Ideally, if a city wants to fix its issues, it should pay for them. Ideally.
However, the bureaucratic engines of New Orleans are often so clogged that its issues are typically more successfully handled by private organizations.
Even in a case where procurement processes and red tape could be waived, similar to Governor Landry’s emergency declaration as a result of the terror attack on Bourbon Street, the city of New Orleans drags its feet to do the same.
The hiring of Bill Bratton to head up the shoring of security for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras is just the most recent example. Yesterday it came out that Bratton’s services will be funded, not by the city, but by the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation.
Why is this? Why is it an issue? And why does our city continue to be an impediment rather than an aide to security efforts?
I spoke with Councilman Joe Giarrusso, whose been a close part of these conversations, and he helped provide some clarity.
Giairrusso says, “I think the issue has always been that the community outside the government has stepped up countless times—whether it's after Katrina, Ida, or whatever the disaster is. They put money on the table to supplement the city’s needs, and say we want something to go smoother or faster.”
On hiring Bill Bratton, Giarrusso explains, “My understanding is that the money for Bratton was part of the reason for the non-profit is because things in government get bogged down…The governor signed an emergency declaration waiving procurement. The city should have something similar. So I don't see the process as being an obstacle here.”
Giarrusso explains that non-profit funding adds another layer for disseminating information, making it harder for citizens to stay up to date on new safety implementations.
Giarrusso says it doesn’t have to be this way, especially at this point in the year. He explains, “We fund the NOPD at the beginning of the year. They're sitting on a relatively large budget right now because they haven't spent it. We can just take the money out of their operating budget, use it to fund Bratton, and come back and fill it as necessary…I don't see any reason why the city shouldn't.”
As a member of the New Orleans City Council, Giarrusso is someone who approves the city budget. But once that’s approved, they can’t tell them how it is they should spend it. He says, “The way I always say it is I can buy the light bulbs, but I can't make them screw it in.”
Giarrusso brought up another point—something that so easily gets lost in the frantic rush to secure the city for its massive event—which is that it's the people who live and deal with quality of life in this city after the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras are the ones who matter most. And the city owes it to them to communicate what’s being done to minimize risk long-term in all areas of the city, not just in the most populated areas when hordes of tourists are in town.
Ideally, this information should come from city officials, not organizations they have little familiarity with. Ideally.
“Getting everything ready for the Super Bowl is incredibly important," says Giarrusso. "But I know a lot of residents who live in outlying areas like Gentilly, Lakeview, and other parts of the city feel like they aren't getting the love the downtown CBD is getting right now. And so they have to see the quality of life issues working for them, too.”