Jul 31 - Photo of boy in public housing with an iPad prompts debate over what the poor should have

In a story that appeared on Wednesday's front page some residents of the Iberville public housing development talked about their fears that today's scheduled implosion of the nearby Pallas Hotel will make them sick or aggravate the asthma or other respiratory problems they already have. The 17-story hotel is being brought down to make room for the University Medical Center the state is building.

Concerns about airborne particles prompted state officials to offer hotel rooms for residents who live within a 600-foot radius of the demolition site, but the Pallas Hotel and Iberville are separated by 725 feet. So, before Wednesday at least, there was nothing special being planned for folks in the 400-apartment complex. The state's plan was reminiscent of the good old days in Louisiana when at some restaurants there'd be nothing but open air separating the non-smoking section from the smoking one.

But forget about the residents' health worries. Some readers were more worked up over a Rusty Costanza photograph that accompanied Wednesday's story. He showed an 8-year-old boy at the development busying himself with an iPad. That's a relatively expensive piece of technology. Predictably, outrage ensued.

Readers called and emailed reporter Katy Reckdahl to express their anger. One less caustic correspondent was clearly worried at what the reporter might think of him for raising the issue: "Not to rush to comment. I hope this is nothing more than someone gave him the iPad as a gift and he is using it for educational means or just playing games ... I hope I am not over thinking this. I am not prejudice (sic) -- this just did not look right."

I imagine that at some point or another all of us who aren't poor have decided which items poor folks, especially those on government[..]istance, should be allowed to have. And which items they should be denied. Fancy rims have been known to set me off. Maybe for you it's gold teeth, Air Jordans, the latest mobile phone. City Councilwoman Stacy Head used her taxpayer-funded phone to send an outraged email when she saw a woman using food stamps to buy Rice Krispies treats. What right do the poor have to sweetness?

I could try to defend myself and say that I think it's ridiculous for anybody in any income bracket to buy rims, but that's rather beside the point. I'm not my best self when I'm sitting in judgment and managing other people's money, and I doubt you're at your best when you do.

The idea that most people in public housing are living the lush life has persisted for at least as long as presidential candidate Ronald Reagan started using the offensive "welfare queen." But you ought to take a walk through the Iberville if you think its residents are living like royalty. Walk through and see if you'd exchange their thrones for yours.

The sight of a kid in public housing with an iPad doesn't offend me. Actually it gives me hope. So many poor people have no access to the digital world. They fall behind in school because of it. They miss the opportunity to apply for certain jobs. Yes an iPad is an expensive gadget, but we can't deny its usefulness. As computers go, an iPad comes cheaper than most laptops and desktops.

It might help to think of poor people as being as fully human as everybody else and as no more or less flawed. But if we are to believe a voicemail left for Reckdahl, they're lazy and litigious, just bad people through and through: "I think you missed the point ... that in the Iberville projects, the able-bodied welfare recipients that infest that place are waiting in line for (personal injury attorney) Morris Bart and this implosion to go hit the taxpayer once again, so you watch and see what happens, and of course you'll see I'm right.

"They need somebody to come in there and pick 'em up by limousine and take 'em to the Windsor Court or something like that. And they're still gonna sue anyway. Cuz that's what they do."

Note the use of the verb "infest." Some folks don't even think of the poor as people. They think of them as bugs.

Source

So basically, poor people shouldnt have

anything of value. If we find you with

items we think you shouldnt possess, we

want you punished even further than

generational poverty.
[pic]

They don't even know where or who he got it from. He could've gotten it from his rich grandma who disowned the kids mom, but though he should have something nice. [pic]

You just don't know. People are making[..]umptions based on race and where he lives. He could've easily got it from any relative as a gift...

NWO comin though, if you're on food stamps or welfare, get ready because the government will begin to control EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of your life, and threaten to take away any[..]istance that you might need if you don't follow their orders.

It's the same thing the US does with other countries with food and financial aid. We keep their balls in a vice, and as soon as they do one thing politically or legally (who defines legal) that the elites don't approve of, we take away their[..]istance, people die and then we tighten the vice a little bit
More.

It's !!ing terrible now and will only get worse

People do realize that most people in public housing with rims put them on 2000 $ cars right? So lets add it up 2000 for the car + 1500 for the rims = 3500$ are these people serious? So 3500 is > than a 20,000 car off the lot? They put rims on old cars their car rims included comes up to about a years worth of car payments on a ford focus.

[pic] they mad cuz they house is in foreclosure...

while shorty in the ghetto is taking instagram photos on his iPad [pic]

Racism [pic]

I live in the jects and I own a macbook and a tablet. you can live in a nice[..] spot on the upper west side and still own some !! that u don't need with money u could have spent on a "better" thing/cause. [pic]

and another thing. If me or someone I care for needs cash. these luxuries will the be the first things goin to craigslist. this !! ain't worth all that..

this society throwin stones at one another and we all full of !! in comparison to most of the world.

Iam from the jects but got out because of techlogy and computers and a mf who cared about me i love the hood and the personality it gave to a g... we didnt have !! sometime mf dont understand what its like to have the lights off and ur mom the only mf maken cheeze and ur dad trappin ur moms check so if a kid get a ipad that was up its a step away from the bullshi$

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ipads aren't expensive though [pic]

It has educational uses

You two are the only ones that have mentioned race. I don't agree with the premise of the article, but do we need another damn !! fest about the white man/devil/cac/honkey/any other term that's acceptable on this site "holding you down?" The article is about people living off of public[..]istance having luxuries. If I recall, many a thread has been made on this very site with statistics showing there are more whites on welfare than blacks, so pick your poison.

Seriously, every thread does not have to be a race war. Yes, the picture is of a black kid...I get it. However, you two are baiting and you know it. GROW THE !! UP. [pic]

Everything is about race.......even this thread [pic]

The sterotype of a poor individual on govt[..]istance is[..]ociated with African Americans despite the stats. Maybe you don't see it because your race is the est@blished social norm, but everything in the United States is based upon race.

You honestly believe people would make the same[..]umptions if it were a Caucasian child?

This is hilarious. If we are gonna tell the poor people what they can and cant have, then we get to tell the rich the same thing (something im against for the record, but it illustrates how ludicrous it is) Since they benefit 100000x more from the Gov than any poor black kid. Distractions. Meanwhile on Wall St. Banksters walk free.

How would we deal with financial criminals? From my understanding they control the govt itself.

This picture had nothin to do with the boy in the first place. its kinda funny

Why even address him? If he chooses to bury his head in the sand let him. Racism isn't something that affects his people often which is why comments like his are made. It's not his people's problem which is why he's in here trying to convince us it isn't a problem at all.

that is precisely the most glaring problem, also a lot of what Wall St did wasn't technically illegal, (prob due to aforementioned purchasing of Gov.). Its a whole cluster !! of things that need to be changed, Citizens United, Reenacting Glass/Steagall amongst a bunch of other things. I'm just saying, if people wanna talk about real Gov. waste and people living off the system, lets be real and do that, start with corporate welfare.

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No they don't want attack stuff like that, they are more concerned about a boy having an IPAD in a pic [pic]

This article just screams post racial politics. I mean first off its new orleans projects and I can say I rather see this child with a Ipad trying to make sense of the world and why they live in the projects than shooting some craps.