The geyser of oil resulting from the Deepwater Horizon offshore platform explosion continues to dump hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico each day. Oil giant BP, which leased the platform and is responsible for stopping the leak and cleaning up the spill, has been unable to activate the blowout […]
Author Archives: The Editors
Posted inEnvironment
Federal judge says BP can't force local workers to sign waivers of liability
Berrigan On Sunday, U.S. District Court Judge Ginger Berrigan prevented oil giant BP from having ad hoc local workers sign agreements releasing the company from any liability in the cleanup efforts. Shrimpers, oyster harvesters and others who work on the water, concerned about protecting their livelihoods, have asked BP to hire them as daily contractors […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Ronald Davis or Ronal Serpas
Today, Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu announced that he had whittled down his choices for next NOPD superintendent to two but did not name them. A source with knowledge of the interview process has told The Lens that the two are current Nashville chief and former NOPD Deputy Ronal Serpas and current East Palo Alto top cop […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Committee advances bill to increase budget oversight of state housing largesse
Tucker A bill to increase legislative oversight of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency cleared a committee this week, coming out stronger than when it went in. House Bill 1414, filed by Speaker Jim Tucker, D-Algiers, intially required that a legislative committee simply review the agency’s annual budget. The bill now requires approval of the Joint […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Confronting the big issues in Baton Rouge (eye roll)
LaBruzzo’s true intentions revealed State Rep. John LaBruzzo’s proposal to randomly drug test welfare recipients passed the House Wednesday evening by a 61-27 margin. It now faces scrutiny in the Senate. LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, stripped his proposal to “prioritize” the testing of pregnant women, which, though problematic for its own reasons, at least allowed LaBruzzo the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
New AIDS agency propped up with federal allocations
The New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council this week approved 2010 funding amounts for various service categories under the federal Ryan White AIDS program, but the mayor’s Office of Health Policy had already determined who would and wouldn’t be providing certain services. N’R Peace Inc., an HIV/AIDS agency located in Algiers, was picked to continue […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Finally cooking with gas: NOPD Superintendent candidates and an emerging fiscal crisis
Mitch Landrieu officially will be mayor of New Orleans next week. So this week, we’re finally beginning to get an idea of what his actual transition will be like – the one in which he actually takes over the job of leading the city. First, the cops: While the NOPD clearly has been at the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Arizona’s totalitarian immigration law not that different from proposals here
Last week, Arizona’s governor signed a strict immigration bill into law designed to crack down hard on undocumented immigrants. A firestorm of controversy erupted around the new law because it requires police to ask for documents from anyone they have a “reasonable suspicion” may be in the country illegally. Because the law does not illuminate […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Speaker Tucker seeks more oversight of budgets
Tucker Speaker of the House Rep. Jim Tucker (R-Algiers) has hinted for months that he’d like to have more eyes on the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency budget, with its hundreds of millions of dollars in bond money and federal tax credits – as well as millions more in federal grants with the Louisiana Recovery Authority. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
LaBruzzo’s war on welfare continues with drug test
Last year, State Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, earned national infamy with his proposal to pay female welfare recipients to get sterilized. He was duly punished for his tribute to the eugenics movement and homage to former Metairie legislator David Duke: He was removed from his seat on the Health and Welfare Committee to demonstrate Louisiana’s […]