#SaveMarkeyPark Partial Timeline of BNA, NORDC, and Decision to Exclude Dog Area from Markey Park Redevelopment Plans

#SaveMarkeyPark Partial Timeline of BNA, NORDC, and Decision to Exclude Dog Area from Markey Park Redevelopment Plans

This is as much as I could find as of Feb 28, 2013. 6:06pm 

Questions:

1. Where was the Feb 25 closing of Markey Park first announced and by whom?
2. What was the chain of command and that led to the notice about Markey Park closing Feb 25? What specific organizations and representatives of organizations were involved?
3. Who made the decision to not include off-leash dog area in Markey Park? (2011 letter from BNA Board and statement from Trust for Public Land Rep at Feb 27 meeting contradict one another.)
4. Who says money for projects cannot be used for a park that includes off-leash dog areas?Why is there a proposed ordinance/law saying only 1 dog park can exist per district and how can this be stopped/appealed? Who is the contact person?
5. Why does a 501c that is not democratically elected get to receive and allocate funds for constituency?
   
6. What is City Hall’s (Mayor Landrieu’s) role in decision to keep dogs out of Markey Park?
7. Why are the April 2012 minutes not available on the NORD section of the city website?
8. What is the BNA going to do with the 200,000 it is receiving for the park?

Fact:

The NORD Commission consists of 13 members appointed by the Mayor.

My timeline as of Feb 28:

Here is an incomplete timeline of events pertaining to the BNA’s relationship with NORD and Citizen Advisory Task Force on Dogs:

Sept 2010 - BNA wrote to Coucilwoman Palmer asking to receive $200,000 for park. From BNA online archive http://www.thebywater.org/dbpdfs/Markey_Park_Funds_Palmer_100924.pdf.

July 12, 2011 - NORDC Meeting
Commissioner Reese Morse motioned that the full Commission authorize the Facilities Sub-Committee to create a Citizens Advisory Committee to develop a process specific to looking at pets in parks and other related issues. Commissioner Darnell seconded that motion. Vote taken. Motion adopted.

Sept 2011 - NORDC created the Citizen Advisory Task Force on Dogs in Parks.


October 2011 - January 2012 - Dog Task Force held 6 public meetings.
November 2011-  BNA sent a letter to TPL stating its position was that Markey Park was for people only. John Guarnierie (chair of BNA at the time) wrote to TPL specifically recommending that they submit a park design excluding an off-leash area for dogs AFTER the neighborhood survey clearly indicated that a majority of residents wanted an off-leash dog park. http://www.thebywater.org/dbpdfs/Schmidt_ltr_111111.pdf
December 11, 2011 - Task force Chairwoman Jackie Shreves and BNA are quoted in a TP article 

More recently, it made headlines when the Trust for Public Land announced it would pay $600,000 to improve the park. Lisanne Brown of the Bywater Neighborhood Association said the question of how to manage dogs in the park became a hot button issue at the first meeting about the park’s refurbishment.

“For so many years NORD wasn’t doing anything at all with the park, so neighborhood people invested themselves in trying to keep it up and have a place to take their dogs,” Brown said. “A community grew around it and they don’t want that threatened. But at the same time, the dog people know that the current space allocation in the park needs to be changed to be fairer to everyone.”

The task force is considering recommending to the NORDC facilities committee two distinct types of dog venues: off-leash dog parks and off-leash dog runs.

Feb 2012 - Citizen Advisory Task Force on Dogs reported back to NORDC (which created it).

Feb 2012 - NORDC Facilities Subcommittee “a committee of the commission” reviewed the task force’s recommendations and information on other cities’ policies.

     **** So NORDC had a committee to review its own committee’s findings????)

Feb 2012 - The NORDC committee that reviewed the findings of the Task Force on Dogs asked the city’s Capital Projects Administration to design a process to recommend sites for one dog park and one dog run in each City Council district.

April 2012 - The Capital Projects Administration made this survey about dogs and parkshttps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2VZC2L7.


April 2012 - NORD Commission appears to have met meet but Meeting minutes are missing from city website due to broken link.

April 2012: BNA Newsletter

The NORDC Facilities Sub-committee met February 28th,

chaired by Deputy Mayor Judy Reese Morse. Capital Projects

Report:

Consideration of Citizen Advisory Task Force (CATF) on Dogs in Parks

Chair’s Report and Minority Report: The Commission reviewed both reports and had some discussion about the issue. The NORDC Director stated that his staff was doing what they could to enforce the current ordinances, but that many residents were intentionally breaking them such as removing signage in NORD parks. The CATF process was criticized for not including more public comment The Director of Capital Projects, Vince Smith, will obtain more public input from residents and suggest a process for identifying appropriate dog park areas by district. No vote was taken on the issue at this meeting. Larry Schmidt (Trust for Public Land) attended. He said that he has a memorandum of understanding (MOA) with the city and NORDC to develop Markey Park and that the private funders supporting the project want funds spent this calendar year. He requested to move forward under the original

agreement and not consider the issue of the dog park at this time (the original agreement did not include a dog park/run). He said a dog park could be possible in the future. He will present plans at the next sub-committee meeting for approval so TPL

April 31, 2012- New Orleans Capital and Recovery Projects
NORDC City Wide Dog Park Presentation shows survey found 70% of respondents agree that the City of NOLA should have designated off-leash spaces

Lists Mickey Markey Park as 1 of top 5 locations used be survey respondents as off-leash dog location.  Markey Park is short-listed.

Bywater residents believed the redevelopment of Markey Park would include an area for off leash dogs.

FEB 2013
FEB 2013: Problems with unbuilt River Front Park (which is where NORD is saying dogs should go) are described in NOLA Defender http://www.noladefender.com/content/riv34erfr67ont

NORDC meets but February 5, 2013 Presentation minutes from meeting are missing due to broken link..

Feb 2013 - NORD Announces it will close down Markey Park. Flyers are posted in park.
Bywater Residents voice concerns on OccupyNOLA Facebook Page.

“Just a heads up to the Occupy community: On Monday, February 25, [The New Orleans Recreation Development Foundation] NORD is going to close down Markey Park in the Bywater. There were a series of lively, well-attended meetings about how to redevelop the park with a grant from the Trust for Public Land. Overwhelmingly the neighborhood wants part of the park to remain an off-leash dog park. The design firm observed the daily use of the park for a week, remarked how highly-used it is, then came up with three plans, all of which divided the space in thirds, for a playground, a dog park, and a free space. The meetings were a testament to civic involvement, cooperation and democracy. Then, Vic Richards, the head of NORD, surreptitiously commissioned his own plan, without dogs and rammed it through. This park is an integral community meeting place and it is about to go from being highly used to a drive-by “show park” for developers. The community is angry that we were told we’d have a say, and then clearly did not. P.S. The proposed “dog run” at the Riverfront Park will be much smaller, on-leash, and is, at this point, is not constructed.”


Feb 21- Save Markey Park Facebook event is created by Bywater residents and advocates of keeping park dog friendly.
Feb 21 -  posting on the BNA’s Facebook page indicates that the February 25 start date for park renovations will be pushed back because more preparations are needed before the work begins.

 
FEB 22 NOLA Defender runs OpEd in favor of  including dog area in park.http://www.noladefender.com/content/op-ed-by34water-re67sidents-left-out-markey-park-plans

 

FEB 22 - BNA Issues statement about Markey Park on Facebook Page (of all places).

The Bywater Neighborhood Association (BNA) would like to set the record straight on Mickey Markey Park. To begin with, it is not an off-leash dog park. New Orleans Code of Ordinances § 18-14 provides that dogs away from their home must, at all times, be kept on a leash. Further, § 18-13 of the Code requires all dog owners to clean up after their dogs or be fined. The only exceptions are for licensed off-leash dog parks. The only legal off-leash dog park in New Orleans is City Bark in Mid-City’s City Park (See New Orleans Code Ord. § 106-301(d); see also

http://www.nola.com/pets/index.ssf/2012/ 06/new_orleans_playing_catch_up_t.html.)

Although other locations, such as The Fly, are popular dog- owner destinations, the law does not allow dogs to be off their leashes there.

The same is true with Markey Park, where signs at the entrance to the park clearly state that all dogs must be kept on leashes. Nonetheless, in violation of the law, many people let their dogs run free. Needless to say, Markey Park cannot “remain” a dog park, because it is not, in fact, a dog park. Nor do the pro-dog advocates have an answer for the copious amounts of dog waste that can be found in the current incarnation of Markey Park, in violation of the law. Case in point, in preparing for the Mirliton Festival in 2011, BNA volunteers picked up 93 bags of dog waste. Many parents have complained that their children cannot use the open space at Markey Park because of the dog waste and the risks posed by off-leash dogs. (See above article.)

In 2010, the Bywater Parks and Recreation Committee undertook a survey of Bywater residents. The surveys were conducted online (through a heavily advertised link), were handed out at a table at the Mirliton Festival, and were done in person, by going door-to-door.
(See
http://www.thebywater.org/dbpdfs/Bywater_Parks_Recreation_Survey_report_Final_December_2011.pdf.)

44% of respondents indicated they did not use Markey Park because of the dog waste, while 31% responded they did not use it because of off-leash dogs in general. The respondents indicated the four most popular reasons for using parks were for special events, relaxation and picnics, exercise and walking, and socializing. While approximately half of respondents who used Markey Park indicated they brought dogs to the park, the vast majority of people said they would use the park more if renovations were made, including placing restrictions on dogs. The results were reported to the BNA’s general membership and posted on the BNA’s website in May 2011.

In January 2011, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) approached the BNA about renovating Markey Park through private funds. TPL has the capacity to raise funds to complement the original $200,000 that was allocated to Markey Park by the Community-Based Mitigation Committee (CBMC) allocated to the project. CBMC, however, put in place the restriction that its funds would not be used for dog areas. TPL did not put in place the same restriction explicitly, but after responding to community and city input, took the same position. While this concerned Bywater residents who owned dogs, it became clear that the new park might not happen without these funds. Around the same time, news broke that the new Riverfont Park would include an off-leash dog area.

In June 2011, the New St. Claude Association of Neighbors (NSCAN) took the position that Markey Park should be returned to full, dedicated use for children. The BNA, noting that the law does not allow off-leash dogs in Markey Park, met and voted to also take the position that Markey Park should be used primarily for people, but remained open to workable solutions in the future. Both groups notified the city of their positions.
Throughout late 2011 and spring 2012, multiple public meetings were had on the subject of Markey Park, and at one in 2012, the Director of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission
(NORDC), Vic Richards, made clear that Markey Park would not be an off-leash dog park. This was consistent with the city’s cracking down on dog owners who violated leash laws citywide. (See http://www.nola.com/pets/index.ssf/2012/03/dog_parks_on_agenda_for_new_or.html.)

Mr. Richard indicated, however, that dog owners had alternative options, such as finding vacant lots that could be turned into dedicated dog parks; but, that for health and safety reasons, the city did not want to allow residents and off-leash dogs to recreate in the same space. The City indicated, though, that dogs were welcome to public parks, provided the dogs were on leashes and the owners cleaned up after them. (See same article.)

Three proposed designs for Markey Park were made with community input, which each featured an area for dogs. The BNA took no official position on these three options. The BNA did, however, request that the TPL offer an option without an off-leash dog area, since NORDC would be who decided whether one would be permitted. The city, during a public meeting, solicited a fourth option, with no dog area. Ultimately, the city chose the fourth option. The entire process was open and transparent. This was not a failure of the democratic process, but simply recognizing that it was unsanitary and unsafe for off-leash dogs and children to share the same open space, while carrying out the city’s policy that each district should have only one dog park, and that Bywater’s one dog park was slated for the Riverfront.
In part, the city’s policies recognize that one of the major problems with off-leash dogs is violence. Dog attacks, or near-scares of being bitten, have been a re-occurring problem in New Orleans with off- leash dogs, in general, and at Markey Park, in particular. The BNA has requested from the New Orleans Police Department a report of dog bite incidents at Markey Park, and will share that upon receipt. The other problem with off-leash dog parks is maintenance and cleanliness. Currently, 70- 80% of Markey Park is well-trod grass, covered with dog waste, and is dangerous with all the dogs running about (often barely watched by their owners). It is not sanitary for children (or adults) to be sliding in grass with dog urine and feces. As it is, Markey Park smells, is unattractive, and constantly poses the risk to people of being bitten by a dog.

While the BNA has long recognized that many people want to use Markey Park as an off-leash dog park, it has no authority to re-write the New Orleans Code of Ordinances to make that happen. Moreover, after agonizing over the decision of what is best for the neighborhood, the democratically elected members of the Board voted in favor of endorsing Markey Park for people. Many New Orleans neighborhoods have the benefit of attractive, safe, clean parks for use by themselves, their friends, and families. Markey Park is not one of those parks. But it could be.

Feb 25, 2013: City tractors and workers come to Markey Park in droves and cut grass. Video

Feb 26 - Petition is formed I want a dedicated off-leash area for dogs in Markey Park!

Feb 27, 2013 : BNA meets about dogs and Markey Park. Meeting is recorded on video here


At Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting Wednesday, February TPL Rep said it was Judy Reese Morse who told TPL NO DOGS at Markey Park. TPL Rep says Fence around Markey Park will come down at this minute mark.

#SaveMarkeyPark #OCAM

#SaveMarkeyPark #OCAM

#SaveMarkeyPark #OCAM

#SaveMarkeyPark #OCAM

Name Redacted

If you could go back in time, would you have used your real name on Facebook regarding participation in the Occupy Movement?

Because I didn’t.

In 2011, I had dozens of reasons not to use my name on social networking sites in relation to the Occupy Movement. Since I’m not a famous person, it’s not like my name would have galvanized people to join the Occupy Movement anyway.

These are the times I gave my name to the media regarding Occupy:

1. When Louisiana Weekly wanted to interview someone about Occupy NOLA and didn’t know that GAs were still being held, I said the writer could quote me.

2. When Justin, the love of my life and the founding member of Occupy The Stage was in jail, I gave my name at a press conference because I was the only one who could explain the complex details to the reporter and he demanded my name.

3. When, as the plaintiff in the ACLU Clean Zone lawsuit against Mayor Landrieu, I won the right to Free Speech for everyone in New Orleans.

I tweeted my full name in June when Justin was in jail because I was being threatened by trouble-makers on Twitter. A known troll and a known agent provocateur were using Twitter to tell other Occupy groups not to show solidarity during jail support. They were tweeting lies about Justin, and one of them tried to tweet my name but couldn’t spell it correctly.

The agent provocateur knew of a situation regarding my job and social networking, and she tried to intimidate me on Twitter, so I changed my avi to my face and tweeted my full name. I have my tweet archive now, so here it is:

This is the last thing I can do in #solidarity w/ @ots_nola who put his name out there & is in jail. Tara Jill Ciccarone. #FreeOTS_Nola

— smallidarity(@small_affair) June 26, 2012

My name was obviously published places when I was arrested for filming a peaceful protest in November, but I didn’t see it anywhere online.

There has been no reason for me to use the personal Facebook account I was required to use for my job for Occupy related reasons. I know my tweets have appeared in one FOIA regarding the Occupy National Gathering, and I see no point in intentionally using Facebook to share information that could lead to my family and colleagues being monitored by the FBI or harassed by trolls or annoyed by notifications about the Occupy Movement if they’re not involved in it. Until I lost my job as a direct result of Hurricane Isaac, I was required to interact with my college students on Facebook. It seemed impractical (or outright insane) to post photographs and details about Civil Disobedience on Facebook. The privacy settings on Facebook change too frequently for a reasonable person to entertain the notion that using them would keep information private.


I freely admit that I despise Facebook. I’ve always despised it, and I especially loathe the drama that erupts in Facebook groups over activist quarrels. 

Despite all this, I used it for Occupy reasons because digital media responsibilities seemed to require it, and after the eviction of Occupy NOLA, it was where people shared information.

So I used a different Facebook profile [NameRedacted] in order to keep some type of boundary between my professional life and my activist life.

I did not create this profile for Occupy reasons. It had already been there because at one point, I had good reason to worry about a stalker, and so my “It’s complicated” Facebook boyfriend acted as a buffer. I did not want weird men sending me requests and coming to an art installation at my home and knowing I was single.

When I described my Facebook boyfriend, I said he looked like Julian Assange to protest the anti-WikiLeaks sentiments expressed by my job, which was already monitoring my BlackBerry since it was their procedure.

I’ve told plenty of people this in real life, and I don’t believe for a moment that if the FBI were (is) monitoring me, they’d somehow be tricked. I simply want to keep the boundary there. And I simply hate Facebook and would rather not have every person I meet at a peaceful protest trying to tag me in photographs or looking through my Facebook albums.

Because there are haters out there, and they will certainly hate. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems Occupy NOLA’s digital life deals with is the active hijacked Facebook page.

While reporting the hijacked page for spam over the weekend, NameRedacted was actually reported for spam as well, and the account was locked twice (details at the end of this). Between lockouts, I added myself to a group whose admins I’ve always respected and considered friends. They are some of the few people who I interact with on FB and respect and care about but haven’t met in real life or explained my Facebook situation to.

I had actually gone as far as to make them a video explaining all of this in January of 2012, but then I didn’t send the email. I had the email in my drafts, and I finally shared it with them. They were more than understanding. I felt a great deal of relief over this.

I was able to unlock NameRedacted’s account, and later this video “Jack-A-Roe” appeared on my wall from one of them.

Lyrics by the Grateful Dead

There was a wealthy merchant, in London he did dwell
He had a Beautiful daughter, the truth to you we’ll tell
Oh the truth to you we’ll tell

She had sweethearts a plenty, and men of high degree
But none but Jack the sailor, her true love ever be
Oh her true love ever be

Jackie’s gone a sailing, with trouble on his mind
He’s left his native country and his darling girl behind
Oh his darling girl behind

She went down to a tailor shop and dressed in man’s array
She climbed on board a vessel to convey herself away
Oh convey herself away

Before you get on board sir, your name we’d like to know
She smiled on her countenance, they called me Jack-A-Roe
Oh they called me Jack-A-Roe

I see your waist is slender, your fingers they are small
Your cheeks too red and rosy to face the cannonball
Oh to face the cannonball

I know my waist’s to slender, my fingers they are small
but it would not make me tremble to see ten thousand fall
Oh to see ten thousand fall

The war soon being over she went and looked around
among the dead and wounded her darling boy she found
Oh her darling boy she found

She picked him up on in her arms and carried him to the town
she sent for a physician to quickly heal his wounds
Oh to quickly heal his wounds

This couple they got married so well they did agree
This couple they got married so why not you and me?
Oh why not you and me?
Oh why not you and me?

And it’s perfect. In the song, you never do find out her name.
In real life, I have a boyfriend who doesn’t use Facebook. We are happy. 

_______________________________________________________________

On Thursday, February 14, the hijacked page began promoting an event that Occupy NOLA wasn’t planning.

I used NameRedacted and reported an event as spam. It was an event that was posted by someone who has never attended an Occupy NOLA GA or event. The person seems to have created a FB profile only to post false info about an “Occupy New Orleans Parish” event at the “Waterfront” in New Orleans.

The event info looks ridiculously fake.

First, Nobody calls Orleans Parish “New Orleans Parish.”

Second, nobody calls the “Riverwalk” the “Waterfront.”

Anyone with any knowledge of Occupy NOLA knows that the Occupy NOLA Digital Media Group is NOT empowered by the GA to arrange large scale occupations or sit-ins without the GA’s involvement.


The person who created this event shared it on the rogue Occupy New Orleans Page and the Occupy NOLA page that Occupy NOLA can access.


On Sunday, NameRedacted’s account was inaccessible because Facebook said there was activity that appeared to be spam resulting from a possible virus.

I had to wait to login from a Mac or Facebook was going to make me purchase McAfee Anti Virus.

From Facebook’s Help Page:
“When I log in to Facebook, I see a message telling me I have a virus and need to scan my computer with anti-virus software.

You’re seeing this message because our systems detected spam or other malicious content posted by your Facebook account. This activity suggests your computer might be infected with malware. In order to keep both your account and the files on your computer secure, your computer needs to be scanned and cleaned. Since we partner with anti-virus vendors like McAfee and Microsoft, you can do this for free by logging into Facebook and following the on-screen directions.”
https://www.facebook.com/help/292760454081612/


Obviously, Facebook shouldn’t be trying to sell McAfee AntiVirus to people who get reported for spam.

However, the fact that a rogue Facebook page is posting fake events indicates that Facebook did not simply decide that an account had a virus.

Please show solidarity with Occupy NOLA by reporting the Rogue Facebook page as a hijacked stolen page —->https://www.facebook.com/OccupyNOLA

and like the Facebook page Occupy NOLA has been using since October 2011 https://www.facebook.com/OccupyNola504

Details are here: http://onola.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/for-immediate-release-disinformation-alert-occupynola-onola/

#SaveMarkeyPark #OCAM

#SaveMarkeyPark #OCAM

#conspiracy

I am the 99%

Email written today in response to “I don’t have your rent check yet. What is happening?” email.

Dear Landlady,

I was hoping I would have rent by now like I said I would. I should have told you why I don’t have it yet, but I kept hoping I would just get my income tax refund and pay you.

Here’s what’s happening. It is going to sound like a long string of excuses, which it is, but I don’t know how else to explain but to tell you the circumstances.

I haven’t paid rent because I don’t have any money. I’m waiting on my income tax refund, which I e-filed Jan 27. I got a notice about a “Fiscal Cliff Delay,” and every day I check the “Where Is My Refund” website, and it’s still in the processing phase for the Federal Refund. I worked a lot all year before September and had a lot withheld on purpose. I tried to call the IRS yesterday but it was President’s Day so I’m calling them now to find out what the hold up is. It usually comes between 7-14 days, and I really thought I’d get the direct deposit before Mardi Gras.

I’m only teaching one class at School 1 [redacted] this current term but the new term starts soon and I should have two courses. School 2 [Redacted] didn’t give me any courses during the Fall term because I was put on probation for not grading papers fast enough during Hurricane Isaac (they don’t care that I didn’t have proper power or internet). School 2 [Redacted] gave me a course assignment that will start soon if students enroll in the course (they usually do).

I’ve been trying to sell just about anything I have that’s valuable on E-bay but nobody is buying anything. I’ve been applying for every online teaching job I can find and other jobs that I am qualified for. I tried to sell crafts/art I made during Mardi Gras but didn’t make any money. I thought a lawyer was going to pay me to design a website for him, but he wants me to do it for free, so I won’t do it. It’s like everything I try to do falls apart right in front of me. I was the plaintiff in the ACLU Clean Zone First Amendment lawsuit (it was in the paper) and wrote all these articles hoping a publication would pay me to write about all the interviews I conducted with local artists, but nobody did.

My boyfriend has his own rent to pay, or he would have paid mine. He wanted to but he didn’t have the money either. 

I was going to ask my parents to loan me money until my refund came, but my paternal grandmother died suddenly on January 30th. She was in a nursing home in Florida and my family had the funeral in Connecticut. I didn’t go. They ended up having to wait through that whole blizzard to bury her, and my mother, who is mentally ill, had some kind of breakdown, and I didn’t want to call my father and ask him to lend me money because he had to spend a lot of money on the funeral and I’m afraid of my mother, who’s pretty much just being really nasty and irrational and threatens everyone in the family and refuses to go to her doctor.

I am going to call the IRS right now and see what they say, and then I’m going to call my father and ask him if he has money to lend me until my IRS refund comes. I will let you know what happens after that (if my dad can lend me money or if the IRS says anything remotely useful).

I was making decent money up until the end of September and I was stupid and used it on activist stuff thinking I’d get my tax return or activists I donated to would reciprocate when they had money, but it seems like all anybody spends their money on in this city is alcohol. I’ve been sober for over 5 years and I really worry about working in a bar. I don’t know if I ever told you that I’ve been in AA since 2006 (my final sobriety date is Aug 11 2007). I haven’t spent money on anything but dog food and my internet since I need it for work. I should probably go apply for food stamps or something. I have $23 dollars in the bank and get paid on Friday Feb 22 (not enough to cover rent) but I have to pay Entergy $180 by the 25th. Icould pay you some of rent on Friday if my dad says he can’t lend money to his 37 year old daughter who didn’t go to his mother’s funeral because she was afraid of her own mother.

I keep thinking the tax refund will come and then the new semester will start and I’ll have more course assignments but I’m just sitting here thinking I deserve to be homeless for not having a clue how to come up with rent.

I will write back to you after I talk to the IRS and my dad.

I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you this and didn’t have rent like I thought I would.

I understand if you’re mad and would rather have a tenant who can act like a responsible adult and pay rent or if you want to call me. I have to go meet with the person organizing the Homeless Street Newspaper from 1-2:30. I am seriously thinking about selling Homeless newspapers on street corners for a few days and maybe I’ll come across a restaurant that doesn’t serve tons of alcohol that is hiring. 

I’m sorry this is so long, but this is really what’s happening.

 

 I don’t know what to do.

#MardiGras #OCAM

#MardiGras #OCAM

#LundiGras #OCAM #ONOLA

#LundiGras #OCAM #ONOLA

#LundiGras #OCAM #ONOLA

eris #NOLA #OCAM #copwatch

9th Ward Marching Band Mardi Gras 2013. Sat Feb 9

Random awesome parade #OCAM #ONOLA

Random awesome parade #OCAM #ONOLA

9th Ward Marching Band #NOLA #OCAM #F9

#MardiGras #NOLA #OCAM #F9

#Muses #NOLA

#Muses #NOLA

#Muses #NOLA

#Opsuperbowl #OCAM #ResistSB47 #ONOLA

#Opsuperbowl #OCAM #ResistSB47 #ONOLA

#Opsuperbowl #OCAM #ResistSB47 #ONOLA

#Opsuperbowl #OCAM #ResistSB47 #ONOLA

#Opsuperbowl #OCAM #ResistSB47 #ONOLA

#OpSuperBowl #NOLA

#OpSuperBowl #NOLA

#OpSuperBowl #NOLA

#OpSuperBowl #NOLA

#OpSuperBowl #NOLA

NOLA Cabbies Fear Retaliation for Speaking Out Against Unfair Inspection Situation

Earlier this week, I noticed a New Orleans taxi driver using Twitter to confront Mayor Landrieu regarding the required taxi upgrade that has left hundreds of cab drivers unable to operate during Super Bowl week. Apparently, while catering to the NFL, Landrieu's administration has been unable to adequately staff the inspection station and issue permits for updated cabs.

These cab drivers have been on my radar since September, when I saw many New Orleans cabbies circling City Hall honking their horns to protest new regulations that required expensive upgrades including the addition of credit card machines, GPS devices and security cameras that made me think of Trapwire. 

Late this morning, I went to the Taxicab & For Hire Vehicle Bureau Inspection Station on 13400 Old Gentilly Road.  Interestingly enough, the location and hours had been posted on the City of New Orleans' website earlier this week, but on February 1, the address was no longer available (the website was updated January 31, 2013).

The Gambit's Charles Maldonado just posted a great article about his experience today at the inspection station here.

After driving all the way out to the location, I confirmed that the NOLA cabbies who did upgrade their taxis have not been able to obtain the proper permit to operate during the Super Bowl because the City of New Orleans only has two employees on staff to inspect the upgraded cabs.  Moreover, it takes about twenty minutes per inspection, and the inspection station on Old Gentilly Road is neither open five days a week nor open for eight hours on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. The line barely moved while I was there.

Most of the cab drivers seemed happy I was there to support them and were eager to discuss the fact that they'd waited in the inspection line on Monday and Wednesday but were forced to leave when the station closed. Several also explained that they are charged late fees despite the fact that they arrived as early as 5:30 a.m. However, when I asked if I could quote them, a few shrank back in fear.

This fear of retaliation kept most of the cab drivers from agreeing to interview on camera, and I respectfully only recorded the one driver who agreed to be filmed.

Part 1 Interview

Part 2 Interview

One cab driver who did not give his name wondered whether the fact that the largest company, Carriage Cab, refused to stand up to Mayor Landrieu paved the way for the lack of a voice the smaller companies and drivers now feel.

Another driver said someone should tell Mayor Landrieu that the cab drivers need to be issued a temporary permit to operate during Super Bowl week (I'd include Mardi Gras there too), reimbursement for late fees accrued while waiting in line at the inspection station (I believe the fees are 2 dollars per day), and monetary compensation for lost wages. 

Yet another driver claimed to have missed at least eight days of work while updating his cab and waiting for the inspection. He explained that the cab drivers fear speaking out because if they go to renew a permit, the city could retaliate by denying that permit, or their cabs could be targeted by NOPD. So thick was the fear of retaliation that a few drivers asked me to refrain from photographing anything near their specific cabs. 

Obviously, New Orleans and Kenner taxi drivers deserve better than the treatment they're receiving from the Mayor and City. 

The cab drivers most certainly need a voice, and with mainstream media's attention focused on the Super Bowl extravaganza, this weekend will be interesting. 

Thankfully, the ACLU's lawsuit against the City of New Orleans has made it legal to hold signs in the Clean Zone, so it will be possible for activists to raise awareness regarding the injustice inflicted upon these NOLA cabbies.

  

On a side note, I'm confident the embarrassing Nawlins Cab App (complete with Yat accent) is not exactly the remedy the cab drivers have in mind.

~ small affair





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Some background.


In September, I saw many New Orleans cab drivers circling city hall honking their horns to protest new City regulations that required expensive upgrades including the addition of credit card machines, GPS devices and security cameras that made me think of Trapwire. The cabbies protested outside City Hall every Thursday after federal judge lifted a restraining order that had blocked New Orleans officials from implementing these new regulations.


Kenner cabbies sought legal advice and promised to protest when Walter Krygowski, Louis Armstrong International Airport's chief operations officer imposed controversial new rules for taxi drivers in preparation for the Super Bowl.  Krygowski explained his enthusiasm for the Super Bowl (which received a 305 million dollar renovation) to The Advocate:  “We are looking forward to hosting the Super Bowl, and we are confident we will provide our passengers with a world-class experience,” Krygowski said. New Orleans, which owns the airport, is requiring that all cabs serving airport travelers comply with the mandates – even taxis licensed by Jefferson Parish and the city of Kenner, where the airport is located.

The new rules, imposed by Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the City Council kicked in at inspection time.

Many cab drivers complied in time for Super Bowl XLVII, with some cab owners reported spending up to the $20,000 to pass city inspections.  Cab companies like United were only able to prepare half their fleet. As Michael Patrick Welch explains in Clean Zones and Cabbies: How the Super Bowl Screws New Orleans Part 2

But the deepest financial screwing has been reserved for the city’s cab drivers. Last April, the New Orleans City Council mandated that every city cab install a new GPS, a credit card system, security cameras, and a “panic button.” Whereas similar mandates in DC, New York, and other cities were adopted slowly over the course of several years, New Orleans’s cabs were at first given 94 days to comply with what is, in many cases, tens of thousands of dollars worth of upgrades. Several legal measures bought the cabbies a few more months, but nothing will delay the real deadline: the Super Bowl.