Did you really just call me a carpetbagger?

[angledge]

This really irritates me.

Comments

[d4b.livejournal.com]

Interesting perspective. People will complain if others come in and expect to earn money in exchange for helping, and I'll bet they'd also complain if everyone else took the attitude of, "well, if that's how they feel, screw 'em and don't bother helping at all". There's nothing wrong with making money, folks, and if you feel that someone is gouging, then come in and compete at a lower price and help fix that particular problem.

[ckirkman.livejournal.com]

I don't think you'd be classified as a carpetbagger. You're doing what you're doing to actually rebuild the city for those that live there, not flip a profit.

Besides, you're not technically a "yankee." Californians are usually just classified as "foreigners" (prounounce FAR nurs) by us Rebels.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

If you read the post, this person actually includes everyone who's here from out of town. In my reply to the post, I highlighted the bit that I felt included me.

I was touched to see a Quizling pipe up in my defense. God I love my Quizlings, each & every one of them.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Also, I can't quite consider myself a Californian yet. In my own mind I'm still a Philly girl.

[ckirkman.livejournal.com]

Uh oh. Then, yeah, sorry... you're a carpetbagger.

You totally suck.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Good thing I know you're joking.

Re: You totally suck.

[ckirkman.livejournal.com]

Heh. Sorry, the Southerner just took over there for a minute. ;)

Re: You totally suck.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

OK. I guess the crabby irritable Philly girl took over for a minute.

Re: You totally suck.

[ckirkman.livejournal.com]

Sounds about right for a Yankee. Heeeeee

Re: You totally suck.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

My great-great-grandfather fought for the Confederacy.

The relevance of this to our present conversation is approximately nil.

Re: You totally suck.

[ckirkman.livejournal.com]

The relevance of this to our present conversation is approximately nil.

Again, spoken like a true yankee. ;)

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

I think you hit it right on the nose when you said that there's a shortage of the kind of skills necessary to rebuild New Orleans. And there's a big communication problem for the "blue collar" workers that have been displaced because no one really knows how to find them to set them up in temporary housing so they can work on the rebuilding effort. If there even were enough of them to go around. It takes some skill to drive a forklift or operate a backhoe or a crane. Easier to learn than architecture, but still skilled labor.

[marasca.livejournal.com]

Your response was spot on. And I'm glad to hear that your company does try to hire locals first. :) It's perfectly clear to me that the high level jobs will have to be done by outsiders, as you said. And if you make money on it, good for you. Isn't most of the money you're making coming from the federal government? And aren't you spending it in New Orleans while you're there?

I was also glad to see the responses from homeowners, and the one who mentioned they'd talked to some of the crews and they were all locals. I wonder how many illegal immigrants are being employed in the low level jobs (or how many more are being employed by them than there usually are).

[lleftover.livejournal.com]

You should tell that person that the moment your work is done, you will be out of New Orleans faster than Sherman marching through Georgia.

Cuz I'm feelin' Juvenile...

[jacesan.livejournal.com]

You came in the NOiLA on new year's eve, ha
You got stuck in that bitch and couldn't leave, ha
It was hard for you to breathe, ha

You a paper chaser you got your block on fire
Remainin' a G until the moment you expire
You know what it is to make nuthin' out of sumthin'
You handle your biz and don't be cryin' and sufferin'

[branniejan.livejournal.com]

I responded to the post but it is probably futile...How sad that we are all put into categories...