A new financial commitment for the proposed medical district in Mid-City will leave a $25 million hole in a revolving loan fund given to the city from the state to jump start recovery. The appropriation was described by one of Mayor Ray Nagin’s top lieutenants, Chief Technology Officer Harrison Boyd, during a City Council budget […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
What's Landrieu's view of federal invovlement in NOPD?
More important than the police superintendent search: Does Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu have an position on federal intervention in the NOPD? Should the Department of Justice give Landrieu’s superintendent a chance to implement changes before deciding whether to pursue a civil-rights lawsuit to require criminal-justice reforms? Or should Landrieu require that his superintendent embrace a consent […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations
Possible contract-selection shenanigans could shift AIDS patients away from providers
The New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council, a public body that sets annual priorities for spending millions in federal money, may have improperly gotten involved in recommending a recipient of that money: a member of the council. Aside from the possible conflict of interest, the new contract also has consequences for the patients themselves. That’s […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Justice Department confirms consideration of consent decree lawsuit against NOPD
This is precisely why Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu’s transition task force is generating so much attention. Yesterday afternoon, Talking Points Memo caught up with Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, who heads the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. He confirmed the feds are considering suing the NOPD to force reform measures under court order and federal […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Amid gunfire, Landrieu throws the weakest brick of all
Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu was awfully defensive in last week’s press conference about his search for a new police superintendent. Responding to internal criticism from four now-former members of his transition task force, Landrieu accused those who went public with their objections of being divisive. “People in this town have learned how to throw bricks rather […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
If you worked at City Hall, you’d be home now
Mayor Ray Nagin announced his decision in January to close city offices indefinitely on Friday, groans were heard far and wide. Need a construction permit? That’ll have to wait until Monday. Want to file your homestead exemption? Talk to a City Council member? Hold those thoughts. It seemed like the only people not rolling their […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Landrieu: Those who quit chief search were throwing bricks, not building bridges
Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu reiterated Wednesday the position that his transition team is a private effort not subject to state sunshine laws and that the public has no right to see the names of all 75 applicants for police chief. Commenting on the four members of his 21- search team who quit in frustration over the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
What do you want to ask Landrieu about chief search?
Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu plans a 3:30 p.m. press conference today to discuss his controversial search for a new police chief as well as other matters related to his transition. What would you like The Lens to ask him? Send you thoughts in an e-mail to editor@TheLensNola.org and we’ll do our best to get them answered. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Council president seeks oversight for economic development loans
City Council President Arnie Fielkow plans to introduce an ordinance this week that would require council approval for all loans from the Urban Development Action Grant fund, increasing public oversight of a development subsidy most recently awarded to Zulu organization and the Inspire entertainment complex in the Seventh Ward. The UDAG program is a loan […]
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
Lucrative stimulus contract for green jobs in New Orleans goes to group with least to offer
By Brentin Mock – staff writer – A federal program to weatherize homes of low-income families had been a fairly low-budget, low-profile affair in Louisiana. Then the stimulus program came along.