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President Barack Obama dropped in on New Orleans on Thursday in the aftermath of recent criticism that he had not visited our tattered city since becoming President, and he renewed his promise to help rebuild our city. There was a visit to a 9th Ward School and a town hall-like meeting at UNO. Many New Orleanians also feel that sense of renewal and confidence in the President’s words. And then there are others—others who quip that his stop in New Orleans was little more than lip service and photo ops. And there it is, even when he visits out tattered and battered city, he is criticized. We realize that it is in your nature to never stop trying to reach out to people—even those that seem to despise you, but Mr. Obama, you simply will not please some folk.

The truth is that while it was nice and exciting to have President Obama in New Orleans—even if only for a few hours—the number of trips he makes to our city cannot define his administration’s role in helping it to recover. He said so himself on Thursday and here at The Tribune we have consistently stood by that sentiment. We appreciate that President Obama passed some time here with us, but we will continue to judge him by the role the federal government plays in recovery and justice in New Orleans and not by the number of times Air Force One lands at Louis Armstrong. Yes, thanks for stopping by New Orleans, Mr. President. But in the short months of your term, we have already seen more attention paid to our city than that rendered by the previous administration; and for that we thank you one thousand fold. As always, that just what we think. We want to know what cha say? Do you think the President’s recent visit will now silence critics or will they just find more reasons to take jabs at him?

Now that HANO has moved its Housing Choice Voucher (Section office to Algiers, those who need help the most will likely have a more difficult time getting it. Residents who live on the east bank of Orleans Parish will now have to traverse—many by bus—to file paperwork or apply for vouchers. Here at The Tribune we simply cannot resign ourselves to the notion that anyone who receives government assistance should just be glad to get it. The reality is that programs like Section 8 should be easily accessible as well. With the importance that should be placed on repopulating areas on Orleans’ east bank, it just makes more sense to us to keep the office there. Individuals who need help paying for rent quite likely lack reliable transportation as well. Many of the individuals who apply for Section 8 vouchers are among the thousands of families left without a place to call home when the city’s housing developments were torn down. We can’t help but conclude that moving the Housing Choice Voucher office to the west bank was done to make the process as inconvenient as possible considering that the office was already in a recently renovated building owned by HANO in the Gentilly area. That’s what we say, but as always we want to know what cha say? Did HANO make a good decision when it moved the Section 8 office to Algiers? Or does the move make it harder for those who need help?