I’m on the road with the poverty tour that John Edwards is doing through several states in a few days (yours truly is only going as far as Memphis), an opportunity to see a wide variety of workers struggling to make it. I’m going to try to write something more in depth later or tomorrow. But, last night, we took a tour of the lower 9th ward in New Orleans. My understanding from those who have been here before is that we did not go through the areas that are the ones that still remain devastated. Still, you could get a sense of the enormity of the calamity that struck the people here–and the completely outrageous government non-response (“you’re doing a heck of a job, Brownie) by seeing the many empty, silent homes that still stand here–some rotting away, many still with the notations scrawled across walls made by search and rescue squads to note whether there were any bodies inside the homes. Many of the homeowners have written on the their homes “Do not demolish” or “Do not bulldoze.” Another troubling development–ACORN is fighting against unscrupulous speculators who, like vultures, are trying to buy up or seize property from devastated residents–so you see a lot of “No Land Grab” signs on lawns and in windows.

Edwards later spoke at a brand new school built since the flood–you can still smell the new paint in the Martin Luther King Jr elementary school. One of the questions Edwards answered from an adult had to do with unions. I don’t have the time here early in the a.m. to play back the video I shot to get his exact words but Edwards basically said: the best anti-poverty program is to have more unions so workers can get together and raise their living standards.

Today, it’s off to Mississippi where the tour meets with poultry workers and home care workers.