Day: June 21, 2010

BREAKING: Nothing to see here. Slabbed calls bull on Judge Lemelle and his last order in USA v Maier.

I just got word folks, the Canal Street Madam’s black book remains sealed despite what Judge Lemelle wrote in that order we profiled Saturday:

IT IS ORDERED that the Motion to Intervene (Rec. Doc. No. 320) is DENIED as baseless and frivolous. Release of the records at issue to Defendants in the above-captioned matter has already been authorized (see Rec. Doc. No. 217, pg. 3 of 14). Moreover, Record Documents 200, 209, 217, 221, 240, and 243 were released publicly by the Court’s unsealing order issued in January 2003 (see Rec. Doc. 264).

It is beginning to appear that the only thing baseless and frivolous about this is Judge Lemelle’s order, which neither addressed the motion at hand and is misleading in its text.

Sources with knowledge of the contents of the black book tell us that Vitter was a customer before Ms. Maier began taking names. But lordie lordie the names in the book I did hear!

A collective sigh of relief nows comes from the Ms. Maier’s rich, powerful and famous former johns.

sop

BREAKING: Team AROD is reporting Judge Walter has dismissed his indictment. Slabbed has the story straight from St Charles Avenue.

Slabbed file photo. Ashton O'Dwyer and his weapon of mass destruction

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.   

While the old children’s saying is not completely true, it takes a wise person to understand why people lash out, especially in circumstances such as those in the case of our own Ashton O’Dwyer, whom I finally had the pleasure of meeting in person last week.   

Ashton, in many so ways, is a tragic figure woven into the fabric of our post Katrina world. Like Robert Davis, Ashton will probably never see justice done in his post Katrina abduction at the hands of the NOPD where he was incarcerated and  repeatedly shot point-blank with beanbag rounds from a 12 gauge shotgun.   

We take all comers here at Slabbed regardless of race, color or creed as our justice system is supposedly similarly blind to such things. And in taking on Ashton we were able to discuss on Slabbed the why behind the outbursts as he and others, such as own brother Editilla, have freely spoken of their post Katrina struggles with depression caused by having their world’s turned upside down. In Ashton’s case both we at Slabbed and evidently the FBI both agree he suffers from a special kind of depression, bipolar disorder, which Ashton steadfastly refused to blame for his predicament despite acknowledging his struggles with it. Depression is a subject for which I and most everyone impacted by the storm received a crash course PHD in from the University of Katrina. Continue reading “BREAKING: Team AROD is reporting Judge Walter has dismissed his indictment. Slabbed has the story straight from St Charles Avenue.”

"Big Insurance" and "Big Oil" undermine tax base — "Big Cuts" loom for public education of the "small people"

Mr. Rogers Couldn’t “Make Believe” this Neighborhood — Gulfport’s School Superintendent asking for tax increase…”…Gulfport Schools Superintendent Glen East…has had to chop more than $5.3 million from next year’s budget…The biggest chunk comes from salaries.  All 400 teachers in the district could get a $3,000 cut in their local supplement…” ‘All 1,800 employees will suffer from budget cuts’ warns school superintendent…”[Harrison County School District Superintendent Henry] Arledge has already delivered the dire news to some of his employees. “Principals of schools will lose 20 days of pay from their pay check for next year. Assistant principals might be moved to another position.  Lead teachers might be put back in the classroom …” NAACP president talks to Biloxi leaders about closing Nichols Elem...Nichols is one of three schools Biloxi city leaders have decided to close because of budget constraints.

Much of what Katrina didn’t destroy, was lost to the uncertainty of  “Big Insurance”.  The BaySt. Louis – Waveland School District introduces the story:

As we look to fiscal/school year 2010-2011: enrollment is still down 699 students from pre-Katrina enrollment.  A loss of $1, 894, 193.00 is equal to the 669 students we are still down in enrollment.

However, the reduced enrollment is not just reflected in the associated reduction in State funding.  The 699 fewer students also reflect the number of families who no longer own homes in the district and an associated reduction in the property tax revenue that provides the base funding for public education.

By the time “Big Oil” rolled in, education leadership had figured that out and we turn to School Officials May Seek Oil Spill Compensation for the rest of the story: Continue reading “"Big Insurance" and "Big Oil" undermine tax base — "Big Cuts" loom for public education of the "small people"”