Roemer: glass chin? caricature by DonkeyHotey Former governor Buddy Roemer is doing exactly the wrong thing. Instead of making overtures to the Occupy Wall Street movement, he should get in a fight with them. A viral video of Roemer confronting a protester and landing a punch might be the last, best hope for his campaign. Surely […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Like national group, Occupy Nola could learn from Tea Party
The Great Recession officially began in December 2007 and lasted until June 2009. However, the profoundly un-hopeful post-recession “recovery” continues, and it has helped the Tea Party emerge as the major political movement of the past two years. Passionate Tea Party demonstrations have succeeded in pushing Republican candidates to the right, and supporters helped the […]
Posted inOpinion
Occupy Wall Street? Here? Pondering common denominators
The Occupy Wall Street protest marches through New Orleans on Thursday. Photo by Matt Davis. By Kira Akerman, The Lens contributing opinion writer | “The system was never broken it was built this way,” read the hand-painted sign held by a woman in New York City’s Occupy Wall Street protest. The woman was not on […]
Posted inOpinion
Protest should focus on Lafayette Square — and 2nd Harvest Food Bank
On Thursday, the Occupy Wall Street protest movement wil come to New Orleans. It’s inspiring to see people gearing up to act locally about national economic-justice issues that can seem far removed from South Louisiana but have a tremendous influence on our well-being. However, the current plan can be greatly improved upon. Indeed, the New Orleans affiliate […]
Posted inLand Use, Opinion
Is Avondale’s owner sabotaging possible sale of the shipyard?
A “Save Our Shipyard” rally for the imperiled Avondale facility is set for tomorrow at 10 A.M. on the Poydras Street side of the Superdome. Supporters of Avondale will then march to the Federal Building at 500 Poydras, for speeches and cheers. The event is sponsored by the AFL-CIO and other unions, and all “stakeholders […]
Posted inOpinion
City officials persist in routinely violating public records law
After The Lens requested a list of traffic camera violations, the city denied us, citing a privacy law that didn’t apply to the info we’d requested. Officials recognized this in the denial, and then admitted that it would be too ‘burdensome’ to fulfill our request. Ask Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration about its frequent failure to […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Steve Gleason, Rafael Delgadillo tragedies test faith: vigil at 6pm
Rafael Delgadillo. Courtesy of Facebook. I can understand prayers of thanksgiving. Clearly we should be grateful for all our blessings. They’re “heaped up and overflowing,” as my dad would say. I can also understand prayers of confession. We should acknowledge our sins — serious, or otherwise — and commit to living better lives. Prayers of […]
Posted inOpinion
Street legal: Let’s make law fit our culture, not the other way around
A vendor grills vittles for sale at recent second-line parade organized by the Valley of Silent Men Social Aid & Pleasure Club. Photo courtesy of Derek Bridges. By Alan Williams, The Lens contributing opinion writer | The Landrieu Administration is making a valiant effort to give some meaning to the letter of the law in […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Will strange bedfellows come back to haunt Billy Nungesser?
Nungesser works the room at the recent Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans. Photo by Gage Skidmore Outspoken Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser is picking up endorsements from prominent Republicans as he runs for Lieutenant Governor against incumbent Jay Dardenne, who is himself a Republican. The first nod was from U.S. Sen. David Vitter, who […]
Posted inOpinion
Balance gentrification with equity along the St. Claude Avenue corridor
Bywater residents celebrate recent debut of multi-service Health Center on St. Claude Avenue. Photo by Alexei Kazantsev, used by permission. By Michael T. Martin, The Lens contributing opinion writer | With the opening of the Healing Center and the possibility of extending streetcar service all the way to Poland Avenue, it’s time to accord the […]