9.16.2009

Bayou St. John ducks ruffle feathers - NOLA.com

Where my mom lives in Maryland has a lot of man-made lakes in close proximity, which of course attracts a lot of ducks. A few years ago, these condo owners in one complex that had it's own lake started complaining that the ducks were overpopulated, and there was duck shit everywhere, etc. So a bunch of the ducks were euthanized, and some of the remaining females (or males?) were made infertile. Isn't it just like upper-middle class people to pay more to live by waterfront property, then complain about the natural wildlife that it attracts?

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1253078424129590.xml&coll=1
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1 comment:

katrinafilm said...

No, this subject only came up because the people who released the ducks into the bayou are politically connected. There is little to no resistance to the ducks. Below is what the residents around the bayou really care about...

http://www.nocitycouncil.com/resources/resources_masterplan.asp?id=66

Master Plan With the Force of Law: Planning and Zoning in New Orleans

For decades, New Orleans’ system of land use and zoning has been broken. While vibrant cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, and San Francisco have coherent plans to direct their development and growth, New Orleans has an outdated zoning code that has been amended hundreds of times, often with little citizen input to favor a privileged few.

For decades, citizens have worked to reform this system by drafting a Master Plan to direct development based on citizen input, protect New Orleans’ unique neighborhoods, encourage its businesses, and give stability, transparency, and predictability to development. But without a city mandate giving one plan the force of law, these plans have all ended up gathering dust on a shelf.

In April of 2008, the New Orleans City Council took on this task and voted 7-0 to amend the City’s Charter to mandate a Master Plan with the Force of Law. As with all amendments to the City Charter, the people themselves give the final word on whether a change passes or fails. And on November 4, 2008, the amendment passed.

With this vote, New Orleanians mandated rules for the game of development in New Orleans – rules that are fair, that reflect citizens’ interests, and that are not subject to political whims.

To find out more about this charter amendment and the Master Plan with the Force of Law, please follow the links below:

Read the Master Plan Ordinance that Went to the People’s Vote on Nov. 4, 2008 (PDF)
Supporting Organizations
Frequently Asked Questions
Goody Clancy and New Orleans’ Current Master Planning Process
Schedule of City Planning Commission Forums for Residents

Information above is from the New Orleans City Council's newly redesigned website:

http://www.nocitycouncil.com/

Charlie London

http://fsjna.org