Corps Study Urges New Wall For Kenner

What about New Orleans?

The best method of defending Kenner's western flank from storm surges out of Lake Pontchartrain is to build a taller, sturdier wall near the existing West Return Canal floodwall, a new engineering analysis suggests.

Under that scenario, a new wall likely would be erected some 35 feet west of the current structure along the canal's east bank, which engineers said would have to be enlarged to enable construction.

The engineering study is part of the Army Corps of Engineers' commitment to provide 100-year protection throughout southeast Louisiana by 2011. In the case of the West Return Canal, corps engineers have already concluded that the existing wall -- finished in the early 1990s -- is not high enough to meet the new 100-year standards.

New Orleans' residents need protection from much more than storm surges.

Another Oliver Thomas Update

From the T-P:

Former New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas reported to an Atlanta federal prison Thursday to begin a three-year sentence for accepting $20,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Stan "Pampy" Barre who was seeking to retain a public parking garage contract, federal officials said.

Thomas, 50, was sentenced by a federal judge in November to serve 37 months for the felony, which he plead guilty to last summer. Thomas, whose resignation in August ended his 13-year career on the council, can reduce his stay behind bars by about 5 1/2 months through good behavior.

Under the so-called "good time'' provision, a well-behaved inmate can shave 54 days per year from a sentence.

Thomas entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta shortly after 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Felicia Ponce, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman

Former New Orleans Councilman Oliver Thomas Reports To Prison Today

Former New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas reports to a federal prison, in Atlanta, at noon today.

According to the Times Picayune, Thomas has said the following:

I just want to pay my debt to society,"; "I'm not angry at anybody. I've asked God to forgive me and I'm working to forgive myself. I want to move on with my life."

What the former Councilman failed to realize is that his debt to society will never be paid since he failed to cooperate with the federal governments' probe into political corruption. Yes, God will forgive him but can he really move on if deception remains a large part of his life?

One has to wonder: Why did Stan "Pampy" Barre feel so comfortable with approaching him in the first place? It is obvious that Stan "Pampy" Barre, did not feel that he could approach Nagin with such an offer. Stan "Pampy" Barre may be an ignorant individual but what did he see in Oliver Thomas? Apparently he felt that bribing Oliver Thomas would not be reported to the feds.

Additionally, it was reported several times that Oliver Thomas' guilty plea was part of a plea agreement between him and the U.S. attorney's office. At no time did he say that there was no plea agreement. Why would he later tell the judge that he could not "make up stuff"?

This statement is also troubling: On Wednesday, Thomas declined to elaborate on the matter but indicated he was at peace with the decision to maintain his silence.

If Oliver Thomas had no other information to provide to the feds, then why would he feel the need to "be at peace with the decision to maintain his silence"?

Lastly, Oliver Thomas should be placed in the Guinness Book of World Records if he want the citizens of New Orleans to believe that he will be serving a 37 month prison sentence for committing one crime. A criminal getting caught after their first crime is something that children may read about in fairy tales but adults know that that sort of thing NEVER HAPPENS.

Judgement Day for Oliver Thomas

Ollie will be reporting to the federal pen tomorrow as a result of accepting a bribe from Stan "Pampy" Barre. He will always be known for his refusal to cooperate with the government that would have helped the City rid itself of other corrupt individuals.

I hope he can live with that decision. One thing he should realize though is that the citizens of New Orleans will never forget "his lack of cooperation".

Happy New Year, New Orleans

I hope this year provide the city with hope and optimism. I believe the City will recover and become a great place to live. I would like to thank all of those who have not turned their backs on New Orleans. I am grateful for people like Brad Pitt who has devoted his time and money to help New Orleans rebuild.

I am also grateful for the U.S. Attorney's office who have worked diligently in cleaning out political corruption in our great city. Yes, we can rebuild; but we do need to attract businesses to the City. I believe we first must make corporations feel that they can do business, in our City, on an equal playing field if we are to succeed. Keep up the good work, Jim Letten, and I hope this is the year when more corrupt individuals are brought to justice.

Say It Ain't So Jefferson

Jefferson evidently had no idea how much legal danger he was about to get himself into. How could he have known that when he invited the FBI in for a chat a team of agents was positioned down the block, hidden from sight and ready to swarm his home to conduct a floor-to-ceiling search?

Did he think they were there for tea and crumpets?

"I said, 'Do you have time to speak to a couple of my agents? They want to talk to you,'¤" Bernazzani said. "He said fine .¤.¤. He was very gracious, very accommodating."

Bernazzani had nothing but kind words for the congressman.

"He was a gentleman. He's always a gentleman," the agent said.

With Jefferson's acquiescence, Bernazzani waved two other agents up from the street, introduced them to the congressman and left the Marengo Street house. Jefferson ushered agents Thibault and Daniel Evans into his living room and they all sat down.

We all have the FBI over, early in the morning, just for a chat. How did they ambush Jefferson with these tactics? It is time for William Jefferson to face the inevitable: A PRISON TERM

Could Sen. David Vitter Go To Jail?

Jail time is a possibility, for Senator David Vitter, if the D.C. Madam has her way:

The attorney for the "D.C. Madam" wants Sen. David Vitter, R-La., held in contempt of court for failing to adequately respond to a subpoena in her prostitution case. Lawyer Montgomery Sibley asked U.S. District Judge James Robertson to lock up the senator until he complies.

Vitter was subpoenaed to testify in mid-December at a hearing about telephone calls he placed to an escort service between 1999 and 2001, but the hearing was canceled. According to court papers, his attorney, Hank Asbill, said that the senator had no records requested by the defendant, Deborah Jeane Palfrey.

Nonetheless, her attorney told the court that Asbill "refuses to indicate what efforts were made by Sen. Vitter to comply with the subpoena of his documents" and that he wants the senator held in contempt. The judge has not ruled.

Should Vitter be held in contempt?