As hurricane season kicks into high gear, and the future of emergency response hangs in doubt, let's check in on Jeff Landry's levee board.
Gov. Jeff Landry has appointed two new board members to the New Orleans area's flood protection authority, which has been in turmoil after four members resigned in protest over changes pushed by Landry earlier this year.
One of the appointments is raising fresh questions over whether the most-qualified candidates are being chosen -- a key goal of reforms following Hurricane Katrina.
The two new members are Gregory Marsiglia, a New Orleans attorney, and Peter Vicari, a general contractor from Gonzales who owns a classic car auction business, according to his application materials. Vicari is a business associate of Landry’s handpicked board president, Roy Carubba, who described Vicari as a “very good friend.”
That's nice that they're all good friends. But this board performs a vital oversight function. After Katrina, professionalizing the levee boards became a top priority. 20 years later, Landry's efforts to undo those reforms have already come under scrutiny. And now, in light of recent reports about levee subsidence, one would think that flood control would be a top priority. Hopefully Landry's friends are taking their roles seriously.
Vicari described himself as a lifelong resident of the West Bank, who had worked in construction projects “big and small” throughout the New Orleans region.
“I'm at a point in life where I can start coasting and I'm willing to give myself to service,” he said. Vicari said he had nearly forgotten that he had even applied for the position when he got an email notifying him that he had been chosen.
Sounds good.
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