*Urban Conservancy Biweekly Update*

Here's the latest:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/pipermail/uc/2001-December/000005.html

You can also sign up for your own copy at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/mailman/listinfo/uc

posted by Edward Melendez 12:58 PM

. . .

*Urban Conservancy Biweekly Update*

In this issue:

*Mermaid Lounge Concert-$5, Sunday December 16
*Thomas and Morial's Committee Meeting
*City Council Meeting December 20
*Elie Column In Times-Picayune
*Share This Mail With A Friend!

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UPCOMING DATES
Sunday, December 16 7 PM

No Sprawl-Mart fund raiser Concert at the Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance
Street. Son del Pantano at 7, Klezmer Allstars at 8, and The Sophisticats
at 9. Come out, drag some of your friends who have to get up early on
Monday. Tell them the future of their city is worth a groggy day at work
and $5. Check out the flyer at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/images/rockagainstwall_big.jpg

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THOMAS AND MORIAL'S COMMITTEE

"It will put me out of business, and the same with a lot of other stores.
How will that help the community?"
-Bobby Zandi

Speakers for both sides of the issue gave their opinions at the "Blue
Ribbon Committee" meeting at the World Trade Center on Friday. There are
a wide variety of opinions about the committee ranging from "impartial
review" to "rubberstamping a done deal."

The Urban Conservancy still has many of the same questions about potential
conflicts of interest, the lack of members of the affected communities on
the panel, minimal input from the small to medium sized business community
and most glaringly, the impossibly short timetable. Interestingly, a
number of speakers on both sides of the argument concurred on a
independent review of the tax financing scheme.

Read about the meeting at:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/newsstory/o_walmart15.html

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UPCOMING DATES-LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN....

Thursday, December 20
City Council Meeting
11:00 AM, City Council Chambers
City Hall
1300 Perdido St.

*This is the meeting that the City Council decides to support or
dismiss the recommendations of the City Planning Council.*

Let's try again. This is the date of the previously deferred Wal-Mart
discussion. Now is the time to attend as Wal-Mart is slated to be on the
agenda. The meeting starts at 11:00, but people are arriving as early as
8 AM. Here are some steps you can take:

1) Show up. Watch your government in action. Any amount of
time will help, even if it's a few minutes. Let your elected officials
know you are watching their decisions, regardless of your opinion on the
matter. Speak if you can. Anyone wearing a "Stop The Sweetheart Deal"
button can direct you to the right place to sign up.

2) Write to the media about this:

Gambit: [email protected]
Times Picayune: [email protected]
WDSU: [email protected]
WGNO: [email protected]
WVUE: [email protected]
WWL: http://www.wwltv.com/utility/emailus.htm

3) Contact your City Councilmember and let them know your opinion
(phone and fax are best, e-mail is quick however):

Councilmember-At-Large Eddie L. Sapir
Council President
Phone: (504) 565-6335 Fax: (504) 565-7655
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilmember-At-Large James M. Singleton
Council Vice President
Phone:(504) 565-6325 Fax: (504) 565-6332
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilmember Scott P. Shea
District A
Phone:(504) 565-6345 Fax: (504) 565-7650
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilmember Oliver M. Thomas, Jr.
District B
City Hall, Room 2W10
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilmember Troy A. Carter
District C
Phone: (504) 565-6315 Fax: (504) 565-7652
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilmember Marlin N. Gusman
District D
Phone: (504) 565-6310 Fax: (504) 565-8077
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilmember Cynthia Willard-Lewis
District E
Phone: (504) 565-6305 Fax: (504) 565-8180
E-mail: [email protected]

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ELIE'S COLUMN ON THE "BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE"

"I'm willing to assume that Morial and Thomas really hope that this
citizens committee can recommend a workable compromise between the
developers and those who oppose the Wal-Mart deal in its current form.

But what will a one-shot compromise on the Wal-Mart deal really mean?"

Read the rest at:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/elie/index.ssf?/newsstory/b_elie14.html

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SHARE THIS MAIL WITH A FRIEND

Forward this mail to someone who loves New Orleans. Or they can sign up
for their own copy at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org

------------------------------------------------------------------

EM
Edward Melendez
Principal
Urban Conservancy
http://www.urbanconservancy.org

You are not responsible for that into which you were born.
You are responsible for doing something about it.

posted by Edward Melendez 10:13 AM

. . .

*Urban Conservancy Biweekly Update*

In this issue:

*News-Council Defers Discussion On Proposed Wal-Mart to December 20
*Upcoming Dates December 10, *December 20*
*Call For Volunteers
*Write some letters: State Bond Commission
*Wear the Shirt
*Letter To The Editor From David Keiffer
*Share This Mail With A Friend!

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NEWS

The New Orleans City Council chose to defer discussion of issues involving
plans for building a Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Lower Garden District or
redeveloping the former site of the St. Thomas public housing complex.

A council spokeswoman said discussion of the Wal-Mart and St. Thomas
issues has been deferred until the council's Dec. 20 meeting.

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UPCOMING DATES
Monday, December 10,
Housing Conservation District Review Committee
City Hall, Room 7E07

This meeting will cover the proposed demolition on Jackson Avenue that has
been inspired by the proposed Wal-Mart. From the PRC:

"The owners, Wholesalers Development, Inc., purchased the properties from
the Community Resource Partnership with the explicit understanding that
they would be renovated. In its application, Wholesalers claimed that the
buildings are unrenovate-able, and did not submit the required
redevelopment plan. The cover letter mentions the possibility of a bank,
but neighborhood scuttlebutt says that the real plan is for a Taco Bell.
The cover letter also specifically mentions the planned Wal-Mart as a
justification for this unspecified development. This is likely the first
of many demolition applications for buildings in the Wal-Mart area."

The Urban Conservancy urges readers to contact Keith Johnson, Chairman of
HCDRC, by 9:30 a.m. Monday and let him know that you are opposed to these
unnecessary demolitions. You can also fax a letter to 565-6143.

Some more tips for your letter can be found at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/letters/hdrc.html

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UPCOMING DATES-LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN....

Thursday, December 20
City Council Meeting
11:00 AM, City Council Chambers
City Hall
1300 Perdido St.

Let's try again. This is the date of the previously deferred Wal-Mart
discussion. Now is the time to attend as Wal-Mart is slated to be on the
agenda. This is the meeting that the City Council decides to support or
dismiss the recommendations of the City Planning Council. Come by for as
little as an hour, just come by! Since these types of meetings can run
very long, you may want to trade off with a partner to make sure we have
support. Bring a friend, wear a "No Sweetheart Deals" button, make your
feelings known.
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UC IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

The Urban Conservancy is seeking persuasive writers, committed artists and
just plain passionate people to assist in the Wal-Mart campaign and other
projects in the future. A meeting will be held this Monday, December 10
to discuss the opportunity. If you are interested, please send an e-mail
to [email protected] with your name and phone number. If
you have already committed, you will be contacted soon.

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WRITE SOME LETTERS

It's not a done deal until you say it's done!

The State Bond Commission is the organization that will decide on the TIF
plan which provides funds to the developer of the Wal-Mart project by
diverting city taxes to pay for condominiums on the St. Thomas site.
Some members of the State Bond Commission include: Paulette Irons (a
candidate for mayor), State Senator John Hainkel and Governor Foster.
The Commission is chaired by John Neely Kennedy.

Go to the site to see letters you can download and use:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/letters/StateBondCommission.doc

please be sure to forward a copy to: [email protected]

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GOT A SHIRT?

They're almost gone and such a bargain at $10. Check them out here:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/tshirt.htm

Got Neighborhoods? T-shirts are now available at these fine local
retailers:

Big Life Toys For Little Kids 5430 Magazine Street 504-899-8697
Big Life Toys For Big Kids 3117 Magazine Street 504-895-8695
Winky's 2038 Magazine St. 504-568-1020

Shades of Light 2112 Magazine St. 504-524-6500

Funky Monkey 3127 Magazine St. 504-899-5587

Or send an email to [email protected] to order one today! If
we're feeling saucy, we might even personally deliver it to you!

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

An excerpt from a letter submitted recently to the Times-Picayune:

"In Newport Rhode Island a Wal-Mart store refused to move its gun
department from right next to the toy department as requested by the
community. Store design is standardized, the concerned parents where told,
and they don't redesign the departments of a given store for one
community. It took the involvement of the U.S. Congressional
Representative to get Wal-Mart to act responsibly and move the guns."

Read the entire letter at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/keifferletter120501.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHARE THIS MAIL WITH A FRIEND

Forward this mail to someone who loves New Orleans. Or they can sign up
for their own copy at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org

------------------------------------------------------------------

EM
Edward Melendez

http://www.urbanconservancy.org

You are not responsible for that into which you were born.
You are responsible for doing something about it.

posted by Edward Melendez 6:14 PM

. . .