With the city on track to blow out its budget by $67 million this year, it’s obvious that some departments have been a little loose with their spending. But going over budget by 2,464 percent? And only halfway through the year? Really? That’s the rate of overspending on the line-item for consultants by the New […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Landrieu tightens take-home car policy
Some of the 185 employees enjoying a taxpayer-subsidized car — plus city-paid gas and maintenance — are likely to lose those privileges under the mayor’s new policy.
Posted inEnvironment
Legislators seek transparency from BP but feel snubbed
Two state lawmakers who persuaded the Legislature to call for BP to provide full access to its oil-spill information now say they’re frustrated with the oil giant’s continued lack of compliance. The state House and Senate in June unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 208, sponsored by New Orleans Democratic Reps. Walter Leger III and Cedric […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
“We don’t ground all planes” analogy crashes and burns
On March 31, President Barack Obama surprised many when he announced plans to lift oil drilling moratoriums along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts – a move described at the time as potentially the “biggest expansion of offshore energy exploration in half a century.” Three weeks later, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and a catastrophic oil […]
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics
Landrieu ditches Nagin plan
Call it the off-target plan. Mayor Mitch Landrieu is moving away from predecessor Ray Nagin’s recovery strategy of pushing projects in 17 “target zones” across the city. “Frankly, it was a previous administration’s plan,” mayoral spokesman Ryan Berni said. Berni acknowledged today that Landrieu has yet to finish his own recovery plan. His administration is […]
Posted inEnvironment
Landrieu fills position for environmental affairs after all
Though Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration initially was vague on whether it would continue to have an Office of Environmental Affairs during the nation’s largest oil disaster, the position has now been filled. Charles Allen, formerly at Tulane University in the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research, started running the office two weeks ago. Allen is a […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Imagineering an oil disaster
I drove my wife and daughters to Florida to see relatives and have a little holiday in the sun. Tomorrow we’ll visit Disney World, where we’ll delight in sterile fantasies and admire the Magic Kingdom’s “Imagineering”. Don’t worry. We’ll take a lot of pictures, just in case. In the meantime, I wanted to recommend this […]
Posted inEnvironment, Land Use
Old Earhart plan causes new concerns among neighbors about appropriateness
Residents question whether the $8.9 million project to widen a section of Earhart Boulevard serve the needs of post-Katrina New Orleans
Posted inGovernment & Politics
The Small Print
We scan The Times-Picayune’s legal ads so you don’t have to. Here’s a roundup of notable entries from the past week.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Prison expansion on hold until advisory group speaks out
In response to community concerns, the New Orleans City Council on Thursday said it will delay final action to let the Orleans Parish Sheriff greatly expand his prison. Though council members approved a zoning matter for the prison Thursday, they said they will wait to vote on a related measure until a newly formed mayoral […]