It was a sunny Friday afternoon just five years ago. My wife was in New Orleans helping her sister move into her new Warehouse District condo. At lunch, they noticed that a storm had moved into the Gulf, and was threatening the central Gulf Coast. It was the “K” storm, already 2005′s eleventh named storm, too many for late August. It would be a solid | Read More »
First former Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) was found guilty on Federal bribery and racketeering charges, his 13-year sentence being the longest ever meted out to a former congressman. Then Bill’s brother Mose was sentenced to ten years for his role in bribing the head of the Orleans Parish School Board. Now…
U.S. Attorney Jim Letten and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have achieved a key break in their investigation of the New Orleans Police Department and the shooting of six civilians (two fatally) during Hurricane Katrina’s chaotic aftermath. According to Letten’s bill of information, none of the victims were armed. Former NOPD Lieutenant Jim Lohman has entered a guilty plea to federal charges of conspiracy to | Read More »
Chances are, where you live it’s just Tuesday, the day after a Federal holiday. Maybe you recognize the day before the beginning of Lent as Shrove Tuesday (or Pancake Day, if you happen to live in Liberal, KS). From Mobile to Galveston, though, today is Mardi Gras.
For those who may have missed the comments to yesterday’s post on New Orleans’ mayorial election, current Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu defeated a large field of challengers to take the election without a runoff. Mitch Landrieu claims New Orleans mayor’s office in a landslide – NOLA.com. Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, son of a former mayor and brother of a U.S. senator, routed five major challengers | Read More »
New Orleans voters to cast ballots for Ray Nagin’s successor today – NOLA.com Despite wall-to-wall coverage of the Saints’ first-ever Super Bowl appearance in Miami, a high voter turnout is expected in today’s local and special state elections in New Orleans. A 40-45% percent turnout is expected based on the unusually high number of early and absentee ballots cast: over 17,000 out of 272,000 registered | Read More »
Charter schools work – on so many levels. Charter schools educate kids. Charter schools promote local control and parental involvement. Charter schools succeed in stark contrast to the failed policies of the NEA and the Department of Education. One New Orleans charter school changes the culture, sees the results New Orleans’ corrupt, decrepit Orleans Parish School Board was mortally wounded before Katrina. The State-run Recovery | Read More »
Incredible. Memo to Ray: We’re trying hard to reverse 30 50 75 150 plus years of public corruption in this state. Do you really think these remarks help?
New Orleans’ Democrat Mayor Ray Nagin can see the advantages of a country like Cuba, when it comes to hurricane preparedness and evacuation. Cuba, you see, was hit by Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma last year and suffered only seven fatalities. Nagin is in Cuba with a trade delegation from the Crescent City for a five-day visit. Ray Nagin: Cuba’s government is ideal for storm | Read More »
Over the weekend, an unpaid ACORN volunteer in New Orleans expressed her desire to see a little more evidence of the Hope’n’Change she voted for when President Obama visits the city, however briefly, on Thursday. Since it’s hard to fire an unpaid volunteer, the Big Wigs from HQ showed up on Tuesday and sacked Beth Butler, longtime executive director of Louisiana ACORN. But there might | Read More »
There’s quite a remarkable story in today’s New Orleans Times-Picayune. I wish I could cut and paste it in its entirety. It’s the story of two very different men that we chose to lead our country, and how, in the unlikely setting of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we have a chance to compare and contrast their characters. The world knows one as | Read More »
U.S. Attorney Jim Letten today announced an investigation in New Orleans City Hall, this time into the city’s ill-fated foray into anti-crime surveillance cameras. And, yes, this investigation will reach into Democratic Mayor Ray Nagin’s office. U.S. Attorney’s office confirms federal investigation into City Hall Letten’s success in bringing charges against corrupt New Orleans-area Democrats has been previously chronicled in these pages, here,here, here, here, | Read More »
H/T BLT blog, via WSJ’s Law Blog [In a new] filing, Jefferson’s legal team argues that the congressman was only placating [erstwhile business partner and FBI informant Lori] Mody, fearing that she might otherwise suffer an emotional collapse and jeopardize the otherwise legitimate business deal. Jefferson, they said, had no plans to actually follow through with the bribe. Reads the filing: Mr. Jefferson was aware | Read More »
New Orleans’ students are scoring better on standardized tests, thanks in no small part to the large number of charter schools operating in the city post-Katrina. Not only have the students in the charter schools benefited, it would appear that the system in general is improving as more traditional schools respond to the competition. Orleans Parish LEAP scores show charter schools lead the way New | Read More »
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