{"article":{"id":204700,"heading":"Another New Orleans Democratic Hack Resigns in Disgrace","author":"Alex Walker","created":"2007-08-15 16:47:12","modified":"2013-11-11 00:49:22","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 07:49:22","article":"<p>\r\n\r\n<strong>Oliver M. Thomas<\/strong>, New Orleans City Council President, pleaded guilty to a federal \r\nbribery charge on Monday.  \r\nThomas admitted to taking $19,000 in bribes and kickbacks in 2002 from local businessman, Stanford Barr&eacute;, \r\nan intimate of former New Orleans <strong>Mayor Marc H. Morial<\/strong>. <\/p>\r\n<p>New Orleans, still reeling from the horror of Hurricane Katrina, has been rocked by an incredible series of \r\ncorruption scandals involving: <strong>Congressman William J. Jefferson<\/strong>; \r\nthe former president of the school board; \r\na top aide to former Mayor Morial; \r\nindictments of 30 school system employees; \r\nand 16 City Hall corruption convictions. <\/p>\r\n<p>Nobody in the mainstream media remembers this, of course, but in 2001, \r\nGreen Party candidate, \r\n<strong>Malik Rahim<\/strong>, \r\nran against Oliver Thomas and others for New Orleans City Council.  \r\nIn words that would prove prophetic Rahim declared: <\/p>\r\n<p>\"When I look at the economic and social conditions that exist in New Orleans, \r\nand I see the failed policies of our elected officials, the dismal conditions of housing, \r\nthe low wages our people work for and the carcinogenic levels of toxicity in our air and water, \r\nI see that the wealth, opportunity and resources in our community are controlled by the rich at the expense \r\nof the many,\" <\/p>\r\n<p>The awful truth is that the catastrophic failure of the system in New Orleans is indeed a bipartisan failure.<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n\r\nRead More ...\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\n","contact":"AlexCathy@aol.com","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"Oliver Thomas, New Orleans City Council President, opposed by Green Party's Malik Rahim in 2002, is the latest New Orleans Democratic Party hack to resign in disgrace. ","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2007\/08\/204700.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}