Alan Gutierrez

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?

For most of you, I’m sure, the first meeting of the Community Support Organization that you’ve missed by the time you’ve read this, will come as a suprise. It’s at the Hilton at 8:00 am tomorrow morning. Another example of outreach on a need to know basis. Keep in mind that although I’ll be working with volunteers to keep track of the doings of the UNOP, I’m not officially involved in it, in any way.

The Audio Town Hall project, which has been in the works for some time, has been launced over the weekend. We’re facilitating conference calls between neighborhoods and the group urban planners from which the neighborhoods must choose, in order to move forward with the “process” of rebuliding our fair City of New Orleans. For my non New Orleans neighborhoods planning readers, there’s a lot of back story.

For those of you who’ve been following along, you can hear Carrollton residents Jenel Hazlett and Kim Carver speaking with a David Dixon from Goody Clancy, and also Carrollton and John Hoal of H3.

Gentilly resident Nikki Najiola speaks with David Dixon of Goody Clancy, and Marty Rowland and Karen Parsons join her to speak with John Hoal of H3.

Oddly timed, Nancy White, who I follow for insight into social networking software, has written up a long article on telephone faciliation, which might be worth a study for those of use who are developing the Audio Town Hall.

Look forward to more intereviews with planners in the comming week, and an interview with the creators of the Kid Camera Project, which breaks the planning mold into which Think New Orleans has been stuffed.

This morning it bothers me. My email inbox has invitations, from different neighborhoods, to join them in the Night Out Against Crime. I must respond that I’m going to be at the UNOP meeting. This is the planning meeting where we will be able to hear presentations from the different planning firms. This meeting scheduled in conflict with National Night Out Against crime, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. It is the only meeting. It is a difficult choice to make, and a crime that we are forced to make it.