C3/Hands Off Iberville Demands that the Foxes Quit Guarding the Chicken House

C3/Hands Off Iberville calls on Henry Charlot Jr. to immediately resign as both the chair, and as a member, of the Iberville Advisory Committee. Indeed, no-one from the Downtown Development District (DDD) should be part of any committee assigned with developing a plan for Iberville.

Mr. Charlot rejects this position, and says that C3/Hands Off Iberville should have, quote, “an open mind” with regard to DDD’s intentions. Well, our monitoring of what’s been “on the mind” of Mr. Charlot’s boss, Kurt Weigle, the head of the DDD, when it comes to Iberville confirms our weariness. In a May 21, 2009 interview with WWL-TV, reporter Susan Edwards found that from the perspective of “Kurt Weigle …redeveloping and demolishing Iberville removes a barrier to investment, opening the corridor up to more than just retail and residential possibilities.” He told Edwards that "It [the demolition of Iberville] is going to have a positive effect on the medical district, the construction of the two hospitals...will have a much greater potential to attract investment around them.” Mr. Weigle, who has a bachelors degree in “Violent Urban Crime”, was enthused about how much [white?] people would feel safer with the violent removal of the working class African American community of Iberville. He exclaimed to Edwards that “It's going to make people feel the area is safer than it may be perceived to be today, and will make the area one of the most attractive for the entire city.”

Mr. Charlot, we know what the agenda of the DDD is--Urban Violence, just what your boss at the DDD studied and is an expert in. You, Weigle and the wealthy racist interests you represent want the removal of the Iberville community —a very brutal, violent act, in whatever form it takes. Your group, and maximum leader, have been explicit about this agenda. You have worked tirelessly over the years, including forming alliances with hotel developer Michael Valentino, architect Ray Manning, and sell-out tenant leader Kim Paul as part of the so-called ‘Iberville Rebirth Coalition.’ Now, with the help of HANO’s Wayne Woods and Diane Johnson, you are working on another scheme. We say end the charade and get your Hands Off Iberville! Furthermore, you have no business dealing with Iberville since it is not even within DDDs jurisdiction, which only covers the area between Claiborne Avenue, Iberville Street, the Mississippi River and the Pontchartrain Expressway.

While demanding Charlot’s and the DDD’s immediate expulsion from the Iberville Advisory Committee, we are also very concerned by the actions of the rest of the members. It is very disconcerting that the other member of the committee would allow Charlot and the DDD to head the initiative. We call on the rest of the committee to reverse course, and expel Charlot and the DDD. Furthermore, we call on other pro-working class, anti-racist forces to also join us in supporting our demands against the DDD. In addition, we call on you to support our demands for defending ALL the public housing units at Iberville through a massive repair and investment plan, and one that guarantees jobs for all residents and all those that need jobs, through a massive public works program and enforcement of section 3 of the 1968 Housing Act and other affirmative action programs.

Send your endorsement of these demands to jarenanynola@gmail.com. You are also invited to attend C3/Hands Off Iberville’s weekly Thursday meeting, 7 PM at 410 Basin St.
For more information call 504-520-9521 or 504-587-0080,