A musical family, kids included, plays Royal Street on a summer evening. (kimncris/flickr creative commons) When I lived in Europe, I used to josh my British friends with a plan for Britain’s economic future (which looked dim at the time). I suggested that they tear down every structure built after the Seventeenth Century and restore […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
500-year protection for under $2 billion? Why wait 20 years to start?
Reapirs to New Orleans’ current “100-year” flood defense have already cost more than $10 billion, and yet the coastal master plan projects “500-year” protection for a mere $1.8 billion more? (Dana M. Clark, Flickr Creative Commons) Thursday, The Times-Picayune ran a front-page story on the state’s newly-released 50-year strategy to confront south Louisiana’s coastal loss […]
Posted inOpinion
Last ONE left standing? Sucker punch whacks 'citizen participation'
Office of Neighborhood Engagement leader Lucas Diaz addresses Planning Commission members at the hearing on citizen participation. (New Orleans Public Access TV) By Tim Garrett, The Lens contributing opinion writer | Tuesday’s four-hour meeting of the New Orleans Planning Commission amounted to a public showdown between two rival visions for “citizen participation” in the planning process, […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Hell hath no fury like a great team thirsting for gridiron vengeance
The Tide prepares to roll over the Tigers in the BCS championship debacle. (Matthew Tosh/Creative Commons) After the LSU Tigers won the “Game of the Century” in overtime back in November, reporters immediately asked coach Les Miles about the possibility of a rematch with Alabama’s Crimson Tide in the BCS championship game. Instead of deflecting […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Things to consider, from homicide figures to killer sports records
Let’s get down on Friday and briefly consider five different topics in one post. What do you say? 1) The Uptown Messenger is correct. Murder was the single most important story in New Orleans last year. Homicides increased, and led many to question whether Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas is the right person for the job. […]
Posted inOpinion
Educator's vision: continuum to college, meaningful work
Now with Loyola’s Institute for Quality and Equity in Education, Andre Perry is pushing a reform agenda through research and multi-media messaging. Photo by Jessica Williams. One in a series of conversations with New Orleans educators Andre Perry describes himself as an education “thought leader”. His work has run the gamut from advocacy for immigrant […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Golf offer’s no gimme, but with BP paying, that’s par for the course
Jay Dardenne’s offer on LouisianaTravel.com … but Louisianans need not apply. While in Alabama over the holidays I was startled to see Louisiana Lt. Gov Jay Dardenne appear in a TV advertisement. He spoke directly into the camera and offered me the following deal: if the Alabama Crimson Tide prevails over the LSU Tigers in […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Digital doomsday: No faith in America, Newt?
Save your files! Two power outages delayed the Monday Night Football game between Pittsburgh and San Francisco. The temporary blackouts were an embarrassment, to be sure, but I cringed the most when the ESPN broadcasters kept asking their reporters at the stadium whether panic ensued when the lights went off. As if that’s the natural […]
Posted inOpinion
Saluting Occupy NOLA, a movement as quirky as our schizoid city
A march in October launches the News Orleans chapter of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Photo by Matt Davis By Tiffany Marceaux, The Lens contributing opinion writer | On Oct. 6 I arrived at Duncan Plaza for Occupy NOLA’s first General Assembly with revolution in my heart. And I wasn’t the only one. Nearly 400 […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Romney a GOP lock? Unpredictability is only sure thing in politics
Political upsets warm my soul. They’re comforting reminders that the election game isn’t hopelessly rigged towards incumbents and wealthy interests. A voter can still enter a curtained booth on Election Day and push a button to throw the bums out… even if it’s only to replace them with new bums. Before you roll your eyes […]