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How is it possible that we're (New Orleanians!) constantly ignored by the majority of media, except when there's a "story" that's derogatory towards the city in the offing? Just gotta ask that question.
My mother lives overseas, and yet she's able to cast a ballot whenever it's time to vote. So, how, then, is it possible that people moved the whole six hour drive - to Houston, for example - find that they're "disenfranchised"? How is it discriminatory to offer people the opportunity to vote, though they haven't been a resident of the city they're voting in for more than half a year? How is it Not discriminatory to allow them a say on who governs a city that they haven't lived in for more than half a year? Don't you think it gives untoward weight to politicians who are entrenched, rather than the new and responsive candidates who aren't known to refugees, due to their absence?
Those of us who were fortunate enough to return as early as we could have found a twisted world of stress, uncertainty, mismanagement, and complete non-resident ignorance and have been forced to accept disenfranchisement for almost three months - our elections were supposed to be held at the end of Feb. We've been "governed" by those whose ineptitude, and more to the point, bickering led us to and dragged us through the crisis of corruption, unresponsive government, and poor policing that are the blots on the escutcheon of powerful, beautiful, and wonderful New Orleans. I'm very sorry if people who've found their homes destroyed, or their lives upset by the mishandling of emergency services on the part of their country aren't happy that they must mail their ballots, or email, or call the Louisiana Secretary of State (Al Ater, fyi) in order to get info about how to cast their vote, but quite honestly, if they aren't here, and they can't find a way to return, they're residents of where they've landed. That is just a fact.
Texas is going to have an important election for governour that can kick out their Corruptocratic "leader" and put in a real reformer. Since our neighbours in the Lone Star State have shown us so much love, why not return the favour by freeing them from their misery {read Republican cronies of Connecticut Yankee G.W. Bush), while allowing the people of New Orleans who've returned to cast informed votes on the circumstances that affect them daily? It's not the same city, and if we want the good things to return, we must get rid of those who brought us to the dire state we found ourselves in.
