“To help and defend”

New Orleans citizens didn’t need any confirmation of their fear that rogue behavior was metastasizing throughout the NOPD when the Department of Justice announced investigations into civil rights violations, including a conspiracy to cover up police shootings of unarmed citizens on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina.
The public already feared the… »

Management by hunches hurts those who most need help

In a city with a low-wage economy, those most hurt by government mismanagement and inefficiency are the working poor.
Now, HUD provides evidence of yet another government failure that hurts the poor.
Among its many findings, the report shows that HANO is understaffed in most departments, often with undertrained employees and relies too heavily on… »

Which candidates understand this central lesson of Katrina recovery?

Which candidates understand the lesson of Katrina recovery — that by their very nature, disasters overwhelm the capacity of government, but when government works as a partner with neighborhoods, the sum is greater than the parts?
The role of government should be to help stand up the capacity of neighborhood associations and civic efforts, and respond… »

As we cheer on the Saints in the playoffs, it’s worth remembering …

It’s worth remembering that Arnie Fielkow’s leadership was key to keeping the Saints in New Orleans.
“As a former six-year, executive vice president of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, I served as the lead negotiator who finalized a key, long-term contract between the Saints and the state of Louisiana —leading ultimately to our prized team’s longevity… »

Improving waste reduction and performance outcomes requires regular review and relentless followup

Here’s a prediction about Bobby Jindal’s Commission on Streamlining Government recommendations: They will prove to be too little to make any long-term difference, and we’ll be having more discussions in the future about bloat in the state’s budget.
The lesson learned in other places that have successfully overcome fiscal challenges — like Baltimore, through its… »

Even if you couldn’t care less about the city, you have to support NolaStat out of self interest to lower your taxes

Mayoral candidate Rob Couhig is polling whether residents are willing to pay higher taxes, or accept reduced services. There’s an alternative proposed by assessor candidate Janis Lemle: FAIR taxes. If we could stop the patronage system of rewarding political benefactors with more favorable assessments, and get those scofflaws and cheats to pay their fair share,… »

An engine for increasing the velocity of democracy

It’s an accepted truth that a healthy democracy requires citizens who participate in the civic life of their communities, and who engage with government institutions. But while civic participation is vital for a healthy democracy, it’s an inadequate prescription.
Government institutions also have to effectively engage and respond to citizen concerns, and by extension, government institutions… »

Not just about getting potholes fixed

Stat-driven performance management isn’t just about getting potholes fixed. It’s also about improving the quality of life.
The Results Minneapolis process benchmarked lead poisoning in children, and measured a dramatic 86 percent reduction in children with elevated blood levels through targeted lead abatement activities.
Yes, the lower lead poisoning numbers are presented in very attractive… »

How New Orleans spends your tax dollars

Does this chart reflect your priorities?

Council Members Shelley Midura and Stacy Head hosted a budget town hall meeting last night. Among the strongest points made was that the lack of community participation in the budget process may have led to a misalignment of expenditures with respect to community priorities.
See the town hall Powerpoint… »

How do we live within our means without cutting essential city programs and services?

The public has been invited to City Council chambers tonight to comment on what the city’s budget priorities should be:
As you know, during the month of November the Council will undergo the harrowing process of adopting the 2010 budget, AND we are facing a nearly $68 million deficit based on the 2009 budget.
I am writing… »