More crime in public housing

The public housing issue has caused so much controversy over the last few months, that it seems as if the City Council and HUD want it to just go away. Well, it isn't, largely thanks to only two reporters, Edward Pound from the National Journal and Lolis Eric Elie from the Times-Pic. I should also note that I only found these articles through the blog run by local artist/advocate/voice of Mr. Burns Harry Shearer.

The articles show what a corrupt fraud the HUD Secretary, Alphonso Jackson, is.
Here are some of the big highlights:

"Federal investigators and a grand jury in Washington are exploring the secretary's ties to contractors who have been handed lucrative business at HANO under HUD. In at least one case, Jackson helped a friend, William Hairston, obtain contracting work, according to an account that Hairston has given to National Journal. Jackson testified before a Senate panel last year and during an earlier federal inquiry that he never intervened in awarding contracts. Jackson's problems may be growing. It turns out that his wife, Marcia, a consultant in Washington, had financial ties to at least two companies that did business at HANO."

-Pound

The news is damning enough, and there is more in Pound's article. But it takes local reporter Elie to put this corruption in the proper context:

"Evidence is mounting that a new, multimillion-dollar crime wave is poised to hit public housing in New Orleans, replacing common street-level operators with well-connected, out-of-town confidence men.

One of the prominent arguments in favor of the destruction of public housing has been the contention that public housing is a breeding ground for crime. If current demolition plans go through, crime in public housing won't go away -- it'll only change class."

The Blog is Back...Again!!!

LUCAP,
This week's meeting was full of information and insight regarding fair trade and our other projects. Here are some of the highlights and announcements:

Thursday, February 14: 4PM- Global Justice Week Meeting
LUCAP office
4-7PM- InExchange Valentine's Day Bash
Food, Fun and Fair Trade
Tulane University Center
Saturday, February 16: 8AM- Walk for the Hungry
Meet in the LUCAP Office

Sign up on the board or write Rick

10AM- Green Light New Orleans
Exchange incandescent lightbulbs with CFL's in the homes
of low income families
Sign up on the board or contact Jamie or Rob for more info
Sunday, February 17 11AM Hunger Relief
Meet in the LUCAP office
contact Roy for details

Fair trade seeks to provide a viable and humane economic alternative to the effects of free trade, which often benefits the richest countries while debilitating the economies of developing nations. Check out the In Exchange fair trade store in the Tulane UC to buy fair trade products and contact Erica Trani for other ways you can help!

Also, Catholic Relief Services is very dedicated to promoting fair trade and sustainable economies for developing communities. Their microfinance work is especially commendable as it targets building up communities for women in poor, rural communities.

Social Entrepeneurs

There's a semi-inspirational op-ed in today's Times by Nicholas Kristof on young social entrepreneurs making huge differences around the world. Take a look.

New Orleans Housing in Sunday's New York Times

As the parades start rolling down St. Charles, the NYT publishes a bit of a summary of the hosuing situation in New Orleans. It is incomplete by not delving deeper into the issue, but I think it provides a fair summary of the diverse and oddly developing situation here. The article's confusion over the LRA's redevelopment program is not shoddy journalism, but rather is reflective of the confusing situation the program finds itself in. Not even the highest level of administrators seems to have a clue about what they're going to do with all of the property it is buying up around the region.

It also is in a similar spirit to the latest column I wrote for the Maroon this past week about a report on recovery. Not to toot my own horn, but that can be found here. I always appreciate any feedback I can get on my columns.

The title of the NYT piece is particularly poignant: "So Many Places to Live, but so Far Out of Reach."

Jesuits elect new Superior General

On Saturday Jan 19 the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) elected a new Superior General, the leader of their order.  The new Superior General is Father Adolfo Nicolás, a Spaniard who has lived most of his life in service to the people of Japan.

It was a rare step for a Superior General to resign as the the position carries a lifetime term.

Many people in the Jesuit community are suggesting that Nicolás may be more akin to the radical former Superior General Pedro Arrupe than his more conservative predecessor Peter Hans Kolvenbach.

Its super-hard to find a photo of the new leader and I may be completely wrong, but I believe the photo below is Fr. Adolfo.


Time Magazine reports "Will the new 'black pope' work?"

Pull your pants up or you're gay

Update: article amended because I didn't do my research and made some accusations that I can't substantiate and may be completely inaccurate.  See the comments.  Deletions indicated in strikethough, additions in red.

In response to the city of Dallas' campaign to end sagging pants, a Dallas rapper named Dooney da Priest wrote and released a song called "Pull Your Pants Up." While I would normally support all efforts to end the abomination that is excessively sagging pants what I believe to be a silly looking style, Da Priest employs homophobic lyrics to discourage sagging in youth.

From the song:

You walk the streets with your pants way down low

I dunno looks to me you're on the down low.

...

I think its gay, but some of y'all think its cool

Walking around showing your behind to other dudes.

In case you don't know, "down low" is slang for person who lives a straight life but also has secret gay relations.

To discourage sagging by implying that those who wear their pants low are homosexuals plays upon the homophobia that is already prevalent and well-documented in Black communities among young men. Yesterday, Democratic hopeful Barack Obama addressed a Black congregation and spoke out against the rampant exact kind of homophobia Da Priest perpetuates as a failure in achieving Dr. MLK's goals of equality.

Thanks a lot "da Priest" for perpetuating stereotypes and expousing hate speech.

The city of Dallas plans to erect a billboard featuring da Priest and his song.

Listen to the whole song on Da Priest's myspace page.

Gov't ties college funding to cooperation with RIAA

The Electronic Fonteir Foundation reported that hidden within H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007, lies language that could withhold federal funding from colleges where "illegal" file-sharing takes place.  While the overwhelming majority of the 800 page bill will serve college students by making college cheaper, the RIAA/MPAA have clearly gotten their way by forcing colleges to prohibit file-sharing technologies from being used (even legitimately) and making universities buy in to new subscription based music services that rob users of their rights through convuluted digital rights managment (1,2) schemes.  

Nobody wants to rob the artists from they money they deserve, but clearly the RIAA is not going about this in a sensible way.

This very well might impact your years at college, so you better follow this story as it develops.

Note: the RIAA is the same industry group that claims that ripping CDs to your iPod is not fair use and is illegal.

See also:  Digital Millenium Copyright Act