Social justice is not the same as simple justice, said billionaire Holocaust survivor George Soros in an interview with The Lens. According to the Hungarian-born American investor and currency speculator, there is a distinction between judicial rights rights of freedom and rights to particular amenities or services, such as housing. “There is a legitimate objective […]
Posted inEnvironment
Nearly $2 million sent to Louisiana for Water Cleanup
The Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 announced today an award of $932,000 to Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, which is to be used for providing “alternative water supplies and relocation of residents at sites where underground storage tank releases occurred and the responsible party is unknown, unwilling or unable to respond.” This announcement comes on […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Video: Soros Discusses Criminal Justice
Immediately upon sitting down with The Lens, George Soros immediately raised concerns about people trafficked in from overseas to work for Gulf Coast companies under draconian conditions, and then criminally detained for organizing and complaining about those conditions. He later lamented the amount of money spent on sending young students to courts and prisons, creating, […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Video: Soros Discusses Growing Civic Engagement
Philanthropist George Soros, in New Orleans for a meeting of his Open Society Institute, said the disaster brought by Katrina could bring needed change because of a rediscovered sense of citizen involvement. He’s said he’s found “a more alert and more engaged electorate” in the city. Soros and retired Criminal Court Judge Calvin Johnson spoke […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Billionaire George Soros Increasing Involvement in New Orleans
Billionaire philanthropist George Soros arrived in New Orleans Tuesday to survey the progress of his foundation’s social investments, and after being in the city for less than 24 hours, he said he intends to increase his involvement in post-Katrina recovery efforts. Such expansion of giving comes at a time when other foundations have begun phasing […]
Posted inSquandered Heritage Vintage
selfless…Pam Dashiell
I can’t even put into words now deeply saddened I was to hear of Pam’s passing. She spent much of her life both pre Katrina and especially post Katrina fighting to save our wetlands as well as the closure of the MrGo and the rebirth of the Lower 9. Pam and I schlepped through Washington […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
What the #$*! does James Perry Know?
Though he announced his intention to seek the city’s highest office way back in 2008, housing advocate James Perry has largely failed to generate any discernible attention – positive or negative – in print, on television, or over the radio airwaves. That no longer seems to be a problem. This week was a bit of […]
Posted inSquandered Heritage Vintage
Jeanne-Claude
I have been really fortunate over the last few years to have gone places I normally would not have gone. Earlier this year I went to New York to attend The Peabody Awards, I wrote a little bit about it here, “including a scene with Jeanne- Claude and Christo.”:http://www.squanderedheritage.com/2009/05/19/my-name-is-not-monica/ I had first seen her in […]
Posted inEnvironment
The Federal Flood
I remember clearly the day we filled out our claim forms in the suit against the Army Corps of Engineers. I live not far from the Army Corps office buildings on Leake Avenue, and the cars were lined up, bumper to bumper. Each car had a driver, holding paper in hand. While it didn’t feel […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
My Fake Life
Last week The Lens did a series of reports on the state of housing here in New Orleans. Thinking about the questions raised by the research highlighted in our reports, I decided to take a deeper look at the day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck reality of the population know in housing lingo as “the workforce” Specifically, I wanted […]