Friday, September 15, 2006

location, location...do you share my consternation?

This comment comes from Schroeder at People Get Ready:

I remember seeing on the City Council Web site -- somewhere between 1998 and 2001 -- (as I recall) that Morial was seeking a waiver to be allowed as an investor in a real estate company to develop areas near the St. Thomas project (in the process of being demolished). This was before the City Council recognized that actually letting citizens in on proceedings might reflect poorly on them. They have since stopped posting proceedings shortly after I sent email requests for the ultimate decision on Morial's request. I never heard back from anyone. Needless to say, the fact that Morial was, at the same time, promoting the demolition of St. Thomas (a matter about which I remain conflicted), is at best unethical -- or (I'm no attorney), illegal.

I suspect that real estate has always been one of the areas where unscrupulous mayors exploit their position for personal profit.


Not just mayors, bro....I know you read Gordon Russell's incredible story on Renee Gill Pratt, Mos Jefferson, and Frozen Dollar Bill's convoluted snarl of non-profits and real estate ventures.

That's why I want to know exactly what the hell Nagin's AFO investments is "investing" in. There are so many crucial decisions affecting the real estate market which will be addressed in the coming months and years that it's impossible for him to maintain any level of autonomy if he's investing in real estate in this city. The French Quarter hotel moratorium is ripe for the plucking in particular.

If AFO is investing in the New Orleans real estate market....at the very least, he should publicly state any and all investments the company makes.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Without a doubt, you are correct. We need full disclosure.

LatinTeacher said...

Word on that. The appearance of impropriety is pretty powerful stuff, and this seems to be beyond a mere appearance.
It seems he is working against himself with all the stupid comments unless he is purposely failing to get things done so that he can capitalize on the lack of rebuilding, too. Can he really be that unscrupulous?

Jason Brad Berry said...

as Schroeder pointed out with the Morial post....he's just following the status quo. I can tell you that many of the corrupt practices I've reported on this blog were "instituted" by Morial and those before him....but Morial, takes the cake by far. Glen Haydel needs to go to jail for a very long time as well as Marc.

In comparison to Morial, Nagin looks like an angel...but he's not. He's grafting the system and personally I'm just sick of this shit. He should fire Ernest Collins immediately if not step down from the office himself.

I have more info. on other bullshit coming. But don't fall under the perception that Nagin is clean...he is not. He's just not as bad as Morial was.

Anonymous said...

Sean Cummings- hotel owner, developer, and city official, has a prior LA ethics rulings against him (June 2005) restricting him from making land use decisions for the city, yet he was on BNOB Urban planning subcommittee. Very close to John Williams and Global Green competition, met privately with Brad Pitt, & with Steve Dumez (Alan Eskew's business partner), judged AIA Katrina competition for his riverfront lot near the global green site. The 2 competitions had very similar outcomes (squared riverfront condo towers). Sean Cummings father, John Cummings, is said (Times-Picayune) to be Louisiana's third largest private landowner. Sean Cummings is appointed by Nagin to be Interim Executive Director of the New Orleans Building corporation, NOBC, where he manages all surplus City owned property. Many have said this is a clear conflict. I've heard his father has acquired significant surplus city property recently.

Jason Brad Berry said...

Anon #2....who made post on SC....I wan't to check up on this before I post it. Please be patient....i don't want to bring inneundo against private corp. or people unless I know it's affecting Public money, which in this case it would seem it is.

please let me research. thanks.