By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Spending on road and infrastructure maintenance likely will decrease in 2012 despite its importance to voters. The move by Mayor Mitch Landrieu to decrease spending for the Department of Public Works is a bold one. Unlike more esoteric sectors of city governance such as the Office of […]
Category: Government & Politics
Posted inGovernment & Politics
New Orleans will soon boast bigger libraries — which will soon need bigger budgets
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | New Orleans taxpayers are likely to be asked to pay more money to run city libraries, officials with that system told the City Council today. The need for more operating funds is due in large part to a post-Katrina rebuilding of the system that one-time disaster grants […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
Council OK's St. Charles Avenue demolition
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | A substantial group of Uptown property owners attended today’s City Council meeting to address a proposal to tear down an 80-year-old house on St. Charles Avenue. Jeffery Goldring was seeking permission to demolish a 1928 Emile Weil-designed triplex. The owner was seeking to tear down this house […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Connect the dots: Did Jindal ghostwriter have a hand in Cain scandal?
Credit: DonkeyHotey Below is a selection of excerpts from articles you may find useful while following Presidential campaign politics in the important weeks and months to come. I’ve highlighted points of interest in bold, including connections to Louisiana pols and politicos. Remember: coincidences don’t prove causation, but do keep them in mind as events unfold. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Public library to raid reserves, cut programs if city slashes budget supplement to zero
A literacy class exercise spells out the library’s challenge: doing more with less. Photo by Ariella Cohen By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Despite perennial financial woes and a tough rebound from Hurricane Katrina, the city’s long-beleaguered library system will start 2012 in better shape than many of its peers around the country. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Overall crime may be lower, but council wants NOPD to bring down homicides
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas faced tough questioning this afternoon from a skeptical City Council about how his well-publicized reforms are addressing the city’s homicide rate. The chief came armed with a sheaf of statistics to support his efforts, but council members were not receptive just two days […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Councilwoman blasts Landrieu for not changing the way sheriff gets paid
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Councilwoman Susan Guidry criticized Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration Tuesday for failing to change the way it pays for inmates housed at the city’s jail. Guidry’s displeasure came out as the council continued its review of Landrieu’s proposed 2012 budget. The hearing Tuesday reviewed the budgets of the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
No, Buddy, the sweater is just plain nerdy looking. Man up, dude
On Oct. 24 Presidential aspirant and former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer tweeted, “My campaign manager wants to spoof the Herman Cain ad. Yay or nay?” Buddy, Buddy, Buddy… you don’t announce a spoof – least of all do you want to be caught polling about whether to do it. The surest way to drain the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
With 20 percent ignoring costs, council pushes city to collect delinquent trash fees
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s top lieutenant faced pressure from the City Council Monday after stepping in to defend one of his department heads for only collecting 80 percent of the city’s trash fees. Chief Administrative Officer Andy Kopplin stepped in to protect Chief Financial Officer Norman Foster after […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Juvenile Court judges say they lack clerk, ask council to restore 10 percent budget cut
Orleans Parish Juvenile Court officials pleaded their case to City Council members Friday against the Landrieu administration’s more than $90,000 cut to their personnel funding, and a more than $300,000 cut to support services funding for at-risk youth. The Juvenile Court is beseeching the council for $3.9 million total in funding for next year, nearly […]