46 Comments:
This email nonsense is getting on my last nerve. First of all, the emails currently released have absolutely zero....ZERO.... to do with transparency and effectiveness of government.
Those are the things strangling this city, not some council member's private diatribe at being pissed off at someone in a grocery store.
And if NOLA grocery/retail store behavior is the issue - let me tell you that is one place where this city loses in the "standard of living" scale. I have never before seen people crash, not bump, but CRASH their carts into each other walking up and down aisles on multiple occasions. I have never had to stand in line so long at an ironically named "express lane" as I have in New Orleans. And I have never seen as many people attempt to negotiate and argue the costs of goods in the checkout line.
And - we even discussed this at the Geek Dinner - I have never, ever, EVER before seen someone try to pull the grocery store Jedi Mind Trick on me except in New Orleans. For this situation, someone cuts into line in front of you and if/when you say something, they claim to have been there the whole time in the "these aren't the droids you're looking for" voice.
So, yeah, this is the only place in the world I have walked out of grocery stores dialing my phone to vent to a friend by saying crazy things.
If the T/P gave that kind of play to something that had absolutely no bearing on the city's future, but embarrassed the hell out of either Cynthia, some bloggers would be calling it a political hit. Hell, a few did over campaign contributions and the garbage contracts and that did effect the city's finances. Head's emotional reaction was in a private email (or so she thought). Your public emotional reaction is helping James Singleton get his cash cow back.
I guess I grew up different from most folks. But I have never felt like I've even had the right to complain about service in the grocery... at a restaurant... in the Walgreens... anywhere because I have some consideration for the fact that other people (people serving me or even standing in line in front of me) have shit of their own to deal with which is a) at least as important as the shit I'm dealing with and b) none of my business in the first place.
The Stacy Heads of the world operate under the assumption that they are the only people with any business of any import and thus are entitled to make their complaints.
Look, I never real put much faith in the trash-Head talk, but I must admit that her classists ramblings about the woman in Wal-Mart really do make me feel negatively about her. First, she's a public official. She should know better than to think she can do anything electronically and not have it eventually in the public view. Second, who the hell does she think she is? Grocery Judger of NOLA? Premier Food Prep Queen? And to make the leap from judging the woman's groceries to voting for McCain? I definitely would need to wonder about having her in my City Council.
That makes no sense, Jeffrey. Any "shit" I'm dealing with is my own, not for my employers nor customers (students, clients, patrons, whoever) to accept, despite paying for my competent assistance. The paycheck stands between me and my "shit." I seriously doubt you sit around behind the desk at the library dealing with your shit and ignoring or ill-serving the library patrons.
Of course, none of that makes Stacy Head any less moronic for not understanding that working in the public employee means her emails are public property.
The point, Beth, is that I don't begrudge other people for not living up to some standard. I don't think the buck seventy five I'm waiting to pay for a bottle of Dasani entitles me to ignore the bounds of basic human patience and manners.
Manners, Jeffrey? What do manners have to do with with private conversations? Yes, she was moronic to think it was private. I'll be watching your blog to see if you call the front page placement politically motivated on the part of the T/P, BTW.
Glad to know that intelligent people can be easily played by Tracie Washington and Veronica White.
Jeffrey, it's not a zero-sum game. I'm not one to bitch about picayune inconveniences, but there's no reason not to expect basic competence and respect on the consumer end, either.
Now I KNOW you don't think she really voted for McCain/Palin (if she actually did) because of someone doing the food stamp shuffle in front of her in Walmart? Really?
WTF does this have to do with transparency and effective city government? NOTHING!
This city still pays too much for garbage pickup, utilities, has a broken education system, can't fight crime, displays no cogent economic development policy, and has the worst street maintenance of any city of comparable size anywhere.
BUT, though the dilligent and tireless efforts of an activist lawyer and our sanitation director, we know that at least one city council member gets pissed off at little things and vents over electronic mediums to friends.
And is a mean small-minded person who I don't want representing my council district.
Stacy Head makes $40K and buys her groceries at WalMart.
Elitist? "Classist"?
How many plutocrats buy their bread at WalMart?
Just sayin.
And she's dead right on about Anthony Jones and Jackie, IMO.
The dude from Treme seems more harmless, if somewhat of a lost soul, still livin the revolution of the 60s. Even still, the way our council meetings are disrupted by looney protestors and activists, etc., is absurd.
Fun stuff, though!
This i perhaps the best analysis of Head's email misanthropy.
It was a politicla hit job Tracy has been sifting through these emails to find the most off the wall stuff she can.
If that's the best she can do Stacy has little to worry about..
And is a mean small-minded person who I don't want representing my council district.Everyone's got their own reason for voting. She didn't seem mean and small-minded when she spent hours at the UPT in the hot sun helping folks evacuate ahead of Gustav.
I'd love to see her emails from around that time.
The email we're discussing was dated Sept 7 2008 so... it's pretty close.
This is all stupid.
It's stupid that the Head of Sanitation carries out a duty that is not their own for a blatant political hit and it's not illegal in some way.
It's stupid that there are elected officials who'll engage in petty bitching over a city email. Go to fucking Live Journal.
Too many levels of stupid on all sides of this issue.
oyster, way to go...I knew that partisan hack screaming to get out would prompt you to actually color this in such a manner that you'd actually make Head look worse than either the T/P or that racist Washington could...
The Prodigal Bi-Valve returns!
I am actually surprised at the reaction on this blog...It has stirred my faith in the thought of non-partisanship, objectivity, and common sense...
Bravo to everyone whose participated in the conversation...You've lifted my spirits...
I agree with Tracy. We must assume that anyone using food stamps or whatever they call now has to be black; otherwise, we play into the hands of....uh, ummm, uh....hey somebody help me.
Also, isn't it too soon for Jeffry to be menopausal?
Also, welcome back Ursta. (Nobody touch him, we don't know where he's been.)
I just slathered hand sanitizer on my keyboard, & I popped a few Tamiflu, so I should be cool...
Unlike something like twitter or a blog post, this was an email that was written for a single recipient and not meant for everyone to read.
Thank you Oyster for your perspective, and Jeffrey for your comments. I was really depressed after reading comments on Am. Zom.
I would add to Jeffrey's note of the date of the email about the "food stamp shopper" this: Given the date, it's highly possible that the food stamps in question were Gustav related, and in that case not necessarily tied to the user's income, or lack thereof. Rather, as we all should know, the food stamps are as much a way of helping the overall economic recovery from the storm as they were any kind of assistance to the poor.
If you vote Stacy Head out, I guarantee you that the person I replace her with will never, ever say anything about poor, or temporarily inconvenienced, people using food stamps.
BevelryRevelry...Way to keep your eye on the ball here...
Some hairstylist racist woman who can't do her job that Nagin appointed her to do turns over e-mails that Inspector Generals, judges, hell...Chuck Freaking Fracking Norris couldn't even get...
She turns them over without following proper protocol to some poverty pimpette who evidently blew Lolis Eric Elie to write a "fluff[er]" piece about her connections in "upper class society" of New Orleans (Did anyone notice that caption underneath her picture about her being a "piller of New Orleans society"? That one made throw up in the back of my mouth a little)...
She requests not the Mayor's e-mails...Not the Recovery Director's e-mails...No, not even the entire City Council's e-mails...
Just any white folks that participate in those positions, boards, or councils...
But, "it's not about race"..."That's besides the point," she tells Elie as she spits it out into the toilet...
She gets "government grants"...err...wait...She gets private donations...and doesn't elect to actually say who those private donors are...
But she whines about "fairness & transparency"...
It's clear this woman's agenda is transparent...Race baiting to get her name out there, and to hack to bits what little decent, hard working folks there are in NO City Government who are willing to call it like they see it...
Seriously...How is this woman not behind bars? If a white woman had done this to the blacks on the council, would we not have already disbarred and arrested the biatch?
Wake up, folks...This woman is a noxious, poisonous, malignant, festering, cancerous blight on your city...She's using her race, her own myopic worldviews, the local media, and a bullypulpit to erode the rule of law in a great American City...
She is common damn trash.
Actually, GO, I was just getting ready to write favorably about that column, at least its conclusion. I haven't posted much the last two months, but I've wondered how many times Jarvis DeBerry could write about council emails the non-issue of the privacy of public officials using government emails without once mentioning the privacy of residents who email their public officials. However many times it was, it's certain to increase by one this weekend. It would have helped if individual council members had done a better job of focusing on that when they were interviewed.
I don't understand why talking about how awful and inexcusable Stacy Head's behavior is somehow gets translated as a defense of the charlatanism of Tracie/Veronica. I didn't realize I was required to sympathize with one devil in order to properly express discontent with another.
Jeffrey, you don't. But, one should either ignore a shit stirrer's shit, or call it shit.
Beverly, I don't know if you remember this, but bloggers painted Head as a bitch before her political enemies changed it to racist. You ever work in a dog eat dog restaurant or office? Did you pay attention during the 2000 election*? Once a couple of people express the same opinion of somebody, anything that might possibly seem to confirm that opinion will be used to confirm that opinion.
*not to compare Head to Gore, that would be ridiculous
Funny but I don't recall arriving at my conclusions about Stacy as a result of anything like "a couple of people express(ing) the same opinion"
Equally funny, I don't recall saying that you arrived at your conclusions about Stacy as a result of anything like a couple of people express(ing) the same opinion. I was describing a dynamic that's easily observable in politics and in everyday life.
Alright then I read the wrong thing into that comment. Sorry. (I've had several glasses of wine this evening at Vincent's... and then drove home. I know. It's a scandal)
welcome back bi-valve.
hope this shit storm doesn't leave any ecoli in the oyster bed.
mon ami you are one sublime sum bitch.
keep posting cuz.
I would add to Jeffrey's note of the date of the email about the "food stamp shopper" this: Given the date, it's highly possible that the food stamps in question were Gustav relatedGiven the date, it is also highly possible that the snarky attitude was also Gustav related, as I remember plenty of folks' nerves were quite frayed a week after landfall.
I prefer to consider her hard work and helpful actions at the UPT as more far indicative of character that some snarky words erroneously thought to be private.
Actions should always speak louder than emails.
How loudly to blown kisses speak?
Not nearly as loudly as helping elderly folks and people in wheelchairs evacuate a city, IMHO.
The fact of the matter is that dealing with the galactically stupid masses that populate this city (black and white) on a daily basis can be a trying experience to say the least. If you disagree with that and you actually live here I can only speculate that you're lying.
Jeffrey won't be happy until a non-offending, politically correct android whose programming is somehow meticulously wired to make everyone happy all of the time is elected to public office.
I don't know who the last guy is, but he's anything but a Predictable Bore...
LOL! Enjoyable thread...
bayoustjohndavid I think I would classify "You ever work in a dog eat dog restaurant or office? Did you pay attention during the 2000 election*?"as ad hominem attack questions. If you want to know my background, you can ask straight out. Don't ask a question for which you've already assumed an answer. I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. I was raised a proper racist and I know the code. And I have a lot more faith in Tracie W. Clearly we have little common ground on this one.
Cousin Pat: emails *are* actions. and why would she think that an email written on an official account, in her capacity as a public official, be private. her words, like her blown kisses, are picture windows into her attitude toward people with whom she disagrees.
Anyway, thanks again Erster and Jeffrey.
Who gives a fuck. there's a whole world out there people, and it doesn't revolve around the petty bullshit that goes on in this city.
BeverlyRevelry...You have faith in Tracie W? To what...stir race-baiting and race mongering sentiments in your city to achieve her own crooked ends?
This woman tried to raise money for Dollar Bill after he was indicted...after they found him commandeering government boats to go find his cold hard ca$h...
What kind of faith does that stir in you?
Thanks for erasing any hope I had in you keyboarding out anything resembling an objective thought...
"Faith in Tracie W," LMAO...
Bevelry, those weren't intended as ad hominem questions, but I can see where they might be.
I find it interesting that you know the code; maybe I just fell off the turnip truck. I grew up in a poor liberal family rather than a rich (I'm assuming that anybody in the Garden district is what I would have considered rich as a kid) racist one, so I might not be totally familiar with the code. I thought code words were used to offer deniability in public speech or speech that might become public. From what I gather, in some social circles, the use of racial epithets is, like the use of any epithets, considered evidence of a less than genteel upbringing. So, I assume that one wouldn't expect widespread use of the n word in even the most private conversations of a well-bred racist. Still, if Head were a true racist, I would expect that much access to her private emails to reveal more than an incident of undeniably mean-spirited snobbery. I would expect something that was undeniably racist.
What the questions referred to was the fact the method of attack used against Head is strikingly similar to the one that used against Clinton which was just like the one that used was against Gore, which can be seen in office politics. An unflattering, or even damning, portrait is drawn of the intended target. Every example that can possibly used to reinforce that impression, is used as evidence the person is a liar or fabulist, unprincipled race baiter, or vicious racist. It doesn't matter that each example is dubious, the number of these examples is taken as proof that the charge is valid. In the case, of Clinton it began with "fairy tale" as a code word and the attempt to make an issue of the drug use that Obama mentioned in his own book. In the case of Head, it began with questioning Veronica White's integrity and the sanitation deals. I've got news for you, the sanitation deals should still be questioned and White is the demonstrably dishonest boss of a demonstrably dishonest department. I didn't like Clinton, BTW, but felt compelled to defend her because fair is fair, ridiculous is ridiculous, dubious is dubious, and entirely subjective judgment calls are entirely subjective judgment calls.
You trust Tracie Washington? What do we know about her? We do know that she cavalierly dismisses concerns that innocent people will get hurt as she pursues her goals: go back and read the last few paragraphs of the Lolis Eric Elie column that Go found so objectionable. She also seems to contradict herself, for whatever that's worth. We know that she keeps some unsavory company, but sometimes you have to work with allies that you don't approve of. However, we also know that she showed a willingness to skirt the rules in her past in Austin. And, we know that she used her personal relationship with Veronica White to circumvent the rules. If she really was White's attorney, I would think that would be a violation of the code of legal ethics. If not, I have to wonder what actually is in the code of legal ethics.
Re-reading this, I apologize for any snide insinuations about growing up rich, but I don't have time for rewrite. Sorry.
OK OK OK, enough of this divisional bullshit.
This is nothing but politics and people looking for any opportunity to kick someone's ass. Rather than take sides, I suggest we take a more sensible and logical approach.
It comes down to this. Which of these women would you "do".
Tracy Washington? Well, I would love some hot chocolate but she's a bit too Amazonian for my taste and besides, I just know if she wrapped her legs around me, she would crush me to death because I'm white.
Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson? Well, unfortunately for us black folks, she is white. Had she been black, then we would have some good juicy emails and we wouldn't have to bitch and moan about some welfare queen buying Godiva Ice Cream over at a store that caters to white trash. To make it worse, that tax payer leach was in fact white....or...... was she??? HA!
Never the less, no way anyone in their right mind would "do" Clarkson. And she is hotter than her daughter. God, I wonder what was going on in that gene pool.
BeverlyReverly? Who in the hell is that? Beverly, if you read this, please post a comment giving us some information like height, weight, race and shoe size. Also, what is your circumference? Please, measure an area that will provide me a worse case scenario. I will then be able to judge you more fairly.
Stacy? Yeah, I would "do" her. She ain't much but from what we have to pick from, well, a little Viagra could go a long way in an appearance of being interested .
So there, I think I made my point. You got to go with the one you would "do" because if you don't, then what is the point?
One more thing. Anyone finding a female wooden leg in the vicinity of Broadway and St. Charles Ave, please contact me at once.
What a great blog commentary. Can someone start creating a running list of reasons or incentives behind this fiasco based on what we know so far? Here's a shot:
1. Self-preservation: Nagin, White and Jones decided to do this together. I'd say there is NO way White and Jones release these emails without Nagin's OK.
2. Revenge by Nagin, Jones and White for Head's investigations into Jones salaries and Nagin's tech and other contracts, and the constant battles over NORA and the projects (Washington and Quigley).
3. Revenge for defeating Hedge-Morrell, a true Jefferson hack (and quasi-family member).
4. Ramping up a Jefferson squad attempt to retake Head's seat.
5. Ramping up city wide racial angst in an effort to drive up poor black voter participation for 2010's mayoral and other elections.
6. Obtaining privileged information which can be used in a variety of civil lawsuits not to mention criminal ones. This include lawsuits involving Washington and Quigley themselves against teh City but also criminal ones involving Nagin, the Jefferson prosecutions and who knows what else (Oliver Thomas?).
7. Some notion that there was some terrible hidden racism in tearing down the projects, promoting development and investigating contracts. The fact that Washington sought Jeffrey Thomas' emails indicate that the housing dispute was a big part of this element. I'd have to think Washington is pretty disappointed if that was her aim.
8. Deflection on the transparency issue. This largely serves Nagin who now goes around claiming he has recovered all his emails (false) and that the Council's reformers are really the obstructors in a really cynical pose.
9. Create a ton of noise as more information about contracting fraud comes out, and pain a larger overall picture that all of the public revelations that are continually rolling out now are just racially biased.
--- Anything else?
A question for the self-righteous brothers, Oyster and Jeffrey: do either of you do the regular grocery shopping for your families, on top of work and other duties? You never complain about anything or anyone, right? No, wait, as bloggers YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT EVERYONE.
Was there an expectation when she wrote them that Stacy's emails would be exposed? Obviously not, regardless of legality. Oops. That makes her totally stupid to you? It's not like she ran for first time office after some cataclysmic event, right? She should have been thinking p.c. politics all along.
People who groused on Stacy before grouse on her now; the long run will prove these mails changed nothing.
Jeffrey, your alternative choice for District B would have been so much better, right?
I voted for the crook. I thought it was important. And who cares what I complain about? I'm not trying to run the city or affect anyone's life.
Oh and I do all the shopping and cooking in my household. The grocery store is sort of my happy place.
Bayousaintjohndavid: Well put (though I disagree with most everything but your assessment of White, which is spot on as far as I can tell). And you are right about Head's email being "undeniably snotty" as opposed to "undeniably racist." But I'll not change my opinion regardless. It just smacks, how 'bout that.
As to addresses and wealth, have you driven around the GD lately, or were you pulling my leg? Perhaps I should have said that I, like another poster here, live in the GD--about twenty feet from Central City. Isn't it nice how those rich folks keep the help so close, and yet so far?
My childhood was rich, but not in ways that make me a trust fund babe. On the contrary, I'm the daughter of a NW La cop--who never bothered with code words or any sort of niceties, for that matter.
I trust Tracie to have more genuine concern about and more desire to help more of her fellow humans than I trust Stacy to have. I really do.
And finally to Uh, not dbb: It's BevelyRevelry. When it's not Beverly Rainbolt. Google it, or use the phone book, if you can. I'm the only one in it. I have nothing to hide. Shoe size--the same as Jackie O's, but I couldn't begin to fill Michelle O's, metaphorically speaking. As for circumference, I'll say two things: "I am large; I contain multitudes" (and I've certainly been known to contradict myself) and if I were to tell you to kiss the largest part, you'd have no trouble finding the target. Judge that.
Now, back to mah Revelrying.
