Entry 7

The issue of what problems Norco, LA is facing depends heavily upon who you ask. If you talk to some of the poorer of lower class sections of town they will stress upon the need for police oversight, and health problems related to the plant. But, one gets a very different picture when talking to business owners or those of middle to upper middle class from the area. They describe problems related to how the schools need to be improved, and how the area could benefit from an influx of new economic development.

These two oppinions are closely related to the individual's circumstance, more specifically, where the individual lives. As we observed and one citizen pointed out, the closer one lives to the plant, generally, the lesser off, the family is. So, it makes sense that the closer a person lives to the plant, the more that that would encomapss their daily lives. Everything from health problems, to disruption via pollution burnings late at night, stems from where the person is located.



On the other hand, the upper-middle, and middle classes tend to live in the central areas of Norco, farther from the plant, bordering the old Diamond neighborhood. Here the houses are much neater and well kept. Most of the parents in this area send their kids to Sacred Heart instead of Norco Elementary. They talk constantly about the poor quality of Destrahan High, and how they wish they could send their kids to a better school. In addition to that, many local business owners worry about the sustainability of their businesses. They notice that the population of Norco is aging, and as kids grow up and move out of Norco, economic growth oppurtuinities are limited.