By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | More than a year after Ray Nagin left City Hall, New Orleans taxpayers are still feeling the pain of thousands of dollars in undocumented credit card purchases made by his administration in its waning days. At least $12,000 in improperly documented purchases were made on city credit […]
Author Archives: Ariella Cohen
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Released after three month delay, city audit reveals 2010 budget shortfall
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | New Orleans began this year operating $28.7 million in the red, an audit of the city’s 2010 books released Thursday shows. The news comes as a stark reminder of the challenges facing Mayor Mitch Landrieu as he attempts to maintain a balanced budget without making significant cuts […]
Posted inLand Use
BioDistrict violates state law requiring hearing to let public offer input on budget
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Nearly two years into its operations, the state-funded organization coordinating development of a new biomedical district spanning downtown, Mid-City and Gert Town has never held a public hearing on its $2.5 million budget. The lack of public input puts the Greater New Orleans Biosciences Economic Development District […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Recipient of controversial nonprofit loan working for Inspector General's Office
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | A business that came under public scrutiny for taking loans from a taxpayer-subsidized nonprofit controlled by its president’s brother has moved on to work for the Office of the Inspector General. In July, that office signed a $75,000 technical-support contract with Ultimate Technical Solutions Inc. Though based in Harvey, […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Legislator's Algiers apartment deal receives state-approved bond money
Two years after House Speaker Jim Tucker (R-Algiers) pushed for a moratorium on state subsidies for affordable housing, a board he sits on has awarded $10 million in state-backed approved bond money so a nonprofit can buy an apartment complex Tucker owns.
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics, Land Use
Against long odds, RTA seeks federal funds to extend streetcar line to Poland Avenue
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | With less than a month to go before the deadline for a final round of federal stimulus transit funding, city officials are pushing to extend the proposed Rampart Street/St. Claude Avenue streetcar line all the way to Poland Avenue, on Bywater’s downriver edge. On a visit to […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
As the Saints open season, Mayor Landrieu throws support behind sports district
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | At a final budget town hall meeting Wednesday in the French Quarter, Mayor Mitch Landrieu threw his support behind a new special taxing district in downtown New Orleans. “We are trying to conceptualize what the district should look like and who the major players are,” Landrieu told […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Smooth roads not cheap: City says it spends $1 million to rebuild each one-block stretch
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | It costs $1 million to reconstruct a one-block stretch of city street in New Orleans. You read that right. That covers work from asphalt down to the muddy subterranean, and from sidewalk to sidewalk, including stormwater catch basins and curbs, Deputy Mayor Cedric Grant told the City […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Lower 9th Ward residents tell mayor to speed progress or lose their votes at next election
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | A week after Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced he will spend $45 million on street repairs in the Lower 9th Ward, residents said the Landrieu administration has many more promises left to deliver on. “If you expect residents to return, there must be faster progress on the infrastructure […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Clarkson offends crowd with remarks praising '50s as a golden age, refuses to apologize
Update 9/1: Clarkson issued a statement Wednesday night stating that she is “sorry that there were a handful of people in the crowd that didn’t appreciate what I’ve done for them.” By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Marguerite Blunt, 91, remembers the 1950s as a time when she couldn’t enter restaurants through the […]