Once New Orleans is rebuilt, do you think that poverty will still be a problem?

I hope that certain issues such as unemployment and crime will be tackled. Building places, new homes hospitals and schools is easy but building a community is much more difficult. © ronaldinu 2008

Hate to say it but just rebuilding the houses isn't going to rebuild it's economy especially with what's going on in the rest of the country. Truthfully I think it shouldn't have been rebuilt at all. They're just setting themselves up for it to happen AGAIN. Building a city BELOW SEA LEVEL beside the ocean in an area often hit by hurricanes & on one of the countries biggest fault lines is STUPID. Whoever came up with that idea gets the DOHT! award.

I highly highly doubt poverty will every go away in New Orleans. The crime rate is high - maybe even higher - that is has been in years because they don't even have a strong enough police presence. Wages here aren't' worth a darn so people are working minimum wages jobs - often 2 or 3 - just to keep a roof over their heads. So much needs to be done other than rebuilding this city. Honestly, they should have torn everything down and started from nothing.

Its New Orleans. Its one of the old cities in the US. When its finished being rebuilt i don't think much will change there. My question would be how many of those who haven't moved back, will move back??

Unfortunately, I think that it will go back to what it was eventually. There will still be the tourist part that will be pretty and nice. But the mentality of most of the people that suffered from poverty is and will still be the same. We have a huge number of people that came to GA after Katrina and sad enough there are entire subdivisions and parts of some cities that have totally gone down in appearence and value. There are a few counties that were ranked pretty high in home values and got a lot of evacuee's to move in and they went to he!!. Many properties were totally destroyed beyond repair. Alot of areas that had normal crime rates saw an influx of crime that was unbelievable. I have been a real estate investor for many years, and some of my properties were destroyed beyond repair almost. I know many people in this same situation. Sometimes we think that all that poor, uneducated people need is a change and a chance, but often times they are not equipped to use this as a stepping stone to better themselves. It will take much more than new buildings and new houses to change the mindset of people.

I think it's crazy not to make those changes however I don't think it will change unless the people get up and change their own thinking, elect local government who are pro-prosperity types. Long term local cultures are hard to change and it will probably be more of the same, unfortunately.

Thats a damn good question Moon but to be honest I really dont know..Especially wiht the economy the way it is currently..I mean the ppl of NoLa had their work cut out for them to begin with and it was goin to take time right from jump one, with the economy being as crappy as it is and has been I have to wonder if NoLa CAN get out from under it all...I hope so though...