HUD Chief Forecasts a Lighter Shade of New Orleans

Housing and Urban Development Chief Alphonso R. Jackson has ticked off the Congressional Black Caucus after commenting on the likely future racial makeup of New Orleans:

A Bush Cabinet officer predicted this week that New Orleans likely will never again be a majority black city, and several black officials are outraged.

Alphonso R. Jackson, secretary of housing and urban development, during a visit with hurricane victims in Houston, said New Orleans would not reach its pre-Katrina population of "500,000 people for a long time," and "it's not going to be as black as it was for a long time, if ever again."

Rep. Danny K. Davis, Illinois Democrat and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, quickly took issue.

"Anybody who can make that kind of projection with some degree of certainty or accuracy must have a crystal ball that I can't see or maybe they are more prophetic than any of us can imagine," he said.

Other members of the caucus said the comments by Mr. Jackson, who is black, could be misconstrued as a goal, particularly considering his position of responsibility in the administration.

"I would beg and hope that the secretary, if that is what he is saying, would re-evaluate the situation," said Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland Democrat.

I guess, according to Rep. Cummings, if Secretary Jackson just changes his mind, it won't happen. I don't know why this bothers the Black Caucus so much, except for the obvious fact that their political power will likely be severely diminished in the Louisiana of the future. If they really cared about the plight of the black refugees from New Orleans, I would hope they'd be happy wherever those folks land as long as they can be productive citizens.

The fact is the Secretary is probably right. Thousands of poor blacks who inhabited the hardest hit areas of the city have been shipped to other parts of the country, and many of them won't be coming back because they have nothing to come back to. Their homes and belongings are either gone or so badly damaged as to be useless, and it will be impossible for them to rebuild and reestablish themselves in New Orleans (without massive federal help, and at the rate things are going, they may get that). Many of the folks will find that they like their new homes and communities just fine, and will be very happy to make their new lives right there.

Of course, the biggest fear of the Black Caucus is that the displaced New Orleans residents will become productive citizens in their new communities, because productive citizens don't need or want government help. That's the Black Caucus' worst nightmare.