New Orleans is ringing with the sounds of celebration. Having endured the brunt and brutality of the Bush administration's neoliberal economic agenda and neoconservative political agenda more heavily than any other community in the United States, the city has begun a party like only this town knows how to throw. The sounds of ship horns along the Mississippi River blasting in jubilation mix with cars honking along the main avenues. Cheers of hooray resonate across the town from victory parties at bars and crowded households.

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N.O. Council member Stacy head officiated the DDD meeting and was praised as a consensus builder by developers and preservationists alike for providing leadership toward a solution that addressed the concerns of both parties. Head, well known for her leadership in the demolition of public housing touted the DDD plan as one that put an “academic background and expert opinion around the issue,” and provides various stakeholders with influence over the final reports recommendations. This was in stark contrast with her leadership during the debate over the future of public housing when she eschewed attempts to forge common ground between those who sought homes for residents of the “big four” developments, and those who advocated immediately tearing down the developments: Head was adamantly for demolition and entertained zero discussion with public housing residents and their allies about how to provide immediate affordable housing opportunities for working class New Orleanians.

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The School Facilities Master Plan for Orleans Parish, released in mid-August, received its first hearing for public comment on Thursday September 18, 2008.

From more than 30 public comments, there were no unconditional supporters of the plan and several people mentioned that there needed to be more time for public comment on such a large and technical document that will have a tremendous impact on this city well into the future. A petition is underway. See Indymedia's feature on the petition.

Click on the title of this feature for the first audio installment.
The second installment
The third and final installment

In response to a federal judge's decision overturning the conviction of Albert Woodfox, one of the two 'Angola 3' members who remain in prison, lawyers for the men called on the State Attorney General's office to drop any further charges and release the men immediately.

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Read and Sign the Petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/SOSNOLA-ExtendReviewPeriod

To see the petition in its entirety, click the "letter" link underneath the picture. Comments Supporting an Extended Public Review in Full Article

photo courtesy of Karen Apricot


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