Essays, links and visuals highlighting an alternative, resilient place at the strategic crescent of one mighty river.
Showing posts with label city hall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label city hall. Show all posts
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
"Using power of his office as leverage"
Twitter feed from former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin's corruption trial which went to the jury at mid day today:
https://twitter.com/WWLTV/ray-nagin-trial
Nagin blamed Katrina so much that at one point he blamed K for something in '05, before storm.
Nagin lied when he said he was a passive investor in Stone Age Granite. He was the front man. He was the business development guy.
"Nagin did not serve the public with honesty...he served himself."
$511,200 total payoffs to Ray Nagin
Filing false tax returns.Years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Fradella email shows how he used Nagin to bolster his biz deals: "Ray turned (other developers) down and I delivered."
Fradella testified Nagin wanted $100k but assoc. McGrath cld only do $50k, payment hidden thru McGrath's child's trust.
Ex. 16: email Nagin to Fradella with secret Blackberry pin number.
Pickens: "This isn't an investment. Who invests in an empty bank acct?" re: Williams $60k payment.
Prosecutor Pickens: "Every time a contractor needed something critical from Ray Nagin, he seized the moment to get something in return."
Nagin's attorney in closing:
"Most people don't read the Times-Picayune." and "Lee (Zurik) is my friend. He stutters a lot but that's ok.
https://twitter.com/WWLTV/ray-nagin-trial
some highlights from the trial from Ch 4 reporters:
Prosecution
Nagin blamed Katrina so much that at one point he blamed K for something in '05, before storm.
Nagin lied when he said he was a passive investor in Stone Age Granite. He was the front man. He was the business development guy.
"Nagin did not serve the public with honesty...he served himself."
$511,200 total payoffs to Ray Nagin
Filing false tax returns.Years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
"Nagin wants to swap City concessions for Stone age
business"
Fradella email shows how he used Nagin to bolster his biz deals: "Ray turned (other developers) down and I delivered."
Fradella testified Nagin wanted $100k but assoc. McGrath cld only do $50k, payment hidden thru McGrath's child's trust.
Ex. 16: email Nagin to Fradella with secret Blackberry pin number.
Pickens: "This isn't an investment. Who invests in an empty bank acct?" re: Williams $60k payment.
Prosecutor Pickens: "Every time a contractor needed something critical from Ray Nagin, he seized the moment to get something in return."
Nagin's attorney in closing:
"Most people don't read the Times-Picayune." and "Lee (Zurik) is my friend. He stutters a lot but that's ok.
"If I am taking a bribe, I don't care where it comes
from"
"It doesn't make sense: I'm going to give this guy
Millions & I'm just getting $50k? it doesn't make sense.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Voodoo Distillery to open in New Orleans this summer | NOLA.com
I'm a believer in more entrepreneurs selling their products that are appropriate to a well balanced life. Claiborne and Bienville is a great place for more small businesses to set up shop to produce import-replacing goods.
Raise a glass....
Voodoo Distillery to open in New Orleans this summer | NOLA.com
Voodoo Distillery to open in New Orleans this summer | NOLA.com
Friday, December 09, 2011
Overpass-over and out? Or Overhyped?
The Lens reported today that the long-delayed study of whether to dismantle the overpass running above Claiborne has begun. The article gives citizen input that is both positive and negative to the plan.
The first conversation I had about this ended in an online argument with someone that I would have assumed would have welcomed the concrete to come down. Her beef was that it was a waste of money in a city desperate to cover its costs already. My argument is that it is federal money devoted to transportation studies (and would not have come our way to say, fix our sewers) and that other similar cities that have went ahead and taken down these federal leviathons, have benefited from renewed community at the human level.
Add to that increasing the commuter's time on our city streets will lead to more street level services offered in an area that needs small businesses and I'm more than for it, I will argue with any of you, anytime on the subject. Try me.
On the OTHER hand, it is quite likely that the city will screw up this study and therefore also muck up the teardown or repairs, depending on the result of the study. But, that's the banana republic we live in, fellow citizens...
The Lens
The first conversation I had about this ended in an online argument with someone that I would have assumed would have welcomed the concrete to come down. Her beef was that it was a waste of money in a city desperate to cover its costs already. My argument is that it is federal money devoted to transportation studies (and would not have come our way to say, fix our sewers) and that other similar cities that have went ahead and taken down these federal leviathons, have benefited from renewed community at the human level.
Add to that increasing the commuter's time on our city streets will lead to more street level services offered in an area that needs small businesses and I'm more than for it, I will argue with any of you, anytime on the subject. Try me.
On the OTHER hand, it is quite likely that the city will screw up this study and therefore also muck up the teardown or repairs, depending on the result of the study. But, that's the banana republic we live in, fellow citizens...
The Lens
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Charity Hospital reminder
Roberta Brandes Gratz, writer, critic and regional supporter has written many articles clarifying the battle for New Orleans between citizens and bureaucrats. This article on Charity Hospital was written in the spring for The Nation and should be spread widely, as the destruction of lower MidCity continues in defiance of what the citizens want-the reopening of the existing Charity Hospital on Tulane Ave.
Instead of reopening the solid street level structure, a money making scheme for developers (as Gratz points out about the new development) as "the design of the complex calls for closing all the streets, erasing the street grid and minimizing pedestrian access, all adding up to a fortress-like campus. Only about one-third of the new LSU site is needed for the hospital complex; the rest is for six city blocks of suburban-style surface parking, temporary green space and future speculative development by LSU, which will compete with existing commercial space in the core, much of which is already vacant."
We're not done yet folks. Let's remind ourselves and our officials that we still need a hospital and the one that already exists will do just fine.
The Nation
Instead of reopening the solid street level structure, a money making scheme for developers (as Gratz points out about the new development) as "the design of the complex calls for closing all the streets, erasing the street grid and minimizing pedestrian access, all adding up to a fortress-like campus. Only about one-third of the new LSU site is needed for the hospital complex; the rest is for six city blocks of suburban-style surface parking, temporary green space and future speculative development by LSU, which will compete with existing commercial space in the core, much of which is already vacant."
We're not done yet folks. Let's remind ourselves and our officials that we still need a hospital and the one that already exists will do just fine.
The Nation
Friday, September 02, 2011
Last train to Clarkson....
If you are not sure why we are not thriving yet, take a look at the Council President's remarks about New Orleans East, complete with the usual story about her father's one black friend (no mention of hers) and what she has done for people "out here" in New Orleans East, including this puzzling statement:
“I have defended you,” she said, “I don’t appreciate the treatment.”
The Lens story
“I have defended you,” she said, “I don’t appreciate the treatment.”
The Lens story
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Ass-essment system
I assume people in other cities can see what is wrong with this?
NEW ORLEANS — WDSU .com
Hundreds of people are waiting in long lines at City Hall to discuss their property tax reassessments after Assessor Erroll Williams raised the property value on more than 34,000 homes.
Williams' office is not taking appointments, and with only two days left, the lines and frustrations are growing.
"There should be a better process, where, maybe, they could put up neighborhood, do it in different communities, like New Orleans East. People shouldn't be coming downtown. (We have) to pay to park, and everything is all congested down here," said resident Frank Laurent.
Homeowners will have only until 4 p.m. Monday to contest to contest their assessments, and city officials said the line will close at 2:30 p.m. Friday because of the Saints game.
NEW ORLEANS — WDSU .com
Hundreds of people are waiting in long lines at City Hall to discuss their property tax reassessments after Assessor Erroll Williams raised the property value on more than 34,000 homes.
Williams' office is not taking appointments, and with only two days left, the lines and frustrations are growing.
"There should be a better process, where, maybe, they could put up neighborhood, do it in different communities, like New Orleans East. People shouldn't be coming downtown. (We have) to pay to park, and everything is all congested down here," said resident Frank Laurent.
Homeowners will have only until 4 p.m. Monday to contest to contest their assessments, and city officials said the line will close at 2:30 p.m. Friday because of the Saints game.
Jazzland is for sale
The city is interested in selling the defunct amusement park to buyers, but not for residential property. Why not use it as a large composting site for the city?
The Lens story
The Lens story
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Bloomberg gives Mitch millions
Not in his role as mayor of the largest American city but as billionaire, the CEO of Bloomberg Inc.has announced that 5 U.S. mayors will receive around 3 million dollars each from Bloomberg Philanthropies to form teams outside of city government to tackle issues within. Mitch was one of the winners.
Since our mayor's project was not listed in the article, let's hope Mitch chooses police reform or public transportation as his issue and gets brave on it.
Mayors Project
Ah finally a story that clarifies what Mitch is planning. Sounds like a weak plan to me. "Customer service" at City Hall? "Reducing serious crime"? Important, no doubt but how is studying these 2 issues going to help?
Why not choose 2 less complicated ideas to get something changed before tackling the 2 biggest issues of any city?
Bayou Buzz
Since our mayor's project was not listed in the article, let's hope Mitch chooses police reform or public transportation as his issue and gets brave on it.
Mayors Project
Ah finally a story that clarifies what Mitch is planning. Sounds like a weak plan to me. "Customer service" at City Hall? "Reducing serious crime"? Important, no doubt but how is studying these 2 issues going to help?
Why not choose 2 less complicated ideas to get something changed before tackling the 2 biggest issues of any city?
Bayou Buzz
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Nagin soon to be Na-Gone
Yes JazzFest is upon us and you would think that would be the most exciting time but no.
The best news is that the sitting mayor is leaving office.
Yes, we are excited.
Mayor Nagin came into office running against a full slate of Democrats (in a weak field that included a police chief that had just moved to the city a few years back, a state senator with much promise but who had passed little legislation while in office and a councilman who seemed to spend more time at ribbon cuttings than in his chair).
Maybe because of the many candidates the fact that Nagin had switched his party just a few months before to Democrat largely escaped notice. He ran on a "businessman" campaign, most likely winning because of his support for the New Orleans Hornets and his work to get a hockey franchise (whatever happened to that Ray?) which brought out the young professional vote.
He vowed to cut corruption upon winning office. He promptly focused on the taxicab bureau, "perp" marching dozens of people past cameras to show his commitment to a new City Hall. Hard to ignore the fact that the District Attorney threw most of those cases out by October of that year. And let's not that the Taxicab bureau is ALSO the Utilities Department (interesting choice from someone who just served as vice president of COX CABLE right before his mayoral stint) and therefore might have just pulled a fast one by putting his own sympathetic people in that office. Especially since we never heard another peep from him on corruption in any other part of City Hall which would be laughable if it wasn't so goddamn tragic.
Add the Danzinger tragedy to that, as he said this week "it's seven guys. Seven. We have 1,600 police officers."
Even though the decision making in planting the gun and certainly the orders to shoot unarmed civilians during our darkest day seemed to come from supervisory level and that we have just started to unravel this.
So tragic is a word now forever associated with Nagin as mayor. The world watched his meltdown during our worst moment. We, however, had to watch the other 200 worst moments that he gave us after August of 2005. It seemed his modus operandi was to hide away and to deliver laconic "hey man, I was doing my best" type of answers to serious questions of inactivity. And to fight with everyone. And to offer bizarre ideas like selling City Hall and making it a "jazz park".
Actually, let me focus on that for a minute as a perfect example of his mayoral era.
The idea to sell City Hall itself is not a bad one I think. The building (although beloved by internationalist style architecture buffs) is oddly situated (away from our commercial areas) and in the least walkable area of downtown. I wrote C.Ray a letter back in 2003 asking him to look into the idea of the Krauss building as a possible city hall, moving the seat of government steps from Iberville and on Canal Street. Of course instead, developers made Krauss into the white flight answer to staying in the city--condos.
So years later, we heard about a move to another skyscraper near the current CH that seemed most inappropriate for a number of reasons, although who could tell as facts rarely emanate from government. Maybe the Chevron building was perfect and City Council just made a dumb move but in this case, I think their prudence in saying no was sound.
Even so, the idea to sell it off for a jazz amphitheater in its place struck savvy New Orleans as completely out of touch with reality.
As if jazz clubs were overflowing with customers now.
As if people prefer to come to a city known for its neighborhoods to sit in a concrete jungle with 10,000 other tourists.
As if the area by the Superdome needs to be focused on for economic development first, when the Saenger was still closed and Canal is of little use to 99 % of locals and every other business corridor in the city lacks street repair, oversight of zoning and support for entrepreneurs.
In any case, it showed once again Nagin's dismissal of reality and the embracing of any new idea that he could sell as his own, no matter how stupid.
Remember the idea to legislate gambling for every hotel? That was what he came up with in October of 2005 as a suggestion to jump start the economy. Jeeezus. We should have driven him to his home in Dallas then and told him to help them and leave us alone.
When he ran for the second time in 2006, there were a few factors that allowed him to remain in office in my estimation:
1. People were concerned about a new mayor taking time to get up to speed on rebuilding issues.
2. There were few African-American candidates that were electable running.
3. People were busy with rebuilding and did not have time to investigate the new candidates.
4. Mitch Landrieu seemed to not want the job.
So, we ended up with 4 more years of him. And fortunately for him, the resilience and intelligence of New Orleanians has allowed the city to rebound in many areas, and the Saints and HBO are doing the rest. So, even after 8 confused years of low leadership, we will still escape these Nagin years with our heads held high. No thanks to him.
The best news is that the sitting mayor is leaving office.
Yes, we are excited.
Mayor Nagin came into office running against a full slate of Democrats (in a weak field that included a police chief that had just moved to the city a few years back, a state senator with much promise but who had passed little legislation while in office and a councilman who seemed to spend more time at ribbon cuttings than in his chair).
Maybe because of the many candidates the fact that Nagin had switched his party just a few months before to Democrat largely escaped notice. He ran on a "businessman" campaign, most likely winning because of his support for the New Orleans Hornets and his work to get a hockey franchise (whatever happened to that Ray?) which brought out the young professional vote.
He vowed to cut corruption upon winning office. He promptly focused on the taxicab bureau, "perp" marching dozens of people past cameras to show his commitment to a new City Hall. Hard to ignore the fact that the District Attorney threw most of those cases out by October of that year. And let's not that the Taxicab bureau is ALSO the Utilities Department (interesting choice from someone who just served as vice president of COX CABLE right before his mayoral stint) and therefore might have just pulled a fast one by putting his own sympathetic people in that office. Especially since we never heard another peep from him on corruption in any other part of City Hall which would be laughable if it wasn't so goddamn tragic.
Add the Danzinger tragedy to that, as he said this week "it's seven guys. Seven. We have 1,600 police officers."
Even though the decision making in planting the gun and certainly the orders to shoot unarmed civilians during our darkest day seemed to come from supervisory level and that we have just started to unravel this.
So tragic is a word now forever associated with Nagin as mayor. The world watched his meltdown during our worst moment. We, however, had to watch the other 200 worst moments that he gave us after August of 2005. It seemed his modus operandi was to hide away and to deliver laconic "hey man, I was doing my best" type of answers to serious questions of inactivity. And to fight with everyone. And to offer bizarre ideas like selling City Hall and making it a "jazz park".
Actually, let me focus on that for a minute as a perfect example of his mayoral era.
The idea to sell City Hall itself is not a bad one I think. The building (although beloved by internationalist style architecture buffs) is oddly situated (away from our commercial areas) and in the least walkable area of downtown. I wrote C.Ray a letter back in 2003 asking him to look into the idea of the Krauss building as a possible city hall, moving the seat of government steps from Iberville and on Canal Street. Of course instead, developers made Krauss into the white flight answer to staying in the city--condos.
So years later, we heard about a move to another skyscraper near the current CH that seemed most inappropriate for a number of reasons, although who could tell as facts rarely emanate from government. Maybe the Chevron building was perfect and City Council just made a dumb move but in this case, I think their prudence in saying no was sound.
Even so, the idea to sell it off for a jazz amphitheater in its place struck savvy New Orleans as completely out of touch with reality.
As if jazz clubs were overflowing with customers now.
As if people prefer to come to a city known for its neighborhoods to sit in a concrete jungle with 10,000 other tourists.
As if the area by the Superdome needs to be focused on for economic development first, when the Saenger was still closed and Canal is of little use to 99 % of locals and every other business corridor in the city lacks street repair, oversight of zoning and support for entrepreneurs.
In any case, it showed once again Nagin's dismissal of reality and the embracing of any new idea that he could sell as his own, no matter how stupid.
Remember the idea to legislate gambling for every hotel? That was what he came up with in October of 2005 as a suggestion to jump start the economy. Jeeezus. We should have driven him to his home in Dallas then and told him to help them and leave us alone.
When he ran for the second time in 2006, there were a few factors that allowed him to remain in office in my estimation:
1. People were concerned about a new mayor taking time to get up to speed on rebuilding issues.
2. There were few African-American candidates that were electable running.
3. People were busy with rebuilding and did not have time to investigate the new candidates.
4. Mitch Landrieu seemed to not want the job.
So, we ended up with 4 more years of him. And fortunately for him, the resilience and intelligence of New Orleanians has allowed the city to rebound in many areas, and the Saints and HBO are doing the rest. So, even after 8 confused years of low leadership, we will still escape these Nagin years with our heads held high. No thanks to him.
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