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Tag: Mayor Mitch Landrieu
Posted inGovernment & Politics
‘Enemy for life’: Mayor Mitch Landrieu accused of steamrolling those who disagree with him
If you’re not on Mitch Landrieu’s team, people say, he’ll fight back by pulling city contracts, removing you from boards and committees, and dressing you down. The mayor says there’s no evidence of such retaliation, and that he’s tangled with entrenched political interests.
Posted inOpinion
Widespread graffiti on public structures reads like city tolerates lawlessness
Starr: “Graffiti remediation appears nowhere in the city’s budget or staffing list, nor, it seems, does it fall within Mayor Landrieu’s field of vision.”
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations, Land Use
Parking lot owned by Landrieu siblings could be eligible for tax break to spur development
The Landrieus’ property is across the street from South Market District, a major development expected to boost the surrounding area. Like South Market, the Landrieus’ lot is close enough to the Union Passenger Terminal to get a tax break if it’s developed. No evidence has emerged to indicate the mayor used his influence to benefit the property, however.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Despite previous grumbling, council meeting verges on love-fest in passing budget
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | In a city confronting an ever-rising homicide count and profound infrastructural and economic challenges, one place remains relatively calm: City Hall. With a noticeable absence of strife or dissent, the City Council voted today to unanimously approve a $497 million general operating budget for 2012 that looks […]
Posted inOpinion
Student loan amnesty would $upercharge grad-magnetic New Orleans
Lifting the debt burden on college grads would be a shot in the arm for local economies, New Orleans in particular. Photo by Jed Horne By Nathan C. Martin, The Lens contributing opinion writer | New Orleans is home to seven four-year colleges and universities that graduate thousands of students each spring, and in the […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Public library to raid reserves, cut programs if city slashes budget supplement to zero
A literacy class exercise spells out the library’s challenge: doing more with less. Photo by Ariella Cohen By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Despite perennial financial woes and a tough rebound from Hurricane Katrina, the city’s long-beleaguered library system will start 2012 in better shape than many of its peers around the country. […]
Posted inOpinion
Making 'Complete Streets' a policy makes complete sense
Dedicated bus and bicycle lanes are among ideas central to the “complete streets” approach to multimodal transportation systems. Photo credit: Flickr/Eurist e.V. By Matthew Rufo, The Lens contributing opinion writer | In recent years, New Orleanians have witnessed a transformation of their streets from motor vehicle speedways to multimodal havens for a variety of users. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Council frustrated that rank-and-file jobs frozen while top-brass spots getting filled
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Since Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s inauguration nearly a year and a half ago – he’d know how many days it has been – he’s enjoyed an amicable relationship with the City Council that serves as his legislative check and balance. Members laugh at his jokes. Often, they praise […]
Posted inOpinion
Gung ho for demolition: FEMA pays, but neighborhoods lose
With FEMA footing the bill, the city plans to demolish this house, at 1209 N. Galvez St., a blight war maneuver as likely to degrade as improve the block. Photo by Brad Vogel. By Brad Vogel, The Lens contributing opinion writer | Over the weekend, David Simon, creator of HBO’s Treme, publicly critiqued the city’s […]