we need all hands on deck, especially from people who actually care. And Jim, if nothing else, cares deeply about this city.

Let’s hope we see Jim again in the future. Maybe on a yard sign, saying Vote for Jim Bernazzani- Mayor

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Checking the headlines Monday, Apr 7 2008

Hello David Vitter, I hear you may take the fifth today. That’s probably not a bad idea. Anytime you get elected on the “family values” platform and end up with your hand in a whore’s panties then it might be best to say nothing. Hopefully, since you have no backbone to resign, that’s the amount of votes you will get in 2010….Nothing.

Ray Nagin is in China. Hopefully, he will run his big fat supid mouth and they will arrest him. Put his lame ass in a Chinese Jail for about, oh two years I think would work for the citizens back on the ground in New Orleans. Could we be that lucky?

The Hoarding house is gone. If you were not paying attention, a local family (or loco) has been living in a house on Magazine St. that should have been demolished years ago. The entire family of three has mental issues. The brother hoards among other things. That basically means that he collects crap and piles it to the roof. Well after much hand wringing and bawling, the city finally tore that sucker down. It was frankly disgusting and should have been ripped down years ago. Now the peeps who think they know all the answers and can save anyone from their problems, are moaning and groaning about the retards house being crumbled. I guarantee you these are the same nut cases screaming about the projects needed to stay as they were. This family has been saved from themselves, everyone should be happy for them.

Speaking of the projects, one of the most beautiful areas in the city right now is where the St. Bernard projects once stood. That’s right, once stood. The reason it’s so beautiful over there now is that there is nothing left of the projects but rubble. Nothing but broken up concrete. I don’t think I’ve seen a better looking lot in many many years.

I’m not a “conservative” other than the fiscal type. Even though I run a talk radio station, I think the gubberment should keep it’s nose out of peeps biz usually. With Charlton Heston dying over the weekend, I think he gets a bullshit rap because of his NRA wackiness. Which I understand but I don’t think it’s fair to only focus on his “from my cold dead hand” comment. I’m 40 now, a little over 6 months I guess. As a kid, Charlton Heston was the freaking bomb!!! If he was in a movie, it had to be seen. I still remember every Easter weekend watching him as Moses. The range of characters just blows my mind with this guy. And yeah, Soylent Green is still people.

Attention, attention. There has been a Ed Blakely sighting!!! The area’s recovery czar is running his mouth again too. Although I’ve generally agreed with everything he has said in the past, it drives me freakin up the wall when he backtracks after some group gets wind of what he’s got the say. Now he’s upset the black folks. Blakely basically said that blacks in power in New Orleans don’t want to listen or are unwilling to listen to their white counterparts. No shit. It’s been that way for 30 years Ed. Now if you’ll just stand by your statements instead of running from them.

I’ve not written much about the presidential election other than the debate issue. To wrap up this short, not too funny post, I’ll just say one thing. I’m pulling for Obama. He’s a great speaker, too liberal for me yes but I feel he’s what all of us as a country need. The reason? Along the same lines as what Ed Blakely said above. Obama will inspire Black America. Hopefully.

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Pucker Up Wednesday, Mar 12 2008

The bouquets for Donald Powell have been flowing since the White House Recovery Czar for the Gulf Coast announced that he would be stepping down from the position. I have to say I don’t get the love-fest of the last two weeks. From Senators to Media outlets, the constant kissing of Mr. Powell’s ass is sickening.This is not about Mr. Powell being a nice guy. It’s not about him waking up one morning and finally understanding that the Worst President Ever was and has been a complete fraud when it comes to his desire to help New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. I will allow that the Grinch did grow a heart after being down here and seeing the way that the United States government has mis-handled the situation from day one. But that does not give Mr. Powell a pass on his inability to get things moving forward from a federal standpoint.

With all of the accolades flowing in op-ed pieces and press releases, no one seemed willing to point out the obvious. The banker from Texas was nothing more than a White House mouthpiece, spouting Republican talking point after Republican talking point. The radio station had Mr. Powell on as a guest many times in the early stages of the “recovery”. We finally called an end to it when all he could do is keep saying how important the recovery of New Orleans was to the President, when those of us with our feet on the ground here knew that was a flat out lie to the citizens of New Orleans.

If Mr. Powell was such a wonderful recovery czar, where is the FEMA money to START rebuilding the infrastructure of this city, two and a half years after the fact? Why is the city of New Orleans still bickering with FEMA about what potholes they will or will not pay to fix? If Mr. Powell was such an advocate for this city, why were people living in formaldehyde laced trailers for the last year, when everyone knew something was wrong with them? Why is this city still fighting about the Stafford Act if Mr. Powell had the ear of the Worst President Ever? Why hasn’t Mr. Powell ever stood up and said that the Feds need to get off their ass and get some crap done here?

I know the answer to those questions. If you live here or if you even pay attention from afar, the answer is pretty clear. Mr. Powell didn’t have New Orleans and the Gulf Coast back; he was covering the Worst President Ever backside before he ever thought of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans.

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Thanks or stopping by!! Wednesday, Aug 29 2007

An open letter to America:Good afternoon my fellow Americans. Everyone here in New Orleans wanted to thank you for paying attention to us yesterday. We really do appreciate this country taking time out to say hello on the 2^nd anniversary of the thing.To all the mass media that took time away from covering the latest Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton exploits, thanks for stopping by! It was nice to see you for a change. It’s been what a year or even two for some of you so again, thanks for passing through.

To our wonderful fantastic leaders in Washington D.C., thanks for taking time away from sending taxpayer dollars to either your cronies or to some far away land that needs a windmill. We know how busy you all are, either shooting things in Texas or trying to move a moron from one disaster (see Homeland Security) to another (see Attorney General).

Thanks for giving us that wonderful news President Bush. Even though you made a decision to not speak with anyone who lives here, except for other losers like yourself (meaning politicos), we thank you for noticing that things here are so much better. I know that view from a schoolyard is a really good way to understand what folks here are going through.

Once again, we cannot express how grateful we are for everyone paying attention for a day. It has really made everyone feel safer and just gives us a tingling feeling.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for August 29^th 2008. We know we probably won’t see you until then but I’m sure we’ll still be here, waiting for your yearly drop-in.

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Lovely Tameka Meter Maid Friday, Oct 6 2006

When you read about kats and kat-ettes who go off the very deep end and end up like Bugs Bunny in a pot with Elmer Fudd cutting up the veggies to make some stew, you wonder just what the hell would push someone that far. My ability to wade thru crap is very high so I get off easy in some respects. But some folks just can’t handle the foolishness anymore.

Living in the Quarter since the Russian Whore visited, I know the rules and I choose to abide by them. Some people choose not to and it depends on the level of rule breaking for me to care or not. You wanna go murder some folks? Yeah I will want you in jail forever. Wanna park in a space and not pay a buck for parking? I really don’t care but you better watch out for some of New Orleans finest, the Meter Maids. Now personally, I think the city has more pressing needs than paying someone (or in some cases 3, yes 3 people) to drive around and put tickets on windows but I trust Mayor Nagin 100% (please note sarcasm). And just why does it take Three People to drive around and put tickets on people’s cars? And shouldn’t they be walking? I mean the three I saw each weighed about 300 pounds each, wouldn’t it be better for them if they walked? Lose some of those tires around your waist honey.

So I’m walking the dog, ( don’t ask- I’m pet-sitting for a sick friend) when I see what could best be described as a “tiff”. Some women, parked on the street, was attempting to get in her vehicle and leave the parking space. As she is climbing into her vehicle, a city van speeds up and pulls next to her vehicle, blocking her in. Out jumps one of the three meter maids driving around in a air-conditioned vehicle, slaps a ticket on the women’s window and says loud enough so about 5 of us could hear, ” You’ve been ticketed- Bitch”. The woman in her vehicle was clearly upset. Can’t really blame her, I don’t know any women who likes to be called a bitch. So the woman sticks her head out the window and proceeds to call the Meter Maid (s) every name in the book.

Should have really ended right there but this being New Orleans, it was only the beginning. The meter maid had rolled her fat ass into the van by now but the other 2 lovely meter maids hadn’t had their turn. So they pull up a little, block the woman in and roll down their windows and the catfight has begun. The words fat, worthless, stupid and ignorant are the ones I could make out easily.

Damn I forgot to tell you that it was about 9 pm. Yes 9 pm. The woman actually gets out of the passenger side of her car and it’s officially a rumble. She’s screaming from one side of the car, the meter maids from the street. The dog I’m walking is sitting on his hind legs, like he’s watching TV or something. The homeless man sleeping in an abandoned car rolls out of the back seat to see what’s going on. Then the spit hits the fan.

Yeah it’s not a typo. The woman who has been ticketed decides to give the meter maids a personal shower. She spits on all three of them. I think in the face but I couldn’t be sure. The woman then is smart. She bolts, running down Governor Nicholls in pumps into the darkness of the French Market. The meter maids are way to fat (not PHAT) to chase so they just call the police.

I wanted to stay around and see what happened. So I did. When the police arrived, they asked if I had seen the whole thing and so I told them what I saw. The meter maids at this point were going to try and get this woman in real trouble. One of them told the police that the woman had a knife and that she lunged at her with it. Which was just complete fraud. So the police ask what I saw and I told them the truth. For those who might want to make some racial crap out of this, all parties involved were black.

The point of this is- If city workers, who are paid by city residents and visitors, cannot act more professionally, then how in the world are we ever going to overcome the craziness that is New Orleans right now? Was the woman right in spitting on the meter maids? Of course not. That being said, all those three fools had to do was drive off and let the woman pay her ticket. We can’t expect city government to relieve our stress but damn, can’t they just get out of the freaking way?

As a follow up, I’ve been looking for the woman and spotted her yesterday evening. Her car was towed, the police did not come looking for her but they (meaning the meter maids and the towing part of the city) really stuck it too her. Car was towed to the main lot; the meter maids followed the tow truck, talked to their buddies in the building and got them to impound it for three days at the secondary tow yard. She says the fees and other crap was worth it. Maybe it is for her but I wonder how many others out there have had enough?

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Planes and New Orleans Peeps Wednesday, Feb 15 2006

Business flight to North Carolina to check up on some radio stations. Flight from New Orleans to Atlanta, no issues. We’re all in the same boat, why would we get upset with each other? We save that for driving around the city yelling at each other anyway.

But the Atlanta to ________ North Carolina flight is a different story all together.

The plane is packed. Not an empty seat in coach. I don’t mind sitting with the common people, hell I am a common person. The couple next to me seem nice enough, he looks like Ron Howard -Opie and she looks like a older Martha Stewart.They start the chit-chat, not me. I just answer their questions. I’m in radio, it’s a business trip, blah blah blah until:

“Where ya from?”

(Mind) Don’t say New Orleans, don’t say New Orleans
(Mouth) “New Orleans”

The shit hits the fan.
The couple that asked the question recoil in horror.
The woman across the aisle- she’s is not attractive, she looks like Chief Wiggum from the Simpsons-drops a portion of the philly cheese steak sandwich she’s eating on the middle of her rather sizeable lap.
The two older gentlemen in the row in front of me spin around so fast I think that the superhero “The Flash” is flying to ________ North Carolina with me. One looks like Mack Brown of the University of Texas. The other reminds me of Walter Cronkike for some reason.

Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter. Plus ole New Orleans Dan.

Martha: “Why the hell would anyone want to live there?”
(mind)- Cause it’s a free fucking country you backroad hick”
(mouth)- It’s a beautiful enchanting city.
Opie: “I went there once, all them black people, never again”
(mind)- Thanks for the info Grand Wizard of the KKK
(mouth)- I see
Mack: “Why ya’ll keep asking for money?”
(mind)- I wish you had kept some of your cash cause you need some mouthwash- or I need a gas mask
(mouth)- Well rebuilding a city is not cheap.
Walter: “I sure am glad that they ain’t gonna rebuild that place”
(mind)- What the fuck you say mother fucker?
(mouth)- Your incorrect there sir
Wiggum: “All I got to say is I wish you people would leave Atlanta”
(mind)- Ummmm I’m a white guy
(mouth)- Who are “you people?”
Opie: “All ya’ll from New Orleans. Everyone in Atlanta is tired of supporting ya’ll. Ya’ll need to go home”
(mind)- You know, my hands would fit around your neck perfectly
(mouth)- Sadly there are not really any homes left
Martha: “Are you living in a tent?” then giggles
(mind)- You savage bitch. I want to drag you to the bathroom and stuff you and your tired withered vagina down the toilet.
(mouth)- no ma’am, I’m not but I know many people who are right now
Wiggum: “I don’t want no more of my tax dollars being spent on you people”
(mind)- good idea, that sandwich and the other TWO in the bag must have cost you alot
(mouth)- Trust me ma’am, we don’t want anymore of your money
Wiggum: “What you mean by that?”
(mind)- Your money should be spent on a expedition to find your first chin
(mouth)- We just want the levee’s rebuilt
Mack: “The what rebuilt?”
Walter: “They already rebuilt your levees”
Opie: “Ya’ll got 80 billion, ain’t that enough”
Mack: “Oh those- Bush said ya’ll got the money for those”
(mind)- I will kill all of you in 10 seconds flat.
(mouth)- It’s actually 85 million and that’s not for levee’s. That’s for other stuff. It’s a kinda big area and theres alot to do
Wiggum: “Why should we give ya’ll money for that? We don’t need no levee’s in Atlanta.”
(mind)- Where were you when we really needed you? Your butt coulda stopped the levee breach by itself.
(mouth)- Well you need interstates in Atlanta right?
Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter all lean forward waiting for the wisdom. “Yeah” is the group answer.
(mouth)- Well the federal government built our levees and they failed. The Federal government also builds interstates. Now if that loop that goes around Atlanta collapsed some day with a bunch of cars on it, you would want it rebuilt right?

Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter all look at each other and then back at me.

Wiggum: “That don’t make no sense”
Opie: “I don’t get it”
Martha: “Huh?”
Mack: “I’m not from Atlanta”
Walter: “Damn right they better rebuild it”
(mouth)-Well the levee’s breaking are what caused all the problems. So we feel the same way as you would, that the people who built it wrong should fix it.
Mack: “Your full of it- that black mayor of yours is what caused the problems. He shoulda used them buses.”
(mind)- If I wouldn’t go to jail I would pull your lungs out of your body RIGHT FREAKIN NOW!!!
(mouth)- He wishes he had used them too, I promise.
Wiggum: “This country don’t need no New Orleans anyway”
(mind)- stay seated stay seated stay seated
(mouth)- The New Orleans area gives alot to this country ma’am- you might want to check your facts
Opie: “That wasn’t nice”
Martha: “That was rude”
Wiggum: “whad you say to me Mister?”
J.N., the flight attendent appears: “Mr. Frazier, we will be able to accommodate your move to first class”
(mind)- ummmm request? What? First class who?
(mouth)- Thank you so much.

I’m gone. J.N. tells me she heard the whole converstation.

J.N.: “Honey, I’m from New Orleans. You need some first class pampering after that discussion”
(mind)- Thank God for Angels
(mouth)- Thank God, your a Angel.

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