ABC26.com

N.O. East Holds Mayoral Forum

Yunji de Nies,

April 2, 2006, 5:13 PM CDT

NEW ORLEANS — While much of New Orleans East is desolated, there is an oasis off Chef Menteur Highway where life has returned.

"You have to come back and do something, you can't just pick up and leave," said business owner Nah Vu.

Nah Vu re-opened her restaurant, Captain Sal's Seafood, several months ago. She says her community needs basics city services -- like street lights, a school, and a police station.

"People not going to come back if they don't feel safe and it's dark out here at night," Vu said.

Today Vu joined hundreds of neighbors to hear from the mayoral candidates at a forum held at the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church. Most of the politicians gave plenty of praise, though few offered specific plans.

"You have shown us the example of self reliance, of faith, of family and of hard work," said Peggy Wilson.

"It is a great testiment and it great example to the rest of the city and the rest of the state," said Mitch Landrieu.

"This entire city needs to look to you for that leadership, and this country frankly needs to look to you for that leadership," said Rob Couhig.

The forum follows news that fully restoring the levees will cost an additional $6 billion. Without the money areas like New Orleans East and the Lower Ninth Ward will not be protected. On Friday, Mayor Ray Nagin, who did not show up today, said he is not overly concerned because the "core of the city" will still be protected.

"For people in New Orleans it's really not that big of an issue," Nagin said.

"I wonder what exactly constitutes new orleans, so does it mean that only those people down there are more valuable? The thing is that we will be here. We are here already," Father Vien Nguyen, who organized the debate said.

For the first time ever, the Vietnamese community is formally endorsing a candidate for mayor. They say they can deliver at least 4000 votes. Father Nguyen says while the the community was not very politically active before the storm, they are now demanding representation.

"We are from the background where we don't trust the government too much, the political process, but now through the situation with Katrina and post-Katrina, we realize that we need to have a voice," Nguyen said.

"I feel they haven't paid attention to us before the storm. so they need to focus on us now," Vu said.

While most of these residents have lived here for decades, many are first time voters. The next mayor will have to pay attention to New Orleans East. For while it is a community that is self-reliant, the people are also citizens, who are very much a part of this city.

Mayor Nagin's press secretary said she does not know why the mayor did not attend the forum.