From its earliest days, New Orleans has had a reputation for shady
politics and corruption. This behavior predates the
Louisiana Purchase but the reputation can be considered to begin in
1803 when the English Puritanical US acquired the Roman Catholic French
/ Spanish New Orleans. Louisiana kept its legal system and its culture,
and the rest of the country has never quite understood.
The Creole descendants of the French and Spanish immigrants made up the
ruling elite of the city. Many were plantation owners. Distrustful of
the American (British) immigrants who converged on the town, the
Creoles closed their society to newcomers and began a tradition that
has ultimately been the undoing of New Orleans.
Large scale immigration from Haiti in 1809 nearly doubled the
population of the city and increased the city's cultural diversity. As
big an influence as the Haitian immigration was, American immigration
caused the greatest growth spurt in the city's
history. By 1840 New Orleans had become third largest city in
the country behind only New York and Baltimore.
In 1861 the
Civil
War intervened. Taken early in the war, the city suffered under Union
occupation. "Beast Butler" is remembered to this day in schools and
homes across the city. One old timer remembered him as "Spoons Butler"
as well and described the Creole habit of keeping his likeness in the
water closet where it could be disrespected regularly.
The war and reconstruction resulted in the emergence of
the Democrats and the Klan. New Orleans, unlike many cities, even other
southern cities, turned inward and became insular, isolated and even
more distinct from the rest of the country. The port still brought
wealth but the city wasn't keeping pace with the times. Gambling and prostitution including the Storyville red
light district further enhanced New Orleans seedy reputation.
The
Great Depression was slow to come to New Orleans, but arrive it
did, cementing the position of populist (and proto-Socialist) Huey
Long. His national ascendancy, followed by his assassination, left his
dynasty to rule Louisiana for decades to come. Long's dynasty was not
distinguished, including the likes of Gov. O.K.Allen, who though
a series of pardons enhanced crime syndicates including that of Carlos
Marcello.
There was a new game in town. Oil had been discovered in great
quantities and there was even more natural gas. This addition to
the economy powered the city through fantastic growth after WWII and
through the first energy crisis in the 1970's. Business along the
Poydras corridor boomed with every oil company represented.
The Kennedy assassinations and ensuing mystery
may have added to the federal focus on New Orleans crime. The Garrison
investigation certainly did. New Orleans East experienced growth as the
Michoud district became home to power plants, Folgers coffee and the
NASA Saturn 5 booster construction plant.
The feds continued to clamp down and Insurance commissioner
Jim Brown
was one of the first major politicians jailed. He was convicted for
lying to the FBI after acquittal on insurance fraud charges (hey Martha, sound familiar?). Was it
unfair or just a backlash? And then came Edwin Edwards.
Elected
Governor four times, Edwin Edwards has placed his indelible stamp on
Louisiana politics.Voters were faced with the devil's
own choice between (past KKK Grand Wizard) David Duke and Edwards in the gubernatorial election of
1991 (Do you remember the bumper sticker---it said "Vote for the Crook. It's Important"). Hounded by the feds, Edwin Edwards managed to bring casino
gambling to the state but got caught in a licensing
corruption scandal. Edwin Edwards entered the federal penitentiary in October 2002 having been
caught on tape accepting payoffs. He was released in 2011 after serving 8 1/3 years. The Federal Attorneys, FBI SAC and
Metropolitan Crime Commission are better known players on the New
Orleans scene than I expect they are in other comparable cities around
the country.
Orleans parish became a majority African American
area in the 1970's and politics changed again. Only black candidates
need apply in all but the few majority white areas. A whole new round
of patronage and bureaucratic bungling ensued as the new bloc took
power.
The oil bubble
burst nationally in the 1980's. Production starting dropping and
the price was down. New Orleans took a disproportionate hit. Oil companies took the opportunity to retreat to places like
Houston. Since then Louisiana oil has been in decline although
copious amounts are being produced offshore on the federally
controlled Outer Continental Shelf.
The feds have continued to be alert and investigations of past
leaders like Mayor Marc Morial are now routine. Unequal taxation favors commercial and industrial
development outside Orleans Parish. Historical preservation efforts
further impede development of the central city.
The 2004-5 scandal involving Eddie Jordan (curiously the same Eddie
Jordan who as Federal Attorney successfully prosecuted Edwin
Edwards---current Federal Attorney Jim Letten was his assistant at the time), the first black District
Attorney in Orleans, is atypical only in that he got caught.
After his
election he fired 41 white employees of the DA's office and replaced them with blacks. He calls it patronage. It stinks of racism. They
sued, claiming racial discrimination. New Orleans lost. In 2006 the
story emerged that no one
has gotten paid any of the $2.5 million awarded. A judge ruled
that the plaintiff's attorney must be paid. Eddie Jordan lost the appeal. As the plantiffs threatened to confiscate city property, he cut a deal and resigned. He got a consulting post, and left his assistant in charge. Just before his departure, in an incident bizarre even for Eddie, a fleeing criminal ended up in his home. Coincidence anyone?
Waste,
incompetence and decidedly clumsy graft have become all too frequent.
Just plain bureaucratic bungling has been on the upswing. The New
Orleans Public School System is a prime example. Plenty of the
patronage vehicles still exist. The Levee Boards are the most visible.
Elected judges have been jailed. Others are under scrutiny for
releasing too many criminals including murderers. The Orleans Criminal Clerk of
Court loses evidence and can't seem to organize an election. Cooperation across the region is
lacking as race (and the power derived
from controlling a particular bloc) is a critical factor in every
decision.
Post Katrina we see a whole new round of public corruption. Some of it predates the storm, but all the loose money is bound to bring more trouble. Outgoing council member Cynthia Hedge-Morrell led the charge with Durango Gate. She was soon followed by Bill Jefferson and the Nigerian iGate scandal. The $90,000 extracted from his freezer leaves a lasting image. Later Ellenesse Brooks-Simms, past School Board President pleads guilt to taking a $140,000 bribe to bring a particular math curriculum to the public schools under a federal grant. But she is just the tip of the iceberg as 28 more NOPS employees and contractors come under federal scrutiny. Then the Legislature facing a $2 billion dollar budget surplus and term limits decides it's time for a pork fest and soon to be ex-Governor Blanco lets them run wild.
As 2007 turns hot David Vitter admits to using the services of the D.C. madame. He takes a quick break then returns to Congress to tough it out. Apparently soliciting prostitution doesn't disqualify Republican Senators from serving. Eddie Jordan distinguishes himself again by releasing a string of murderers because he can't make a case. Witnesses just won't cooperate and can't be found (by him). The Grand Jury refuses to issue a true bill in the Pou, Landry, Budo Memorial Hospital, euthanasia cases. Foti complements his staff for their efforts and argues that justice has not been served. Next as the swelter continues, in a blockbuster move, city council member-at-large Oliver Thomas pleads guilty to taking a $15,000 bribe and resigns in disgrace. In the meantime William "Cold Cash Bill" Jefferson now off the front page for months, continues to hide out in the House of Representatives while preparing for his day in court.
In 2008 things are taking a turn? Jindal takes over as governor. The City Council seems less likely to become totally unhinged. Nagin is still the Mayor, and as much as he professes to be doing his job, he's still taking heat from all quarters. The city has a new Inspector General. Mr. Cerasoli made a splash at first, laboring out of the Loyola Library as his office was defined, however its been quiet for so long that something must certainly be brewing. The city is still dysfunctional, but if you look very closely, there does appear to be something glowing far down the tunnel. Perhaps it's just another locomotive.
Yes, it was a locomotive. We can see this from the perspective of 2014. Jindal is still Governor but Nagin is going to federal prison. Why isn't he there yet? Cerasoli is gone, Quatreveaux took over after the hype and is plodding along. The Council may not be unhinged but it has tried. The Chief of Police now teaches at Loyola. Crime is down, but it is really up. The new bike lanes provide the opportunity for the thugs to beat citizens senseless with baseball bats. The Legislature had the chance to do something about it but the police chiefs were against change. WTF