Sunday, March 23, 2008
La Cité, c'est Nagin
That should be, "the ($148,857) city attorney is Nagin's personal attorney," but I have no idea how to write that in French; and it wouldn't sound like Louis XIV, anyway.
I will remind readers that, last April, I expressed the opinion that people were missing the truly offensive passage in a Nagin speech:
No matter; from a Gordon Russell article about a deal between Home Depot and Stone Age LLC. in today's Picayune:
Moses-Fields probably notarized the document on her own time, just as she probably answered Nagin's questions on her own time.
Read the whole article and form your own opinion on the ethical implications of the deal. On the one hand. Russell points out that Stacy Head recommended that Home Depot be allowed to purchase city property for a price lower than its appraised value. However,
Apparently, the mayor doesn't care whether businesses hire local workers, he just doesn't want them to hire Mexicans.
On the question of ownership, I'll point out that Seletha Nagin does not appear anywhere on the company's corporate filing with the state.
I'll close with a suggestion for the morning news anchors at WVUE, ask the mayor about something that he said last year:
But try not to get cold cocked.
I will remind readers that, last April, I expressed the opinion that people were missing the truly offensive passage in a Nagin speech:
We haveI thought that I had said something about him using the city attorney as his personal attorney, but, apparently, I didn't.
programs where you can buy adjudicated
and blighted properties for
half their appraised value and you
hire your own appraiser.
I’ve asked the city attorney if I can
participate in this program and
she’s keeps saying no Mr. Mayor.
What was he getting at with the part about hiring your own appraiser? And why the F*** did he run for re-election if he's mainly interested in the business opportunities that reconstruction offers? The second question was intended to be rhetorical, but the first question is entirely serious
No matter; from a Gordon Russell article about a deal between Home Depot and Stone Age LLC. in today's Picayune:
In April 2007, when Stone Age registered as a home-improvement business with the state Licensing Board for Contractors, Jeremy Nagin was listed as president of the firm. Jarin Nagin and the mayor were listed as vice presidents.
Seletha Nagin signed as a witness, and the document was notarized by City Attorney Penya Moses-Fields.
Moses-Fields probably notarized the document on her own time, just as she probably answered Nagin's questions on her own time.
Read the whole article and form your own opinion on the ethical implications of the deal. On the one hand. Russell points out that Stacy Head recommended that Home Depot be allowed to purchase city property for a price lower than its appraised value. However,
Head said Nagin also played a role in scrapping a "community benefits agreement" that Head initially supported but that Home Depot opposed. The document would have required the retailer to make specific commitments to hire members of the surrounding community and pay them at a certain scale, among other pledges.
Head said "the administration pressured me to forgo negotiations" on that deal because Home Depot had pronounced it a "deal killer."
Apparently, the mayor doesn't care whether businesses hire local workers, he just doesn't want them to hire Mexicans.
On the question of ownership, I'll point out that Seletha Nagin does not appear anywhere on the company's corporate filing with the state.
I'll close with a suggestion for the morning news anchors at WVUE, ask the mayor about something that he said last year:
Stone Age LLC was incorporated in January 2005, but the degree to which the mayor and his sons are involved in the enterprise is a mystery.
Asked for comment on the venture, Nagin replied by e-mail Friday that the questions were "out of bounds."
He said he would have no comment "on my personal investments that are totally outside of any city responsibilities."
But try not to get cold cocked.
Labels: Nagin, Stone Age LLC., transparency
