The hero we deserve

The City of Kenner is saved.

Among the many duties of the mayor in Louisiana’s sixth most populous city are administering a $70.6 million budget, supervising 689 employees and implementing the will of voters. Add to the list creating a municipal mascot.

Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn premiered Captain Klean, some guy in a green-and-white dog costume with a superhero mask and a utility belt, at the Kenner Business Association meeting Thursday (Nov. 15) and the City Council meeting Friday.

You know, for once, I am actually grateful for NOLA.com's having half-pivoted to video.  If you didn't quite get the fullness of the loathing behind Drew Broach's  prose there, you absolutely will not miss it in his voice. It is fantastic.



Anyway, what is the dog for? Zahn says it is a "symbol of pride" and.. uh... a weapon in the fight against "blight," apparently.  But, mostly, he is an ad for a garbage hauler.

No public money was used to create the costume, Zahn said. Funding came from Bob Ramelli, whose company is Kenner’s garbage collector and whose name is on Captain Klean’s belt buckle.

Which raises the question, why stop at one? If every city contractor chipped in their own mascot, cities could assemble whole universes of promotional characters to delight children of all ages. Kind of like what McDonald's does. Who wouldn't want to catch up on the adventures of Boh Bunny or the All Star Aardvark or Richard's... trash can.. I guess.   Sidney Torres is kind of his own character already.

Anyway, good luck to Kenner.