Musical Interlude
Sorry kids, Owl City is six years late and a few IQ points short of the band they are blatantly emulating:
Several more videos after the jump:
Archive for November, 2009
Nov 29
2 Comments
Nov 29
Correcting the Record
Despite what was reported in both the headline and the body of today’s “City Notebook” in The Town Talk, Daniel T. Smith is not and has never been a Mayoral Assistant.
That said, without a doubt, in my opinion, Daniel, a 26-year-old Rice graduate, is the single most accomplished grant writer in the City of Alexandria during the last two and a half years. I know, first-hand, that his work has resulted in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in increased investment in Alexandria.
I can only hope that the discussion about Daniel’s work on behalf of the City will be about the value he adds and that it is not some thinly-veiled, politically-motivated attempt at calling into question both the value and the integrity of a young man dedicated to serving his hometown.
Then again, only someone completely desperate and out of ammunition would ever attempt to do such a thing.
Nov 27
36 Hours in Central Louisiana
Borrowing from a regular feature in The New York Times, here’s one local’s perspective on how a tourist should spend 36 hours here in Central Louisiana. Your comments, input, and criticisms are more than welcome.
Note: There is no way around it. If you want to explore Central Louisiana, you’ll need to rent a car and prepare yourself for a few short excursions, some of which are off the beaten path.
Friday
3:00PM
1) TOUR HISTORIC ALEXANDRIA
All roads in Central Louisiana lead to Alexandria, the largest city in the region. Founded in 1805, Alexandria was settled because of its prime and strategic location on the Red River.
You should begin your tour at the Alexandria Museum of Art (pictured left), first opened in 1977 and then extensively renovated in 1998. The museum is located at 933 Main Street, on the banks of the Red River, and the building, which houses an extensive and, for its size, impressive collection of acclaimed and award-winning regional art, is itself an interesting piece of architecture: a contemporary “new” wing seamlessly woven into an historic neo-classical bank building; the old bank building, built in 1898, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the front entrance of the Alexandria Museum of Art, it’s a short walk to the Alexandria Riverfront Amphitheater, and depending on when you’re in town, you may have the opportunity to catch an outdoor concert. The amphitheater hosts everything from plays to symphonies, rock concerts and jazz ensembles, and it offers a panoramic view of the Red River.
If you’re still in the mood for museums, you can walk over to the Arna Bontemps Museum on 1327 Third Street. Arna Bontemps was a world-renowned Harlem Renaissance writer, and the museum, the first-ever African-American history museum in the State of Louisiana, is located in Bontemp’s birth home.
History buffs should also make the short walk to the Louisiana History Museum on 503 Washington Street; the museum features one of the most extensive collection of historical artifacts in the State and is a treasure trove of information on the role of Central Louisiana in both the Civil War and World War II.
From Downtown Alexandria, it’s only a short drive to the Alexandria Garden District, one of only three neighborhoods in the State listed on the National Register of Historic Places and, in my opinion, home to some of the most beautiful residences in Louisiana. What makes the Garden District so special isn’t its uniformity; it’s the neighborhood’s rich architectural diversity- Colonial Revivals, English Cottages, Mediterranean Villas, and Victorian, Craftsman, and Oriental bungalows. The neighborhood features one other important feature: the majority of its streets are still paved in its original red bricks.
6:30PM
2. FEAST ON MUDBUGS
In my personal opinion, if you’re after the full experience, then the best time to visit Central Louisiana is during crawfish season. I can’t pick just one favorite crawfish place. Many of them are only opened during the reason, and honestly, you can sometimes find delicious boiled crawfish from road side stands. But if you are here during crawfish reason, you have a number of options. Since I can’t pick just one, I’ll poll the audience.
Both Tunks Cypress Inn on Kincaid Lake and Robby G’s on 5859 Jackson Street offer great food year-round, so you don’t have to feel too gypped if you miss the crawfish season. If you decide to drive out to Tunks (about fifteen minutes away from Downtown via LA Highway 28), then do yourself a favor and sit lakeside at the Oyster Bar, and if you’d rather stay in Alexandria and hit up Robby G’s, then you should keep your eyes peeled for their duck po-boy, boiled crab, and fried pickles.
8:30PM
3. PARTY WITH THE LOCALS
If you feel like dancing to a DJ all night, don’t worry; it’s not difficult to find a club. But if you’re more interested in hanging out with the locals and listening to great live music, you’ll want to stop by Spirits Food and Friends on 1260 Texas Avenue. Spirits has been an institution in Alexandria for decades, and every Friday night, they feature some of the best live music you’ll find on this side of LA Highway 190, including New Orleans staples like Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Papa Gros Funk, and Sonny Landreth.
You can also head back Downtown to Finnegans Wake on 812 Third Street. Finnegans, which was immaculately renovated by its two owners, is Central Louisiana’s only authentic Irish pub, featuring a great selection of foreign and domestic beers. Like Spirits, Finnegans also plays host to a variety of musical acts, running the gamut from country to electronica, though, on most nights, you’re likely to catch good rock music from bands brought in from across the South.
But I would caution against staying out too late, because you have a busy day ahead of you.
SATURDAY
9:30AM
4. Bike or Hike the Wild Azalea National Recreation Trail
Last year, National Geographic Magazine named Alexandria as one of the top ten wilderness towns in the country. Aside from the numerous lakes and the hunting and fishing opportunities, there is one primary reason we were honored with this distinction: Kisatchie National Forest. Kisatchie, Louisiana’s only national forest, is a sprawling 600,000 acres, featuring over 40 recreation sites and over 100 miles of biking and hiking trails.
From Alexandria, it’s only a short drive to the Wild Azalea Trail, and as its name implies, the trail is particularly beautiful whenever the azaleas are in full-bloom. But even when they’re not, the Wild Azalea Trail is still worth a visit, particularly if you’re a nature lover.
Unfortunately, unless you traveled with a bicycle in tow or you know someone in Central Louisiana who will let you borrow their bike, it may be next to impossible to rent one. So you should either come prepared or ready for a hike.
12:30PM
5. MEAT PIES IN NATCHITOCHES
If you’re going to make it to Natchitoches in time for lunch, then you’ll need to hit the road by 11:30. Natchitoches is a charming Southern town made famous by the movie “Steel Magnolias.” In recent years, Natchitoches has experienced somewhat of a Downtown revival, and it would be easy to spend an afternoon browsing through the boutiques on Front Street and admiring the town’s rich architectural beauty.
But you only have an hour or two to spare, and it’s lunchtime.
Natchitoches features a handful of great restaurants, but they are known for one dish in particular, the Natchitoches meat pie. And the restaurant featuring the most famous meat pies is Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant on 622 Second Street. Lasyone’s explains on their website:
Though the meat pie is as old as the Civil War, it wasn’t until later that James Lasyone made this old time favorite famous. In 1967, Mr. Lasyone rented out the bottom half of a building that once was the home to the Phoenix Lodge #38, built in 1859. While the masons still occupied the top portion of the building, James Lasyone started his Meat Pie Kitchen. He convinced some of the town’s ladies to sell him a few of their meat pies. He did a little experimenting and came up with one of his own.
Lasyone’s Meat Pie has been recognized and raved about by a score of magazines including Southern Living, The New Yorker, Glamour Magazine, and Gourmet Magazine. Reviews have also included book articles such as Jane & Michael Stern’s Good Food, Jane & Michael Stern’s Road Food, and Calvin Trillin’s Third Helpings. Major newspapers such as The Houston Chronicle, Times Picayune New York, The Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, and The News World New York have found their way to Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant. It has also been featured in many other national newspapers as well as international papers from France, Italy, and Spain.
1:30PM
6. EXPLORE THE CANE RIVER NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
Technically, the Cane River National Heritage Area begins in Natchitoches, but you’ll want to leave yourself enough time to take a relaxing drive down the road. Because between Natchitoches and Alexandria, lining the Cane River, is one of the nation’s most beautiful corridors of antebellum plantation homes, including Beaufort Plantation, Magnolia Home Plantation, Oaklawn Plantation, and, last but not least, Melrose Plantation, which is open for public touring until 4PM.
But the Cane River National Heritage Area, which was recently honored by the White House as one of the nation’s top heritage tourism destinations, offers more than plantations. Quoting:
Cane River National Heritage Area, Louisiana’s only national heritage area, boasts a variety of interesting and beautiful historic sites. In all, this unique region encompasses a national park, seven national historic landmarks, three state historic sites, and 24 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Natchitoches, established by the French in 1714, is the oldest permanent settlement in the 13 state territory that comprises the Louisiana Purchase. The city is centered on a 33-block National Historic Landmark District containing more than 100 historic homes and buildings, several of which date to the 18th century. South of Natchitoches, along the banks of Cane River Lake, lies one of the South’s finest plantation districts. Centuries-old Creole architecture, majestic live oak trees, and numerous outbuildings dot the landscape, helping to tell the complicated story of plantation agriculture in the region. The Cane River National Heritage Area is also home to several military sites, including colonial French and Spanish forts and an early American fort.
8:00PM
7. DINNER AT THE RED RIVER GRILL
By the time you finish touring the Cane River Heritage Area, you’ll be only minutes away from Alexandria and should have more than enough time to get ready for dinner at the Red River Grill in Marksville, a short 30-minute drive from Downtown on Louisiana Highway One. Red River Grill is a fine-dining restaurant located directly across from the front steps of the Marksville Courthouse, and without a doubt, owners Al and Tanya Mahfouz offer some of the most delicious seafood and steak dishes in the State as well as a great bowl of gumbo. Reservations are recommended, so plan ahead.
After dinner, if you’re a fan of casinos, you can head ten minutes down the street and visit the mega-million dollar Paragon Casino and Resort.
SUNDAY
8:30AM
8. BREAKFAST AT LEA’S
Twenty minutes south of Alexandria, in sleepy Lecompte, Louisiana, is the nationally-famous Lea’s Lunchroom, an institution in Louisiana since opening in its original location in 1928. But even though you’ll be there for breakfast, be prepared to feast on on desserts. Quoting from their website:
No trip to Lea’s Lunchroom is complete without a slice of their world famous pies. The secret to Lea’s pies comes from Mrs. Georgie’s side of the family.
“The pies are my mother’s recipes,” Mrs. Georgie said in an interview during the 1980s with Louisiana Life magazine, “I use to go to the restaurant at 3 a.m. to meet the pie makers to make the pies.”
Lea’s Lunchroom bakes 8 different types of pies each morning. The daily flavors include coconut, lemon, chocolate, banana, apple, peach, cherry and the best-selling flavor, pecan. The six seasonal flavors are pumpkin, mincemeat, sweet potato, blueberry, blackberry and dewberry. While baked hams were always Lea’s specialty since the restaurant’s inception, it became apparent that something special was happening with the pies when Lea’s sold over 4,000 pies in less than 26 days in 1963. Since the 1960s, Lea’s estimates they sell around 65,000 pies a year with Thanksgiving being their busiest time of year. Lea’s homemade pies are listed in the Louisiana Hall of Fame and were selected as a favorite by Louisiana Life magazine readers. Click here to order a pie from Lea’s.
In March 2001, the Louisiana Legislature proclaimed Lecompte the Pie Capitol of Louisiana. Lea’s went from making two pies a week in 1928 to almost 65,000 pies a year which includes our pecan pie mail-outs.
10:30AM
9. A ROUND AT THE LINKS
If you’re not completely exhausted, then you should finish your stay in Central Louisiana with a round of golf at the Links on the Bayou, a municipally-owned course in Alexandria recently recognized by Golf Digest as the best public golf course in the State of Louisiana. If links courses aren’t your cup of tea, you can also play a round at the adjacent Oakwing, another award-winning golf course that meanders around a beautiful bayou.
1:ooPM
10. A TOUR OF ALEXANDRIA’S AWARD-WINNING ZOO
A tour of the Alexandria Zoo is the perfect way of rounding up your visit to Central Louisiana. First opened in 1926, the Alexandria Zoo was a fairly typical small-town park until Les Whitt became Zoo Director in the late 1970s. Under Les’s direction, the Alexandria Zoo was transformed into a world-class destination, featuring over 600 animals, nearly three dozen endangered species, and the award-winning Louisiana Habitat Exhibit. The Alexandria Zoo continues to be Central Louisiana’s most popular tourist destination, attracting nearly 200,000 visitors every year. Prior to his death last year, Les Whitt and the Zoo he led received numerous awards and commendations; Jack Hanna often refers to the Alexandria Zoo as one of the finest small zoos in the nation.
The Alexandria Zoo continues to be an incredible experience, for those both young and old, and just this month, the City announced plans for a major $3.5M renovation of its South American exhibit.
Nov 26
Giving Thanks and Other Observations
First, on this Thanksgiving, a special thank you to Dale Genius and the Louisiana History Museum for giving me permission to repost this week’s Picture of the Week, which I find to be particularly timely, considering the recent progress made in the City’s Downtown Hotels Initiative:
Quoting from the museum’s website:
On the far left is the site of the future Hotel Bentley that will be built in 1908. On the far right is the original City Hall, built before the Civil War in the 1850s and torn down in 1910, shortly after the beautiful old classic design City Hall was built.
This is the only known photograph to exist of this historic square in its original configuration.
The photograph also serves as a reminder of how often our Downtown has been “configured” and “re-configured” during the last 100 years, for better or worse.
On a related note, I am also personally thankful to the countless professionals and community members who have contributed their time, energy, resources, and sound advice in the Downtown Hotels Initiative. During the last nine months, I have continued to be amazed by the world-class professionals who have taken an interest in our fair City, and I am anxious to have the details announced.
That said, I am a little puzzled by some of the chatter on the Internet on this project. Even though none of the specifics have been revealed, some folks have already made up their minds: Somehow, this is a socialistic project, a project filled with kickbacks and sweetheart deals. Some folks are more content to blow smoke and kick up dirt than to actually have the patience to learn about the project they apparently criticize. It’s unfortunate, but perhaps not too surprising.
And although it’s important to remain critical, it’s unproductive and, indeed, destructive to wholly-invent lies for the sole purpose of obstructing progress, job creation, and private-sector investment. For those more content to lie, the motivation has absolutely nothing to do with moving our City forward, and no, I am not referring to the claims of socialism; that’s an ideological position easy enough to dispute and disprove whenever the details are revealed. I am referring to those who lie simply for the sake of lying, and no where has this been more prevalent than on The Town Talk‘s forum.
During the last few weeks, there’s been a noticeable uptick in politically-motivated lies on The Town Talk forum about Mayor Roy, the Downtown Hotels Initiative, and the Cleco case, and curiously and perhaps not coincidentally, many of these politically-motivated lies have been posted by newly-registered contributors. And these contributors have been brutal– recklessly and anonymously accusing people of illegal kickback schemes, substance abuse, infidelity, malfeasance, and ethics violations. None of this is true, of course. It’s shameless and defamatory, unfair and hateful attacks.
And for anyone who truly pays attention, it’s easy enough to figure out where these particular, “anonymous” attacks are coming from. For anyone who follows The Town Talk forums, it should seem a little suspicious that these accusations and allegations, many of which were already definitively debunked years ago, would suddenly be published by a handful of “new” contributors, all at once and all during the month of November 2009.
What do you think?
Nov 22
Wake Up
Reposted from a comment I published two days ago:
The Arcade Fire may deny it, but their roots are in The Woodlands, Texas, a three hour drive from Alexandria, Louisiana.
Accusing someone of malfeasance is a serious charge, particularly when the accusation is made in a public meeting by a public official.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think that if you’re going to make such an accusation, you should probably have your facts straight, and you shouldn’t be relying on the idle speculation of anonymous bloggers on the Internet or the gossip you pick up from your friends.
Either way, the truth is easy enough to come by, and this issue has already been beaten like a dead horse.
By way of background, for those of you unaware, here’s a (condensed) version of the story:
More than four years ago, two former employees of Cleco alleged that the utility company had systematically defrauded the City of Alexandria. Cleco filed suit against those two employees and EMS, a company created by David Pugh, one of those former employees.
A few months later, the City filed suit against Cleco; that case is currently set to go to trial in February 2010.
Two completely different cases: Cleco versus their former employees (which is actually three different lawsuits), and the City versus Cleco.
Got it?
This all occurred during the previous administration, over a year before Jacques Roy even considered running for Mayor.
Anyway, the other former Cleco employee, Sam Sansing, hired Chris Roy, Sr., who then assigned the case to his son Jacques, to defend him against the employment suit filed by Cleco.
Notably, Sansing didn’t actually have a contract with Jacques Roy; his contract was with Chris Roy, Sr. But either way, prior to being elected Mayor, Jacques Roy represented Sansing.
Sure, it may be a little convoluted, but if you’re tasked with understanding these issues, it shouldn’t be too difficult. The employment dispute, for all intents and purposes, has absolutely nothing to do with the City’s case. Yes, some of the players overlap, and yes, the reason the City is now embroiled in litigation against Cleco is primarily because of the accusations leveled by those former employees. But regardless, the employment dispute deals with a completely different set of issues than the City’s case. The roles are reversed.
Still following me?
So three years ago, Jacques Roy decided to run for Mayor of Alexandria. During the campaign, one of his opponents suggested that Roy was a key player in the City’s case against Cleco, even though he wasn’t. At the time, a top adviser for his opponent’s campaign said this strategy was aimed to “confuse the voters” (and yes, that is a direct quote).
Now I know, some of you may be wondering how such a strategy could possibly gain any traction. The City was dealing with the most significant lawsuit in its history; why would it be a negative if one of the candidates already had a direct role in the suit (even though he didn’t)?
The simple reason: Money.
At the time, the City was primarily represented by attorneys who weren’t interested in having taxpayers pay them an hourly rate or a lump sum; instead, they wanted taxpayers to give them a significant portion of any potential settlement. The whole thing smelled bad, and the public knew it. So the strategy, even though it was patently dishonest, probably made some sense to Roy’s political opponents: If they could paint him as another “pig at the trough,” which is exactly what they did, then maybe they could undermine his credibility and, thus, his electability.
Again, it didn’t matter that Jacques Roy was a defense attorney in a completely different case; they only wanted to advance the meme that Roy was just another fat cat attorney waiting for a windfall from the City’s Cleco case.
Ultimately, the strategy didn’t work, and the public was wise enough to pick up on the lie.
But apparently, his political opponents are still consulting with the same playbook, ostensibly hoping that if they revisit this issue now, something will stick– or, at the very least, that they will earn a couple of articles with the words “ethics probe” and “Mayor Roy” in the same sentence.
It didn’t stick then, and it won’t stick now. Why? Because the whole strategy is based on a lie, a fundamental misunderstanding of the issues; it’s a strategy built on the politics of personal destruction. It’s irresponsible, unfounded, divisive, and counter-productive.
But most importantly, it’s unfortunate for the City. It distracts us from focusing on the issues that truly matter, from the work yet to be done, because, instead, we’re all forced to spend precious time and energy confronting and discussing a ridiculous, easily and already debunked lie.
PS: One more. My absolute favorite song by The Arcade Fire:
For your Entertainment
Or dismay, depending on your views:
Nov 20
Every Time You Close Your Eyes, LIES! LIES!
I spent the last few days away from Alexandria, both in Houston (during the weekend with college friends) and in New Orleans (participating in a national conference held by the Environmental Protection Agency), and I have to admit that I am completely dumbfounded and flabbergasted by the idiotic accusations recently hurled toward my boss, Mayor Jacques Roy.
Let me be frank:
If you are a City Councilman, after four years of litigation against Cleco, then you should know the inside and outside of this lawsuit. You should know this case like the back of your hand.
If you’re a City Councilman still confused about who stands to benefit from this lawsuit or who represents the City, then, simply put, you are incompetent and unfit to represent the interests of the taxpaying citizens of Alexandria.
You should resign your seat in order to provide an opportunity for someone who actually understands the details of this lawsuit; otherwise, your ignorance will continue to unduly burden the taxpayers of Alexandria.
If you’re a City Councilman who doesn’t understand that the Mayor is a public official of the City of Alexandria and not a lawyer representing the City, then you’re either stupid or dazzlingly unqualified.
To those attorneys on the Alexandria City Council who have lobbed such accusations, aren’t you duty-bound to report “evidence” of improprieties to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel?
Come on!
Then again, I suppose that if your “evidence” is primarily anonymous comments on blogs, then it’s doubly difficult, particularly whenever you know many of those comments were composed and published by your friends.
(And believe me, your friends do a terrible job of covering their footprints.)
James Perry’s “Edgy” Commercial
Mr. Perry is running for Mayor of the City of New Orleans.
Here’s one approach, I guess:
A 40% reduction in the murder rate is probably the most ambitious campaign promise I have ever heard.
Nov 12
Wave!
Thanks to Ryan, I am an early adopter of GoogleWave, which, as I posted a couple of weeks ago, looks like it could be the death of e-mail.
I don’t have invite privileges yet, but if Google rolls this out the same way they did with Gmail, I should soon. And if they give me 100 invites, like they did with Gmail, I will let all of you know, and I’ll give them all away quickly.
Anyway, if you are an early adopter, look me up. lamarw at googlewave dot com.
Update: After just a couple of hours of using GoogleWave, I am even more convinced in its potential to replace your e-mail client within the next six months, at least the client you use at work.
Update II: Here’s a screenshot:
Nov 12
Mother Jones: Senator David Vitter, R-Formaldehyde
Earlier today, Mother Jones published a revealing article about Louisiana Senator David Vitter’s ties to the formaldehyde industry and the reasons he is now single-handedly holding up President Obama’s appointment to lead the EPA’s Research and Development division.
Quoting:
Instead of the EPA ruling on formaldehyde now, Vitter wants the agency to let the National Academy of Sciences review formaldehyde’s risk, a process that could take a year or more and that might favor industry supporters, environmentalists say, because the NAS review would use industry-based reports. Likewise, blocking Anastas’ nomination is another way of slowing the EPA’s movement on formaldehyde. (An EPA official told Mother Jones that agency head Lisa Jackson met with Vitter to ask him to let the nomination go through, which didn’t happen.) And though a Vitter spokesman’s recent comments that the FEMA-trailer debacle, which exposed thousands of displaced Gulf Coast victims living in government-issued trailers to high formaldehyde levels, demonstrated the need “to get absolutely reliable information to the public about formaldehyde risk as soon as possible,” Vitter’s position ensures the EPA won’t be rolling out formaldehyde guidelines anytime soon.
So why is Vitter so sympathetic to the formaldehyde industry? Campaign finance records show that many of Louisiana’s big formaldehyde polluters happen to be—you guessed it—Vitter campaign donors. He’s received $9,000 from Dow Chemical’s PAC, $5,000 from Monsanto’s, $5,000 from ExxonMobil’s, and $2,500 from the American Forest and Paper Association’s. The American Forest and Paper Association is also a member of the Formaldehyde Council, an industry group whose views align with Vitter’s (it’s lobbied for an NAS review, too).
Nov 12
Hook, Line, and Sinker: Part Two
I didn’t expect the strong reaction I have received since I posted Part One of Hook, Line, and Sinker, but I sincerely appreciate the comments and advice I’ve received during the last 24 hours.
I did, however, expect that Greg Aymond would respond, in his own way, on his blog, considering his publication of my initial correspondence with Ms. Underwood.
Nov 11
Hook, Line, and Sinker: Part One
By way of background, as I said a couple of days ago, I took the bait, and last night, Ms. Underwood finally responded to me.
I do not intend, in this post, to personally attack or offend anyone, particularly Ms. Underwood, who has always been kind to me, at least in person.
If you haven’t already noticed, when I am provoked and engaged or confronted with absurd speculation and off-the-wall ignorance about an issue of which I am personally knowledgeable, I tend to be a little snarky and direct, a tendency for which I apologize in advance.
Considering this post is over 4,000 words, I also think it is appropriate to offer you the option of simply avoiding it entirely.
If not:
Nov 10
I’m Taking the Bait
Even though I absolutely love my job, I don’t like to blog about it.
This website has never been a personal diary; it’s primarily concerned with media criticism and progressive policies in the State of Louisiana– though, occasionally, I may publish something about the accomplishments of a friend or neighbor of mine or a new album, and Drew may discuss Eastern European urban planning or the most accurate way of calculating American unemployment rates.
Either way, the point is: This blog is not and has never been about the day and life of a 27-year-old, disabled, unmarried white guy who works as an assistant to the Mayor of his hometown. Believe me, if I were writing that blog, it would be much more interesting.
Remember the post featuring Jared the Subway Guy in the Mayor’s Office? Just a typical example of the day in the life.
In all seriousness, I don’t like to call too much attention to my job, because I’ve learned, sometimes, people who disagree with the opinions I express on my blog will quickly suggest that I am speaking in an official capacity, as if everything posted on this blog was directed and endorsed by the Mayor. Such an assumption is not fair to me, and it is particularly unfair to the Mayor, who is uniquely skilled and brilliantly adept at challenging me about practically everything.
I’d like to believe I present my opinions honestly, earnestly, and fairly, and I don’t expect or even hope readers will always agree with me. I believe the main reason this blog has sustained visitors and contributors for the last three and a half years is because it encourages discussion. Since I created this blog, we’ve published 1,412 posts and 8,333 comments.
I created this blog to spark a conversation on the future of Alexandria and the State of Louisiana, and since then, we have also had conversations on a number of other issues.
I say all of this in order to provide the context for why, exactly, I am going to take the bait.
You see, a couple of days ago, on the online Town Talk, a blogger named “councilwatch” criticized a private developer’s proposal to demolish City Hall as a part of a plan to privately purchase and renovate the Hotel Bentley and the Fulton, suggesting that such an arrangement would necessarily involve “kickbacks.” Incidentally, the proposal criticized by “councilwatch” considers the demolition of City Hall as an ancillary action that would not affect anything currently being considered. According to this particular proposer, this is just a Phase 2 or Phase 3 “concept,” which I guess means we must also be dealing with conceptual kickbacks. Believe it or not, as it turns out, sometimes, you can’t learn everything from a headline.
A few months ago, I heard that the handle “councilwatch” belonged to Gayle Underwood, a frequent and outspoken presence in Alexandria City Council meetings. Ms. Underwood, who owns and rents out a handful of single family homes in inner-city Alexandria, has always been incredibly kind and gracious to me, and after reading her criticisms of the downtown hotels project and her accusations about kickbacks, I decided to send her a personal e-mail, assuring her that I was happy and willing to directly answer any questions she may have.
As a rule, I never publish on my blog personal e-mails that I either send or receive, but considering Ms. Underwood shared my e-mail with another local blogger, Greg Aymond, who then published my letter on his website, I think Gayle Underwood has confirmed any correspondence with her is not personal. Fine by me, too.
Gayle Underwood never responded to my e-mail. Instead, she forwarded it to Greg Aymond. I am not sure why she decided it would be more effective to forward my letter for publication on Aymond’s website than simply engage in a discussion on a subject about which she ostensibly cared. But either way, since Gayle Underwood would have rather had my e-mail to her published on a blog site before she could honestly respond, I will give her another opportunity to respond publicly.
Of course, I will reply publicly.
Here is the letter I sent to Gayle Underwood, offering to answer any questions she had after she pseudonymously implied an illegal kickback scheme in the Downtown Hotels project:
Ms. Underwood:
A few months ago, someone (I honestly don’t remember who) told me that you blog under the name “councilwatch,” which I thought made sense considering you are a frequent Council “watcher.” I never had the opportunity to ask you if this was true, but in light of some comments made tonight on the Town Talk, I am writing to let you know I am more than willing to answer any questions you may have about the Downtown Hotels Initiative.
If councilwatch is not your online handle, then please forgive me and disabuse me of my presumption. As you know, I am an active blogger, and I’m always interested in the things people are saying online about our fair City.
And if, in fact, you are the blogger expressing concerns about the hotels initiative, I remain more than happy and willing to answer your questions.
I think this could be an incredible project for our City– a project that creates at least two hundred jobs and contributes significantly both to our tax base and our quality of life, and I wouldn’t want one of Alexandria’s most engaged citizens to form an opinion of the project’s merits without being afforded the opportunity to learn about the details.
I’m sure you would agree: It is impossible to describe a 100+ page proposal in a 500 word article (however well-written), particularly when the headline is somewhat inaccurate (headlines are usually not written by the writer of the article).
Again, I am more than happy to answer any questions, regardless of whether you’re a blogger or not.
This is my personal e-mail address, and unless you instruct otherwise or e-mail moed@cityofalex.com, I will not enter our correspondence into the public record.
I hope you had a great weekend.
All the best,
Lamar
PS: I was also saddened to hear about the sudden loss of one of Alexandria’s best champions, Mike Redman. Council meetings won’t be the same without him.
Nov 9
Washington Independent: The War on Joseph Cao
Almost immediately after Joseph Cao became the only Republican in the House of Representatives (and the only Louisiana Congressman) to vote for health care reform, he was bombarded with some incredibly vicious vitriol, ostensibly from fellow Republicans who felt betrayed. The Washington Independent offers us a sampling of remarks made to Cao on the newly-formed Bye Bye Joseph Cao Facebook group:
A few observations: First, I cannot wait to see how John Santoro will “go broke” by supporting a dog for Congress; it should be a campaign for the ages.
Second, I also would love to see how a Todd Sharp-endorsed candidate would fare in Cao’s district, even in a Republican primary. Perhaps he and Mr. Santoro should pool their resources and invest in a dog (I would suggest a golden retriever) who could run as a more conservative candidate. Stranger things have happened in Louisiana politics.
And finally, I call on all Louisianans to immediately boycott Cynthia Reed; I imagine that if you’ve ever met Ms. Reed, it won’t be hard.
