Uh oh...River Birch crops up again

Now, the feds are zooming in on a key media figure here in New Orleans...with monetary connections to the landfill.

You'll recall that I've already pointed out that at least some of the contaminated soil/underground tanks from the VA Footprint went to River Birch.

Here's the broad question that must be asked and answered: Where did all of the many tons of debris from the VA and LSU site demolitions end up?  Who got paid to take all of that debris that would not have been generated if Charity and the existing VA hospital had been retrofitted instead?

NOLA Defender Covers the Kennedy Talk

Here:

After several years of working within the confines of a plan that called for a 424-bed teaching hospital on a stretch of Lower Mid-City land that is currently a residential neighborhood, the three Republicans' alternative appeared to indicate that consensus on the project had eroded. But Kennedy said the idea that there was political backing for the single proposal all along was a facade.


"We have been allowed to discuss one plan, and one plan only," he said.

Kennedy on WBOK this morning

On the radio:

8:03 a.m. - He just mentioned building out a 250-bed facility in old Charity.

The question remains: what happens with all the properties in the proposed UMC Footprint?  A caller says that if the hospital is not built...it looks like a land grab.  Well, it has looked like a land grab from the outset.

Kennedy rights points out that he warned the state against taking property via expropriation without financing and a workable business plan in place.

But the Governor and LSU, etc. knew what they were doing - they can now present people with a sense of "the fix is in" - a fait accompli.  "What are we supposed to do now that we demolished everything?"  It's the height of irresponsibility.

8:06 a.m. - Kennedy says what we've known all along: the state decided to shutter Charity Hospital after the storm even though it had been cleaned up and was ready to go shortly after the storm.

8:08 a.m. - Girod is now reading off some of the over 25 co-sponsors hosting the event tonight, including Inside the Footprint.

AP gets its slant on

Take a look at this AP report on the fate of HCR-59...and note just how slanted the reporter's take was:

Legislative hurdle for new teaching hospital killed


BATON ROUGE — An attempt to add legislative roadblocks to construction of a new public medical center in New Orleans failed to gain passage in the House, killing the proposal for the session.

Why exactly was the measure a "hurdle" - ?  That connotes an impediment.  The reporter could have just as easily chosen to characterize the measure as "Legislative safeguard"...but very clearly chose not to for some reason.

Proceeding into the opening paragraph, the measure's provision requiring full legislative approval is characterized pejoratively as "legislative roadblocks"...when they could just as easily have been called "accountability measures" or "greater fiscal oversight."  Again, the slanted preference of the reporter comes through as clear as day.

While the piece does briefly reference the way in which supporters presented the measure, the damage is already done - readers see the measure as a hostile attempt to kill the UMC hospital because of the improper way the issue is framed with the language employed.

A good point

As readers of this blog likely know, the LSU/VA footprint is located in a much larger footprint, the footprint of "The BioDistrict." 

Here's a good point about a lack of public awareness about the BioDistrict project from a letter in the Times-Picayune today:

'Readers have been privy to stories about chickens in the Seventh Ward, nutria couture and Nicholas Cage's French Quarter exploits, but we have not seen a single piece on a neighborhood organization's effort to escape "BioDistrict New Orleans."'

The local media really should do a better job of ensuring that the public knows more about things like the BioDistrict.  The same goes for many aspects of the LSU/VA undertaking that haven't been covered over the past year.

Catching Up: Media

A slew of media reports related to Footprint happenings has emerged over the past week.  Here's a brief look at them and the many larger developments they represent:

The Nation - Why Was New Orleans' Charity Hospital Allowed to Die?

Forbes (AP) - Lawmakers weigh report on New Orleans Hospital

Times-Picayune - Sen. David Vitter criticizes cancellation of meeting to discuss hospital size

WWLTV - Vitter: Overbuilt medical center will be taxpayers burden for years

The Advocate - Lawmaker wants N.O. hospital plan

SaveCharityHospital.com - UMC Board tells its financial Analysts: "Redo The Figures"

Salvage Issues

I have a number of issues with this piece - because despite being glad that some salvage occurred in the LSU/VA footprint, I've documented a number of concerns about the salvage process on and off the blog.

If I have time this weekend, I will elaborate.

Newsweek Magazine Writes Piece on LSU/VA Hospitals

Author Jeff Benedict wrote this piece in the December 6, 2010 edition of the publication.

Christian Science Monitor Writes Story On LSU/VA Hospital Project

While the piece, which appeared online today, focuses on the house moving - one of only two moves where the owner went "with the house," the piece does get to some of the stark realities:

"Soon, this area will be flat as a prairie. Everything that once was Lower Mid-City is being dismantled, including the streets, lampposts, curbs, electric lines, and sidewalks."

I should note that this piece is not just a reprint of the AP story that I noted earlier today - it's a separate article that the Christian Science Monitor wrote, which just happened to come out on the same day (although interestingly...people working on the story for the publication were in the VA Footprint weeks ago).

AP Story on VA Hospital Footprint Appears on sites of Washington Post, Fox News

A mainstream media reporter from the AP shows that he gets it - he sees the story of the VA Hospital Footprint for what it is - an attempt at urban renewal that has consequences for people who were simply trying to get back on track following a major disaster.

The headline alone shows a deeper understanding of the sad irony involved in the project than many of the pieces from media outlets thus far: "Neighborhood survives Katrina - not urban renewal"

Newsman

A Roundup of Press Conference Coverage

On Monday, I joined a group of advocates that held a press conference to call for a halt to the newly-started demolitions in the LSU Footprint.

Here's some of the coverage:

FOX8

WWL

WDSU

Times-Picayune