Wage Support for the Gulf Coast - Find Your Own WIN-WIN

It is not an easy time to be a New Orleanian. 

It seems that every time we manage to get one catastrophe under control, another one pops up to take its place. Our city lost roughly half of its residents after Hurricane Katrina, including but not limited to our police force, and so you can imagine the ensuing chaos and the years it has taken to try to bring it back under control. Now, with many New Orleanians finally finding ways to travel that long "road home," we find ourselves in the frustrating position of having to deal with a catastrophic oil leak that has shut down our beaches and once-fertile fishing grounds, and begun to put long-cherished local and family-owned businesses out of business. Our world-renowned seafood restaurants are under threat, along with the tourism trade that leads our local economy.


So what's a New Orleanian to do? We could all stand around bickering about politics and arguing about where to point fingers of blame - and some of us are doing just that. Lord knows, that seems to be about all our politicians are managing to do these days, money in the freezer aside. But I get the feeling right now that there's plenty of blame to go around, so arguing over who gets what percentage of that blame is ultimately a waste of our time. The courts will spend the next howevermany years parsing that blame out, and ultimately the only people to get rich off of the whole process will be the defense attorneys anyway. That's just the American way.


We could gather together in candlelight vigils and try to "raise awareness" of the catastrophe in the Gulf, but really, who's not aware already? Some people care deeply about the issue, some don't, and the chances of our bringing the nonchalant over to our side are, as ever, slim to none.


Some New Orleanians are banding together in a noble, if not particularly fruitful, attempt to organize volunteer groups to clean beaches, scrub birds, and plant new marshes, and I'd be the last person to try to dissuade those people from accomplishing whatever they can accomplish. But what with BP refusing to allow anyone but their own employees near oiled areas and volunteers being referred by local news organizations to a 1-866 number that (surprise!) turns out to be a voice mail account in BP's public relations office, the sad fact is that the well-meaning are simply not welcome in the areas that need their attention the most, and it takes more resources and energy than the weekend warrior can muster to break through the wall of bouncers and spin doctor press that BP has built around its little private nightmare.


So we're back to square one. What's a New Orleanian to do in this time of confusion and frustration? We could take it all out on each other...I'm sure there are plenty of gangs/politicians who would relish the opportunity to fan the flames of discord and violence in pursuit of their own enrichment. But in the end, we'd be right back where we started after Katrina ...in a city with a devastated economy and little ability to police itself.


The problem with all of the above options is that, one way or another, in order for one side to accomplish its goals, someone on the other side has to lose. Be it the government, the environment, the wildlife, or the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, the fact is that when we focus more attention on blame than on rehabilitation, someone must be sacrificed in order for progress to be made. And right now, the Gulf Coast simply can not afford to go around making enemies. This area needs all the help it can get, and alienating our government, BP officials, or the general public can only do more harm than good at this point.


Which leaves us in a tricky postition. But when all options seem like bad options, it's time to start asking different questions. Now more than ever, the Gulf Coast needs its people to come up with win-win scenarios. But none of us in the general public, however much we might wish to ride in on white horses and save the day, has the individual capacity to clean up this mess, either literally or figuratively. So what can we do?

New Orleans needs a new framework from which it can address problems of this nature. Instead of asking "Who is at fault?" or "Who should we sacrifice?" we need to start asking ourselves, "What can I do? How can I, using the resources that are readily available to me, make a difference right now? How can I help to create a win-win scenario?" Because none of us can do everything, but every single one of us can do something.  

And after all, there is so much that needs to be done, it hardly matters what issue you can find the energy to tackle. Can you spend an hour this weekend learning about a local shelter? Can you shop at a local market instead of a large corporate one this weekend? Can you afford to donate a few bucks to an agency working to clean up the environment?

As Americans, most of us enjoy the privilege of living our daily lives without having to interact directly with our society's social issues, such as crime, poverty, homelessness, etc. We know they exist, but we shut them out because they overwhelm us, and it is easier and more pleasant to simply ignore them. But as New Orleanians, we cannot afford to be socially isolated right now. We need to offer support - in whatever form - to our city and our neighbors. No one is asking you to don a wet suit and swim into the middle of oil infested waters. But how about if you put down that franchise hamburger and seek out a restaurant that is still serving local seafood? Could you fill your car with gas from some station that's not owned by BP?

Right now, our city and our way of life is under attack - not by any single terrorist organization but by the bad luck of having several major disasters within a few short years. Now is the time for us to turn off that auto-pilot that usually runs our busy lives, and to live consciously and deliberately. We need to be aware of our impact on our own society, however small it may be, and make choices that will support our local economy and environment. We need to come together as New Orleanians... or the "terrorists" will surely win.


For myself, I have re-dedicated Kalla Designs' goal of supporting local non-profit agencies by donation. We're off to a good start with the recent success of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Texas and the Gulf Coast's most recent fundraising auction, in which two sets of our jewelry raised over $600 from bidders to support the Foundation's goal of granting wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. But one small success must lead to another, hopefully even larger, success. Will you join us in our effort to support the Gulf Coast today? There is only one qualification to join us in our campaign...you must care enough to try.