Oh! Another day, another shameful story of institutional and individual police terror and racism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Sunday, The Times-Picayune added new details to the mysterious death of Henry Glover, whose remains were founded in a burned car last seen being driven by New Orleans police officers. Meanwhile, The Advocate in Baton […]
Posted inLand Use
Senate action helps chances for New Orleans housing
Just a couple weeks ago, affordable-housing proponents had little hope that developments to replace the public-housing complexes torn down after the levee failures would materialize. A damning federal assessment of the Housing Authority of New Orleans stated that, “Two of HANO’s Big Four the former Lafitte and B.W. Cooper projects mixed-income deals are in jeopardy. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Comments underscore sad reality of broken NOPD
It probably didn’t shock Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu Thursday night when the residents of New Orleans told him and his transition task force on the NOPD that they want a police superintendent who has such rare qualities as “integrity,” “a background in diversity,” and “a successful track record.” It was likewise probably not too surprising when […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Despite initial confusion, gift to Zulu is alive and well
New Orleans City Council member Cynthia Hedge-Morrell introduced an ordinance Thursday to pay Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club at least some of the $800,000 the mayor awarded them on Lundi Gras. In the days following the surprise announcement, neither city officials nor Zulu leaders who submitted the application knew whether the money would be […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Pivotal period for Cao as final health care vote nears
The pressure is officially on U.S. Rep. Ahn “Joesph” Cao to vote for healthcare reform. Over the course of the week, President Barack Obama has barnstormed the country for his comprehensive healthcare package with firebrand speeches outside of Philadelphia and St. Louis reminiscent of his campaign, in an attempt to get his signature legislation over […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
The Lens interviews Spike Lee
The Lens recently visited the Rampart Street studio and office space of Spike Lee, who’s been in the city the past month filming a sequel to his HBO documentary “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.” He’d just gotten back from Houston, where he was interviewing people displaced by the federal levee disasters, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Federal consent decrees have reformed police departments
The FBI has confirmed seven separate civil rights investigations into unjust NOPD conduct. Seven. It is a situation so shameful and so infuriating it is becoming difficult to find new ways to condemn it. Any officers responsible for acts of brutality should be punished and I hope that, finally, they will. You could simply isolate […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Contractor being paid for work done by city employees
The city has paid the private company managing the bulk of New Orleans’ recovery projects more than $3 million for work actually done by city employees, according to an internal memo written by the ousted city capital projects director just weeks before he left City Hall. Bill Chrisman wrote in the Feb. 20 memo that […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
What price crunk?
You really can’t put a price on getting crunk. Still, the Ying Yang Twins, performers of the Saints anthem “Halftime (Stand up and Get Crunk!), had to put a price on their appearance with Mayor Ray Nagin at the Super Bowl celebration parade. Nagin recently signed a contract to pay the hip-hop stars up to […]
Posted inInvestigations
City permits system unplugged because of unpaid bills
A technology vendor to the city of New Orleans shut down a key computer system Monday because the city hasn’t paid “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in past-due bills, the contractor said Wednesday. Based on a tip from a developer unable to move a project forward, The Lens uncovered the problem in a joint investigation […]