New Orleans needs to stand on its own two feet

There have been several commentaries recently appearing in the local media concerning the out-of-control crime in the city of New Orleans, and they have suggested that the state send additional state troopers to assist police in making the French Quarter a safer haven because its appeal is so important in bringing in revenue for the state.

In New Orleans it’s always about the French Quarter.  Many residents of New Orleans are victims of crime in their neighborhoods every day, but it’s not until something happens to a tourist in the French Quarter that it makes front page news and a lively discussion once again takes place about the lack of police funding.

However, one of the major reasons for the lack of funds to fight crime in New Orleans rests within the subculture of its own citizenry.  These ‘scammers’ are the other criminals that reside in the city but whose crimes are seldom reported by the media.  They operate under a belief system that they don’t have to pay their fair share of city expenses because there are no consequences for their aberrant behavior.   For years the city of New Orleans has, and continues to, reinforce this code of misconduct by its own inaction and, in some cases, incompetence.

One only has to review past media investigative reporting to understand the real reasons why the city of New Orleans lacks adequate funding for police protection.  These include stories about the:

Failure to adequately collect water usage fees

Failure to adequately collect traffic camera violation fees

Failure to adequately collect sanitation fees

Failure to fairly and equally assess property values

Failure to deal with blighted properties and adequately collect blighted property penalty fees

Failure to adequately interpret and enforce tax exemptions in the city

Failure to adequately collect business property taxes

 

Each of these investigative reports found millions and millions of dollars the city of New Orleans let slip away because of its failures to deal with the ‘scammers.’   For example, a 2012 local TV investigative report found that the city was owed over $150 million in delinquent property taxes and over $50 million in delinquent business property taxes.  That $50 million included ONE local Dodge dealership alone owing over $1.5 million.  Some of the owed money dated as far back as 2006.

 If the citizens of New Orleans want to see an immediate increase in the funds available to fight crime, they need to stop relying on the state to bail them out, and, instead, deal with the ‘scammers’ that live there.   These individuals are proud to call New Orleans  home, and believe they’re entitled to city services, while shirking their ethical responsibility to support the city financially, and for that reason it’s time for the state to stop serving as an ‘enabler’ to the city of New Orleans.  The state should not send additional state troopers to help out.