The Rev. Vien Nguyen, pastor of the Mary Queen of Vietnam church, waited patiently through hours of talk from BP, Coast Guard, state and federal representatives, and questions from his congregation before finally raising his own question: “Of the fishers BP has hired, are over 50 percent of them Vietnamese?” “I don’t know the answer […]
Posted inEnvironment
Oil's effects on wetlands could be dire
As the oil from BP’s Deepwater Horizon accident seeps into Louisiana’s 48,000 acres of wetlands, it’s officially beginning to endanger the habitat and nesting areas of many species of fish, invertebrates and birds. If the problem worsens, it will create insufferable burdens for area fishers and the markets and restaurants they serve. Not to mention, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Activists plan Thursday protest against NOPD chief Serpas
New Orleans celebrated the inauguration of Mayor Mitch Landrieu with a jubilant second line last Monday. Smiling wide and swaying from the hips, the new mayor danced through downtown New Orleans. Rebirth Brass Band played. Men in suits and ladies in hats clapped as they trotted along the smooth – for New Orleans – pavement […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Ronal Serpas is Landrieu’s choice; big changes are coming to the NOPD
A few hours ago, Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced that former NOPD Deputy Superintendent and current Nashville police chief Ronal Serpas will lead the NOPD. Landrieu was enthusiastic and effusive in his praise of Serpas, whom he said presented “clear and away the best resume that many people in the country have seen.” “This is the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Serpas' daughter is connected to suspended NOPD officer
The adult daughter of a finalist for New Orleans police chief shares a house with one of the NOPD officers who was present at a Mid-City bar when off-duty colleagues allegedly beat a group of city transit workers, an event that is the subject of a FBI civil rights investigation.
Posted inCriminal Justice
With Landrieu's invitation, federal intervention in NOPD is now a certainty
Mayor Mitch Landrieu earlier today announced in unequivocal terms that he wants the Justice Department to be actively involved in the reformation of the tormented New Orleans Police Department. Landrieu, standing beside more than a dozen community leaders, said at a news conference that he wants the Justice Department to come in and do an […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Nagin's wisdom now for hire on the speaking circuit
As he suggested in one of his many farewell interviews, it looks like former New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin is embarking on a career in public speaking.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Landrieu administration to take data-driven approach
Mayor Mitch Landrieu plans to boost efficiency at City Hall with a data-driven performance-management system modeled after one pioneered in Baltimore, his top appointee said Tuesday. Landrieu’s quantitative approach to governing, something long advocated by open-government advocates, came out during a news conference announcing the creation of new deputy mayor positions and the appointees to […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Coalition wants intervention from feds in NOPD; Landrieu position is still unclear
Earlier today, more than two dozen organizations signed onto a letter addressed to Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, the head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The letter calls on the Department of Justice to intervene in local police departments guilty of civil rights abuse, to sue the NOPD and to obtain a […]
Posted inEnvironment
Bill Ayers seen pouring barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico!
A legitimate debate needs to be had over whether the federal government was fully engaged in the Gulf Coast oil disaster from the moment they should have been. Did the Department of Homeland Security have plans for a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf, or were they unprepared for what should have been a foreseeable […]