It's NOT a business

Nothing has been infuriating me more than people that want to run something that is not a business “like a business”.

I’ll run gubmint like a bidness.

OK, then let’s run it EXACTLY like a business. Exactly.

So the voters, aka the shareholders, can demand your head on a platter at any point if we don’t like your performance.

They're running the federal gubmint like their buddy ran his bidness. And they erroneously criticize their competitors. Let's sue them for false advertising.

I don’t want you spending money on anything stupid like arts or schools or public transportation that doesn’t have a high enough potential return on investment. Just on things that have a thick subsidy, or things I can get a huge kickback on, or things with a huge potential for profit.

Like every square inch of land you own.

That’s the main reason that nothing’s been done. They want this to be the biggest land grab since Oklahoma.

9th ward? More like a closer Metairie.

St. Bernard? Think of Naperville, Illinois.

Gentilly? Seaside, baby.

Oh, and that affordable housing? Well, that isn’t really a priority fo’ bidness, now is it?

Scott Cowen has run Tulane like a bidness, so he vanquished the School of Engineering, and took that > $31 million that was wasting away paying for the tuition of engineering and computer students, and used it for things he deemed more important.

And he won’t open the books.

He's even hosting a recovery conference. Famous recovery experts like Laura (Spanish...no, English...no wait, Spanish) Bush and Brian Williams will be there. The only things lending credence are Kermit and Dr. Michael White.

Maybe he'll tout his bold renewal plan, which consists of obliterating all you can get away wif. Show up, and let him know what a knockout job he's doing.

But who are we to even question his judgment? It is, after all, his bidness.

Jay Batt even touts that BATT MEANS BUSINESS.

Yes, he does, unfortunately, in every sense of the word.

You homeowners don’t want mega-bars that violate every zoning ordinance in da parish? Sorry, having a mega-bar in your front yard is good bidness. For Batt and his pals, at least.

And you think he was slimy at doing this kind of crap pre-K, well, maybe you don’t even know what bidness is. Katrina was simply an opportunity, baby!

Oh, and Jay, what about da supermarket you promised on Carrollton? All I see at da Canal Villere is a roach coach, albeit one with damn fine tacos.

You in da quatah don’t want any new hotels? Well dat ain’t good for bidness. Not for da bidness of Batt’s developer friends, anyway. So what if the quarter isn’t even his district? Bidness is bidness, bitches.

This is all you need to know: Gorilla Ron Forman is endorsing Batt.

The slippery eel that is Jay Batt does indeed mean business.

Business as usual. Business over homeowners. Business over neighborhoods. Business and developers over anybody that gets in their way.

The Batts and developers and the Stacy Heads and Halliburtons and Cheneys have money to make, and you should not stand in their way, iffin you know what’s good for you, boy.

As I’ve said repeatedly, and da po blog said yesterday, we’re running out of time. The government is being run like a business. And the way to turn the most profit for their shareholders (big oil, Halliburton, developers) is to stall, stall, stall. Typical homeowners, especially in places like the 9th ward and Gentilly, can’t afford to keep paying a mortgage on a place where they cant live. So if big bidness keeps stalling on payments to the homeowners, then the customers (homeowners) will default, and their shareholders will take over, and make some money.

And isn’t that what’s business all about?

Comments

[saintseester]

It's sad that bidness and heritage don't mix well, unless there is a big government preservation grant involved.

[Mr. Clio]

Spot on, Sir Ashley.

Another sleeze-factor about bidnessmen is that they're for competition and the free market, in SOMEONE ELSE'S industry. They don't like competition in their own industry. They want the quick no-bid contract, the sure thing set up by their lobbyists.

Gubmint is being run as a business, which means you and I NEVER get called about driving a bus to safety for old or sick people in our neighborhood in the event of an evacuation. No one is asked to act as a citizen. We are expected to be self-interested customers.

The secret to successful societies is the free labor and acts of courage provided by citizens who stand ready to sacrifice. Failed societies are characterized by human beings who become clients/customers.

Gee, which one does America resemble?

We in NOLA have a shot to show how it's done.

[gentilly rick]

hey ash. i am glad your posting often again. i was jonesing for some food for thought.

the one thing i keep seing in all these great new orleans blogs is the dunay seaside conection equals a bad thing.

first of all i am a home owner in gentilly and second ive been to seaside and yes it is bland as hell ala disneyworld. my thought on this matter is that no one in new orleans would allow that blandness to adhere.

the curent stripmalls in my hood remind me of my childhood in the burbs.

whats wrong with some pedestrian friendly retail?

trust me we would never go all seaside over here in the eight ward. this is the coolest neighborhood in the city.

i think we could be the petri dish for this whole new urbanism crap or what ever its called we could show the rest of the country how to do it right. we have to much invested in our neighborhood to let it become some kind of disney joint but we wouldnt mind a little sprucing up.

[ashley]

Rick, you're pretty dead on. My point is that it's up to the residents, not the developers.

I'm all for pedestrian friendly *anything*. My European wife could not believe all the places that don't have sidewalks in the US. I'm with her -- walking to the store, the school, the bar -- that's a very good thing.

The problem, as I see it, is when the developers dictate, and override the voice of the people. I haven't been to the "charrettes", so I don't know how that stuff has been presented, but as long as the people are behind it, I'm for it.

[ashley]

And Mr. Clio, you're on the money. Maybe we can go back to da day where neighbors watched out for other neighbors.

To put that mroe formally, I think we ought to get to the point where some schmuck like me could volunteer to be a bus driver to evac some non-ambulatory types in my neighborhood.

This whole neighborhood thing is something that Landrieu is plugging in his campaign, and I think it's a great idea.

[Just wondering]

Have you seen the bgr.org website in regards to the City Council contract?? 3.5 million and we get the bidness again...bend over

[gentilly rick]

thanks for reponding with your thoughts. it just reafirms my gut instict that you are a good man with a passion that we need in our corner.

looking forward to the day i actually get to meet you.

gentilly rick.

[GentillyGirl]

Ashley,

Your points are well made.

I would just like to say thet these charrettes and planning group's OPINIONS are just that. It will be up to the folks of an area to decide what they like, what they don't, and what they really want.

As each area of the city gets their plans together, there will be another evalution level where we come to a median view. This will be done by the citizens, not the City Govment'. If all of these Associations take the route of the View Carre, they will become more influential in the entire rebuilding process.

WE ultimately control our Future. Never forget that.

[john]

Ashley -

I was part of the Gentilly charrette and also Town Architect of Seaside in 1986 (back when lots cost $11,000).

NO ONE involved in the charrette wants Gentilly to be Seaside, and even if we did, it wouldn't matter. We've left town and the residents of Gentilly are still there -- and they're the ones who will decide what to do.

When the plan comes out, you will see that we've proposed that planning decisions be made at the neighborhood level, not by the mayor or the city council. With all due respect to them, we did more for Gentilly in a week than they had done in 7 months. It's time to put decisions in the hands of the citizens.

Last but not least, we don't design like the Dean of Tulane, who would put one of those cool green zigzags wherever he happened to be working. And we don't put Seaside in Gentilly, Gentilly in Marigny, or the Quarter in Seaside. Everything in its place, with the locals leading the discussion.

John

[john]

PS: The architect of the Katrina Cottage you like was also at the charrette.

[Pellet Mill]

Last but not least, we don't design like the Dean of Tulane, who would put one of those cool green zigzags wherever he happened to be working. And we don't put Seaside in Gentilly, Gentilly in Marigny, or the Quarter in Seaside. Everything in its place, with the locals leading the discussion.it si nice

[Belstaff Jacken]

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

[Mulberry Bags]

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

[seositeden.blogspot.com]

This can't have effect in actual fact, that's exactly what I think.

[Ansu]

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[Shahbaj]

AllRecipies is the shiz. It has a permanent spot on my brewosr toolbar. I will have to dry this some time, surprisingly I have also been getting gentle prodding for slow cooker beef stew. Totally going to just add like 1/4C dried onion flakes or maybe some onion powder instead of 1 onion chopped; that is pretty much in the top 5 of my most hated foods list.

[Adeline]

i've been wanting to know foreevr how is the treme district doing? that's where the color of violence conference was, and i've been doing some fundraising for the women's center being created down there i just gotta know, how's it doing? i've not asked anybody for so long because i just didn't think i could hear it if it was ripped up too badly, but now that i know that there's so much radical fighting going on, i can hear it, you know?ps. i've tried to keep my mouth shut on nagin, as he's not my mayor, and i don't want to add any fuel to the fire, but if he were my mayor, i don't think i'd be too happy with the man