Preposterous

So Ron Forman’s brilliant new idea for the mayor’s office is that he will have 4 deputy mayors, 2 black and 2 white. This, he claims, will help unite the city.

Bullshit.

First of all, how is adding 4 new executive positions going to help New Orleans get out from its looming bankruptcy? Ron’s used to pulling down over half a million dollars per year.

The past two years the Audubon Zoo has lost scads of money (this, all before Katrina). Now, he’s supposed to be the guy in favor of fiscal responsibility?

Also, who’s black and who’s white? Is Tiger Woods black enough to hold one of the two black positions, or is he out of luck because there’s no Thai deputy mayor? What about any representation of the Vietnamese part of New Orleans East?

Would C. Ray Nagin or Marc Morial be black enough to be a black deputy mayor? You gonna have a Creole deputy mayor, too? Where do you draw the line, Mr. Forman? If part-time New Orleans resident Lenny Kravitz wanted to be a deputy mayor, would he have to be a white deputy mayor or a black deputy mayor?

What utter fucking nonsense.

I guess next, he’ll tell us how having 2 Blacks and 2 Whites will prove that he’s a uniter, not a divider.

Having 4 deputy mayors will “free him up to travel the nation to solicit aid for the city.”

Bullshit.

I want my mayor to be here, not soliciting aid in Jamaica, or Vegas, or whatever other boondoggle he wants to pull on my dime. I want my public servant to be here, serving; not pawning off the work on one of four new highly paid executives for whom I did not vote.

“He believes there is a vast, untapped pool of talent across America just waiting to lend New Orleans a hand. With that in mind, Forman said that as mayor he will reach out to the world's "best minds" from Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates to former Secretary of State Colin Powell to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to serve on a national advisory panel to help map out rebuilding strategies for everything from housing to education to medical care.”

What the fuck does Bill Gates know about New Orleans?

I lived in Seattle for a while. Bill Gates bought up the houses around him on Mercer Island so that he could tear them down and build his uber-mega-mansion on the water. This is the guy that Ron Forman wants to use as a model for New Orleans?

Am I the only person outraged by all this?

Rudy Giuliani was a good DA and did a nice job Disneyfiying Times Square. He also oversaw the loss of about 3 blocks of New York on 9/11. What the fuck does this have to do with New Orleans, unless he wants to turn us into Disneyland Louisiana?

Sorry, but I think that there is a vast, untapped pool of talent HERE IN NEW ORLEANS that has a much better idea about how to rebuild our gret city. Leave the vast untapped pool of idiots where they belong.

Also note that all 3 of the people mentioned above happen to be Republicans. Ron is supposed to be a Democrat. At least, he “left the GOP in March of 2003”, but he has “Republican strategist and prominant GOP insider Bill Kearney on his team”. If you’re gonna be a Republican, be a Republican; if you’re going to be a Democrat, be a Democrat. Don’t be a Democrat in name only, because you think it will get you the Black vote.

I’m all for sucking money from the rest of the country for good use here. I do it myself. But to claim in campaign literature that you aren’t going to be here, but are going to be begging for money around the cosmos?

Mayor ain’t the same gig as fundraiser, hoss.

BTW, does Forman even have small signs? I don’t think I’ve seen a Forman for mayor sign less than 8 feet across.

Maybe I can use a few of them to build a Katrina Cottage after the election.

Comments

[Mr. Clio]

One of those deputy mayors better have red hair, or I'll feel unrepresented.

[bayoustjohndavid]

There's not only the cost of the 4 deputies--let's see, the mayor's top aides make around $150K, loaded cost of an employee about 2-3 times salary--so well over a million a year. I assume that each deputy mayor will have a staff and only a fool wouldn't assume that eventually those would all become patronage positions (the 4 plus their staffs) and 4 competing power centers in any new administration.

It was stupid enough when he first brought it up, now he makes a stupid idea even stupider with tokenism.

[Tim]

I'm telling ya, K-Doe is looking better every day! Fact: K-Doe hasn't said anything as stupid as this for years.

Peace,

Tim

[bayoustjohndavid]

I probably overstated a little. Costs of an employee do average 2-3X salary, but it doesn't increase with each new dollar of salary. But what I said is basically accurate. Plus the city payroll has been absurdly top heavy since the layoffs--they laid off over half of the indians, kept most of the chiefs. Now he wants to add four more chiefs.

[Evacuee]

So, who is the better option? Pie in the sky Boulet? Tax Free Peggy? I've never held a real job Landrieu?

[ashley]

Boulet's political career died a horrible death on Monday night. Peggy is a lunatic. Couhig actually looked acceptable. My rankings today, post debate are: 1) Mitch, 2) Nagin if he gets off the meds 3) Couhig.

That's right, Couhig. At least you know what you're getting with him, instead of the eel that is Forman.

[schleusenmeister]

Boulet's political career died a horrible death on Monday night? What, in the MSNBC debate? (I'm out of town, and didn't catch the debate.)

[ashley]

Schleuse, you can watch the video here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/

Boulet had several opportunities to show herself as the "save the wetlands" candidate, but she looked to be a bit weak. Almost like she enjoys being considered 2nd tier. I support her platform, and it's more explicit in its plan than Mitch's, but she did not look strong in the debate, more like she was playing nice with all the other candidates.

[Belstaff Jacken]

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[Mulberry Bags]

the fresh Affordable Guidance subsequently goes on to fight highly regarding neighborhood discussion especially on Belstaff Tasche pricing matters in difficult moments.

[kannika]

he was really angry when he found out how litlte was done to rebuild the houses that people lost in that hurricane. Just yesterday the Finnish TV showed pics from NO at the news and it really made me angry how many people are still without a proper home. If it wasnb4t for kind-hearted people like Brad and Angie many of those people would still be without homes. He has done a remarkable job in putting his time and money into rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward. Many of those people sure are eternally thankful for him and will always stay in touch with Brad. The whole JP family sure loves to spend time in NO because it sure has a special meaning for them. God bless Brad and his beautiful family forever!

[Heey]

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