Louisiana Purchase: Trump Builds in New Orleans

No doubt many people are very happy that Trump has bought prime property in New Orleans and is planning to build the tallest building in New Orleans filled with luxury condo units for hotel guests and more luxury condo units for folks to buy.
Here’s a quote from a real estate firm representing Trump:

“Trump International Hotel & Tower New Orleans will reflect the ultimate in luxury living and provide views never before available in the Crescent City. This residential tower will be in a class of its own, with no close second,” said Cliff Mowe, Trump’s development partner.

Plans call for 1.6 million square feet, rising 716 feet high topped with an additional 126 foot spire. The seventy story tower will contain 435 luxury condominium hotel units, beginning on the 18th floor, and 299 luxury condominium units starting on the 33rd floor. The condo-hotel unit owners will have the opportunity to place their units in a rental program. The first two floors will be reserved for retail space and floors 3-15 will provide parking for over 700 vehicles.

Trump International Hotel & Tower is the first major downtown development in 25 years and the tower, when complete, will be the tallest residential structure along the entire Gulf Coast.

I think it’s obscene when poor people are still struggling to return and, those who have returned are struggling to survive in New Orleans. The All Headlines web site (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008497105) has this report:

New U.S. Census Shows New Orleans' Black Population Smaller, But Still In The Majority

September 12, 2007 4:33 p.m. EST

Jessica Pupovac - AHN Writer

New Orleans, LA (AHN) - Fewer black people displaced from their homes in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina have been able, or willing, to return to their homes than their white counterparts, according to a report released Wednesday, just ahead of the 2006 U.S. Census.

While much has been said by community leaders and politicians about the disproportionate toll the disaster took on the black community, the new analysis bills itself as the "first full picture" to give hard data on the subject.

The figures were compiled by sorting through information collected in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 and 2006 American Community Surveys, as well as tax filings and other federal documents.

The report, compiled by demographers at the Brookings Institution, found that one year after the hurricane, the black population had declined 57%, from 302,580 people to 129,192, compared to a 36% drop for whites, from 119,620 to 76,422. "Compared with 'stayers' in the city of New Orleans," the study says, "out-migrants were younger, poorer, more likely to be black, and more likely to have children."

The analysis also found that most blacks moved to Houston and other cities, while the whites tended to relocate to the city's suburbs.

The analysis showed post-Katrina New Orleans to be notably whiter, older and less populous than it had been during the 2000 census, with fewer children, fewer renters and a more educated citizenry.

One surprising finding was that the Latino population actually declined by 37 percent during the year following Katrina, despite the influx of Hispanic laborers working on reconstruction efforts. To account for this, the study's authors say it is highly possible that "the transitory nature of temporary working conditions of primarily Hispanic construction and service workers has eluded traditional estimation and survey techniques."

New Orleans continues to be a "majority minority" city, however, with African Americans still making up roughly 58% of the population. "The black loss," they conclude, "was not sufficient to shift the racial composition of the city."

If you’d like to hear a very interesting interview conducted by host, Davey D, with New Orleans Hip-Hop artist, activist, organizer and entrepreneur Sess 4-5 that was broadcast today on KPFA’s Hard Knock Radio program, go here.

One of the things they discuss is that there has been very little charitable response to survivors of Katrina ... in comparison to the tsunami survivors (December 2005). Why is that? Very specific racism towards poor African Americans? Or ... anybody have an explanation?

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