Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
WDSU on the Kennedy Talk
I'm not sure why the news spot starts out by showing shots of the VA medical center...because Kennedy was talking specifically about the proposed UMC hospital.
The continued confusion about the distinction by local news outlets is cause for concern.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Eric Paulsen: UMC Apologist
The newscaster's continued, slanted defense of the UMC and Governor Jindal - without adequate skepticism - is unfortunate.
He buys the biomedical panacea hook, line, and sinker (around 15:40). And laces it with a dose of Houston- and Birmingham-envy.
He also cites the Cancer Center as a good sign...but says nothing about the $15 million deficit that is preventing the facility from being completed (so he's either selectively informed...or uninformed on this item).
He also defends the withdrawal of the HUD mortgage insurance pre-app, repeating over and over, quite adamantly, that HUD didn't actually reject the application (which is exactly what the state and the UMC Board want the public to think, and, as Senator Vitter pointed out, it was almost certainly withdrawn to avoid the ignominy of outright rejection).
Finally, he also says the state has over $100 million coming from FEMA for contents of Charity...saying that they have about $900 million. They don't have it - they might have it, but that's an important distinction.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
News Advisory - Kennedy Event
Inside the Footprint is proud to be a co-sponsor of the following event on July 26:
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Absolutely Not - WWLTV gets multiple facts wrong in UMC reporting
"The land is cleared for the new University Medical Center in Mid-City"
WWLTV Channel 4 gets a fundamental fact seriously wrong. It's dangerously misleading because it has the potential to influence the debate on the UMC alternate proposal significantly. And it's just sloppy, sloppy reporting.
The UMC footprint has not been cleared. The VA Footprint has been cleared.
Over 25 historic structures remain in the UMC Footprint, along with over a dozen other buildings. Many parcels have been razed and cleared, but to say that the entire area has been cleared is factually incorrect.
WWLTV, like the Times-Picayune, then fails to mention the fact that the Vitter-Kennedy-Tucker plan calls for building in the Charity Shell...and only building in the current UMC footprint if building in Charity is not feasible for some reason. Instead, WWL drops this mischaracterization of the plan:
I don't get it. Is there no media outlet in town that will actually read the alternate proposal and report on it factually?
WWLTV Channel 4 gets a fundamental fact seriously wrong. It's dangerously misleading because it has the potential to influence the debate on the UMC alternate proposal significantly. And it's just sloppy, sloppy reporting.
The UMC footprint has not been cleared. The VA Footprint has been cleared.
Over 25 historic structures remain in the UMC Footprint, along with over a dozen other buildings. Many parcels have been razed and cleared, but to say that the entire area has been cleared is factually incorrect.
WWLTV, like the Times-Picayune, then fails to mention the fact that the Vitter-Kennedy-Tucker plan calls for building in the Charity Shell...and only building in the current UMC footprint if building in Charity is not feasible for some reason. Instead, WWL drops this mischaracterization of the plan:
The plan calls for the state to purchase Tulane Hospital downtown and Tulane's Lakeside Hospital in Metairie.
The state would also build a new 250-bed hospital on the land cleared in Mid-City.
I don't get it. Is there no media outlet in town that will actually read the alternate proposal and report on it factually?
Monday, February 14, 2011
OPSB Fighting State on McDonogh No. 11 School
Rumblings emerged several weeks ago, but on Thursday, at a preservation event, things became a bit more clear.
The Orleans Parish School Board is currently fighting the state, legally, over the amount of compensation proposed for McDonogh No. 11 School in the LSU Footprint.
According to OPSB officials, the state is apparently offering or valuing the building at $2 million, but the state is seeking replacement cost - the cost to building another school - because it was a public facility. OPSB says the replacment cost is $26-$30 million. Just a slight difference. A total of approximately $7 million was spent renovating the 1879 school building in the preceding decade - $3 million prior to the storm and $4 million after.
It does not appear that OPSB is looking to retain the school on into the future or prevent demolition; it is simply seeking what it feels is just compensation for the property in the path of the proposed hospital. As you likely recall, the students of what was Priestley Charter School were forced out of the school over the holidays and are now attending modular units out on Almonaster Avenue. A major New Orleans law firm has been retained by the OPSB, although the building had not technically been expropriated as of last Thursday evening. Despite that fact, the state's contractors were onhand as Cox cut various lines going to the school building some weeks ago.
I do not claim to be an expert in the nuances of Louisiana's law regarding eminent domain by one public entity against another. But one figure close to the story noted on Thursday that the fact that the state was expropriating a public building mean that the legal uncertainties could result in "OPSB simply expropriating it back" - which sounded pretty interesting. I am not aware of OPSB's expropriation powers - or if it has "quick take" authority like the LSU Board of Supervisors, the entity expropriating properties in the Footprint.
I also learned that the School Board intends to give the stone marker above the door at McDonogh No. 11 to the city's firefighters - it commemorates the death of two firefighters who died in the line of duty fighting the blaze that destroyed the Madison School, an earlier building on the site.
The Orleans Parish School Board is currently fighting the state, legally, over the amount of compensation proposed for McDonogh No. 11 School in the LSU Footprint.
According to OPSB officials, the state is apparently offering or valuing the building at $2 million, but the state is seeking replacement cost - the cost to building another school - because it was a public facility. OPSB says the replacment cost is $26-$30 million. Just a slight difference. A total of approximately $7 million was spent renovating the 1879 school building in the preceding decade - $3 million prior to the storm and $4 million after.
It does not appear that OPSB is looking to retain the school on into the future or prevent demolition; it is simply seeking what it feels is just compensation for the property in the path of the proposed hospital. As you likely recall, the students of what was Priestley Charter School were forced out of the school over the holidays and are now attending modular units out on Almonaster Avenue. A major New Orleans law firm has been retained by the OPSB, although the building had not technically been expropriated as of last Thursday evening. Despite that fact, the state's contractors were onhand as Cox cut various lines going to the school building some weeks ago.
I do not claim to be an expert in the nuances of Louisiana's law regarding eminent domain by one public entity against another. But one figure close to the story noted on Thursday that the fact that the state was expropriating a public building mean that the legal uncertainties could result in "OPSB simply expropriating it back" - which sounded pretty interesting. I am not aware of OPSB's expropriation powers - or if it has "quick take" authority like the LSU Board of Supervisors, the entity expropriating properties in the Footprint.
I also learned that the School Board intends to give the stone marker above the door at McDonogh No. 11 to the city's firefighters - it commemorates the death of two firefighters who died in the line of duty fighting the blaze that destroyed the Madison School, an earlier building on the site.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Press Conference in LSU Footprint set for Tuesday
GROUPS TO CALL FOR SAVING McDonogh No. 11 School BY INCORPORATING IT INTO UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER DESIGN
What: Press Conference
When: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: McDonogh No. 11 School (former Priestley Charter) at the corner of Palmyra Street and S. Prieur Street in the UMC Hospital Footprint, Lower Mid-City, New Orleans
Organizations: National Trust for Historic Preservation, Foundation for Historical Louisiana, Committee to Reopen Charity Hospital, Louisiana Landmarks Society, and allies.
A number of speakers will present the case for avoiding demolition of the beautiful, historic school building built in 1879 after a fire that killed two firefighters in the line of duty. Students of the former Priestley Charter School were forced out of the school building over the holidays in the middle of the school year. Incorporating the building into the proposed hospital complex is possible as HUD has expressed concerns over the current design due to financing uncertainties.
Additional parties will be present for media interviews following the main press conference. A full press release will be available at the press conference.
What: Press Conference
When: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: McDonogh No. 11 School (former Priestley Charter) at the corner of Palmyra Street and S. Prieur Street in the UMC Hospital Footprint, Lower Mid-City, New Orleans
Organizations: National Trust for Historic Preservation, Foundation for Historical Louisiana, Committee to Reopen Charity Hospital, Louisiana Landmarks Society, and allies.
A number of speakers will present the case for avoiding demolition of the beautiful, historic school building built in 1879 after a fire that killed two firefighters in the line of duty. Students of the former Priestley Charter School were forced out of the school building over the holidays in the middle of the school year. Incorporating the building into the proposed hospital complex is possible as HUD has expressed concerns over the current design due to financing uncertainties.
Additional parties will be present for media interviews following the main press conference. A full press release will be available at the press conference.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Roundup: Footprint-related News Items
+ Times-Picayune: "Early 20th Century home of prominent African American relocated from VA hospital footprint"
This piece does a good job of digging into the life of S.W. Green, covering the mechanics of the move, and noting that the building was not accounted for in the federally mandated Section 106 process - it was a citizen-sparked effort that saved the house. Still, after opening with the lines "In a victory for local preservationists" - the piece doesn't quote a single preservationist. Or tell the story of how the diamond in the rough actually came to be rescued.
+ The Lens: "Transplanted medplex houses in need of life support"
I'm a supporter of the house moving effort that happened in the VA Hospital Footprint, as you'll know from reading this blog. Ideally the neighborhood would have been left intact. Ideally, as a fallback, individuals would have moved with their homes to acceptable locations. Most of the concerns about the house moving as it played out, though, tie back directly to the poor site selection for the VA hospital and the timeline imposed on all the parties that worked to pull off the house moving effort. I'm thankful to Builders of Hope, Tim Clark, Orleans Shoring, the City of New Orleans, and partner groups like Providence Community Housing - they worked within a set of major constraints to make this incredibly complex undertaking work.
My opening quote in the piece, like my second quote, was in reference to one property - the red house from S. Galvez that is now on Palmyra near S. Dorgenois - not the entire house moving effort, just to be clear. While I had concerns about salvage and preparation, most houses had salvage conducted. I recognize that getting the houses back up to speed will be a process, and I hope that all the parties involved can move to get all the homes re-roofed as soon as possible. Many of the moved houses do look a bit better than some of the ones portrayed in the piece (which are admittedly in rather tough shape in the interim) and a good number now have roofs on. There's also a great chance to improve with the LSU Footprint moves, as Ms. Stokes noted.
In the end, I'm glad The Lens is keeping an eye on the undertaking. In the LSU/VA affair, there's certainly a need for greater oversight and public attention to the many aspects that weave into it - both positive and negative.
+ Fox8 News: "Concern historic houses were jeopardized"
This TV news piece complements the article from The Lens.
This piece does a good job of digging into the life of S.W. Green, covering the mechanics of the move, and noting that the building was not accounted for in the federally mandated Section 106 process - it was a citizen-sparked effort that saved the house. Still, after opening with the lines "In a victory for local preservationists" - the piece doesn't quote a single preservationist. Or tell the story of how the diamond in the rough actually came to be rescued.
+ The Lens: "Transplanted medplex houses in need of life support"
I'm a supporter of the house moving effort that happened in the VA Hospital Footprint, as you'll know from reading this blog. Ideally the neighborhood would have been left intact. Ideally, as a fallback, individuals would have moved with their homes to acceptable locations. Most of the concerns about the house moving as it played out, though, tie back directly to the poor site selection for the VA hospital and the timeline imposed on all the parties that worked to pull off the house moving effort. I'm thankful to Builders of Hope, Tim Clark, Orleans Shoring, the City of New Orleans, and partner groups like Providence Community Housing - they worked within a set of major constraints to make this incredibly complex undertaking work.
My opening quote in the piece, like my second quote, was in reference to one property - the red house from S. Galvez that is now on Palmyra near S. Dorgenois - not the entire house moving effort, just to be clear. While I had concerns about salvage and preparation, most houses had salvage conducted. I recognize that getting the houses back up to speed will be a process, and I hope that all the parties involved can move to get all the homes re-roofed as soon as possible. Many of the moved houses do look a bit better than some of the ones portrayed in the piece (which are admittedly in rather tough shape in the interim) and a good number now have roofs on. There's also a great chance to improve with the LSU Footprint moves, as Ms. Stokes noted.
In the end, I'm glad The Lens is keeping an eye on the undertaking. In the LSU/VA affair, there's certainly a need for greater oversight and public attention to the many aspects that weave into it - both positive and negative.
+ Fox8 News: "Concern historic houses were jeopardized"
This TV news piece complements the article from The Lens.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Newsweek Magazine Writes Piece on LSU/VA Hospitals
Author Jeff Benedict wrote this piece in the December 6, 2010 edition of the publication.
Monday, December 6, 2010
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"
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"
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
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