Send the Cynthias to speed-reading and comprehension classes

Councilwomen Stacy Head and Shelley Midura both responded to my email criticizing Renee Gill Pratt for driving a Dodge Durango she donated to an organization that hired her after voters threw her out on her ass.

Midura had the most to say:

Thank you for contacting me with your views about this issue. I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to recover what was due to the citizens of New Orleans. This allegation is exactly why I am proposing that an Inspector General and Board of Ethics be instituted at City Hall. Please stay tuned for more developments on that front. I agree that we can not allow this type of behavior to continue.

Head:

Use this momentum to push for ethics reform.

I haven't heard anything from Thomas, Fielkow, Carter, or either of the Cynthias.

Ethics reform?

Well ... yes. The ethics issue came up in the City Council less than two weeks ago.

Big kudos go to Shelley Midura. As one of her first actions as a newly-elected councilwoman (over Jay Batt), Midura introduced a resolution to finally start implementation of an Ethics Review Board and an independent Office of Inspector General.

Ever since the City Charter was amended in 1995, the City Council has delayed action on the creation of these ethics oversight bodies.

Thanks to Blagueur and dangerblond, I learned that the two Cynthias were the reason for the latest delay.

Cynthia Hedge-Morrell said she still hadn't read the Midura resolution, even though the issue has been in the City Charter for over 10 years, and even though she had the Midura resolution on her desk for a week.

Cynthia Willard-Lewis said her objection to a hearing to arrive at an estimated cost for the inspector general's office had to be delayed because ... durrrr ... she couldn't understand how much the inspector general's office was going to cost.

Well, Oliver Thomas said he'd bring the issue up again in two weeks. That should be any day now.

With Renee Gill Pratt having used taxpayer money and assets to shower gifts on friends and future employers, ethics reform should be the number one priority of the City Council.

Then, just maybe, God will put people with ethical problems in places with bars on the doors.

How to contact your city councilperson:

OMThomas@cityofno.com,
AFielkow@cityofno.com,
SMidura@cityofno.com,
SHead@cityofno.com,
JCarter@cityofno.com,
CHMorrell@cityofno.com,
CWLewis@cityofno.com

7/06/06 update:

Oliver Thomas reply:

I'm one of the co-authors of the ethics board .
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Tags: Hurricane Katrina | Katrina | New Orleans | Louisiana | We Are Not OK | Renee Gill Pratt | Government Corruption | New Orleans Corruption | Shelley Midura | Stacy Head | New Orleans City Council