"How Are Things Down There?"

That's the first question anybody who's even a part-time New Orleanian hears from folks around the country. Anecdotal reports, like the recent NYT story about people moving out (the Times reporter, unlike lil' ol' me, couldn't happen to run into anybody who'd moved in) are not much help. The Times-Picayune tries a comprehensive answer to the question today, with a stat-filled survey of the major areas--from crime to insurance, jobs to education--that can explain how mixed the emotions are right now.