Have you seen this man?:
I did. Last night, in fact, along with a bunch of other blogger folk. Why meet with the bloggers?, you might well ask. Well, for starters:
"I'm a reader. I'm a typer," Cerasoli said, and he has been reading the New Orleans blogs. He expressed his desire to meet with members of the blogpocheh to the right person, and there we were.
The city's Inspector General has been fighting an uphill battle with the city government almost since before he was offered the newly created position. Though he has now been granted the funding to hire more people and obtain offices, he recognizes that he is facing a mountain of problems that predated the events of 8-29. The New Orleans IG does not have the power to introduce legislation, as Cerasoli was once able to do regularly as a Massachusetts IG. There is the possibility that, if and when the IG's office finds concrete evidence of less-than-stellar practices (there are some blatantly bad practices that need to be studied further, such as determining where the heck is the money that should be going to recovery and city services - money that is clearly not getting there), Cerasoli and his hires will be able to present cold hard facts that could influence members of the City Council through plain ol' folks like us bloggers spreading the information he gathers. Councilmembers can then introduce amendments for the public to vote on that could change the city charter.
"Information is power," Cerasoli said. The more he gets, the better he can do his job. He has had to educate himself plenty fast, as this is a place that has endured many, many forms of corruption amongst the people who are charged with running this city. This is probably the largest city in the United States without a city auditor. There aren't many checks and balances in Crescent City local government, unless one counts that money that we aren't seeing at work for us, yet is keeping us off-balance. We've been off-balance for so long in these parts that no one person is gonna be an ultimate savior, or a dragonslayer.
BUT...one person's attention to the nuts and bolts of each miniscule part of the way things need to work might just help change the way in which we look at our local government. We live here, dammit. We need to take more than just a passing interest in what happens. It's why I finally decided to get a sitter for my son and head for the coffee shop last night. Many others have been talking about this man for some time now. I'm glad I went and saw for myself , even though I had to leave earlier than I wanted to. I wish more people would see for themselves as well.
Maybe then, something would truly give in the culture of corruption 'round here and we could truly have it "mo' better den wot it wuz."
More on the meeting can be seen at E's neck of the blogosphere. Glad to've met'cha, E!
I did. Last night, in fact, along with a bunch of other blogger folk. Why meet with the bloggers?, you might well ask. Well, for starters:
"I'm a reader. I'm a typer," Cerasoli said, and he has been reading the New Orleans blogs. He expressed his desire to meet with members of the blogpocheh to the right person, and there we were.
The city's Inspector General has been fighting an uphill battle with the city government almost since before he was offered the newly created position. Though he has now been granted the funding to hire more people and obtain offices, he recognizes that he is facing a mountain of problems that predated the events of 8-29. The New Orleans IG does not have the power to introduce legislation, as Cerasoli was once able to do regularly as a Massachusetts IG. There is the possibility that, if and when the IG's office finds concrete evidence of less-than-stellar practices (there are some blatantly bad practices that need to be studied further, such as determining where the heck is the money that should be going to recovery and city services - money that is clearly not getting there), Cerasoli and his hires will be able to present cold hard facts that could influence members of the City Council through plain ol' folks like us bloggers spreading the information he gathers. Councilmembers can then introduce amendments for the public to vote on that could change the city charter.
"Information is power," Cerasoli said. The more he gets, the better he can do his job. He has had to educate himself plenty fast, as this is a place that has endured many, many forms of corruption amongst the people who are charged with running this city. This is probably the largest city in the United States without a city auditor. There aren't many checks and balances in Crescent City local government, unless one counts that money that we aren't seeing at work for us, yet is keeping us off-balance. We've been off-balance for so long in these parts that no one person is gonna be an ultimate savior, or a dragonslayer.
BUT...one person's attention to the nuts and bolts of each miniscule part of the way things need to work might just help change the way in which we look at our local government. We live here, dammit. We need to take more than just a passing interest in what happens. It's why I finally decided to get a sitter for my son and head for the coffee shop last night. Many others have been talking about this man for some time now. I'm glad I went and saw for myself , even though I had to leave earlier than I wanted to. I wish more people would see for themselves as well.
Maybe then, something would truly give in the culture of corruption 'round here and we could truly have it "mo' better den wot it wuz."
More on the meeting can be seen at E's neck of the blogosphere. Glad to've met'cha, E!
3 comments:
back atcha leigh c
I am so glad you got to be there to meet Cerisoli. (I was stuck with contractors.)
And it is pleasing to hear that the people may actually have someone on their side when it comes to city gov'mit.
I'm so sorry I wasn't able to be there. I really wanted to ask him about his $120,000 jobs.
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