WHERE WILL WE GO?

New Orleans businesses and residents that have temporarily relocated to Baton Rouge due to Katrina are now beginning to return to New Orleans. Some have a home, some have a job, but many have neither. This is an opportunity for Baton Rouge to not only increase our population but to change the entire structure of the city. Many people ( around 250,00) found shelter in BR, but as New Orleans comes back to life, many are leaving.

How do we find a balance between aiding New Orleans in rebuilding and keeping some of its displaced for ourselves. Since many have already purchased a home in Baton Rouge, obviously they are planning on staying for a while, but what about the thousands that have filled our downtown for the past weeks. Restaurants, copy shops, coffee shops, everthing have been stretched to the max and have been making tons of money. But most of these people, along with everyone else have been donating, volunteering, our offering up their homes to not only New Orleaniens, but to people all over LA and MS.

Everyone is tired. Baton Rouge is getting larger, but feels very small and safe compared to New Orleans. It might be easier to increase the residents than it would be to increase businesses in Baton Rouge. There will always be more tourism in NO than BR just because of its history and fame, espacially after the hurricane. It will come back, maybe better than ever, maybe a funkier Las Vegas. Either way, a very fast transportation system from New Orleans to Baton Rouge is the most important step. Many connections have been made between the two cities recently, and many already existed. Communities are stretching out from the metro areas and will eventually meet anyway. A quick and easy commute would allow both cities an opportunity to grow and would intrique others from out of state to move here.

This is a time for great improvement in both of our cities. Right now most of the focus is being placed on rebuilding New Orleans' infastructure and giving people aid to restart their lives, but where will they restart. Renovatons and new construction should not only be going on in NO, but Baton Rouge should focus mainly on improving and creating homes for people. The businesses will follow.


If you have a business that is based in New Orleans and are having trouble keeping contact with clients and employees you are not alone. Modiphy Incorporated, a Baton Rouge web development firm, has donated an extremely helpful service to those businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina. "nolabusiness.com" allows business owners to post both the status of their business and current contact information, as well as get a free webmail account all in one easy step.