New Orleans Mid City Love among the ruins...

The more things change, the more things remain the same around these here parts, and Mid City is no exception.

Yesterday I drove to Mona's on Banks Street to pick up some dinner and was bewitched by all of the renovations and the brightly painted shotguns all around.

Similarly, just one block over,the same homes that were in a state of disrepair before Katrina are fetchingly falling apart. I love the one home that says to do not Demo and had a sweet black cat sleeping on the porch. All that remained of that home was the facade and nothing else.Oh there was a chimney but no walls, roof or foundation left. Not even the piers to hold it up. This is so reminiscent of the politics around here.

This week I was invited to the Rising Tide conference for New Orleans bloggers. As much fun as that sounds,the thought of listening to political broughaha about how change is gonna come yadda yadda just doesnt sound like the blast of fun it should be.

After living in New Orleans for almost 20 years, I've seen Corner Stores turn into Delis, Police Officers turn into crooks, and freshly painted homes slide into blight within a year's time.No amount of gentrification can sustain itself unless we all get on board.

I was delighted when we were able to elect new tax assessors, but it was politics as usual when everyone declared foul.No one wants to pay taxes? It takes time, energy & money to re-create our infrastructure-politically,socially,economically.I think it is time to say get on board or dont let the warped, chipped, board hit you on the other side....