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Friday, we learned of another corrupt public official being busted by the Feds (that’s a story in and of itself). See story here.

It seems that anytime public officials in LA are given any control or discretion over benefits, especially financial ones, offered by government the threat of corruption is there.

One gets the sense that all these incentive programs are to the Federal law enforcement agents the equivalent of a dove hunter hunting over a baited field.

Deliver us from temptation

Instead of offering special tax incentive programs to lure businesses to LA, simply reduce all business taxes across the board and remove the discretion of the public officials. That way all businesses that are already in LA can benefit and not merely those which aren’t here.

This won’t eliminate all the corruption, but it will at least reduce the number of opportunities for it. It will certainly do more to reduce the corruption in LA than will simply passing more ethics laws that aren’t enforced.

Mine is not a novel or unique suggestion. It’s called Capitalism!

C.B.

Uncategorized CB 8:00 am

Another part of the legacy of the Blanco Administration was unveiled Friday. It is one of corruption.

With Friday’s Bill of Information filed against the former head of the LA Film Commission, I assume that the media will finally stop talking about corruption in LA being a “perception” based on our past. That is, unless one thinks the past that is haunting us is something that happened between the years of 2003 and 2005.

Corruption in LA is not a perception. It is reality and it is on-going. Not only do we have a corrupt state, but we continue to rely on the Federal Government to unearth and prosecute it. Maybe it is only a perception, but it certainly gives one the impression that we in LA are accepting of corruption.

I look forward to the righteous comments from Governor Blanco and Mike Olivier, LA’s Economic Development Guru, who is in charge of the film incentive program and who was responsible for supervising the recently indicted Mark Smith while Smith was shaking down movie companies.

In any case, I’m sure that an honorable explanation for this latest in a long list of sorry episodes will be found in Governor Blanco’s forthcoming book.

C.B.

Uncategorized CB 8:08 am

New Orleans has now recorded at least its 128th murder of the year. According to Mayor Ray Nagin that assists in “keeping the N.O. brand out there.”

The latest murder ocurred early this morning in Mid-City. It was the second murder in 3 days in Mid-City.

New Crime stats

The NOPD just released crime stats for New Orleans for the 2nd Quarter. There was a 14% increase in murders and a 44% increase in armed robberies for the first half of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006.

In response to the upward spiraling crime rate, NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley said: “It’s obviously not good.”

Coincidence?

It may just coincidence, but since New Orleans began hosting Crime Summits, the number of murders has INCREASED.

One can only wonder how bad things would be without the summits. Then again, if all the law enforcement personnel in attendance at the summits had been out on the streets, a life or two might have been saved.

Not reported, but based on anecdotal evidence, crime summits are up over 2006.

C.B.

Uncategorized CB 2:00 pm