The Editor's Room - November 2009

11/30/09

Errol Laborde: Further Proof That New Orleans’ Parking Control Office Is Out of Control

If I were mayor, I would call the heads of the parking control division into my office today and angrily tell them that the purpose of their agency is not to act as a fundraiser for the city and certainly not to entrap or harass citizens but simply to enforce legitimate parking concerns.

At issue is the stunt that the agency pulled on Thanksgiving when it sent its troops out in force to ticket vehicles parked on the Marconi neutral ground. The vehicles were driven by participants in the annual Turkey Day race, which is a fundraiser for the Spina Bifida Foundation.

According to some reports, police, in the past, had directed runners to park on the median. But if there was a change of heart, there should have at least been “No Parking” signs posted....

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 16

11/23/09

Errol Laborde: The First Thanksgiving (Post-K)

Four years ago this Thanksgiving, we all might have been forgiven if we asked ourselves, “Just what is it we are supposed to be thankful for this year?” With our houses, if they survived, smelling of mold, our lawns dead and possibly toxic and our futures totally uncertain, we nevertheless knew the answer: We survived so far, and we were still alive. The rest would still have to be worked out.

 Compared to the problems that so many other people faced, my plight was mild one autumn Saturday in 2005 when we had returned for the weekend to work on our home. The mold stench was still pervasive. Taped-up refrigerators were appearing on curbs like ragweed. Piles of debris from gutted homes spilled over into the street. There was no beauty. On my first visit home, a...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1

11/16/09

Errol Laborde: Nagin Responds to Blakely, the Sequel

Ray Nagin finally had something to say about Ed Blakely’s slandering of New Orleans –– sort of. Confronted at Dooky Chase restaurant, Nagin, according to the Times-Picayune, called Blakely’s prediction of race riots in the city "foolishness." The mayor, however, added that Blakely is "entitled to his own opinion" and then revealed that his former "recovery czar" never felt comfortable here. Nagin is quoted in the article, written by David Hammer, saying the following: "I talked to him when I was in Sydney, Australia -- we kind of got quiet, one-on-one -- and he was really still a little hurt. He said this was a tough city for him to live in, so he never felt totally welcome."

Let’s examine the...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2

11/09/09

Errol Laborde: Nagin Should Repudiate Blakely

  If I were mayor of New Orleans, even if my very best friend said something publicly about the city that was hurtful, untrue and damaging to its reputation, I would denounce my best friend and stand up for the city.  

Mayor Ray Nagin needs to stand up for his city. After comments made by Nagin’s handpicked former “recovery czar,” Ed Blakely, were reported last week, Nagin should have been the first person to issue a statement rejecting Blakely’s statements.  Among Blakely’s utterances was that white people were waiting to be at the throats of blacks to regain political power and that would lead to race riots. He also proclaimed, while conceding that he was never very interested in his New Orleans job, that the city...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 10

11/02/09

Errol Laborde: Nick Saban and Me

As LSU prepares to play rival University of Alabama next Saturday, I am reminded of my brush with former LSU coach Nick Saban last year. 

My timing was bad. I was driving from New Orleans to Marksville. Heading west along Interstate 10, the traffic was moving smoothly but began to build up around Gramercy. 

I was aware that this was the day that LSU would be playing Alabama in Baton Rouge, and even if I had not been, certainly all the passing SUVs with tiger tails attached to their antennas would have been a reminder. I just had not expected the traffic to be building up so early. I thought I would be going through Baton Rouge within the window of time...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

	11/30/09 Errol Laborde: Further Proof That New Orleans’ Parking Control Office Is Out of Control If I were mayor, I would call the heads of the parking control division into my office today and angrily tell them that the purpose of their agency is not to act as a fundraiser for the city and certainly not to entrap or harass citizens but simply to enforce legitimate parking concerns. At issue is the stunt that the agency pulled on Thanksgiving when it sent its troops out in force to ticket vehicles parked on the Marconi neutral ground. The vehicles were driven by participants in the annual Turkey Day race, which is a fundraiser for the Spina Bifida Foundation. According to some reports, police, in the past, had directed runners to park on the median. But if there was a change of heart, there should have at least been “No Parking” signs posted.... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 16
	11/23/09 Errol Laborde: The First Thanksgiving (Post-K) Four years ago this Thanksgiving, we all might have been forgiven if we asked ourselves, “Just what is it we are supposed to be thankful for this year?” With our houses, if they survived, smelling of mold, our lawns dead and possibly toxic and our futures totally uncertain, we nevertheless knew the answer: We survived so far, and we were still alive. The rest would still have to be worked out.  Compared to the problems that so many other people faced, my plight was mild one autumn Saturday in 2005 when we had returned for the weekend to work on our home. The mold stench was still pervasive. Taped-up refrigerators were appearing on curbs like ragweed. Piles of debris from gutted homes spilled over into the street. There was no beauty. On my first visit home, a... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 1
	11/16/09 Errol Laborde: Nagin Responds to Blakely, the Sequel Ray Nagin finally had something to say about Ed Blakely’s slandering of New Orleans –– sort of. Confronted at Dooky Chase restaurant, Nagin, according to the Times-Picayune, called Blakely’s prediction of race riots in the city "foolishness." The mayor, however, added that Blakely is "entitled to his own opinion" and then revealed that his former "recovery czar" never felt comfortable here. Nagin is quoted in the article, written by David Hammer, saying the following: "I talked to him when I was in Sydney, Australia -- we kind of got quiet, one-on-one -- and he was really still a little hurt. He said this was a tough city for him to live in, so he never felt totally welcome." Let’s examine the... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 2
	11/09/09 Errol Laborde: Nagin Should Repudiate Blakely   If I were mayor of New Orleans, even if my very best friend said something publicly about the city that was hurtful, untrue and damaging to its reputation, I would denounce my best friend and stand up for the city.   Mayor Ray Nagin needs to stand up for his city. After comments made by Nagin’s handpicked former “recovery czar,” Ed Blakely, were reported last week, Nagin should have been the first person to issue a statement rejecting Blakely’s statements.  Among Blakely’s utterances was that white people were waiting to be at the throats of blacks to regain political power and that would lead to race riots. He also proclaimed, while conceding that he was never very interested in his New Orleans job, that the city... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 10
	11/02/09 Errol Laborde: Nick Saban and Me As LSU prepares to play rival University of Alabama next Saturday, I am reminded of my brush with former LSU coach Nick Saban last year.  My timing was bad. I was driving from New Orleans to Marksville. Heading west along Interstate 10, the traffic was moving smoothly but began to build up around Gramercy.  I was aware that this was the day that LSU would be playing Alabama in Baton Rouge, and even if I had not been, certainly all the passing SUVs with tiger tails attached to their antennas would have been a reminder. I just had not expected the traffic to be building up so early. I thought I would be going through Baton Rouge within the window of time... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0

Weekly Commentary with New Orleans Magazine’s Errol Laborde

November 2009

11/30/09

Errol Laborde: Further Proof That New Orleans’ Parking Control Office Is Out of Control

11/23/09

Errol Laborde: The First Thanksgiving (Post-K)

11/16/09

Errol Laborde: Nagin Responds to Blakely, the Sequel

11/09/09

Errol Laborde: Nagin Should Repudiate Blakely

11/02/09

Errol Laborde: Nick Saban and Me

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