Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s plan to balance this year’s budget relies on the cooperation of the City Council, which has already voiced serious opposition to one of his moves: furloughing city employees. In seeking approval of this year’s budget, former Ray Nagin asked the council to approve a plan requiring city employees to take 12 unpaid […]
Category: Government & Politics
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Lens: Covering charter schools
With more than three dozen charter schools in New Orleans, each run by its own board, a news organzation would have to cover more than three dozen school board meetings to get a full understanding of how all schools are operating. We’ve not seen any media outlets willing or able to do that, so The […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Obama moratorium may be result of being twice bitten
Despite howls from South Louisiana, President Obama hasn’t budged on his deepwater oil drilling moratorium, which will cost thousands of jobs. Many people can’t understand why he is so steadfast on this particular policy response to the BP oil disaster, while being somewhat flexible on other issues, such as sand berms and skimmers. Many conservative pundits imply […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Landrieu’s group studying jail meets in private; no plans to take comments from public
A mayoral advisory group examining the controversial planned expansion of the Orleans Parish Prison apparently held its first meeting recently, but Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration said the group is meeting privately and is not open to public input. “The public process will take place at City Council when they hear the recommendations,” of the group, […]
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics
Gulf Coast states lag behind other states in getting contracts for oil disaster work
An overwhelming number of federal contracts related to the BP oil disaster have gone to companies outside of the area most affected by the environmental and economic catastrophe, according to data from government agencies. About $6.5 million in federal contracting money has gone to Louisiana since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the state’s […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Reduced! Fancy sink included
Businessman and unsuccessful mayoral candidate John Georges put his French Quarter property on the market recently for $1.5 million. That’s more than double the value the city assessor put on the property – and upon which Georges has been paying property taxes. Georges bought the property in 2006 for $800,000 and paid taxes on that […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
NOPD might need consultant for password management
With the city on track to blow out its budget by $67 million this year, it’s obvious that some departments have been a little loose with their spending. But going over budget by 2,464 percent? And only halfway through the year? Really? That’s the rate of overspending on the line-item for consultants by the New […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Landrieu tightens take-home car policy
Some of the 185 employees enjoying a taxpayer-subsidized car — plus city-paid gas and maintenance — are likely to lose those privileges under the mayor’s new policy.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
“We don’t ground all planes” analogy crashes and burns
On March 31, President Barack Obama surprised many when he announced plans to lift oil drilling moratoriums along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts – a move described at the time as potentially the “biggest expansion of offshore energy exploration in half a century.” Three weeks later, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and a catastrophic oil […]
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics
Landrieu ditches Nagin plan
Call it the off-target plan. Mayor Mitch Landrieu is moving away from predecessor Ray Nagin’s recovery strategy of pushing projects in 17 “target zones” across the city. “Frankly, it was a previous administration’s plan,” mayoral spokesman Ryan Berni said. Berni acknowledged today that Landrieu has yet to finish his own recovery plan. His administration is […]