Representative Arnold's House bill 744 that proposed to make Algiers a separate city on the west bank within the City of New Orleans was blocked by a Senate committee on Thursday June 4. So says a Times Picayune article of June 5. The blocking of the framework for Algiers to incorporate killed the issue for the immediate future.
This writers four part commentary on the matter published here in "PolitiDose" was an attempt to try and look at the issue from a perspective other than a lack of service for Algiers. Mr. Arnold also tossed around the idea of both Algiers and Jefferson Parish on the west bank to secede from Orleans and Jefferson Parish.
Algiers, which is the 15th ward in Orleans Parish has the same problems with a lack of service like other wards in the Parish. This writer feels that is due to the many, many years of neglect by previous mayors and a unstable revenue base. Mitch Landrieu has done a good job at addressing the many problems and progress can be seen in this writers opinion. Because of past neglect, the job of reversing that neglect will take a little longer.
The big problem with Mr. Arnold's proposal which began in 2004 was it never was driven by the citizens of Algiers or Jefferson Parish and as a result it was not well thought out. The real answer for progress in Algiers is for its citizens to make their voices heard by our elected representatives so they and the mayor can work together to see that progress is being made.
Mayor Landrieu has done well in improving the city's budget problems and that will go a long way in moving Algiers and the rest of the city forward. The Senate committee did the right thing in rejecting House bill 744.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
