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SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
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 Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 4:25 am Post subject: N.O. speeds toward 911 headquarters--But not fast enough!! |
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It looks like the Mayor and everyone else in New Orleans knew that they had a problem with Emergency Preparedness. The problem is they waited too long to address it. The local paper calls their current emergency network "far-flung". The next time you hear that paranoid whining Mayor of NO complain about Bush, remind him that America is not a Communist Country even though he may wish it was. It is the responsibility of State and Local government to provide at least the Basic needs during an emergency. Not only did Bush have to overcome your incompetence, he had to build a non-existence communication system.
THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!!
| Quote: | Copyright 2004 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
August 25, 2004 Wednesday
N.O. speeds toward 911 headquarters;
Loan will clear way for complex
By Frank Donze, Staff writer
Plans to put all components of New Orleans’ far-flung emergency response network under one roof took a big step forward Tuesday when the agency that oversees the 911 system agreed to borrow $10 million to build a new headquarters.
The board of the Orleans Parish Communications District voted unanimously to secure a loan from Iberia Bank, a move that city officials said clears the way for construction of a $16 million communications complex to begin early next year on a largely vacant site south of City Park Avenue between Canal Street and Interstate 10.
The plan -- which has the full backing of Mayor Ray Nagin’s administration -- calls for a two-story, 44,000-square-foot structure that would house personnel, administrative staff and equipment now used by the police, fire and ambulance segments of the 911 system.
Parts of the communications network, which fields more than 1 million calls annually, are now scattered across the city, from Mid-City to the French Quarter.
The new structure also will house the city’s offices of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security, now based at City Hall.
"This is a major milestone on the road to completion of this project," said William Hawkins, executive director of the communications district.
"The whole purpose of this is to bring all the decision makers together where they can respond to the information coming in on a normal day about crime, fire and emergency medical needs, as well as information during a natural or man-made disaster."
The 911 agency is run by an eight-member board that includes several City Hall officials, including the directors of the police, fire and health departments as well as representatives of the Louisiana National Guard and the State Police.
Construction costs for the new command center, which will be home to as many as 200 employees, will be borne solely by the communications district, which collects about $3.2 million annually from fees on all phone service in New Orleans.
The proliferation of cell phones in recent years, combined with belt-tightening by the agency, has resulted in a surplus of more than $6 million. Combined with the loan, those savings will pay for the project.
Under terms of the arrangement approved Tuesday, the loan will be paid off over 15 years, with an average annual interest rate of about 4.08 percent. The sliding rate will start at 2.35 percent in year one, and top out at 4.35 percent in year 15.
Hawkins said the communications district plans to close on the loan by Sept. 24. If final architectural drawings are done by October, he said, construction bids will be solicited before year’s end. If work begins by next spring, completion is projected for early 2007.
The new building will be equipped with backup generators as well as kitchen, storage and sleeping areas, allowing emergency personnel cut off from the outside world to function autonomously for up to four days.
Communications district officials say the site, a 5.5-acre parcel adjacent to Cypress Grove Cemetery, is perfectly suited for their needs because it is located on a natural ridge. Still, Hawkins said plans call for the building to be raised by several feet to guard against flooding. Its windows and exterior would be strong enough to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.
In June 2003, the communications district signed a 90-year lease with the property’s owner, the Firemen’s Charitable and Benevolent Association of New Orleans.
Currently, there are three commercial buildings on the site: a vacant former bank and two active businesses, one that sells tombstones and another that deals in marble statuary. Hawkins said his agency will help those businesses relocate.
With nearly 200 people reporting for work at the site daily and the Canal Street streetcar line terminus at City Park Avenue nearby, Hawkins said the district hopes to sublease space fronting the complex along City Park Avenue for a coffee shop and other small commercial ventures.
Representatives of the 911 board also are continuing discussions with preservationists who hope to restore a jazz landmark on the site formerly known as the Halfway House.
The building, so named because it was then halfway between the city and Lake Pontchartrain along the New Basin Canal, was a popular dance hall and music club before 1930. Orkin Exterminating Co. occupied the structure from 1952 to 1995, but it has been vacant since then.
The building was badly damaged by fire in June 2000, and the New Orleans Jazz Restoration Society, a group of jazz fans, has been trying to raise money to buy and renovate the building.
. . . . . . .
Frank Donze can be reached at fdonze@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3328.
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SBD |
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GenrXr
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 1720
Location: Houston
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:20 am Post subject: Re: N.O. speeds toward 911 headquarters--But not fast enough |
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hear hear!
_________________
"An activist is the person who cleans up the water, not the one claiming its dirty."
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Founder of Conservative Philosophy |
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LewWaters
Admin
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 4042
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:28 am Post subject: |
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All of this is meaningless when the chain of command breaks down from the get go.
| Quote: | Whos Responsible For New Orleans?
by D.C. Thornton Sept 2, 2005
If critics of the Hurricane Katrina disaster are going to play the blame game, they should at least play according to Hoyle.
In case you aren’t familiar with how our government is SUPPOSED to work:
The chain of responsiblity for the protection of the citizens in New Orleans is:
1. The Mayor
2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security (a political appointee of the Governor who reports to the Governor)
3. The Governor
4. The Head of Homeland Security
5. The President
What did each do?
1. The mayor, with 5 days advance, waited until 2 days before he announced a mandatory evacuation (at the behest of the President). The he failed to provide transportation for those without transport even though he had hundreds of buses at his disposal.
2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security failed to have any plan for a contingency that has been talked about for 50 years. Then he blames the Feds for not doing what he should have done. (So much for political appointees)
3. The Governor, despite a declaration of disaster by the President 2 DAYS BEFORE the storm hit, failed to take advantage of the offer of Federal troops and aid. Until 2 DAYS AFTER the storm hit.
4. The Director of Homeland Security positioned assets in the area to be ready when the Governor called for them
5. The President urged a mandatory evacuation, and even declared a disaster State of Emergency, freeing up millions of dollars of federal assistance, should the Governor decide to use it.
Oh and by the way, the levees that broke were the responsibility of the local landowners and the local levee board to maintain, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
The disaster in New Orleans is what you get after decades of corrupt (democrat) government going all the way back to Huey Long.
Funds for disaster protection and relief have been flowing into this city for decades, and where has it gone, but into the pockets of the politicos and their friends.
Decades of socialist government in New Orleans has sapped all self reliance from the community, and made them dependent upon government for every little thing.
Political correctness and a lack of will to fight crime have created the single most corrupt police force in the country, and has permitted gang violence to flourish.
The sad thing is that there are many poor folks who have suffered and died needlessly because those that they voted into office failed them. |
http://www.dcthornton.com/?p=2047
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Ohio Voter
PO2
Joined: 09 Aug 2004
Posts: 360
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 10:20 am Post subject: Re: N.O. speeds toward 911 headquarters--But not fast enough |
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Ist there a link to this story?
[quote="SBD"]It looks like the Mayor and everyone else in New Orleans knew that they had a problem with Emergency Preparedness. The problem is they waited too long to address it. The local paper calls their current emergency network "far-flung". The next time you hear that paranoid whining Mayor of NO complain about Bush, remind him that America is not a Communist Country even though he may wish it was. It is the responsibility of State and Local government to provide at least the Basic needs during an emergency. Not only did Bush have to overcome your incompetence, he had to build a non-existence communication system.
THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!!
| Quote: | Copyright 2004 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
August 25, 2004 Wednesday
N.O. speeds toward 911 headquarters;
Loan will clear way for complex
By Frank Donze, Staff writer
Plans to put all components of New Orleans’ far-flung emergency response network under one roof took a big step forward Tuesday when the agency that oversees the 911 system agreed to borrow $10 million to build a new headquarters.
<snip>
SBD |
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SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:43 pm Post subject: Re: N.O. speeds toward 911 headquarters--But not fast enough |
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[quote="Ohio Voter"]Ist there a link to this story?
| SBD wrote: | It looks like the Mayor and everyone else in New Orleans knew that they had a problem with Emergency Preparedness. The problem is they waited too long to address it. The local paper calls their current emergency network "far-flung". The next time you hear that paranoid whining Mayor of NO complain about Bush, remind him that America is not a Communist Country even though he may wish it was. It is the responsibility of State and Local government to provide at least the Basic needs during an emergency. Not only did Bush have to overcome your incompetence, he had to build a non-existence communication system.
THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!!
| Quote: | Copyright 2004 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
August 25, 2004 Wednesday
N.O. speeds toward 911 headquarters;
Loan will clear way for complex
By Frank Donze, Staff writer
Plans to put all components of New Orleans’ far-flung emergency response network under one roof took a big step forward Tuesday when the agency that oversees the 911 system agreed to borrow $10 million to build a new headquarters.
<snip>
SBD |
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I found it in the Lexis database, so don't have an online link to it.
SBD |
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SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) February 14, 2003 Friday
$397 billion budget package OK'd; Bush says he will sign;
Southeast La. projects to get $500 million
By Bruce Alpert; Washington bureau
WASHINGTON -- More than four months late, Congress finally agreed on a spending bill for 2003 that provides more than $500 million for flood control, transportation and homeland security projects in southeast Louisiana.
The House approved the $397.4 billion package, 338-83, late Thursday. The Senate agreed, 76-20. President Bush said in a written statement, "I look forward to signing this legislation and to continuing a course of fiscal discipline."
The bill, which accounts for all federal agencies except for Defense, significantly increases financing for education, NASA and the Army Corps of Engineers over levels proposed by Bush.
It also provides $3.5 billion promised to police and fire departments more than a year ago for training and equipment to help meet the continuing terrorism threat.
Louisiana public schools can expect to get $232.4 million in Title I financing, the major federal education aid program, up from $213.1 million the previous fiscal year, according to the office of Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. State highways will get $454.5 million, up from the $326 million in Bush's original spending bill.
As usual, the federal spending bill is full of money for New Orleans area projects.
Along with the usual list of flood control and transportation projects, the bill provides $1.5 million for Mayor Ray Nagin's anticorruption efforts.
"It's very needed, and I'm confident it will be very well-spent," said Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, a member of the House Appropriations Committee who pushed for the financing.
Also included in the bill is $3.4 million for the Lockheed Martin Manned Space Systems' Michoud assembly facility in eastern New Orleans to develop new manufacturing techniques. Landrieu, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the money should help ensure the long-term viability of the facility.
Louisiana sugar cane farmers and sugar mills will share $60 million from a $3.1 billion emergency farm package for losses resulting from Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili.
"We fully expect that it will exceed $60 million in Louisiana," said Ken Johnson, spokesman for Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, who negotiated the assistance package.
Some congressional members complained about having to vote for the giant spending bill only hours after receiving the legislation hammered out in marathon negotiations among top Republican leaders and Vice President Dick Cheney. The bill and its supporting documents came to more than 3,000 pages.
"It's an awful process, and there's no real legislative debate that takes place," said Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans. "The new members can't believe it. I can hardly believe it myself."
Here's how some other New Orleans area programs fare in the bill:
-- $50 million for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Control project, more than twice what was proposed by Bush.
-- $15 million for the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock replacement project, nearly twice as much as sought by Bush. Local lawmakers said that the money was needed to keep the massive project on track, but critics including Taxpayers for Common Sense said that Congress should have stopped financing because the work can't be justified by current ship traffic.
-- Among local Army Corps of Engineers projects, West Bank and vicinity hurricane protection will get $9 million and Lake Pontchartrain and vicinity hurricane protection will get $7 million.
-- The Canal Street streetcar project will get $22 million. That's about what local officials had sought, but it remains unclear whether the federal government will insist on a higher local percentage of financing than the current 80-20 federal-local split.
-- $478 million for a Coast Guard program to modernize its aircraft and ships. Vitter said that much of the work is expected to be done at Northrop Grumman Avondale Industries in New Orleans. The financing reflects the Coast Guard's expanded role in antiterrorism efforts.
-- $6 million for the Southern Regional Agriculture Center in New Orleans to continue research designed to eradicate Formosan termites in the French Quarter and elsewhere.
-- $500,000 for the University of New Orleans Intermodal Transportation Center to pay for rail, aviation and port research.
-- $4.9 million to continue cleanup programs by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program.
Among the riders that members added to the bill is one by Vitter and Tauzin that repeats language in earlier spending bills directing the city of New Orleans to develop a regional governance plan for Louis Armstrong International Airport.
_________________________
ROLL CALL
How Louisiana's representatives and senators voted on a $397.4 billion spending bill for this year. Approved in the House, 338-83.
YES: Alexander, D-Quitman; John, D-Crowley; McCrery, R-Shreveport; Tauzin, R-Chackbay; Vitter, R-Metairie.
NO: Jefferson, D-New Orleans; Baker, R-Baton Rouge.
Approved in the Senate, 76-20.
YES: Breaux, Landrieu. |
SBD |
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Deuce
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 589
Location: FL
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting NO crime report published just days before Katrina gives a clue as to how the many felons taking advantage of Katrina got there in the first place:
http://www.nola.com/crime/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1124865935219740.xml
| Quote: | ...a disproportionately small percentage of people convicted in New Orleans ended up behind bars, the Crime Commission study shows. Predictably, only 5 percent of those convicted of narcotics possession were sent to prison, a reflection of shifting public sentiment about minor drug use and recent easing of state drug laws. But Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche said it was alarming to learn that only 12 percent of those convicted of drug distribution received prison time.
Violent offenses -- murder, rape, robbery, and felony battery or assault -- made up only 5 percent of all convictions during 2003-04. That is down from the 9 percent violent crime conviction rate shown in the Crime Commission's identical study during 1999-2000. Nearly all violent crimes draw a mandatory minimum prison term upon conviction.
"Basically, we're convicting the minor offenders, and the serious offenders are walking free," Goyeneche said. "Is it any wonder we have a serious crime problem when so few people are being prosecuted, much less convicted, for crimes of violence?"
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--Times Picayune 8/24/05, Michael Perlstein
Deuce |
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