PROPERTY VALUES PLUMMET...AND SO DOES THE TAX BASE

The taxable value of New Orleans property has fallen by 54 percent because of Hurricane Katrina damage, according to preliminary figures compiled by the city's seven assessors, who for the past few months have been hurriedly reappraising homes and businesses to reflect their post-storm worth.

Whereas last year the city billed property owners for $452 million in taxes, this year's bills will total just $208 million, said 5th District Assessor Tom Arnold, who spoke for the group.

Comment: it is apparent that we no longer need seven assessors, would you say ?

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS NEWS

Jim Haslett, the beleaguered coach of the displaced Saints, was fired Monday after completing his sixth and worst season.

Comment: It is always business...never personal, but the franchise history of the Saints has to be taken personally.

FEMA AND THE HOTEL DEADLINE FOR EVACUEES

Hurricane Katrina evacuees around the nation who faced a Jan. 7 deadline for checking out of their government-funded hotel rooms have received a reprieve: Federal officials will keep paying for the rooms beyond that date as they iron out issues arising from a class-action lawsuit.

Comment: Scare tactics by fed agencies are not going to be effective...just put the trailers in place.

HOUSTON CRIME RATES SURGE

Evacuee- packed Houston sees jump in crime
9 of 122 killings tied to people from N.O.

On the heels of Hurricane Katrina, more than 100,000 evacuees landed in Houston. Now officials there say the city has found itself under the gun, with an escalating murder rate and population bursting at the seams.

The murder rate is up 25 percent since last year and up 70 percent in December alone, with 14 more murders this month compared with the same time period last year. Although the connection between evacuees and the surge in violence is statistically tenuous, with only nine of the city's 122 post-Katrina homicides involving someone, either as suspect or victim, who evacuated there, city officials continue to link the increase in bloodshed to the dramatic population boom.

Spike in homicides

There have been 121 homicides in Houston since September, compared to 92 during the same period last year. There were 26 homicides in September both years, but the homicide rate climbed in October to 29 from 24 a year ago.

The increase spiked in November, to 32 from 22 a year ago, and again in December, with 34 as of Tuesday, compared to 20 last year.

Abad said it is nearly impossible to pinpoint exactly which factors have contributed to the higher violent crime rates, and it's even more difficult to track the ways hurricane evacuees have or have not contributed to it.

"We are concerned about fighting crime no matter who is committing it," Abad said. "We don't stop and ask everyone we arrest if they're from Louisiana or not. Many people who evacuated to this city are becoming residents now. They're signing leases and paying rent. At what point do we stop calling them evacuees? A week, six months, a year?

"We want to ensure that longtime Houston residents and those who have made Houston a home in the last few months don't have to fear for their lives."

COMMENT: The mix of cultures forced on Houston was just too much too soon...not enough space for people to co-exist


RADIO ONE

Kickin' Science...the Exit Fest was founded originally by students protesting Slobodan Milosoviec...i suppose the idea was to get him to leave...ergo "Exit"...quite meaningful...i always wondered what the theme for this massive event was based upon.

Eight hours of dance music from the 2005 archive chosen by YOU and our Radio 1 DJs.
Pete Tong
DJ Yoda
Eddie Halliwell
Sasha
Dave Clarke
Underworld (live performance)