In my recent article about the slow release of money from the state for a program to address lead contamination across New Orleans, I wrote about arsenic levels in soil that are supposed to trigger a clean-up under state Department of Environmental Quality policy. In a document sent to me from DEQ entitled “Arsenic sampling […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
What IS going on at City Hall?
The past few weeks have been a distillation of what New Orleans is, and what we do best. Throwing off the yoke of the past few years and celebrating in the streets with ad-hoc parades as well as those that have been more carefully orchestrated, we all felt a renewed pride in our recovering Crescent […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Mitch’s Mandate
Mitch Landrieu was elected mayor of New Orleans on Saturday by a much larger margin than even the latest polls predicted, with a convincing 65 percent of the vote. Landrieu’s easy victory seemed unlikely given the city’s reputation for racial polarization and the wide field of opponents, but the mayor-elect’s campaign and get-out-the-vote strategies yielded […]
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Rebate for new appliances comes with a financial catch
Louisiana has been awarded $4.2 million by the U.S. Energy Department as part of the Energy Star rebate program, otherwise known as the Cash for Appliances program. Modeled after the Cash for Clunkers program that increased sales of fuel-efficient cars, and was heralded by the White House as a success, homeowners can get rebates for new […]
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Why is the MSM ignoring the New Orleans Saints?
That dastardly mainstream media blew it again. Did you know that the Saints won the Super Bowl on Sunday? If you’ve been relying on the five o’clock news or The Times-Picayune, you might have missed out. Lucky for you, neither The Lens nor I will ever let something as important as a Saints playoff victory […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Rollover on the road
One day after the City Council voted to roll over roughly $600 million of spending into the 2010 budget, ground was broken on two roadway improvement projects. A press release sent out Friday by Mayor Ray Nagin’s office announced the start of street repaving projects on St. Roch Avenue from North Roman Street to St. […]
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Less than 5% of certain recovery money spent, administration says
More than two years after New Orleans was given permission to begin drawing down federal recovery grants, the city has spent less than 5 percent of the $300 million in grant money appropriated in the city’s operating budget, the city’s chief technology officer Harrison Boyd told the City Council today. The amount totals $11 million, […]
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Persuasion gives way to mobilization
Election Day is just 48 hours away. Tonight’s mayoral debate on WWL will be the last one. While the event presents one final opportunity to sling mud, given the relative accord on the campaign trail and the largely benign crop of last-minute radio attack ads and fliers this week, I don’t expect tonight’s debate to […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Enjoy the new smooth roads while they last
Despite the usual grumbles about orange cones, plus concern over the well-being of the city’s historic oak trees, drivers and residents generally welcomed the news that nearly all 2.5 miles of South Carrollton Avenue is being repaved and the sidewalks repaired. The Times-Picayune quoted a city official who said it may be the first time […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Suddenly, everyone is a liberal democrat
One of the most remarkable things about this election season is the apparent agreement on a largely progressive vision for the future of New Orleans. While candidates are hardly in lock step, the general consensus on many of the big issues facing this city is striking. Consider public safety. Because poll numbers indicate that citizens […]