Alan Gutierrez

CHAT sent neighborhood representatives to testify before the U.S. Senate’s Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery. Listening to this intelligent and informed testimony on C-Span made me very proud. New Orleans resident Frank Silvestri addressed Senator Ted Stevens’ dismissive closing with fact and precision. I am proud to have the experience of working with these citizens who have become so savvy with information.

A quote that I reference frequently in post-Katrina New Orleans is Hanlon’s Razor

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

In our recovery we frequently find instances of people who are acting in their own selfish interests, or so it seems. Often times, someone will note that the person is well intentioned. Whether it is promoting outragously expensive “green” construction, endless planning processes, preposterously large-scale civic participation programs, or stalled payment programs, the question of intent is used to mitigate the outcome.

I’m of the mind that malice and incompentence are two sides of the same coin.

However, in the New Orleans recovery, incompetence is offered as a legitimate reason for failure. Don’t be so hard on us, we don’t know what we’re doing. You try and fix New Orleans.

It boggles the mind that this is offered with a straight face. Questions about progress are taken personally, as if they were accusations, which they are, only because those quesitoned have no answers.

It prays on the decency of New Orleanians, because we’re all traumatized. We don’t want to beat anybody up. We just want answers, but the response is one of indignation.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, shouldn’t you step aside?