September 28th 2006 Public Services Town Hall


The Town Hall Meeting For The Rivatilzation Of New Orleans Public
Services drew together activists from across the public services spectrum to
discuss what can be done revitalize local public services. It was observed
early on at the meeting that the decimation of public services in
post-Katrina New Orleans is the result of government policy not natural
catastrophe. Those involved in the meeting included Brenda Mitchell of the
United Teachers of New Orleans, retired longtime City of New Orleans
worker Randolf Scott, Katherine Wimpleberg of the Alliance For Affordable
Energy, Brad Ott of ALPH, Glenda Goins of the Iberville Housing
Development and a representative of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. All of
these speakers addressed local public services under attack in the
post-Katrina epoch. All speakers agreed that the Bush Administration and
local ruling class thugs are using the fallout from Hurricane Katrina as a
pretext to dismantle virtually those l!
ocal public services that mainly benefit the working class and the middle
class. All speakers also agreed that recovering the public services that
Katrina Survivors need requires a fightback from below. About 45 people,
nearly all locals, attended the meeting.

It was concluded at the meeting that a march in support of the
revitalization of public services is needed as a tool to bring together the
various constituents of public services in a united front. Participants in
the town hall meeting, and hopefully others, will hold a follow up meeting
next Thursday (October 12th) to begin to organize for a citywide march to
revitalize public services that will probably occur sometime in November.

Mike Howells