City’s house elevation grant program a case study in opaque governance
Is the federal government getting a good deal by spending $11.8 million to elevate 48 houses? We don't know.
Category: Government & Politics
New Orleans vs. Omaha: Can we mimic its Midwestern economic vitality here?
Omaha has done pretty well after its stockyards were shut down. New Orleans has struggled to diversify its economy beyond tourism.
Louisiana’s employment performance more mixed than Jindal portrays
Jindal often notes that under his watch, the state’s unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate. But unemployment has risen sharply since he took office, and since December the rate has risen while nationally it has fallen. However, economists say that Katrina rebuilding had pushed the state unemployment rate to artificially low levels.
Louisiana’s voter ID law from 1997 eases effects of Supreme Court decision
State was ahead of curve in requiring ID to vote, but provision for affidavit softened concerns, officials say.
Opaque process used to dole out grant money in NOLA for Life homicide-reduction effort
In touting his reforms to the process of awarding city money, Mayor Mitch Landrieu has repeatedly said, “It’s not about who you know. It’s about what you know.” But when it comes to determining how $500,000 was given out through the NOLA for Life Fund, the public knows very little. The city set it up was involved in picking the grantees, but it's shielded from typical public scrutiny and accountability because a private foundation administers it.
Update: Algiers ferry service to continue past July 1, but not for cars
The primary vessel only will carry passengers because it costs less to operate than the car ferry.
Jindal signs bill that puts fate of Canal Street ferry service in RTA’s hands
Service likely to be cut to a mere 20 hours a week without major infusion of cash.
Could the Algiers-Canal ferry become New Orleans’ newest party boat?
About $440 raised so far; $2,999,500 million to go.
Fiscal Hawks flew high in legislative session now ended, defying Jindal
Outflanking the governor from the right, the Hawks took aim at budgetary gimmicks.
NOLA for Life grants paying for CD production, field trips and concerts
One group hopes to offer overseas travel; links to violence prevention appear tenuous.
