Kenner Council Rounds Up Some “Usual Suspects” For Aviation Board Slot

The ink wasn’t dry on the Times-Picayune article announcing that David Campbell, Kenner’s longtime representative on the Armstrong Airport Aviation Board was resigning, and the Kenner City Council had already declared three possible candidates as his replacement. Unfortunately, rather than choosing truly independent candidates, two of the three candidates are familiar faces with potential conflicts of interest.

At Thursday’s meeting, the Council nominated:

-          Jules Corona, a former airline executive who is now retired

-          Jim Hudson, former head of Omni Bank and now Vice-President of IberiaBank (which bought Omni in 2011)

-          Todd Murphy, current President of the Jefferson Chamber and a former executive of Omni Bank who served under Hudson

Readers of ClickJefferson.com will recall that Hudson has a long and, in my opinion, inglorious history of serving on boards and committees in Kenner and Jefferson Parish. Some of Hudson’s notable “achievements” include:

-           Serving on the Fat City Advisory Board, which was responsible for the controversial Fat City rezoning ordinance. It’s been over two years since the rezoning ordinance was approved which caused dozens of businesses to close and hundreds to be unemployed. Fat City may be revitalized one day. Of course, that may not be in our lifetime.

-          Serving on Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni’s hand-picked Streamlining Government Committee. That committee was formed after the voters of Kenner overwhelmingly defeated Yenni’s plan to double property taxes. One of the committee’s recommendations for “streamlining” Kenner was to close 6 playgrounds. So much for quality of life. Thankfully, after public outcry, Yenni backed away from this “brilliant” idea.

-          Serving on Yenni’s “Economic Development Committee”. This committee is supporting Yenni’s 2030 Vision which calls for Kenner to borrow $30 Million dollars to fund beautification projects. I don’t need a “committee” to tell me that putting some trees in the median of Chateau Blvd. won’t create much “economic development”. Unless, of course, you own a tree service.

Hudson has also served on Greater New Orleans, Inc., the Jefferson Business Council and the East Jefferson General Hospital Board.

Hudson also was instrumental in denying a license to The Blue Monkey Bar. The Blue Monkey was a proposed night club that was in development months before the Fat City rezoning ordinance was approved and wasn’t even located in Fat City but was subjected to “Fat City rules”. In addition, according to court documents, Hudson, and others associated with Omni Bank, contended that The Blue Monkey “would not be consistent with the character of the businesses in the neighborhood and that it could damage property values”. This despite the fact that there were other bars in the area open 24-hours and The Blue Monkey would be open for significantly reduced hours. Here’s a link to a lawsuit that was filed by Blue Monkey LLC against Jefferson Parish and the Jefferson Parish Council regarding the refusal of the parish to approve the Blue Monkey’s zoning: http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/louisiana/laedce/2:2010cv02947/142699/25/0.pdf?1301581536

Aside from the questionable actions and decisions of these boards, there are also other potential conflicts regarding Hudson and the Aviation Board including the disposition of 260 airport buyout properties. In time, the Aviation Board will approve the sale of these properties to individuals and developers for their return to commerce as commercial properties. As a long-time banker and financier, Hudson has numerous potential conflicts with many area developers. Will he recuse himself from voting on matters involving those developers and, if so, how will that serve to protect the interests of the citizens of Kenner?

Murphy also has many of those same potential conflicts.

At this critical juncture with so much riding on the development of these buyout properties and the expected property tax boost to Kenner, can the city afford any potential conflicts of interest?

The Kenner City Council voted 7-0 to send these three nominees to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu for his ultimate approval.

While I generally applaud government acting swiftly, with something this important I wonder, after over 10 years of David Campbell, what was the rush?

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Be sure to listen to Walt Bennetti Monday mornings at 7:07am on the Ken and Bernie Show on KPEL 96.5 in Lafayette. Click here to listen live:

 http://www.kpel965.com

Saints Fan Takes Matters Into His Own Hands - Literally

A 26-year-old St. Tammany Parish man is accused of hiding his genitals under a Saints Santa hat and exposing himself in a WalMart parking lot.

Brian Harris was arrested after a woman complained of the flashing as Harris sat in his 1998 Honda Civic. The woman said that Harris made eye contact with her and grinned. Unfortunately, the woman did not get Harris' license plate but did give detectives a description of his car.

About two weeks later, a WalMart security guard was tipped off about a man masturbating in his car, again in the WalMart parking lot. The security guard was given a partial license plate number, which police used to track down Harris at his Covington residence.

Harris admitted to fondling himself under the Saints Santa hat, but denied that he exposed himself. Why someone would even admit to that is mind boggling. Just deny everything, dummy.

Harris is out on bond. If he is convicted, he could get up to 3 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500 on each obscenity charge. Anyone know the value of a 1998 Green Honda Civic?

Here's a link to the Times-Picayune article: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/01/covington_walmart_flasher_book.html

Indian Women Beat Politician Accused Of Rape

So, you think you're having a bad day? Be happy that you're not Indian politician Bikram Singh Brahma.

Brahma is accused of "seducing and subsequently raping" a married woman. It's unclear whether Brahma actually "raped" the woman or whether the relationship was consensual. Brahma is reported to have been sexual with the woman for sometime and allegedly strung her along by making her promises of a high position in government. Certainly not the first time that a politician has lied or used his position to get into another position with a woman. Here in Louisiana, they make movies about our politicians and their philandering ways and soon we'll have a new "reality" show starring former Governor Edwin Edwards and his less than 1/2 his age 3rd wife.

What is unusual about this case in India is that the public actually took the law into their own hands. Women are caught on camera beating Brahma, while men in this village just looked on. The women also ripped off Brahma's shirt in an attempt to shame him.

Here's a link to the story on GlobalPost and a video: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/india/130104/women-beat-rape-politician-india-video

Do you think that we in America could learn something from this story? Perhaps we could walk up and punch our elected officials when we know they are lying to us? It doesn't need to be hard or draw blood - just enough to bruise or leave a mark and let them know that we know they're lying.

Of course, the humiliation of being bruised might make some politicians get out of office but, maybe that's exactly what we need right about now.

I've got my video camera. Who wants to punch a politician? 

JEDCO Director Retiring On A Scandalous Note

Earlier this year, Lucien Gunter, the Executive Director of JEDCO (Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission), announced that he was retiring at the end of this year. Since Mr. Gunter is 85 years old, I didn’t really think his announcement was a surprise.

Now, little by little, we’re learning the rest of the story.

First, there was the revelation that Mr. Gunter used his JEDCO email account to promote political candidates specifically those that JEDCO was supporting for the Jefferson Parish School Board.

Now, the story goes even deeper.

A Times-Picayune article (http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/ethics_investigation_urged_for.html#incart_more_business) revealed that a JP Internal Auditor is claiming that since 2007 when he was hired, Mr. Gunter has violated the residency rule requiring him to reside in Jefferson Parish. The audit also uncovered the fact that Mr. Gunter used a deeply discounted apartment as a cover for his St. Tammany Parish residency. Mr. Gunter paid $300 per month for an apartment that would normally rent for $1,100 – 1,200 per month. This deep discount was courtesy of real estate magnate Henry Shane and his First Lake Properties.

In addition, Mr. Gunter is alleged to have been reimbursed over $11,000 for meals at local restaurants. While this is not against JEDCO policy, since JEDCO conveniently doesn’t have a policy, it is against Jefferson Parish policies.

 Gunter also received a $750 monthly car allowance and received almost $2,000 in reimbursements for mileage and parking.

While I have met Mr. Gunter several times during his tenure at JEDCO, it wasn’t until January of 2011 that I had a really significant conversation with him.

In the previous incarnation of ClickJefferson.com, I wrote an editorial criticizing JEDCO for a controversial billboard advertising campaign. You remember the billboards all over Jefferson Parish asking ridiculous questions like “Who’s Reinventing A City?”, “Who Lowered Crime Rates?, and, my personal favorite, “Who Built Better Levess?”.

In addition to running on ClickJefferson.com, the editorial was also picked up statewide by BayouBuzz.com. Here’s a link: http://www.bayoubuzz.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=151216%3AJefferson+Parish+Economic+Unit+Involved+In+Controversial+Ad+Campaign&catid=137%3Alatest-buzz&Itemid=622&tmpl=component&type=raw

On the morning that the editorial was published, I received a phone call from a JEDCO representative. The JEDCO rep had a message for me: “Mr. Gunter would like to meet with you today. Can you make it here at 2?” Sure, I said, I’d love to. What’s the worst that could happen? I get chewed out for 15 minutes? For the opportunity to get some questions answered, I’d put up with it.

Well, 15 minutes turned into over 2 hours as Mr. Gunter extolled the virtues of JEDCO, their importance to Jefferson Parish, the help that JEDCO could give me as a business owner, and how my thinking about JEDCO was wrong and I just didn’t understand.

That’s how it always works when I criticize the actions of someone who thinks they are powerful or the organization that they represent: I don’t understand.

When I criticized Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni regarding his plan to double property taxes in Kenner, the Mayor called me into his office (again, for over 2 hours) to tell me that I didn’t understand how government worked. When I’ve criticized Jefferson or Orleans Parish Councilmembers, or other elected officials, it was the same story: I didn’t understand.

I really can't count the number of times that I've been told by some elected or appointed official that I don't understand.

In fact, that’s a pretty popular deflection tactic employed by many: don’t talk about the issues and blame the other person because they clearly don’t understand.

So, after 2 hours of listening respectfully to Mr. Gunter tell me that I don’t understand, he threw me another familiar line. Noting my strong support of Jefferson Parish and Jefferson Parish businesses, Mr. Gunter talked about the similarities between he and I and JEDCO and ClickJefferson.com.

“After all, we’re both on the same team,” Mr. Gunter said.

“No, we’re not,” I replied. And that was how our conversation abruptly ended.

It was true then and it’s true now: Mr. Gunter and I aren’t on the same team. Never have been. Never will be.

Pace Of Isaac Recovery In JP Slow, Frustrating

There’s an old saying that there are only two absolutes in life: Death and Taxes. I would like to add two more: while Mother Nature may have a sense of humor, she certainly has no sense of irony, and there is no recovery after a storm without electricity.

Despite the advance notice and early warnings that began with 24/7 television coverage on Sunday, when Isaac was just a baby Tropical Storm, and despite the repeated musings of Entergy’s President that there are “12,000 electrical workers here from 24 different states” ready to pick up the pieces as soon as the winds die down, Entergy proved once again that it was either woefully unprepared or is poorly managed.

As of 9:45am Sunday morning, 5 ½ days after Isaac touched down on the Louisiana Coast, over 100,000 locations in Jefferson Parish are still without electricity. The results for Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Louisiana’s sister company that serves Orleans Parish, were even worse: over 107,000 were without power in Orleans.

Driving around East Jefferson on Saturday afternoon, I was struck by the number of businesses that were still without electrical service. Basic human needs like food and gasoline were not available because grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants were sitting idly by waiting for electricity.

While much less devastating than the levee-implosion of Katrina, there was a similar sense of helplessness after Isaac. Stop signs replaced street lights. The few grocery stores that were open did not have the basic staples like bread, eggs and milk. The Salvation Army and Red Cross were serving hot meals to those in need. There were lines on the East and WestBanks of Jefferson Parish with thousands lined up for ice, water and MREs (a term that I hoped I would never hear again). Garbage overflowed from the curbs of Jefferson Parish homeowners as they were required to once again clean out their refrigerators and freezers and dispose of rotted food.

Unlike Katrina, Isaac was a Category 1. While it lingered over Louisiana and took it’s good sweet time before moving on (much like folks shopping at Wal-Mart), it was still just a Category 1, a veritable mosquito bite compared to the destruction caused by the Army Corps and Katrina.

After Katrina, there were trees down on almost every street. Electric polls were either ripped from the ground or at angles looking like little Leaning Towers of Pisa. The stench from the rotten food, disgusting refrigerators and freezers, mold and death were everywhere. Businesses were closed for weeks and months while owners and workers cleaned up and they, along with residents, waited for Entergy.

And, after Isaac, we’re still waiting for Entergy.

Over 100,000 still without power. Electrical trucks sitting idly in parking lots. Frustrated residents and business owners. And now, we can add one more category to the list: frustrated politicians that have stopped apologizing for Entergy.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, politicians in Jefferson and Orleans couldn’t stop tripping over themselves telling every media outlet that Entergy would be out there in full force as soon as the winds got below 35 mph.

Parish President John Young and Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni, and others, repeatedly brought up the multiple briefings they had with Entergy officials, parroted the “12,000 electrical workers from 24 states” line, and patted Entergy on the back so much that they themselves may have actually believed the words they were saying (a common problem among politicians).

Well, now the tide is turning.

Probably getting tired of hearing the constant complaints from his constituents, President Young is now on the offensive lashing out at Entergy.

"It is not usually our style to confront and criticize a company like Entergy," Young said. "But unfortunately it is necessary for us to do this at this time."

"We have gotten a lot of talk," from the power company, he said. "We have gotten little action."

If you don’t have your Political-speak Decoder Ring on, John Young is getting mad.

"We would be ready to get back to business today, but for Entergy," he said. "There's a lack of a sense of urgency."

It’s nice to see that our elected officials are finally criticizing the Sacred Cow that is Entergy rather than apologizing for Entergy’s lack of planning, poor response or management.

Young, in fact, has called on the Public Service Commission to investigate and fine Entergy. He has also said that Entergy’s shareholders should fire the company’s CEO.

He has also taken the additional steps of trying to lobby other elected officials to support his cause. I’ve confirmed that Young called Kenner Mayor Yenni to discuss garnering Yenni’s support (which will no doubt occur although a little late in the game).

Political grandstanding? Maybe. But, while it may be the first time that an elected official has chastised Entergy, it’s certainly not the first time a politician has climbed up on a soapbox and after finally hearing his constituents and seeing the way the political winds are blowing. It may have taken a little prodding from his political consultant, a poll, or the whining of his family members who may also be without power (or call me a cynic but it could have been the complaints from his political contributors whose businesses were still in the dark and not generating money to supply those large political contributions), but, for whatever reason, John Young (and even a late to the game Mike Yenni) are standing up for the frustrated masses in Jefferson Parish.  

Will Young’s protests do any good? Time will tell. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait 7 years after Isaac for another poor performance from Entergy. More importantly, the 100,000 in JP without power shouldn’t have to wait another 7 hours without electricity.

Kenner's #3 Man Out

After an apparent disagreement with Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni, the City of Kenner's Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Public Works, Pratt Reddy, has resigned. Sources say that Mayor Yenni requested, and received, Reddy's resignation.

The dispute apparently revolved around a city contractor that was friendly with Mayor Yenni. The Mayor's Office would not respond to requests for comment.

Reddy, who was Public Works Director under former Mayor Ed Muniz, continued in that role until Jose Gonzalez was hired. Gonzalez, who was Interim Jefferson Parish President for about a week after Aaron Broussard resigned, retired from Jefferson Parish government and, almost immediately, accepted the position of Kenner's Director of Public Works and Reddy was promoted to Deputy CAO.

Reddy's resignation was surprising considering Mayor Yenni is promoting a $25-30 Million bond refinancing/extension to support a series of projects under the guise of "Economic Development". The projects include rebuilding the Duncan Canal Bridge, expanding Napoleon Avenue to the Airport Access Road, and beautifying Chateau Blvd.

Mayor Yenni immediately promoted Internal Auditor Natalie Newton to the position of Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. In her capacity, Ms. Newton, who previously worked as an Insurance Administrator prior to joining the City of Kenner as Internal Auditor, will be responsible for overseeing all city departments except Finance and Public Works which will be the responsibility of former Deputy CAO and current CAO Mike Quigley.

Newton joined the City of Kenner in November 2010. Her hiring as Internal Auditor drew significant criticism as she was not a Certified Auditor.

Yenni Trying To Craft New Legacy

Not content with being known as “The Mayor who tried to double property taxes” (and really, who would be), Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni has a new mission: create a new legacy by borrowing and over spending on dubious projects under the guise of “Economic Development”.

Since Kenner voters saw through the smoke-and-mirrors and overwhelmingly defeated Yenni’s plan to double property taxes rather than cut the size of government and operate more efficiently, Yenni has offered up a pie-in-the-sky wish list of projects with an initial cost of over $25 Million to be financed by borrowing and using sales tax revenue as collateral and mortgaging Kenner’s future for the next 15 years so he can rebuild his political base.

I guess when “Tax and Spend” didn’t work, it’s on to “Borrow and Spend” for Mayor Yenni.

While governments worldwide are trying to deleverage and stop borrowing to avoid bankruptcy, rather than letting current bonds expire and using the cash and interest savings on sorely needed capital infrastructure projects like fixing our crumbling streets and drainage system or addressing the needs of the Kenner Fire and Police Departments (“Public safety is my Number One priority,” Yenni said before last year’s disastrous tax vote), Yenni has fashioned a plethora of projects, some highly dubious and speculative, others simply foolish, lumped these disparate projects together and called them “Economic Development.”

Yenni presented his wish list to his hand-picked Economic Development Committee.

The projects include:

- An $11 Million extension of Napoleon Avenue to the Airport Access Road. There are currently no studies showing a pent-up demand by Kenner residents for this road and Napoleon Avenue certainly isn’t one of Kenner’s commercial corridors.

- A $4 - 6 Million rehab of the vacant Kenner High School building ot move some city offices including the City Attorney, the City Council and the Council Chambers (which were just remodeled last year at a cost of over $150,000).

- Over $2 Million to beautify and repave Chateau Boulevard which, except for the intersection of West Esplanade and a golf course owned by his Father-In-Law and managed by Mayor Yenni’s wife, is residential.

Again, the question begs to be asked: What do any of these projects have to do with “Economic Development”?

Similar to the Mayor’s hand-picked Streamlining Budget Committee, whose final report was written by Mayor Yenni’s political consultant with little to no input from some committee members, rather than letting the Economic Development Committee determine or advise on the future course of Kenner’s growth, Mayor Yenni presented a plan that will hamstring Kenner’s future growth and fiscal flexibility for the next 15 - 20 years.

The fact of the matter is, Yenni, who has never started a business, created a private sectory job or even held a private sector job, has no concept of the what the term “Economic Development” means.

If you ask most people what “Economic Development” means, they’ll tell you that to them it means new jobs, new businesses or expanded businesses.

In a nutshell, “Economic Development” means prosperity.

I’m not an Economist but even I know that if I rearrange the furniture in my house, I’m not spurring “Economic Development”. I’m not creating jobs or prosperity.

Yenni’s plan to move city offices, build an unneeded road, and repave a residential street, won’t spur “Economic Development” in Kenner either.

Hopefully, the Kenner City Council will just say “NO” to Yenni’s pie-in-the-sky “Economic Development” plan and not allow him to mortgage Kenner’s future to pay for his legacy.

Last year, Kenner told Mayor Yenni that it couldn’t afford a “Tax and Spend Mayor”. This year, Kenner can’t afford a “Borrow and Spend Mayor” either.