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Criminal Justice

Orleans D.A. thinks Isaac looting prosecutions could deter such crimes for future hurricanes — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune

In an interview at his office Wednesday, [Leon] Cannizzaro said, “You’ve got to make (people) understand … (a hurricane) is a time of emergency – don’t take advantage of people because you can. We’ve seen people stealing liquor, cigarettes, candy. … It wasn’t like people were going for the necessities because they were in dire need.””

Lacking jail budget documents, judge delays consent decree hearing — The Lens | “The city of New Orleans asked for the delay Monday morning because the sheriff has refused to provide budget documents, according to today’s filing.”

Putting a Human Face on Crime Stats — The Crime Report | Ted Gest, president of Criminal Justice Journalists, describes a new report released by the U.S. Justice Department that lays out “a pathway to meet the needs of victims in a ‘radically different way.'” Gest writes, “Now the question is whether policymakers on Capitol Hill and in state capitals will pay attention — in an era of strained government services and declining visibility for the nation’s crime challenges.”

Government & Politics

Landrieu’s aggressive politicking irked some New Orleans lawmakers — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune

In interviews during the Legislature’s closing week, New Orleans legislators and their aides said they agreed with the central tenets of [Mayor Mitch] Landrieu’s legislative agenda. But some said publicly — and others privately — that they couldn’t stomach the mayor’s pugnacious lobbying strategy.

Failed bid to cut judgeships fires up reform effort — The Advocate | After the failure of a bill to reduce the number of juvenile judges in Orleans Parish, a new juvenile justice complex scheduled to open next year near Bayou St. John will have to squeeze six judges into four courtrooms. “Opponents of the law said a delay gives the Legislature time to get it right; supporters described it as more stalling in the years-long fight to consolidate the city’s bloated court system.”

2013 Legislative Session Wrap-up — Public Affairs Research Council | The government watchdog offers a comprehensive commentary on the just-ended legislative session. The unsigned commentary said questions remain about whether privatization  will yield expected savings and how state pension funds may affect long-term fiscal forecasts.

Land Use

Art deco Lakefront Airport to shine again — The Advocate | “The architectural gem that Gov. Huey Long commissioned as a personal showpiece will shine once again as a painstaking, years-long restoration nears its end.” The restoration cost $18 million.

After Sandy, a new threat: Soaring flood insurance – Associated Press | Homeowners in the Northeast are facing a dilemma familiar to many Louisianans: Elevate a house or face enormous increases in flood insurance premiums. 

Insight: In tornado alley, building practices boost damage — Reuters | A civil engineer named David Prevatt claims, “This notion that we cannot engineer buildings economically to withstand tornado loads is a fallacy.”

Schools

Education overhaul slows in 2013 session — The Advocate | “With two notable exceptions, the 2013 Legislature was marked by the death of a wide range of public school bills, including a push to delay the key impact of Louisiana’s new teacher evaluations.”

More workplace training envisioned for Louisiana public high schools —  NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | A new plan would reduce the different types of Louisiana high school diplomas from three — traditional, basic and career — to two, retaining just the college and career ones. “The career path would offer training in fields that are more relevant to growing industries in the state — computer programming and health care, for example — and students would be allowed to switch paths easily.”

Grouping Students by Ability Regains Favor With Educators – The New York Times | Should students with different abilities learn separately or together? Studies on the matter show no consensus. 

Environment

Use of BP spill response money, global warming, ocean acidification are focus of Capitol Hill Ocean Week — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | Until reading this article, I hadn’t fully considered how coastal restoration projects in Louisiana could set a precedent for similar, large-scale projects in other regions. A key quote from Larry McKinney, director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University’s Corpus Christi campus:

“All of us have on a regular basis throughout our careers advocated that if we make the investment in ocean conservation and health, it will pay dividends, not only economically, but for human health and well-being. And in the Gulf, with the dollars that are going to come here, we’re going to have a chance to prove that. Either we’re going to be a model for what the value of that investment can be, or it’s going to be a hammer that’s going to be used against all of us in other situations.”

Louisiana levee plan’s effects on Mississippi mostly unknown — The Sun Herald | Mississippi officials fear that a proposed, massive levee to protect St. Tammany Parish from storm surge would redirect floodwaters into Hancock County. “Louisiana officials are looking at various proposals to reduce flooding in problem areas there, but have said they have no intention of building levees that would flood Mississippi. Mississippi officials remain worried about the proposal and have begun to organize in the last few months.”

Mark Moseley

Mark Moseley blogs at Your Right Hand Thief. Until mid 2014, Mark Moseley was The Lens' opinion writer, engagement specialist and coordinator for the Charter Schools Reporting Corps. After Katrina and...