Levee Board Names Counsel

The levee board has named Robert LaCour, veteran attorney to the East Jefferson Levee District, as temporary counsel to the authority and all three levee districts. The three now under the authority's umbrella also include Orleans Levee District and the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District in St. Bernard Parish.

In his new role as gatekeeper, LaCour will decide whether to handle specific issues or to pass them to the Louisiana attorney general's office, which state law designates as the authority's general counsel. LaCour also will assign work to a short list of outside lawyers whom the authority approved this month after being vetted by its legal committee. Additionally, he will review those legal bills for appropriateness.

Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff, Marlin Gusman, Engaged In Double Billing

The Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff's Office overcharged the city of New Orleans almost $2 million for inmates who actually were in the custody of the federal government and were already being paid for by the U.S. Marshal's Service or Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Sheriff Marlin Gusman acknowledged Wednesday.

The Sheriff's Office said it refunded the money Wednesday.

The double billing began after Hurricane Katrina, in November 2005, when Gusman began booking federal inmates brought into Orleans Parish Prison at Central Lockup, the same place as anyone else arrested in New Orleans, said Renee Lapeyrolerie, a spokeswoman for Gusman. The disclosure marks the second major double-billing problem Gusman has acknowledged this month. He blamed both on problems with the computerized inventory of the inmates housed at the city's jail facilities.
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After two major double billing problems, maybe he should stop shifting blame. He should look at his own incompetence.

Federal Government Wants Harsher Sentence for Former Councilman Oliver Thomas

After signing a plea agreement in which he promised to cooperate with authorities, former New Orleans' City Councilman Oliver Thomas told FBI agents and federal prosecutors during his second debriefing session that he "did not wish to be a 'rat,' " according to the sentencing memorandum filed by U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office. Thomas then refused to discuss his possible knowledge of other crimes, according to the memo.

Ironically, Thomas' own crime came to the attention of authorities as a result of another convict's cooperation.

Restaurateur and political operative Stan "Pampy" Barre, who is awaiting sentencing for his role in skimming money from a City Hall energy contract, told authorities that Thomas had extorted roughly $15,000 in bribes from him in exchange for a pledge that he would help Barre retain a portion of a French Quarter parking contract.

Thomas also directed Barre to take on a partner, Joseph Jourdain, the brother of one of his aides.

Barre initially provided little useful information to prosecutors after he pleaded guilty to three felony charges in January. But that changed after one of his co-conspirators, former city Property Management Director Kerry DeCay, was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to the same charges.

The harsh sentence -- which owed in part to DeCay's lack of cooperation -- seemed to serve as a wake-up call to Barre. Less than two months later, prosecutors had persuaded Thomas to plead guilty to bribery charges based on information provided by Barre.

Army Corps of Engineer tried to stop inquiry

What's Going On With The Army Corps of Engineers?

The leader of an independent team of researchers investigating the New Orleans levee failures has filed an ethics complaint with the American Society of Civil Engineers, claiming executives of that trade organization and the Army Corps of Engineers have systematically attempted to undermine his group's investigation.

University of California-Berkeley civil engineering Professor Raymond Seed led a group whose conclusions at times contrasted sharply with those of corps-sponsored investigations. In his 42-page letter, sent Oct. 30 to the former president of the ASCE, Seed charged that the corps-sponsored probe produced flawed results that absolved the corps of its full measure of blame -- and, more important, led to mistakes in the rebuilding of levees and walls in the area.

Is this surprising to anyone? What does the ASCE have to hide?

Former New Orleans' Councilman to be Sentenced Wednesday

Former Councilman Oliver Thomas is scheduled to be sentence Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Though he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, Thomas is likely to receive far less for various reasons, including his previously clean record, his admission of guilt and the relatively small amount of money, about $20,000, that he confessed to taking.

Federal sentencing guidelines call for a sentence in the range of 30 to 37 months based on the offenses Thomas admitted, according to Tulane law professor and former federal prosecutor Tania Tetlow. Federal judges are no longer required to follow sentencing guidelines.

However, it appears unlikely he will receive extra leniency in exchange for providing what federal law calls "substantial assistance" in the investigation or prosecution of another person, according to courthouse observers. Were that the case, prosecutors would have almost certainly asked Vance to delay Thomas' sentencing.

"When someone is cooperating, you usually see one or two motions to continue," said Loyola Law School professor Dane Ciolino. "The purpose is to make sure he cooperates as expected, and that he testifies as expected."

"The government has a policy of waiting (to sentence a convict) until after he has testified," agreed lawyer Julian Murray, a former federal prosecutor. "It doesn't mean he hasn't given them some information that was helpful, but it's unlikely he'll testify in another case."

Not only does a delay ensure prosecutors the testimony they seek, it gives them time to complete the paperwork to request a downward departure, often known as a cooperation letter, or a 5K1 after the section of the federal sentencing code that describes it.

That Thomas' sentencing appears to be on schedule is a "pretty good suggestion that he is not cooperating -- or at least has not been able to deliver any additional wrongdoers to the government," Ciolino said.

In contrast, Ciolino noted, convicted restaurateur and political operative Stan "Pampy" Barre, -- who helped provide the government with the evidence it needed to prosecute Thomas -- still awaits sentencing.

Barre pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to skim more than $1 million from a large City Hall energy contract awarded by former Mayor Marc Morial. His sentencing, now set for January, has been delayed numerous times.

Thomas' lawyer, Clarence Roby, said he couldn't discuss the details of Thomas' conversations with investigators. But he hinted that his client hadn't provided the government much information, and he said he doesn't expect any delay in the sentencing.

"He's cooperated the best he could," Roby said of Thomas. "But unlike Stan Barre and others, he didn't necessarily walk in saying, 'Let me tell you about every corrupt act I've ever witnessed.' He's in an unenviable position. But he's taken responsibility for his misdeeds."

Jackie Clarkson Wins the Council At Large Seat

Jackie Clarkson, a former council member and state legislator, defeated Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis, the District E representative who ran with the backing of Mayor Ray Nagin and three of her council colleagues. Willard-Lewis did not have to give up her district seat to run.

The election was called to fill the position vacated in August by Oliver Thomas, who resigned after pleading guilty to federal felony charges of accepting bribes from ex-political operative, ex-restaurateur and convicted felon, Stan "Pampy" Barre.

Congressman William Jefferson Accused of Additional Bribery Schemes

The Justice Department said Friday that it intends to present evidence of two additional bribery schemes, including one involving efforts to win a contract with NASA, as part of its corruption case against Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans.

In both cases, prosecutors said, Jefferson sought a payoff for relatives in exchange for his help in setting up business deals.

The government listed 11 schemes in its June 4 indictment, which accused the nine-term congressman of bribery, racketeering and violation of the corrupt foreign practices act. The Justice Department is not looking to add any charges to the indictment, but said it plans to use the two new alleged schemes as evidence at the trial, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 16.

Well, well well: Jefferson used his position to advance the interest of his family members. This is just another example of Family Corruption In The Big Easy. Too bad the feds haven't fully addressed the family corruption that centered around the City Hall energy savings contract with Johnson Control. -- Just follow the family trail:

Ex-Drug Court contractors plead innocent in fraud case

Two former subcontractors of a St. Tammany Parish Drug Court contractor that drew state and court auditors’ scrutiny entered innocent pleas to felony criminal charges Thursday.

Guice Giambrone, 61, of Baton Rouge, and Slidell Police Officer William Massimini, 31, pleaded innocent to the charge of second-degree injuring of a public record.

Massimini also pleaded innocent before Judge Patricia Hedges of the 22nd Judicial District Court to the charge of public payroll fraud.

A June 2007 Louisiana Legislative Auditor compliance audit found Massimini and Giambrone may have broken state law in their handling of payment records state auditors believe were falsified.

The reports were purported to support Massimini’s pay for work as a compliance officer for the Slidell Juvenile Drug Court between January 2005 and January 2006.

A St. Tammany Parish grand jury indicted the men in late August. On Thursday, Hedges also set a Jan. 7 trial date for Giambrone and Massimini, who are co-defendants.

They formerly worked as subcontractors for Human Services Foundation of Baton Rouge. Under contract with the court, the nonprofit helped administer the entire 22nd Judicial District Drug Court program, of which the Slidell program is part, for eight years until July 2006.

The contract ended after court officials uncovered financial questions later brought to light in the 2005 audit released in August 2006 and the subsequent compliance audit this year.

Human Services Foundation officials have denied wrongdoing or knowledge of it.

The Drug Court program helps nonviolent juvenile and adult drug offenders get off drugs and employed. The 22nd Judicial District’s jurisdiction encompasses Washington and St. Tammany parishes.

The questioned documents were produced after court officials began asking questions nearly two years ago about Massimini’s work, the June compliance audit says.

Massimini was charged with checking up on juvenile clients for the Slidell court, a job outside his duty as a city police officer. Some of the questioned documents claimed that he visited clients the day Hurricane Katrina struck Slidell, Aug. 29, 2005, auditors said.

Giambrone is accused of turning in some of the questioned documents.

Jim Moorman, Giambrone’s attorney, said his client simply delivered records and did not falsify them. Giambrone told the auditors the same thing.

Massimini’s attorney, Vince Lobello, didn’t return a call seeking comment Thursday.

The Slidell Police Department continues to employ Massimini. He was moved from a detective’s post to desk duty in the Patrol Division before his indictment Aug. 29, said Capt. Kevin Foltz, police spokesman.

Massimini has been instructed not to engage in police enforcement action while his case and an internal police investigation continue, Foltz said.

The change in job assignments is not a demotion, he said.

Director Demme brings a teen's face out of New Orleans' crowd

Jonathan Demme traveled to New Orleans to document the lives of residents still abandoned after Hurricane Katrina.

And he may have found a star.

While shooting this summer's PBS documentary Right to Return: New Home Movies From the Lower 9th Ward, about residents of the hardest-hit region of the city trying to rebuild on their own, he came upon Kyrah Julian, a particularly eloquent — and angry — teenager.

"She was talking about more than the power being off," Demme says. "She spoke about the ecological dangers, the personal losses. She was such a compelling image on camera."

So Demme cast Julian in next year's Dancing With Shiva, a family comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Debra Winger.

Special Election Scheduled for Louisiana House District

The U.S. House seat in Louisiana’s 1st District, soon to be vacated by Republican Governor-elect Bobby Jindal , will be filled in a special election process that will begin with party primaries on March 8 and end with a general election that almost certainly will be held on May 3. The election is unlikely to produce any shift in the partisan balance of power in the House, as the heavily Republican district is strongly favored to stay in that party’s hands.

Retiring Democratic Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco — whom two-term House incumbent Jindal will succeed after winning Louisiana’s off-year election for governor on Oct. 20 — issued a proclamation Tuesday that set the election schedule, which also includes an April 5 primary runoff date if no one wins a majority vote in one or both parties in the March 8 first-round vote.

The proclamation includes a proviso that the general election would be held April 5 instead of May 3 if no runoffs are necessary. But a runoff is almost sure to be needed on the Republican side, given the long list of candidates who are expected to pursue that party’s nomination.

The candidate qualifying period for the contest runs from January 29 to 31.

Jindal previously stated that he will resign his House seat Jan. 14, the same day he will be inaugurated as governor. His easy victory this year over a field that included 11 other candidates of all party affiliations entitles him to assume the office that he narrowly lost to Blanco in the 2003 state election.

Louisiana Representative Uses Racial Slur

I wonder how many people will be infuriated by this latest development. Will people vote for a white state lawmaker, who calls a black civil rights veteran 'Buckwheat'? According to the news story, Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, a Democrat, acknowledged that she ended a Thursday night conversation with Hazel Boykin by saying, "Talk to you later, Buckwheat." Dartez had been thanking Boykin for driving voters to the polls.

Buckwheat, a black child character in the "Little Rascals" comedies of the 1930s and '40s, is viewed as a racial stereotype.

Boykin, 75, helped desegregate restaurants and the parish school system in the 1960s. Her son, Jerome, is president of the Terrebonne Parish chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

"I've never had no one talk to me that way, and I considered it a racial slur," Hazel Boykin said. "I know the meaning of it; it's just like the N-word."

On Monday, Jerome Boykin held a news conference asking voters to cast ballots against Dartez, who faces Republican Joe Harrison in Saturday's runoff.

Lessens Learned from Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina devastated the City of New Orleans, however, other cities will now learn from that devastation:

When members of the National League of Cities convene in New Orleans this week to discuss the most effective ways to run local governments, they will use the city as a living laboratory for an issue of paramount concern: how to prepare for and recover from disaster.

A delegation of 3,500 mayors, police chiefs and city council members from around the county will brainstorm Tuesday through Saturday on ways to reduce crime, promote public transit and strengthen municipal finances, which are strained in many parts of the country by the growing costs of health care and pensions.

While the gathering is not the largest to take place since Hurricane Katrina, it is an important milepost in the recovery of the tourism industry. The National League of Cities booked its convention in New Orleans before the storm, and it was one of the first to affirm its commitment to the city when few could predict how quickly hotels, taxis and restaurants would return.

Executive Director Donald Borut said cities around the country provided for New Orleans after the storm by sending emergency response teams, equipment and money. He said visiting city leaders will continue to participate in the recovery with a series of public service projects, including the construction of a playground at Joe Brown Park.


The host city generally underwrites the annual National League of Cities conference by donating space in a convention center or providing free bus rides and other amenities, but Borut said his group decided to pick up those expenses because New Orleans is still weak-kneed from the storm.

Flynn helps No. 2 LSU down La. Tech

Matt Flynn completed 14-of-26 passes for 237 yards with three touchdowns, as second-ranked LSU overwhelmed Louisiana Tech, 58-10, at Tiger Stadium.

Jacob Hester ran for a career-high 117 yards and one touchdown for the Tigers (9-1), who have reeled three straight wins since losing 43-37 in triple overtime to Kentucky on October 13. Flynn also ran for a touchdown and had two interceptions, while Terrance Toliver caught three passes for 119 yards. Brandon LaFell racked up 80 yards on five receptions.

With the victory, coupled with losses by Alabama and Auburn, LSU clenched the SEC Western Division Championship.

Highlighting Big Easy Chef 'John Besh'

Now that psychopath, Stan Barre is out of the restaurant business and heading to the federal pen, it is refreshing to highlight an award winning chef:

John Besh is the winner of a 2006 James Beard regional award. His Restaurant August in New Orleans has appeared on Food & Wine magazine's best-restaurant list. He also is chef and co-owner of Besh Steakhouse and Luke, both in New Orleans; and La Provence, an hour north in Lacombe, La. He's currently competing on "The Next Iron Chef" on the Food Network.

With the final episode set to air this Sunday at 9 p.m.,the best of the two finalists will join the pantheon of Iron Chefs, which currently includes Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Masaharu Morimoto and Bobby Flay.

The final show will be a battle between the two finalists in Kitchen Stadium, much like the battles they will compete in if they are chosen as the next Iron Chef. Throughout the show, the contestants have had to conquer challenges such as preparing an airline meal, cooking outside with only a grill and a cooler packed by another contestant, and preparing a dish with "underutilized" foods such as sweet breads or catfish. The final battle will be swordfish, and judging by the dishes presented by Chefs Besh and Symon in the previous episodes, it promises to be a battle of epic "portions."

Motion on 'Jena 6' Charges Is Dismissed

A judge rejected a motion to dismiss juvenile charges against a teenager at the center of a civil rights controversy. Lawyers for the teenager, Mychal Bell, left, one of six black teenagers accused of beating a white schoolmate, said that trying him again amounted to double jeopardy. “We contend that he can’t be tried for the same case twice, and he’s already been tried in adult court,” said one of the lawyers, Carol Powell Lexing. The judge, J. P. Mauffrey Jr. of District Court, rejected that motion. Ms. Lexing said they would appeal. Mr. Bell, 17, is the only one of the so-called Jena Six to stand trial. In June, he was convicted in adult court of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. The convictions were later overturned, and the case was sent to juvenile court. Mr. Bell was ordered to jail last month for a probation violation in an unrelated juvenile-court case.

Charges against Jena 6 Defendant Reduced

Charges against Bryant Purvis, one of the six black students accused of being involved in beating a white student, were reduced to second degree aggravated battery during his arraignment Wednesday morning.

Purvis, who was facing charges of second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy, entered a not guilty plea to the reduced charges in the LaSalle Parish Courthouse in Jena.

Charges have now been reduced against at least five of the students in the racially charged "Jena 6" case. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard, who was 14 at the time of the alleged crime, are unavailable because he's a juvenile.

Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton led more than 15,000 marchers to Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- in September to protest how authorities handled the cases against Purvis and five other teens accused of the December 2006 beating of fellow student Justin Barker.

Repair Scams In The Big Easy

Five men have been arrested on charges they bilked New Orleans residents out of thousands of dollars by contracting to renovate houses and failing to do so.

The five suspects were identified by the attorney general's office, which provided this information:

-- Anthony Thomas was arrested Oct. 25 and booked with one count of felony theft, one count of acting as a contractor without a license and one count of theft from an elderly or disabled person. Thomas, owner of Thomas Dry Wall, is alleged to have accepted a down payment of $52,000 as part of a contract with a resident to renovate her home, and to have abandoned the job without fulfilling the contract.

-- Garlon D. Batiste, aka Lance Howard, doing business as Premier Global Renovations, was arrested Oct. 24 and booked with two counts of theft by fraud, two counts of injuring public records, exploitation of the infirmed, and providing false information during the booking process. He is alleged to have accepted a check from a New Orleans resident for $38,054.74, to be used for labor and materials for the victim's house renovations, and never returned to perform any work on the house. In a separate incident, he is accused of taking an $8,500 check from a disabled senior to renovate the victim's hurricane-damaged home, and never returning to perform any repairs.

-- Michael Noah, doing business as JDSM Enterprises, was arrested in LaPlace and was returned to Orleans Parish Prison on Oct. 24, where he was booked with one count of felony theft and one count of doing contracting work without a license. Noah is charged with accepting a $42,250 partial payment on a contract to restore a hurricane-damaged New Orleans home before abandoning the project without performing the required work.

-- Dennis M. Alexander was arrested Oct. 25 and booked with four counts each of felony theft of property valued over $500, operating as a construction contractor without a license, and theft from an elderly or disabled person. Alexander allegedly was paid down payments of between $5,000 and $46,500 by four New Orleans residents to renovate houses, and did not fulfill the contracts, the attorney general's office said.

-- Billy Myers of Cresson, Texas, doing business as Customers Choice Construction, was arrested Oct. 18 and booked with theft by fraud in contracting, misapplication of payments, engaging in a business without a license and exploitation of the infirmed. Myers allegedly contracted with an elderly New Orleans resident to make renovations to the victim's two hurricane-damaged homes and accepted a check in advance for $10,000. After allegedly performing only $1,000 worth of work, he failed to complete the job and reneged on a promise to refund the other $9,000 by leaving for Texas, Foti's office said.

This is a sad situation when other people's misery brings out the worst in people.
There is always some corrupt individual, lurking in the background, waiting to prey on others. We need to severely punish these indivduals in order to discourage this type of disgusting behavior.

Texans Support Bobby Jindal

Jindal, 36, won his bid, a historic victory that will make him the country's first Indian-American chief executive when he is sworn in next year.

He got there with the help of many Texans, who contributed nearly $400,000 to his campaign in the past year and more than $800,000 since 2003, Louisiana Board of Ethics records show.

Additionally, Jindal is putting people with Texas connections into his administration: His deputy chief of staff for policy will be Stephen Waguespack, a Washington lobbyist and former legislative aide to U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington.

No matter what his donors' motivations are, Jindal's leadership could have an impact on Texas -- perhaps luring back Louisianans who moved to Texas after Katrina, or perhaps just creating an easier working relationship on the local and national levels.

Attorney General Hopeful Under Attack

What is going on with Royal Alexander? Scandal, scandal, scandal: What else is new in The Big Easy?

While he was in Washington, Alexander's name surfaced in the scandal over former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., making inappropriate contact with underage pages. One of the pages worked in Rodney Alexander's office. Royal Alexander said his office notified Foley's office and then-Speaker Dennis Hastert's office as soon as he became aware of the situation. "I'm proud of how we handled it," he said.

Still, according to the page's parents, Royal Alexander also talked with them after finding out about e-mails, warning them that the media would call and that Democrats "would like to use something like this." A House ethics investigation found no wrongdoing by Royal Alexander, but the panel's final report said "some witnesses did far too little" to address Foley's behavior and protect pages.

Alexander also finds himself asked repeatedly about a federal lawsuit filed against Rodney Alexander's office by a former staff member. Among her allegations, Elizabeth Scott said that during her 2005-06 tenure in the Washington office, Royal Alexander harassed her with unsolicited leering, comments and physical contact.

Can Reform Occur In Louisiana?

Electing a governor possessing both integrity and competence is only the first step. The Governor-elect has said he alone cannot change the political culture. His 31 points on ethics reform must still be shaped into legislation.

Anyone familiar with the current ethics laws in Louisiana realizes they were designed to fail. They serve as a "fig leaf." The ethics system is capable only of catching jay walkers, not thieves. Changing the existing, badly drafted legislation into an effective legal regime poses quite a challenge. If the reforms prove not to be effective, however, Louisiana's citizens will eventually conclude that good state government is unattainable.

Even a good governor and good ethics laws will not reduce corruption much. Those who study third-world countries have noted that corruption is directly proportional to the percentage of the economy controlled by government. That observation more than anything else explains the level of corruption in Louisiana. Ever since Huey Long's governorship, Louisiana government has been the state's largest employer.