#lehrman

[design-law]

Does this container infringe this design patent? That’s the claim in this recently-filed complaint.

[lexi-tyler]

Sasha Turner on Slavery, Emotions, and Gendered Power by YaleUniversity https://ift.tt/2K2X4zr

[lexi-tyler]

Erik Mathisen on American Diplomacy during the era of Reconstruction by YaleUniversity http://ift.tt/2AA0STx

[early20thart]

Ballet Mecanique by George Antheil, at the National Gallery of Art

[joeylehrman-blog]

UPDATE: State Approved Insurance Waiver for Holy Cross

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter  

In an update to a recent post, it appears as if the Holy Cross School will not be responsible for repaying a $48.9 million grant in Hurricane Katrina recovery funds to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The federal agency typically provides aid to rebuild damaged buildings after natural disasters. One stipulation of the aid requires that recipients maintain a certain level of insurance against the hazard the caused the original damage.

In an audit issued by FEMA Tuesday, Federal officials claimed that school officials at Holy Cross didn't complete the necessary waiver requirements in a timely manner in order to be considered exempt from maintaining the required level of insurance. FEMA noted that the waiver application was still in review at the state level at the time of the audit report.

However, according to a letter provided to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, the state approved the waver on October 25th, allowing the Holy Cross School to maintain just $4 million in flood damage, drastically lower than the $52.9 million figured quoted by FEMA.

But with a waiver, the school doesn't have to pay back anything. The Louisiana insurance commissioner's October letter says Holy Cross' coverage is 'reasonable' and meets federal criteria. The letter was copied to FEMA and the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, which administers the grant.

After acknolweding that the audit report might seem "a little misleading," spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security Bill Hillburg actually acknowledged thtat the state had approved the waiver.

He gave two reasons for the omission: The report is a point-in-time 'snapshot' completed before the state approval came through, he said, and the team didn't know whether FEMA had approved the waiver yet. 'Sometimes FEMA does not accept waivers,' he said. 

The final resolution to the issue should be forthcoming shortly, as FEMA spokeswoman Megan Webbeking said the agency is in the process of reviewing the waiver and preparing a response to the audit report.

When asked about the issue, Holy Cross headmaster Charles DiGange was confused about why the Office of the Inspector General had failed to include those details about the state approving its waiver int he audit.

'We did what they requested,' said DiGange, who had expected a clean audit with no findings. 'We fulfilled the requirements.'

He said students were distressed and have been asking if they're going to lose their school.

Whether this issue is a result of federal and state agencies not communicating with each other, or just a simple oversight caused by mis-aligned reporting schedules, it is clear that there was failure at several levels in the system that caused an unnecssary amount of panic for the Holy Cross community. This blogger will continue to monitor the story and post any developments, including further statements from federal and state offificals that will hopefully better explain the issue. 

Source: State Ok'd insurance waiver that allows Holy Cross School to keep $49 million in FEMA funds - By Danielle Dreilinger, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Joey Lehrman is a retired teacher with over 40 years of experience in the New Orleans public school system. Since retiring, he has transitioned to sharing his experience and perspective and all things New Orleans through a variety of blogs, news-sites, and social networks.

Return Home www.joey-lehrman.com www.joeylehrman.net

[joeylehrman-blog]

Holy Cross School and the $49 Million Repayment

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter  

The Holy Cross School, the 5th-12th grade Roman Catholic boys school in New Orleans, could be on the hook to repay up to $49 million to FEMA. The school, which moved its campus to the Gentilly neighborhood from its former 9th ward home, received an $86.6 million grant from FEMA after Hurricane Katrina. The stimulus package was designed to help the school rebuild its destroyed facilities.

According to arecent post from Danielle Dreilinger, of NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune: 

FEMA requires that applicants for disaster assistance money maintain adequate insurance for the hazard that caused the initial damage, though they may request an exemption from the state. 'Holy Cross should have obtained and maintained $52.9 million in flood insurance or received an exemption from insurance requirements from its state insurance commissioner. However, Holy Cross obtained only $4.0 million in flood insurance,' the auditors write.

Although this blogger doesn't know much about school financing and facilities, it seems that many of our local private and charter schools continue to affected by financial and organizational mismanagement. How this affects their school performance and success of their students remains to be seen. But with regards to the Holy Cross issue, this seems like it could be a very costly mistake that could've easily been avoided.

School officials said they intended to apply for an exemption but were unsure how to proceed and how much insurance they needed to get. Federal auditors said the school had more than enough time to figure it out.

Auditors said the governor's office should have monitored the grant more closely. The governor's office and school officials disagree with the findings, the report says.

Stay tuned to nola.com for continuing coverage of this issue.

Joey Lehrman is a retired teacher with over 40 years of experience in the New Orleans public school system. Since retiring, he has transitioned to sharing his experience and perspective and all things New Orleans through a variety of blogs, news-sites, and social networks.

Return Home www.joey-lehrman.com www.joeylehrman.net

[joeylehrman-blog]

Louisiana's Crumbling Infrastructure

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter  

How much would it cost to repair Louisiana's crumbling roads and bridges? According to a recent post on nola.com, the total bill has reached $12 billion. Although various proposals designed to upgrade our out-dated infrastructure have been discussed, none have gained the traction necessary to significantly impact the issue.

Fee increases have gone nowhere when proposed. Changes to the current tax structure have been shelved. Toll road suggestions tend to be non-starters.

Meanwhile, the value of the state's 20-cent per gallon gasoline tax has been eaten away by inflationary costs in construction and engineering, plus 4 cents of the tax is dedicated to a special list of projects that have gone sizably over-budget.

From Melinda Deslatte, AP, via nola.com

And even though the size and cost of the list is growing, the Jindal administration and lawmakers have reallocated "dedicated roadwork money" towards other line-items needed to balance the budget, including $40 million to pay for retirement benefits.

This blogger is most interested in how communities value and and allocate resources. For example, our lawmakers decided that paying retirement benefits now is more important than investing in our infrastructure. How about when it comes to healthcare? And education?

I'm reminded of a famous West Wing quote in which President Bartlett proclaims, "Let's keep everyone alive first, then let's educate them." Is healthcare more important than education? How about retirement benefits versus investments in the infrastructure? We are living in a tough economic climate, and most state's are strapped for resources. So, prioritization, although not desirable, is a necessary reality. 

As Senator Robert Adley (R-Benton) notes:

I'm a term limited senator with about 40 years of experience, and I'm telling you, sooner or later if you want to leave some mark in the history book, you're going to have to make some tough decisions, and people back home are going to have to understand that.

Although not as attractive as investing in education or healthcare, it's important that we recognize the value and importance of maintaining our state's infrastructure. After all, it's only been a few years since a portion of an I-35 bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed in Minnesota, a disastrous event that killed several motorists and forced the state to make an even larger investment in building a new bridge.

What do you think, fellow bloggers and readers? Share your comments below! 

Joey Lehrman is a retired teacher with over 40 years of experience in the New Orleans public school system. Since retiring, he has transitioned to sharing his experience and perspective and all things New Orleans through a variety of blogs, news-sites, and social networks.

Return Home www.joey-lehrman.com www.joeylehrman.net

[joeylehrman-blog]

New Orleans: Transitioning from Recovery to Growth?

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter  

Since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the city of New Orleans in 2005, the future of the Crescent City has lingered in doubt. Would the population ever return to its pre-storm levels? Would the city's vibrant culture and social life ever resemble its once lively nature? 

Sitting here in the French Quarter where I've lived for nearly all of my life (I'm 53 years old), I am starting to feel like the city is no longer in recovery, but rather in a stable mode with a view towards growth. And that is a feeling I haven't felt much since 2005. And it seems like the popular opinions, including those held by our local media, might be starting to reflect that sentiment.

Click here to read Gordon Russell's expose on the New Orleans of now featured in today's The Advocate. 

So I turn the questions to my readers both locally and nationally. What is your perception of New Orleans now? Is it a locust of growth similar to our neighbors in the South (Houston, Atlanta) that are also home to growing economies? Or are the glory days of New Orleans past, leaving behind a city of blight struggling to redefine itself (akin to its other city siblings in Detroit and Cleveland)?

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