The Lens recently visited the Rampart Street studio and office space of Spike Lee, who’s been in the city the past month filming a sequel to his HBO documentary “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.” He’d just gotten back from Houston, where he was interviewing people displaced by the federal levee disasters, […]
Category: Government & Politics
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Contractor being paid for work done by city employees
The city has paid the private company managing the bulk of New Orleans’ recovery projects more than $3 million for work actually done by city employees, according to an internal memo written by the ousted city capital projects director just weeks before he left City Hall. Bill Chrisman wrote in the Feb. 20 memo that […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
What price crunk?
You really can’t put a price on getting crunk. Still, the Ying Yang Twins, performers of the Saints anthem “Halftime (Stand up and Get Crunk!), had to put a price on their appearance with Mayor Ray Nagin at the Super Bowl celebration parade. Nagin recently signed a contract to pay the hip-hop stars up to […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
The mayor doesn't oversee education but should get involved anyway
Today, Mitch Landrieu unveiled another task force to advise his transition, this time on public education. I feel like I’ve been reminded 1,000 times that the city of New Orleans HAS NO CONTROL over education policy. Library Chronicles reminded me of it today, as a matter of fact. Even though I think Jeffrey was being […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Contractor for recovery oversight is overcharging, says ousted city official
Controversial contractor MWH Global, which serves as the project manager for most major city recovery projects, is billing the city at a higher rate than allowed for in federally subsidized projects, according to an internal city memo obtained by The Lens. “…MWH has grossly exceed [sic] the 8% cap max fee allowable for project billing,” […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
See for yourself: Zulu, others vie for city grant money
More than two weeks after filing a public records request, The Lens has gotten its hands on the proposals that competed with Zulu for a share of the city’s Urban Development Action Grant fund.In addition to the winning $800,000 Zulu proposal, the city considered a plan for a nightclub and multimedia production center on St. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations
Strip mall that won taxpayer money faces code problems
In January, The Lens reported on taxpayer money collected by DKM Acquisitions and Properties for economic development. At the time, nothing visible had been done to renovate the gutted and unkempt Lake Terrace Shopping Center at Robert E. Lee Boulevard and Paris Avenue. City officials said that the $162,500 given to the company had been […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
$800,000 award from city could end up hurting Zulu
Accepting a recent $800,000 award from City Hall could further jeopardize Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s tax exempt status. That’s because its unusual IRS status requires that it get at least 65 percent of its gross income from membership dues. Its latest tax filing, for 2007, shows that it apparently violated that provision, with […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Police station not ‘evicted,’ developer says
See the coverage of this story from our partners at Fox8 News No good deed goes unpunished. That was how real estate developer Pres Kabacoff ended an e-mail sent recently to New Orleans City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell. The good deed in question was Kabacoff loaning space for a temporary 5th District police headquarters. The punishment, […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Rose report is awfully cute, also plain awful
Chris Rose has produced a darling little piece for Fox 8 TV on Police Superintendent Warren Riley and Mayor Ray Nagin’s mysterious invocation of the “shadow government” during campaign-season radio appearances on WBOK talk radio. He ‘fesses up to calling in to the show ask for the names of those who comprise the shadow government. […]