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New orleans city council run-off candidates for District E answer questions posed by community members

New Orleans, LA ~ One of the two New Orleans City Council District E Run-Off candidates, Austin Badon, responded to four additional follow-up questions from community members.  The questions were emailed to both candidates on Thursday, February 25, in another effort to learn the candidates’ vision and plans to protect the environmental health and safety of their residents.  This informational press release does not endorse any public candidate, but covers any and all responses from the candidates.

1.  Are you in support of Sun Energy bringing a waste processing plant to New Orleans East?  What do you suggest residents of New Orleans East do to stop the establishment of a waste plant in our community?

No, I am not in support of it.  I live in New Orleans East, I don’t want a trash plant in my community.  As a legislator, policy maker, and city council candidate, I would suggest the residents to pass an ordinance or legislature that will block this kind of facility from being built.

2.  Louisiana real estate laws regarding property acquisition, maintenance, and code compliance are at the heart of the recovery and development discussion in New Orleans East. What are your plans to assure that property owners are taxed fairly, codes are enforced to assure quality rental properties, well maintained individual owned homes and corporate properties adhere to the letter of the law?  What are your plans to ensure that all new corporate and small business entities adhere to or respond to newly created laws that provide environmental safety, community health and pay livable wages?

Property owners are being taxed fairly.  I have confidence in Assessor Williams.  He knows the entire city, he will do a good job at enforcing laws fairly.  Code enforcement comes under the auspices of the Mayor’s Office.  The new Mayor wants to make sure we have quality people who have the criteria to be code enforcement officers.

I am against more apartment complexes being built in New Orleans East.  We have more than enough rental units.  The homeowners need to make sure people who are renting their property are screened.  The homeowners need to make sure their tenants are not draining the services from the rest of us.

As for keeping well-maintained individual owned homes, it is very difficult.  You can’t make people put rose bushes in front of their house to improve the appearance.  As long as people aren’t violating covenants of their neighborhoods or neighbors, you can’t do a lot to ensure well-maintained homes.  The same goes for businesses.

There are a lot of laws in the federal, state, and local level to address safety and environmental issues.  There was a case in which the owner of the house was dumping chemicals in the toilet of his abandoned home.  There are a lot of things we are trying to do to address that.

3.  Economic recovery in New Orleans East has been slow.  Many residents have returned but have to travel far to shop and conduct business.  What is your plan to attract green businesses that hire local residents, pay a livable wage, and provide quality products and services?

I want to attract quality businesses, especially green businesses.  In particular, retail, restaurants, and grocery stores.  We can be the forerunner for our local economy and putting local people to work.  Everyone should have at least a livable wage.  They should also have quality health care.  I don’t like people being out there without health insurance.

A new Rouses is being built on Bullard, we are also very close to making that announcement for Wal-Mart.  We are trying to get our tax dollars back.  Currently, when you go to Wal-Mart in Chalmette or St. Tammany, the tax money is going into those cities and being spent there.  We are trying to get the tax money back here.

I want to bring green businesses such as solar, wind, turbine, anything that can improve the energy efficiency in our homes, and I also want to bring quality businesses.  I am not interested in businesses that bring down the quality of life in New Orleans, like strip clubs, liquor stores, and areas where only one kind of business exist in one area.  We don’t need 20 people selling wrenches.

4.  This is an ethnically diverse community.  There are three dominant languages spoken here, English, Vietnamese, and Spanish.  All residents want to work together and with this city’s decision makers.  What is our communication plan to assure that every community has the needed information and can participate in the public decision making process?

I want to have someone from the Vietnamese community to work in the Councilmember’s Office.  We need a liaison from the Vietnamese community to work.  I don’t want to do this just to get elected, we need someone there to provide services to my constituents.  I want to represent everyone in District E, and I need someone who knows the pulse of the community and can speak the language.  I recommend the Mayor to do a Human Relations Commission that consist of people from multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds.  I want to help with our issues throughout the community ,with every race and ethnicity.  My office will always be open to speak on issues or address injustices that might be happening.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 7:50 pm and is filed under Green Street. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.