More on the New Orleans crime wave...

A few bits of New Orleans-related news for this week's 'toon:

• A number of commentaries on the recent spate of murders, including a couple by friends of independent filmmaker Helen Hill. One man's description of the wounded city that is fighting for it's survival: "New Orleans is dying, y'all." The violence was the impetus for a series of marches to City Hall on Thursday, attended by up to 3,000 people, including a few friends of mine.
  
  It's unclear from my reading this week whether more federal assistance would help with the current crime wave, or whether it's purely a local problem. However, by most accounts, a large part of the problem resides with the "cash-strapped" judicial system, including a public defender's office that is stretched so thin that judges are having to hold them in contempt when they fail to show up for hearings. It's hard to believe that the federal government couldn't help with this in some way, a feeling echoed by some of the people at the marches, who carried signs seemingly directed at District Attorney Eddie Jordan saying "FEDERALIZE NOLA." Regardless, there is a clear consensus that flagging attention from the rest of the country on New Orleans' continuing difficulties does not help matters...


• Commentary from HuffPo on the cost of Bush's escalation (let's call this what it is... it ain't no temporary "surge"). The administration is saying $5.6 billion, with another $100 billion needed in the near future. These little estimates are pretty meaningless in the long run... the total cost of the war is going to be at least $500 billion, and probably much, much more depending on how long we stay (which works out to at least $1,666.67 per American). All of which is deficit-financed, the interest on which, of course, we pay for as well. All for George W. Bush's futile attempt to save his political legacy...
  
  I can only think of a few million things I'd rather have my money spent on, how about you?