Faye Brown's Blog

Kerry DeCay Wants Out Of The Federal Pen

2008-07-03T19:07:00.003-05:00

Kerry DeCay has come up with a flimsy excuse to get his case thrown out: his lawyer did not explain the implications of waiving his right to appeal his sentence.

Nice try DeCay. Your friend Pampy Barre will soon be joining you.

Couple Files Recall Petition Against Jindal

2008-06-27T17:14:00.003-05:00

Will we be saying goodbye to Piyush? Maybe, if a Jefferson Parish couple have their way:

Ryan and Kourtney Fournier have submitted paperwork to the Secretary of State's office Friday that allows them to attempt to collect enough signatures over the next 180 days in an effort to get a recall election for the governor.

The Fourniers would have to collect and then have verified signatures from at least one-third of the registered voters in the state.

Securing City Contracts As Usual In New Orleans

2008-06-26T19:43:00.003-05:00

Is this any different from the Morial Administration?

A City Council member has discovered that the Nagin administration gave a small contract to a company -- too small to need a Louisiana contractor's license -- then exponentially increased the company's take to more than $1 million.

The contractor, LSI also:

1. falsely claimed it had a Louisiana contractor's license when it bid for the work.

2. used a "fraudulent" contractor's license number in an initial bid to install and operate the cameras.

When will the federal investigation begin?

Sister Of Dollar Bill Jefferson Pleads Guilty

2008-06-19T19:50:00.002-05:00

Let's see if Jefferson still wants to clear his family's name:

The sister of indicted Democratic Rep. William Jefferson pleaded guilty to concealing a crime on Wednesday, the fourth relative of the Louisiana lawmaker to become entangled in the family's legal troubles.

Brenda Jefferson, 52, helped defraud several nonprofit organizations by concealing and failing to report the activities of two of her siblings, Betty Jefferson and Mose Jefferson, and her niece, Angela Coleman, according to court documents.

Federal prosecutors in New Orleans recently charged the three other relatives with conspiring to steal more than $600,000 from organizations they set up to help at-risk and disadvantaged youth.

Some People Are Just Insane

2008-06-17T18:16:00.003-05:00

Jefferson to seek 10th. term:

Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, announced today that he will run for a 10th term in office even as he faces a Dec. 2 political corruption trial in what he called an "overly zealous" prosecution based on "false factual allegations."

Let's send Jefferson and his corrupt family a message: Go to hell you low life thieves

News Conference Announcement

2008-06-04T14:36:00.003-05:00

When it was announced that Jim Letten would be holding a news conference concerning a development in a corruption probe, it came as no surprise that it would be a member of the Jefferson clan.

I do not expect any less from that corrupt and disgraceful family.

Dollar Bill Casts His Superdelegate Vote

2008-06-03T18:12:00.002-05:00

Dollar Bill want to unify the party:

Representative William J. Jefferson of Louisiana, who was indicted for bribing a Nigerian official and engineering an international corruption scheme, announced today that he is casting his superdelegate vote for Mr. Obama.

“It is time to unify our party behind a nominee for President in order to give Democrats the best chance to win this fall,” Mr. Jefferson said in a statement.

Last week, a federal judge in Virginia refused to toss out the bribery charges against Mr. Jefferson, who argued that his alleged crimes more closely resembled influence peddling than bribery.

Let's Catch This Scumball

2008-05-30T18:21:00.003-05:00

May the low life, who committed this horrendous crime, be soon brought to justice:

Crimestoppers has announced that the reward is now $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment of the person responsible for killing Betsy McDaniel, owner of Betsy's Pancake House in Mid-City.

McDaniel was beaten early on Memorial Day morning at her Marrero home and died Wednesday at West Jefferson Medical Center after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

Baby Found Dead In Freezer

2008-05-23T19:34:00.003-05:00

More bizarre news coming out of Houston:

A dead baby boy was left in a freezer for more than a year before his mother's boyfriend contacted police Friday.The boy's mother, Crystal Sosa, 25, and her boyfriend, Dezmond Blake, 27, have been charged with tampering with evidence, a second-degree felony.

The baby, Devin, was born in December 2006, and put in a hotel room freezer in May 2007. Sgt. John Chomiak said the baby's body was found in room 131 at Intown Suites in the 2800 block of State Highway 6. He appeared to be 5 or 6 months old.

The New New Orleans

2008-05-22T20:31:00.001-05:00

A Writers Take On The New New Orleans

Man Kills Family For Drug Money

2008-05-20T19:52:00.003-05:00

Theron Owens claimed he was targeted for the brutal killings of his mother and grandmother because he was black and from New Orleans. Turns out Mr. Owens was the brutal killer after all. His reasoning---he needed money to buy drugs.

Theron Owens originally told investigators he arrived at his mother’s residence in the 6600 block of Springfield Garden in northwest Harris County just before midnight Friday. He said he found his mother Joyce Owens, 63, and his grandmother Alberta Walker dead.

The women had been stabbed. A neighbor called police after hearing Owens' screams. Owens was handcuffed, taken into police custody for eight hours and questioned about the women’s deaths. He was later released without charges. Neighbors said the murder victims moved to Spring after fleeing Hurricane Katrina.

Enron Wants To Be Paid

2008-05-15T23:09:00.002-05:00

Enron has a lot of nerve:

Former Enron employees say they've been getting letters from Enron, demanding they pay back some of the settlement money.

Enron says that of the 26,000 people in the settlement coordinated by a third party company, 87 percent were underpaid and 13 percent were paid too much.

Reinvigorating New Orleans' Art community

2008-05-14T18:12:00.002-05:00

To help reinvigorate the artist community in New Orleans, global market research firm Synovate recently commissioned 40 local artists to create original artwork for an upcoming eBay charity auction, with proceeds going to the artists and the Arts Council of New Orleans (ACNO).

Synovate partnered with ACNO to develop and organize the initiative, including approaching local artists about participating. Forty artists were selected and given $1,000 each to create one piece of artwork with the theme 'My New Orleans' to be auctioned online.

If You Need Help, Just Ask

2008-05-13T23:13:00.002-05:00

From the SFC:

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans is asking the Bay Area community of home cooks and culinary professionals to help rebuild its cookbook collection, most of which was lost during Hurricane Katrina.

The museum is seeking books ranging from American Southern cooking to culinary histories of the world. Books donated to the museum will be accepted in any condition.

Donations should be sent to the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, Attention: Liz Williams, 1 Poydras St., No. 169, New Orleans, LA 70130. Donations are fully tax-deductible.

D.C. Madam Found Dead

2008-05-01T17:20:00.003-05:00

From BBC News:

Deborah Jean Palfrey, often referred to as "the DC Madam", was found hanged in a shed next to her mother's house in Florida. She was convicted on 15 April of running a prostitution ring, money laundering and mail fraud.

The case became famous because of the prominent officials - including Senator David Vitter - who had used the agency. Ms Palfrey maintained that she had had no knowledge of her escorts engaging in sex acts with their clients.

But on 15 April, after hearing testimony from a number of the agency's former employees and clients, a federal jury found her guilty on all counts. She faced a maximum 55-year prison term, but was free pending sentencing on 24 July.

Police said that Ms Palfrey had left a suicide note, but did not disclose its contents. "This is a tragic news and my heart goes out to her mother," said Preston Burton, the lawyer who represented Ms Palfrey in her trial.

This would be the second time that someone involved in the scandal has committed suicide. In January, Brandy Britton, a professor at the University of Maryland as well as an employee of the escort service, killed herself before she was due to face trial on prostitution charges.

Mr Vitter, a Republican Senator from Louisiana who is married with four children, faced calls to resign when details of his dealings with the escort agency first emerged. The senator apologized for what he described as a "very serious sin", but refused to comment further.

Other patrons of the agency - known as Pamela Martin and Associates - included Nasa officials, top military officers, World Bank and International Monetary Fund executives, as well as the head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Randall Tobias, who stepped down after being named as a client.

Foster Care System Challenged By Sect's Youth

2008-04-23T23:25:00.003-05:00

Some characterizations can be inaccurate:

The more than 400 children taken from the polygamist compound in West Texas are being scattered to group homes and boys' and girls' ranches across the state, plunged into a culture radically different from the community where they and their families shunned the outside world as a hostile, contaminating influence on their godly way of life.

Child Protective Services said it chose foster homes where the youngsters can be kept apart from other children for now.

"Godly way of life"--who says? Some of the children were trying to pretend they were adults; obviously to hide the fact that children were having children.

Killing In New Orleans

2008-04-18T18:54:00.001-05:00

Some news stories grab you by the gut, make you sick where you have to take a break.

What does This Mean?

2008-04-11T20:35:00.002-05:00

Could this have been another Jim Jones scene?

Authorities searching the compound of a polygamist sect in West Texas found a "cyanide poisoning document" among the dozens of items it seized during a weeklong search.

Feds Indict Derrick Shepherd

2008-04-10T19:11:00.001-05:00

T-P

A federal grand jury indicted state Sen. Derrick Shepherd today after months investigating allegations that the Marrero Democrat laundered $141,000 for an unlicensed bond broker.

From his Poydras Street office, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten announced the 41-count indictment on charges of conspiracy to commit mail wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, participation in the business of insurance by a person previously convicted of a felony involving dishonesty, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.

Mose Jefferson Pleads Innocent

2008-04-08T22:50:00.004-05:00

Mose Jefferson has decided to live in la la land like his brother Dollar Bill Jefferson by pleading innocent to the charges against him. Mose is also a career criminal who has previously committed some despicable crimes.

It seems that the entire Jefferson clan are a bunch of low lives with ice water running through their veins.

I Can't Wait till I get Back Home To New Orleans

2008-04-07T19:09:00.002-05:00

Houston scares the hell out of me.

A Houston-based company has taken out ads in newspapers and distributed fliers to Hispanic businesses in Omaha, Grand Island and Lincoln, offering so-called international licenses and state ID cards for about $200.

When you think things couldn't get any worse, they usually do

2008-04-06T17:17:00.004-05:00

How much more can this City take?

In a foreshadowing of the post-Katrina reality, a representative of the Holy Cross fathers told parishioners of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish during a somber meeting Saturday that his religious order must leave the Mid-City parish it founded 129 years ago because it no longer has the priests to staff it.

Without staffing from the Holy Cross congregation, Sacred Heart would have to be supported by a dwindling number of diocesan priests. Parishioners took the news as a strong sign that a second blow is about to fall -- that Sacred Heart, where jazz legend Louis Armstrong was baptized in 1901, might be closed in the archdiocesan reorganization

I am already depressed right now. I do not need any more bad news.

Women and Children removed from religious compound in Texas

2008-04-05T19:47:00.001-05:00

How widespread is this problem?

Child welfare officials have removed nearly 200 women and children from a secretive West Texas religious retreat built by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

A search warrant authorized state troopers to enter the retreat run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and look for evidence of a marriage between a 16 year old girl and a 50-year-old man.

The search warrant said the girl had a baby eight months ago, when she was 15.

On Friday, Child Protective Services removed 52 girls from the compound. Marleigh Meisner, a spokeswoman for the agency, said another 131 residents were removed overnight. By Saturday afternoon, 137 children and 46 women were being housed and interviewed at local community centers.

Mose Jefferson Indicted

2008-04-03T18:18:00.002-05:00

The feds indicted Mose Jefferson yesterday. He is charged with bribery, money laundering and obstruction of justice.

This indictment was to be expected. He is just another corrupt member of the Jefferson clan.

Wow!!! - What Nice Raises

2008-04-01T18:47:00.002-05:00

What's new Bobby Jindal?

Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret, who Jindal tapped as his top business recruiter earlier this year, would be paid $320,000 per year starting July 1 -- a bump of almost $75,000 over what his predecessor received. The department's deputy director, Steven Grissom, would be paid $237,500, up from the $130,000 per year that the same job fetched in Gov. Kathleen Blanco's administration.

The top economic development director in Tennessee, by contrast, makes $180,000 a year, which in turn is more than those positions pay in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina, according to salary information provided by the House Fiscal Division.

Obama Leads In Texas Convention

2008-03-31T18:35:00.001-05:00

As the smoke cleared from this weekend's regional Democratic conventions, Barack Obama emerged with a majority of the state's at-large presidential nominating delegates and possibly a majority of all Texas delegates.

But Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters vowed Sunday to continue the fight for Texas delegates all the way to this summer's state party convention, promising to cut his lead in delegates.

The actual number of delegates awarded to Obama and Clinton will not be official until the state party convention meets June 5-7 in Austin.

Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath

2008-03-30T17:34:00.004-05:00

This story just gets my goat:

The owner of RNR Enterprises of Boise, Idaho, Navert signed on in the chaotic weeks after Hurricane Katrina as a third-tier vendor on a City Hall contract to clear hundreds of miles of debris-clogged storm drains in New Orleans.

Motivated in part by a desire to help the ravaged city, Navert said he dispatched two vacuum trucks -- half his fleet -- and ultimately billed $189,000 for the work.

But 28 months after Navert and more than 30 other private contractors finished the job, many are only now on the verge of getting paid in full. This week, city officials secured from the Federal Emergency Management Agency the final installment of $10.3 million for the cost of cleaning the storm drains.

Was this just red tape or pure incompetence?

Former City Workers Accept Responsibility

2008-03-29T17:53:00.004-05:00

When I first heard about the four employees who illegally gave themselves bonuses, I said to myself - they have a lot of hootspau. Now it is nice to learn that they have accepted responsibility and cleared two other workers who were falsely accused.

More than two years after Mayor Bill White condemned four City Hall staffers for committing a "betrayal of trust" for taking unauthorized bonuses and raises, two of the workers agreed Friday to apologize, spend 10 years on probation and pay back their profits.

Rosita Hernandez and Florence Watkins were running the Office of Mayor Pro Tem in 2006 when authorities began questioning bonuses and raises worth more than $209,000 for themselves and two underlings. All four were fired in March 2006.

Hernandez must repay $77,000 as part of the plea agreement on a felony theft charge. Watkins agreed to pay back $67,000. Both took the stand briefly to clear the names of two lower-level Office of the Mayor Pro Tem employees indicted in the case.

After hearing from Hernandez and Watkins that co-workers Teresa Orta and Christopher Mays didn't know anything about the scam, prosecutors dismissed the charges against Orta and Mays.

'Road Home Program'

2008-03-28T17:50:00.003-05:00

Some Road Home stories can be truly heartbreaking:

It was one thing for Leatrice Roberts to find out that the government had sold her a townhome built on top of a waste dump. But it was mindboggling to learn, at age 74, that the Road Home can't buy her out because the land is contaminated.

On the other hand, there has not been any good news lately concerning the Road Home program.

Tejano Star Improving

2008-03-27T12:28:00.001-05:00

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Grammy-winning Tejano music star Emilio Navaira's chances of survival are improving, his doctor said on Wednesday, following a crash this week in which he was thrown through the windshield of his tour bus.

Key To New Orleans Recovery

2008-03-26T01:01:00.003-05:00

It is time for City leaders to take note:

Researchers for the Virginia-based Mercatus Center are reporting the neighborhoods that rebounded the fastest generally had the strongest community leaders -- not the most government help.

Mercatus proposes that New Orleans do more to encourage expansion of neighborhood associations, which it says are better equipped to oversee local redevelopment than centralized city planning departments.

Mercatus said the future of New Orleans is dependent on the city government giving more flexibility to local neighborhood organizations to develop recovery plans that suit their special circumstances.

What they have been doing has not been working so why not try and follow this approach.

Free Wireless Internet

2008-03-25T02:30:00.003-05:00

Houston is planning on building 10 free wireless network "bubbles" in low-income parts of the city to give residents access they otherwise might do without.

Monday's announcement launched the first bubble in the densely populated Gulfton area of Southwest Houston. The city is establishing a committee to determine where future networks will be located. Build-out is expected to happen over the next two years.

Rest In Peace, Al

2008-03-24T00:30:00.001-05:00

T-P:

Al Copeland, a hard-charging, high-living entrepreneur who built an empire on spicy fried chicken and fluffy white biscuits, died Sunday in Munich, Germany, of complications from cancer treatment. He was 64.

How Does New Orleans Justify Demolishing 47 Schools?

2008-03-21T03:56:00.004-05:00

The following argument is puzzling to me because the City seems concerned that the Census figure will reduce the amount of federal aid they receive. Well, shouldn't the City receive a drop in federal aid if they feel the need to demolish 47 public schools?

A population estimate of 240,000 released this week by the Census Bureau is off by about 60,000 according to City Hall officials, who noted that a discrepancy of that size can drastically reduce federal grant allocations that are critical to an array of social programs. Such grants affect everything from education to substance abuse treatment, they said.

If one was truly interested in the population returning to pre-Katrina levels, they would ensure that the returning families have schools for their children. Those schools that are set for demolition were not just sitting idle before Hurricane Katrina. If everyone returned to New Orleans, wouldn't there be a school shortage?

Does Forced Admission Decrease Diversity?

2008-03-20T00:44:00.001-05:00

The University of Texas at Austin has been forced to offer admission to a record number of Texas high school students using just a single criteria — class ranking — and that has hurt the university's ability to increase its racial and ethnic diversity, the school's president said Wednesday.

Eighty-one percent of the students being offered admission to UT's 2008 fall freshman class got in because they graduated in the top 10 percent of their high schools. That number is up 10 percent over 2007 figures and likely will rise to include all students in the not-too-distant future, William Powers Jr. warned.

On Wednesday and in testimony before a House panel a day earlier, Powers said the university could attract a more diverse student body if it was not forced by the state, under a decade-old law, to accept every student with a high class rank.

New Orleans Political Figures Sees Message In Obama's Speech

2008-03-19T04:00:00.004-05:00

New Orleans area political figures gave a mix of positive and guarded responses Tuesday to Barack Obama's attempt to quiet an uproar about racial rhetoric in the presidential campaign.

In some circles nationally, critics dismissed the speech by the senator from Illinois as a self-serving effort to distance himself from his longtime pastor's comments about white people, Israel and America's role in bringing terrorism upon itself. But a smattering of local leaders saw healing potential in Obama's remarks.
________________
Judge for yourself.

Texas In Good Shape

2008-03-18T00:17:00.002-05:00

As other states confront deficits with plans to trim government health care to children, disabled and the elderly, lawmakers in Texas so far expect to have enough money when they convene in January to write a state budget without such cuts.

The amount of money projected to be available for the next budget was estimated with the assumption that an economic slowdown would be in play. Still budget officials expect the state to have money to spare while writing the 2010-2011 state spending plan.

A healthy oil industry in Texas means stout employment rates. It also helps the state because proceeds from oil and gas production taxes are divvied up among public education and the state's so-called Rainy Day Fund. Several billion dollars are expected to be sitting in the fund by the time lawmakers meet next January.

Further padding the next two-year budget, lawmakers expect to have more than $8 billion left over from the last spending cycle.

Bill Clinton & Brad Pitt Meet In 9th. Ward

2008-03-17T00:35:00.002-05:00

Former President Bill Clinton met with actor Brad Pitt and hundreds of volunteers in the Lower 9th Ward on Sunday at the site where a foundation headed by Pitt plans to begin building affordable homes for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Pitt and Clinton walked a street as hundreds of volunteers on either side, wielding shovels and rakes, prepared the land for homes. For hours, they cleared overgrown grass and weeds that were covering street drains and sidewalks.

The Lower 9th Ward was one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in New Orleans when Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005, causing the city's levee system to fail with devastating flooding.

Employers Can Have Access To Employees Health Records

2008-03-16T02:28:00.003-05:00

Medical privacy has been protected for years by the most unlikely guardians: insurance companies. Now, the Texas Legislature has become the first in the nation to force insurance companies to pass along sensitive employee health records to their companies, a practice permitted under federal law.

Starting Jan. 1, companies became entitled to receive a list of their employees and family members — identified by number or some other code, but not by name — whose health bills exceeded $15,000 during the previous year. Employers also can obtain the diagnoses, dates of service, amounts paid, prognoses, future costs and treatment plans for each.

The law's supporters say they need the information to get a clear snapshot of health expenses, while critics fear it's an erosion of patient privacy.

Companies can also obtain the detailed health information on those who have been precertified for hospital stays of five or more days, according to the bill that sailed through the Texas House and Senate and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry last summer.

Blanco- - On Road Home Raises

2008-03-15T14:16:00.002-05:00

T-P:

"It was my understanding and belief that any contract change would be publicly noticed,"

"I encourage Steve Theriot, the legislative auditor, whose office was consulted during negotiations, to continue to audit ICF and to hold them accountable for every dollar of their contract."

New Harris County DA Chosen

2008-03-14T05:05:00.002-05:00

Gov. Rick Perry plans to name Kenneth Magidson, an assistant U.S. attorney in Houston, as the new Harris County district attorney, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday.
Magidson is awaiting assurance from the Justice Department that he won't lose his job as a federal prosecutor once a district attorney is elected in November, the newspaper said.

He would replace Chuck Rosenthal, who resigned last month after pornographic, racist and political material from his county e-mail account surfaced, until his term expires in January. The e-mails also included love notes from the married prosecutor to his secretary.

Kanye West, Chris Rock to Play at 2008 Essence Festival

2008-03-13T04:22:00.002-05:00

Organizers of the annual Essence Music Festival have announced some of the acts that will take part in the 2008 festival, July 4-6.

The acts will include Kanye West, Chris Rock, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Morris Day and The Time, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

Essence is billed as "the nation's largest annual African-American event celebrating black music and culture." An estimated 200,000 people attended the festival last year when it returned to New Orleans.

Officers Indicted For Fake Katrina Camp

2008-03-12T01:18:00.003-05:00

Another Hurricane Katrina Scam Here In Houston:

A grand jury indicted two Houston police officers Tuesday on charges alleging they billed the Red Cross $160,000 to operate a two-week basketball camp for Hurricane Katrina evacuees that only lasted two days.

Patrol officer Tracie Denise Bell and Kirshondra Richardson, a probationary officer in her first year with the department, allegedly claimed the June camp had 310 attendees when only 10 actually participated.

Both are charged with theft of more than $100,000, a second-degree felony with punishment ranging from probation to 20 years in prison if convicted.

This is just another example of corrupt individuals using a painful experience for their own person gain.

Will New Orleans Receive The Help?

2008-03-11T01:03:00.003-05:00

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and all seven City Council members will lead a delegation to the nation's capital Wednesday and Thursday to lobby federal officials for more help with the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Nagin and the council members will be joined by officials from the Regional Transit Authority, Sewerage & Water Board, Chamber of Commerce and other groups.

_________________________
Let's hope everything works out.

Energy Group To Launch McDermott's Houston Office

2008-03-10T04:32:00.003-05:00

McDermott Will & Emery will be opening its newest office in Houston, Texas. The office will be spear-headed by three leading Houston energy lawyers. Effective immediately, Robert Stephens, David W. Locascio and Jose Luis Vittor, all formerly with Bracewell & Giuliani, will join the Firm as partners, launching the Firm's Houston office and expanding McDermott's leading international energy practice.

The group of lawyers joining McDermott are leading practitioners in the Houston energy market. They have extensive experience successfully representing clients in energy and project transactions, acquisitions and financings in U.S. and international markets. The addition of a Houston office, staffed by tremendously talented lawyers, significantly adds to the Firm's existing international energy practice, and also lays the foundation for the growth of other important McDermott practice areas such as corporate/M&A and intellectual property.

Election Results - Gilda Reed Wins

2008-03-09T01:24:00.000-06:00

U.S. House - District 1 - Dem Special Primary
Louisiana - 505 of 505 Precincts Reporting - 100%
Max Runoff Cands=2
Name Party Votes Vote %
Reed , Gilda Dem 11,721 70%
Mendoza , M. V. Dem 5,083 30%

HUD Wants Houston To Return Money

2008-03-08T00:59:00.004-06:00

HUD wants the city of Houston to return about $15.5 million in federal funds because the city improperly used the money. Some of the reasons cited were as follows:

•The city failed to conduct required inspections for more than 1,000 homes whose buyers received down payment assistance.

•The city paid more than $1 million to the Houston Housing Finance Corp. to advance funds for homebuyer closings.

•The city provided federal funds to the owners of several apartment developments on condition that rents must not exceed specified levels and tenants must be screened to ensure they didn't exceed income requirements. These developments were taken by lenders in foreclosure, and the rent and income requirements no longer applied, making the projects ineligible for federal funding.

__________
Houston...we have a problem.

Survey: Most Don't Want To Return To New Orleans Public Housing

2008-03-07T00:33:00.003-06:00

Seven out of 10 public housing residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina want to return to the city, but only a third want to go back to subsidized homes, according to a study released Thursday.

Researchers at the University of Texas in Arlington interviewed 2,109 displaced public housing residents for the report. The study was commissioned and paid for by the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), which has been under the control of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for several years.

The study showed that 72% of respondents wanted to return to New Orleans, but only 35% of all displaced residents were willing to accept government-subsidized housing.

Rape Victim Pushes For Public Trial

2008-03-06T00:48:00.004-06:00

Lawyers for Jamie Leigh Jones told a federal judge in Houston Wednesday they believe her case should be settled by a public trial and not a private arbitration process. Attorneys, however, for Halliburton and its former subsidiary, KBR Inc., argued that she signed a contract that binds her to settle all claims — including sexual assault allegations — against her former employer through arbitration.

Ms. Jones filed a federal lawsuit in May saying she was raped by co-workers while working for a Halliburton subsidiary at Camp Hope, Baghdad. Jones' lawsuit claims she lived in a coed barracks and, after enduring harassment from some of the men in the quarters, was drugged and raped on July 28, 2005. The suit alleges that her attackers were Halliburton and KBR firefighters.

Jeff Parish Car Chase Ends in Shoot out in N.O.

2008-03-05T17:59:00.003-06:00

This incident could have resulted in a child's death. It should have been worth it to the fleeing suspects to stop.

Democrata Don't Expect Knockout Win

2008-03-04T02:04:00.003-06:00

The month long political fight in Texas and Ohio concludes in today's primaries, but the campaigns of U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama signaled Monday that neither expects a knockout punch for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The expectations were lowered because the polls in Texas and Ohio showed the race was too close to call. Plus, the complex system of Texas delegates being chosen by both popular vote and through caucuses makes it possible for the popular vote winner to come up short in delegates.

A tracking poll Monday showed Clinton leading Obama 46.6 percent to 43.5 percent in Texas and essentially tied in Ohio: Clinton, 44 percent; Obama, 44.4 percent. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points in both surveys. The Houston Chronicle, Reuters, C-Span tracking polls were conducted by Zogby International.

RTA Gets New Buses

2008-03-03T01:12:00.003-06:00

I am pleased to hear that the Regional Transit Authority is getting new buses. Some people, in New Orleans, depend on public transportation and these new buses will make their lives a little easier.

By May 1, the RTA hopes to receive the first of 39 new coaches equipped to use cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel. The full complement of environmentally friendly buses should be on hand by summer's end, marking the first major move by the financially crippled agency to replace vehicles destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

East Texas is essential to Democratic Primary

2008-03-02T01:44:00.002-06:00

Battleground Texas in the Democratic presidential primary is firming up, with Hillary Rodham Clinton in control of South Texas and Barack Obama apparently owning Houston and Dallas, a new tracking poll shows.

And in the one-time bastion of the Texas Democratic Party — East Texas — the race is swinging back and forth.

Statewide, Obama holds a lead, but pollster John Zogby said the race is too close to call, especially with heavy turnout in early voting. Zogby said Obama is leading Clinton among young voters, men, blacks and holds almost 60 percent support in Houston and Dallas.

Powell Quits Gulf Recovery Job

2008-03-01T01:52:00.001-06:00

The Bush administration's federal coordinator of long-term hurricane recovery efforts on the Gulf Coast resigned unexpectedly yesterday, acknowledging frustration at the slow pace of rebuilding but expressing confidence that the foundation for progress is in place.

"It was just a good time" to go, said Donald E. Powell, 66, a major Texas backer of President Bush who took the Katrina post in November 2005, after serving as chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Powell's announcement came nine months before the executive order establishing his position expires -- and 30 months after Hurricane Katrina's landfall on Aug. 29, 2005.

Is Roger Clemens Out?

2008-02-29T02:02:00.001-06:00

Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane said he may reconsider Roger Clemens's 10-year personal-services contract with the Major League Baseball team in light of the pitcher's legal issues.

A congressional committee asked the U.S. Justice Department yesterday to investigate whether Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, committed perjury when he said under oath that he never used steroids or human growth hormone.

Katrina Activist Gets Probation

2008-02-28T01:35:00.001-06:00

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An activist who has been a leader in efforts to rebuild a New Orleans neighborhood destroyed by Hurricane Katrina was sentenced Wednesday to five years of probation for his role in a loan fraud scheme.

Robert Green had pleaded guilty in April to federal felony charges stemming from a scheme in which he prepared false tax returns attached to fraudulent home loan applications from as early as 2001.

Before word of his guilty plea surfaced in December, Green had been championed by actor Brad Pitt to be among the first to receive a home through Pitt's Make It Right program.

He could have been sentenced to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, but U.S. District Judge A.J. McNamara said he was impressed because Green had turned his life around since Katrina.

Radio Stations, In Houston, Will Give Away Clinton Tickets

2008-02-27T01:54:00.003-06:00

At least half a dozen radio stations will distribute 750 free tickets to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech Thursday at an energy summit sponsored by the Greater Houston Partnership.

The Tickets cost $450 to $750 a person. As a result of the high price, a lot of voters would be unable to attend. The event will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The stations agreeing to participate as of late Tuesday were KTRH-AM (740); KLAT-AM (1010); KPFT-FM (90.1); KTRU-FM (91.7) (KPTY-FM (93.3); and KMJQ-FM (102.1).

Linkin Park To Help Rebuild Homes In New Orleans

2008-02-26T01:48:00.002-06:00

After Tuesday's show in Nashville, TN, alt-rock band Linkin Park will head to New Orleans to help families that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The band, along with Coheed and Cambria, will be helping out Music for Relief, and Habitat homeowner families from New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, building homes in an undisclosed hurricane-affected area.

Music for Relief was formed by Linkin Park as a nonprofit organization that provides aid to victims of natural disasters. Since the organization was formed in 2005, over $2.5 million dollars was raised for the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia and Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

Young Texans Are Eager To Vote

2008-02-25T01:39:00.004-06:00

Armed with campaign posters, voter-registration cards and enough board games and buttered popcorn to make it through the night, dozens of Texas students spent the 10 hours before early voting began outside their campus precinct, educating every bleary-eyed studier and after-hours straggler about the Texas primary.

The state's college campuses are seeing unprecedented interest in Texas' March 4 primary – and unequaled confusion. The UT College Democrats have registered close to 23,000 people to vote in the past five weeks – the large majority of them students.

Hillary Defends Super Delegates'System

2008-02-24T03:19:00.002-06:00

While Hillary Clinton was in New Orleans Saturday, she gave the following view concerning super delegates:

Clinton said this is the first time she remembers the system, in place for decades, becoming an election issue. She said super delegates play an important role in the selection process. They are like "party elders" who have relationships with the candidates that regular voters cannot match, she said when asked whether the system is fair.

Do you think the system is fair?

Three Men Tied To Enron Scandal Get Sentenced

2008-02-23T02:27:00.003-06:00

Three former British bankers were sentenced on Friday to 37 months each in prison for their role in a fraud related to Enron. The three had proclaimed innocence for almost six years before pleading guilty last November to conspiring with Enron’s chief financial officer, Andrew S. Fastow, to enrich themselves at the expense of their former employer, the National Westminster Bank of England, or NatWest, now the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The three men, labeled the NatWest Three by British tabloids, were extradited to Houston in 2006, prompting street protests in London and an emergency session of Parliament. Their indictments in 2002 were widely seen as prompting Mr. Fastow to negotiate with federal prosecutors and ultimately provide the testimony that led to the convictions of his bosses, Jeffrey K. Skilling and Kenneth L. Lay, for their roles in the collapse of Enron in 2001. Mr. Fastow is serving a six-year prison term in Oakdale, La.

Clinton To Speak At Black Forum

2008-02-22T02:09:00.001-06:00

Presidential politics will take center stage in New Orleans on Saturday at the annual "State of the Black Union" symposium, where the hottest topic is likely to be which candidate is there and which one isn't.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will address a largely African-American crowd of thousands in New Orleans' Ernest M. Morial Convention Center -- where thousands of the city's poorest residents sought shelter in squalid conditions after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Clinton's Democratic rival, is skipping the event. He'll focus instead on campaigning in Texas and Ohio in hopes of delivering a knockout blow to Clinton in those states' presidential primaries March 4.

The Republican presidential candidates, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, also declined to attend the symposium, which Tavis Smiley, the TV and radio talk show host, organized and will host.

Pfizer to acquire Houston based Pharmaceutical Company

2008-02-21T00:16:00.003-06:00

Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc. has agreed to be acquired by drug maker Pfizer Inc. for about $195 million. The Houston bio-pharmaceutical company said New York-based drug firm Pfizer will make a $2.35 per share offer for the company.

Upon completion of the deal, expected in the second quarter, Pfizer will have rights to Thelin, Encysive's oral drug approved by several European Union countries, that treats pulmonary arterial hypertension, or high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery.

Pfizer said it is planning a late-stage trial of Thelin in the United States to obtain approval for the drug by the Food and Drug Administration.

Justices reject flood insurance plea

2008-02-20T03:09:00.001-06:00

The nation's highest court dealt a blow Tuesday to property owners who want insurance companies to pay for damage from levee breaches after Hurricane Katrina, but the Louisiana Supreme Court is poised to tackle the issue later this month.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear appeals from Xavier University and dozens of other Louisiana policyholders who sued several insurers for refusing to cover water damage from the levee breaches that flooded 80 percent of New Orleans following the August 2005 hurricane.

The plaintiffs were asking the justices to review portions of an August 2007 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that insurers aren't obligated to cover water damage from a levee failure.

The 5th Circuit had refused to certify the issue as a question for the state Supreme Court to consider, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review that decision Tuesday.

Kohl's To Open Three Houston Area Stores

2008-02-19T00:42:00.001-06:00

Kohl's will bring 450 jobs to the Greater Houston area when the retailer opens three new stores in April.

The Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-based retailer is planning to open new locations in Atascocita, Katy and League City.

In October, Kohl's announced its five-year growth plan of operating more than 1,400 stores nationwide by 2012, and the new Houston-area stores are part of that rapid expansion plan.

Kohl's currently operates 18 stores in the Houston area.

Loyola University Receives High Marks In Campus Safety

2008-02-18T01:05:00.002-06:00

Loyola University, in New Orleans, has earned an "A" as one of the safest campuses in the country, according to the March issue of Reader's Digest.

Loyola ranked 37th in a survey last year of 291 colleges and universities, which were ranked on such factors as residence-hall security, emergency plans and preparation for handling safety and security problems.

Obama Will Appear In Houston On Tuesday

2008-02-17T01:45:00.001-06:00

Senator Barack Obama will be in Houston for a rally at the Toyota Center early next week, his campaign announced today.

The candidate's "Stand For Change Rally" at 6 p.m. on Tuesday is scheduled for the first day of early voting for Texas' March 4 primaries. Tickets to the rally are free on a first-come, first-served basis at texas.barackobama.com/houston

Hypocrisy In Jindal's Ethics' Reform

2008-02-16T01:18:00.003-06:00

One of Jindal's featured proposals in the current special session on ethics is a bill that would end the controversial provision in the ethics code that lets legislators accept free entrance to sporting and cultural events, golf games and other outings.

It appears, however, that nobody was listening:

Gov. Bobby Jindal's top aide and several legislators used free tickets from the governor's New Orleans Arena suite to treat their daughters and other relatives to the Hannah Montana recent live concert.

Four tickets each were given to House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers; Sen. John Alario, D-Westwego; Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-Algiers; Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans; and Superdome Commission board member Julio Malera. Teepell's brother Taylor Teepell used three tickets.

Or could it be, let's not practice what we preach.

Clinton Will Not Debate In Houston

2008-02-15T01:15:00.003-06:00

While the Democratic presidential hopefuls won't be squaring off for a debate in Houston, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton still plans to attend an energy forum at the George R. Brown Convention Center Feb. 28.

The Greater Houston Partnership, which organized the forum, had hoped to lure the New York senator and rival Barack Obama to a potentially dramatic showdown just five days before the March 4 Texas primary.

But earlier this week, the two Democratic candidates agreed to debate next Thursday in Austin. Partnerships officials were still hoping the candidates would agree to participate in the forum.

Times Picayune Explains Nagin Photo

2008-02-14T01:50:00.004-06:00

A photo in some Metro sections and on Nola.com on Wednesday showed a laughing Mayor Ray Nagin pointing an M-4 rifle at Chief of Police Warren Riley at a news conference to announce new crime fighting equipment purchased by the New Orleans Police Department.

A review of a video taken at the event shows that the mayor momentarily pointed the gun at the chief as he was lowering it but he did not deliberately point it at Riley.

Search suspended for missing Houston woman

2008-02-13T17:15:00.002-06:00

Texas EquuSearch today suspended its search for a missing pregnant Houston woman.

Volunteers have searched for Tierra Adams, 25, for almost a week without success, said Tim Miller, the organization's founder. The group might renew its search should a promising lead surface, he added.

Adams, who is due to deliver her baby Thursday, was last seen on Jan. 29 near North Houston Rosslyn and Texas 249. The group has concentrated its search in that area.

Love Is Good For Your Health

2008-02-12T15:35:00.000-06:00

According to a recent T-P article, love has its benefits:

Love has been measured in blood tests, stress levels and psychological responses as scientists seek to measure love's impact on wellness. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2004 study indicated that married adults are less likely to be smokers or heavy drinkers and less likely to have sexually transmitted diseases.

The same study concluded that a healthy marriage contains built-in stress reducers -- combined incomes translating to greater wealth over a lifetime, friends and family from both spouses serving as a ready support group, and a tendency toward more responsible behaviors.

Circuit City prototype comes to Houston

2008-02-11T15:18:00.000-06:00

Circuit City is debuting a new store concept called "The City" at Deerbrook Mall on Valentine's Day.

The City will be an interactive store with a more selective inventory of electronics. Computers, cameras and video games will be available for testing on a new open floor plan.

The store is scheduled to open on Feb. 14 at Deerbrook Mall, which is located in Humble at the intersection of U.S. 59 and F.M. 1960.

Justin Roche, Deerbrook's general manager, says Circuit City is moving from a few miles away into the 24,000-square-foot top floor of what was a Mervyn's store. Circuit City's employees are being transferred to the new location and retrained, he says.

The City is making a local debut four months after the national retailer launched its interactive store prototype.

Reform In Louisiana

2008-02-10T15:43:00.000-06:00

I read this editorial in today's T-P and it mentioned some interesting points regarding Jindal's reform package. Here is an excerpt:

The public ought to know the financial interests of officials who shape public policy and spend public resources. That includes local officials, who determine matters ranging from zoning issues to property tax rates and who spend billions of taxpayers' dollars. Judges also should be included, as the governor proposes, since the public should know if judges handle cases in which they have a financial interest.

Just as important is to prevent real or perceived conflicts of interest. Gov. Jindal is appropriately proposing that legislators, their families and businesses be banned from getting state contracts -- whether negotiated or bid -- while in office and for one year after. Not surprisingly, some legislators are grumbling, saying that would discourage some people from seeking public service.

But avoiding conflicts of interests is more important than preserving the livelihood of some current or potential public officials. After all, no one is obligated to run for office. Opponents of reform always claim change is going to scare away candidates -- and it just isn't true.

In order to attract new businesses and restore public trust, Louisiana has to clean up house.

Houston 'Pumps Up' For Barack Obama

2008-02-09T16:42:00.000-06:00

Barack Obama supporters rallied in the Third Ward Saturday, making noise and igniting a frenzy over the man they believe should be the next president of the United States.

Continue here:

Convicted Felon, Stan "Pampy" Barre, Still Profits From Airport Contracts

2008-02-08T12:31:00.000-06:00

Stan "Pampy" Barre, the convicted felon who is awaiting sentencing, is still benefiting financially from lucrative contracts with Armstrong International Airport. Additionally, Stan "Pampy" Barre transferred ownership of his company to his wife, Barbara Barre.

It appears that Barre and his wife, Barbara, will continue to collect millions from the contracts while he serves his prison sentence for looting from a massive energy savings contract under former New Orleans Mayor, Marc Morial.

Barack Obama - In New Orleans

2008-02-07T15:54:00.000-06:00

Here is an excerpt from Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama's, speech in New Orleans today:

When I am President, the days of dysfunction and cronyism in Washington will be over. The director of FEMA will report to me. He or she will have the highest qualifications in emergency management. And I won't just tell you that I'll insulate that office from politics - I'll guarantee it, by giving my FEMA director a fixed term like the director of the Federal Reserve. I don't want FEMA to be thinking for one minute about the politics of a crisis. I want FEMA to do its job, which is protecting the American people - not protecting a President's politics.

And as soon as we take office, my FEMA director will work with emergency management officials in all fifty states to create a National Response Plan. Because we need to know - before disaster comes - who will be in charge; and how the federal, state and local governments will work together to respond.

But putting up defenses is not sufficient. Because renewing trust with the people of New Orleans is not just about stronger levees and pumping systems - it's about people.

Do We Read Books?

2008-02-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

I was reading an article the other day that claim most of us do not read books. The author of that article believe that it was useless for authors to promote their books online because people were not online in search of newly released books.

I tend to disagree. A lot of people buy books online. If they did not, sites like Amazon.com would be out of business. Additionally, a lot of authors promote their books on blogs. Those blogs may not reach all of the potential consumers just by reading the blogs, but the potential for the book promotion exist through word of mouth. After all, a large percentage of readers have purchased books based on word of mouth.

New Book Releases

2008-02-05T15:20:00.000-06:00

If you are looking for a new book to read, why not search blogs. For example, you can do a google search---new books on wordpress.com----new books on typepad.com---new books on livejournal.com---new books on blogger.com.

That type of search will lead you to new and well known authors who may be discussing their new book releases. Give it a try---you will discover an array of new book releases.

The Google Search - New Novel Releases

2008-02-04T15:33:00.000-06:00

How do you choose that next novel you want to read? If you did a google search, for new novel releases, the first site that would appear is about.com. Well that is not the only place to find wonderful new novels to read.

For example, you can try searching blogs for the release of new novels. There are so many talented writers in the blogosphere and you would be doing yourself a great disservice if you did not explore this opportunity when choosing the next novel to buy.

Yes I Am Faye Brown

2008-02-03T14:05:00.000-06:00

Someone sent me an email the other day asking me was I the real Faye Brown. I thought the question was a little strange since I don't have a staff to do any posting for me. Yes, I am the real Faye Brown.

Although I find the research on my novel is stimulating, I will always have time to interact with my readers online.

No Date Set For DA Chuck Rosenthal's Contempt Hearing

2008-02-02T15:48:00.000-06:00

Attorneys for Chuck Rosenthal abruptly halted a contempt hearing Friday after Harris County's district attorney acknowledged giving conflicting sworn statements that some observers think exposed him to possible perjury charges.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt granted the request for a recess and admonished lawyers on both sides against discussing the case with reporters. Hoyt did not say when the hearing, which has already taken up the better part of two days, might resume.

Study Finds Glacier Sediments Adding To Louisiana Coast's Sinking

2008-02-01T14:08:00.000-06:00

A science team led by Erik Ivins of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., hypothesized that Earth's very slow gravitational flow response to the weight of the sediments, combined with a 130-meter (427-foot) rise in sea level that took place thousands of years ago, are contributing to the sinking of a 199,000-square kilometer (77,000-square-mile) section of coastal Louisiana.

To test their theory, the team developed a physical model of sinking caused by both the weight of the sea level rise and the flow of glacial sediments into the Gulf of Mexico following the retreat of the great ice sheet that covered much of North America some 22,000 years ago. The model spanned the past 750,000 years. Results were compared with actual global positioning system measurements and other geophysical data for southern Louisiana and the Gulf, collected from multiple sources over the past 60 years.

The scientists found the model results were in good agreement with the actual geophysical data, predicting sinking of between 0.1 centimeters (0.04 inches) and 0.8 centimeters (0.3 inches) a year. The highest sinking rates were observed where coastal land loss is greatest, near the center of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Delta complexes. The sediments pose a particular challenge for New Orleans, causing it to sink irreversibly at a rate of about 0.4 centimeters (0.17 inches) a year, according to data from a network of global positioning system stations and a model of sediment data collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi Delta.

Rosenthal's Emails Become Subject Of Hearing

2008-01-31T13:04:00.000-06:00

Although civil rights' activist and various ministers have called for embattled DA, Chuck Rosenthal, to resign; he has still managed to hold onto his job. Will this be the end of Chuck Rosenthal?

Since 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the director of information technology for Harris County has been on the stand, facing detailed questions about the disappearance and reappearance of roughly 3,500 e-mails.

Gary Zallar said he first discovered Nov. 21, 2007, that those e-mails were no longer in District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal’s e-mail account.

A federal judge had ordered Rosenthal’s office to allow examination of those e-mails the day before. An Oct. 31, 2007, supoena in a civil rights lawsuit had called for Rosenthal’s emails, sent from his county account, between July 1 and Oct. 15, 2007

Although the controversial DA's actions have once again been called into question, he still manages to hold onto his post. What do you think it will take for Chuck Rosenthal to step down?

Edwards Drops Out

2008-01-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

John Edwards has decided to drop out of the presidential race. He has decided to focus more on poverty issues. Edwards is here in New Orleans today. He first announced his campaign in December 2006, In New Orleans.

This is a good thing for New Orleans and we wish him all the best.

Roger Clemens' Son Speaks Out

2008-01-29T00:31:00.000-06:00

When Roger Clemens was accused of using steroids by his former trainer, it stunned and angered a lot of his supporters here in Houston. Now his oldest son Koby is speaking out to tell others how this accusation has impacted him and his family:

“It kills me that this is happening to my dad,” Koby Clemens, an Astros’ prospect, said after Monday’s workout. “What he’s done for the game and what now is being turned back to him for what he’s done for the game is tough. It’s hard on me, but you can’t imagine how hard it is on my dad.”

Koby Clemens, the pitcher’s oldest son, said the ordeal has made his family stronger and brought its members closer together.

Sometimes we forget the effect situations have on a family member. If the allegations are later proved false, that will not erase the damage it has caused.

NOPD Officer Shot and Killed

2008-01-28T11:09:00.000-06:00

This is such a sad story coming out of New Orleans today:

A New Orleans Police officer was shot and killed this morning in a parking lot in the 2000 block of Earhart Boulevard betrween Simon Bolivar and Calliope, according to police.

Police said the injured officer is female and from the 6th District. No information is available on the identity of the officer. The officer was rushed to University Hospital, but died shortly thereafter.

Police have blocked traffic in the vicinity of the shooting as they search for the assailant. The parking lot is located outside of a food store, laundromat and clothing store. Police Chief Warren Riley will hold a press conference shortly after 11 a.m. at the hospital to discuss the shooting.

Let's hope they catch those responsible real soon. My heart and prayers go out to her family.

Houstonians Protests Gaza Blockade

2008-01-27T00:30:00.000-06:00

Some Houstonians are demanding Israel end its blockade of the Gaza Strip. Demonstrators took to the streets in the Galleria area Saturday in protest. They say Palestinians in the Strip are being forced to live without electricity, water and functioning medical facilities.

Israel closed the borders about a week ago after Hamas militants fired rockets into the area. The protesters wanted Israel investigated for crimes against humanity.

Gov. Bobby Jindal On 'Hot Seat' For Ethics Violation

2008-01-26T00:44:00.000-06:00

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who positioned himself as the crusader for ethics reform, has found his own ethical behavior under the microscope:

His campaign failed to report $118,265 spent by the Republican Party of Louisiana for direct mail on his behalf last June. The party disclosed spending the money, but Jindal should have noted it in his own reports as an "in-kind" contribution as well.

Melissa Sellers, Jindal's press secretary, said Friday that the governor has sent instructions to his accountant to pay the fine "as soon as possible."

But Ethics Administrator Richard Sherburne said the fine cannot be paid until Jindal reaches a settlement with the Board of Ethics and the board votes to approve the deal.

Was this an oversight on the governor's part? Let's hope so. Louisiana is in desperate need of true ethics reformers.

Group Files Complaint Against Justice Medina

2008-01-25T10:37:00.000-06:00

It seems that Justice Medina has once again made headlines:

Ethics complaints were filed Thursday against Texas Supreme Court Justices David Medina and Nathan Hecht questioning charges they made to their campaign accounts for travel.

Texas Watch alleged in complaints to the Texas Ethics Commission that the two justices illegally used political donations to pay for personal travel to their hometowns. The group filed a similar complaint Tuesday against Justice Paul Green.

Will these allegations be investigated or will Chuck Rosenthal step in to intervene?

So Vince Marinello Wants His Trial Moved...

2008-01-24T00:12:00.000-06:00

The prosecutors do not want Vince Marinello's trial moved out of Jefferson Parish. Oh Vincy Boy feels that the trial should be moved because of all of the publicity. And a mock trial..well it seems he wants that too.

I called this stall tactics. Get it over Vince.

Grand Jury Blocked From Reindicting Justice Medina

2008-01-23T00:02:00.000-06:00

A Texas judge on Tuesday dismissed the grand jury whose indictment of a State Supreme Court justice and his wife here last week was thwarted by prosecutors.

The indictment of the justice, David M. Medina, and his wife, Francisca, involved a fire that destroyed their house and two others. But the charges were quashed in court the next day, with the Harris County district attorney’s office arguing that there was insufficient evidence to pursue them.

In an unusual public outcry, members of the grand jury on Friday called the dismissal an instance of political favoritism on the part of embattled District Attorney Charles A. Rosenthal Jr., like Justice Medina a Republican, and said they were prepared to reconvene this week to consider revoking the indictments before the panel’s term ran out.

That prospect became moot, however, when Judge Jim Wallace of State District Court agreed Tuesday with Justice Medina’s lawyer, Terry W. Yates, that procedural errors by the district attorney’s office in extending the grand jury’s term last November for three months invalidated the jury and all its 30 or so other indictments since then.

At a news conference later, 8 of the grand jury’s 12 members called the district attorney’s handling of the case arrogant and incompetent, The Associated Press reported. “We thought we were doing the right thing,” said one of them, Shannon Burns, “and someone puts a big wall up in front of you and doesn’t let you do what you feel is right.”

The grand jury, without elaborating, charged Justice Medina last Thursday with tampering with evidence: a threatening letter he said he had received. Mrs. Medina was charged with one count of arson.

The fire that destroyed the Medinas’ home occurred last June 28 in Spring, a Houston suburb. Investigators have said that the Medinas had financial problems.

As for Mr. Rosenthal, the district attorney since 2001, he has given up a bid for re-election and is under pressure to resign because of e-mail traffic at his office that included his love notes to a secretary as well as sexually explicit and racially charged messages.

Is the US response time slow?

2008-01-22T00:42:00.000-06:00

The nation must make major changes to the way it responds to disasters such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks, New Orleans' homeland security chief told more than 3,000 scientists Monday at the American Meteorological Society's annual meeting.

Director Terry Ebbert focused on the continuing problems he said he faces weighing federal regulatory requirements against the need to save lives and protect evacuees. He said local emergency managers are handcuffed by paperwork required by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which calls for detailed accounting of all emergency expenses.

Ebbert said he faced similar problems ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and with post-Katrina court orders prohibiting him from seizing guns from evacuees. He called it ironic that federal law also demands that he ensure that all evacuees under his control are unarmed when they board trains or airplanes. The National Rifle Association sued the city after Katrina to force New Orleans police to return guns seized in the storm's aftermath. The lawsuit is pending.

Ebbert said the nation remains incapable of providing the supplies and manpower needed in the aftermath of a disaster in the same way that its military can supply and move troops into battle during a war.

At the local level, Ebbert said, the greatest challenge is instilling in the public the urgency to plan in advance for disasters. Though about 25,000 people in New Orleans are expected to need assistance leaving their homes because of illness or disability, fewer than 12,000 have registered with the city's evacuation program.

The American Meteorological Society conference continues through Thursday.

Strange Lawsuit coming out of Houston

2008-01-21T07:36:00.000-06:00

A Houston woman and her husband want a state lawmaker tested for sexually transmitted diseases after they claim he forcibly kissed the woman at a holiday party.

Nathaniel and Krysynthia Rido made the accusations against state Rep. Borris Miles in a lawsuit filed in state district court on Friday.

Miles’ spokesman, Donald Fields, said in the Houston Chronicle’s Saturday online editions that Miles was not immediately available for comment because he was in Memorial Hospital with pneumonia. Messages left at Miles’ offices by The Associated Press were not immediately returned on Sunday.

Boris Miles

“It was extremely serious,” Fields told the newspaper. “For three days it was very, very serious.”

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has been looking into a complaint that Miles entered a hotel ballroom without an invitation, confronted guests, displayed a pistol and forcibly kissed another man’s wife.

The Ridos’ lawsuit contends Miles acted in a “depraved, unconscionable and reckless manner, leaving in his wake shame, embarrassment and mental trauma.”

Krysynthia Rido said she fears AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases because she was exposed to “Miles’ unwanted bodily fluids.” She wants the court to order Miles to undergo blood tests for sexually transmitted diseases.

The suit also accuses Miles, 42, of assault and battery and asks for compensatory and punitive damages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that some STDs can be transmitted orally. Its Web site says AIDS cannot be transmitted through casual kissing.

Miles represents District 146. He is facing a Democratic primary challenge from former state Rep. Al Edwards.

New Orleans' Homeless Not A Priority

2008-01-20T09:49:00.000-06:00

Everyone at some point, in their life, has reached out to those in need. Can you imagine a City with funds to help the homeless does not feel it is an important enough issue to release the funds? Well, that is exactly what is going on in New Orleans:

UNITY is living up to its end of the deal, but its cash coffers are nearly empty. That's partly because of delays by the city, which has not delivered $264,000 it promised for UNITY's efforts.

On Thursday, Mayor Ray Nagin said the city will make good on its obligation.

"All UNITY has to do is submit the invoices and they will get their reimbursement," he said.

According to mayoral spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett, UNITY had submitted all of the necessary paperwork as of Wednesday. The mayor said he wasn't aware of that, and that he has instructed his staff to expedite the process.

Um...how are other funds handled?

Restraining Order Halts Email Destruction

2008-01-19T00:24:00.000-06:00

After Houston's embattled prosecutor, Chuck Rosenthal, came under fire for his sexist, racist and romantic emails, the Sheriff's office decided to have their emails deleted. That decision, however, has now been put on hold:

A judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Harris County Sheriff's office Friday evening, forbidding the department from deleting e-mail.

The department announced this week it was automatically deleting e-mail after 14 days, part of a plan to ease a shortage of computer storage space.

In his request for the restraining order, KTRK reporter Wayne Dolcefino cited concerns that the office was "destroying electronic mail that is responsive to pending Texas Public Information Act requests," according to court documents.

It seems that whatever they wanted to hide may eventually come to the surface.

Fed's Four Year Investigation Turns Up Empty

2008-01-18T20:41:00.000-06:00

After a four year probe into lawyer Roy Rodney's business dealings, the feds have come up with nothing regarding any wrong doing concerning former Mayor Marc Morial.
Perhaps the quotes from a TV news report, given by Tulane law professor, Dane Ciolino, says it best:

“To be put under the microscope for so many years and for the government to invest such resources into the investigation and to come up with their equivalent of very little is interesting."

"Rodney’s plea agreement resembles the deal made by Jacque Morial in September when the former mayor’s brother admitted to failing to file tax returns for three years. He was sentenced to probation and six months of home detention."

“Given the misdemeanor count that Mr. Rodney will plea guilty to, it's highly unlikely that he will receive any jail time,”.

“So, like Mr. Morial – Jacques Morial – I think it's likely to see he will get a probated sentence.”

"Today’s agreement may signal the investigation into the former mayor and his close associates could be coming to a close."

“Obviously, Mr. Rodney and Jacques Morial were very close confidants of the former mayor, and the fact that neither one of them was able to provide any information of any use to the government in its investigation of Marc Morial, is probably telling about the course of that investigation.”

So there you have it folks; this long, expensive drama has turned up empty.

Texas Supreme Court Justice & Wife Indicted

2008-01-18T00:19:00.000-06:00

Justice David Medina, 49, a Republican appointed in 2004 by Gov. Rick Perry to fill a vacancy and elected to a six-year term in 2006, was indicted by a county grand jury on one count of tampering and fabricating physical evidence, and Mrs. Medina on one count of arson.

But after their attorney planned to have the Medinas surrender in Houston on Friday and plead not guilty, Chuck Rosenthal, the district attorney, stated that he would go into court Friday to have the charges dropped.

District Attorney Charles A. Rosenthal Jr., who has been fending off calls for his resignation over amorous e-mail messages to his executive secretary and other sexually explicit and racially charged messages, issued no statement.
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It appears that ole Chucky boy is looking out for one of his fellow Republicans. Resign Chuck Rosenthal now; you are such a huge embarrassment.

HANO Shifts Disaster Voucher Program To Houston

2008-01-17T07:26:00.000-06:00

The Housing Authority of New Orleans has shifted the responsibility of running the post-Katrina housing voucher program to Harris County Housing Authority here in Houston. It appears that HANO believes Houston got what it takes to do a better job:

"They've gotten this down to a science," said Dwayne Muhammad, a HANO administrator who oversees the voucher programs. "They already had an infrastructure. We didn't have the human resources to manage DHAP."

Maybe one day HANO will get it down to a science.

Indictment Dismissed Against Innocent Houston Man

2008-01-16T09:48:00.000-06:00

Can you imagine facing indictment after being found innocent by DNA evidence? Can you further imagine being compensated for a pittance as a result of the incompetence of criminal lab technicians? Well, that is exactly what happened to a Houston man:

The Harris County district attorney has dismissed a rape indictment against Ronald Taylor, a Houston man who was freed in October after a DNA test showed he was innocent of a rape for which he spent 12 years in prison.

Mr. Taylor is the third innocent man released from prison because of mistakes made by the Houston Police Department's crime lab.

Once District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal sends a letter to the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, Taylor will be eligible for up to $50,000 for each of the 12 years he spent behind bars. Rosenthal's letter probably will be sent Tuesday, said Eric Ferrero, a spokesman for the Innocence Project, a New York-based legal center that specializes in overturning wrongful convictions.

What should be the punishment for those lab workers?