Wednesday, December 16, 2009


Indicted Sewerage & Water Board member resigns

Nagin said the allegations concern him, and he will look into the status of companies allegedly involved in the Edwards schemes that still have contracts with the board.

"It concerns me, but I've been an auditor before and the toughest thing to catch is collusion," Nagin said. "I'm also concerned about the companies involved that still do business with the board."

That's so rich. He better hope the toughest thing to catch is collusion...he better pray the toughest thing to catch is collusion.

Aside from the companies still doing business with the board he may want to audit how much money Ben Edwards pumped into his last mayoral campaign and get back to us on that collusion issue.

I wonder if there's an interview of Tiger Woods somewhere with him saying, "The toughest thing to catch in a marriage is infidelity."


Anonymous said...


Anonymous said...

He may know about collusion. I have seen in articles that he was a controller and an audit manager. He stated that he was a CPA but just passed the exam and did not get the requisite apprenticeship under a CPA to be licensed. So he is not a CPA. This is probably why he is so adept at hiding a paper trail. Usually people are not as clever as they think they are, and the feds know who they are dealing with. Interesting

Anonymous said...

When was Nagin an auditor?

For whom?

Anonymous said...

3 comments? this Edwards clown scammed MILLIONS thanks to his public post -- and yet, where is the public outrage? why no scorn and circus attention like seen on this very blog toward meffert, who was a mere amateur in comparison?

help me out. because he's a minister? black? local? not related to your own field? or...what? why is everyone so remarkably muted on this, newspapers and bloggers alike?

Jason Brad Berry said...

remarkably muted? remarkably muted? that would mean I didn't make a post about it (multiple actually) for you to accuse me of being remarkably muted.

yeah, it's a racist conspiracy...I hate white people...can't fucking stand 'em. You frikkin' cracker ass crackers...ripping everybody off.

Seriously, it is in the newspapers and the blogs, alike.

Let me explain something to you...i'm one guy...I'm not a paper. I can't write about every frikkn' thing that goes on this city. I focus on things which I can get information about and do my best.

I have a solution for you though:

get busy.

Anonymous said...

Check these articles out re Nagin's status as an auditor and CPA

Anonymous said...

okay so you're one guy, and you've got a couple posts on Edwards. but you had dozens and dozens about meffert. and hammer had tons of frontpagers on meffert (has there been a single above-the-fold on Edwards? I'm not sure).

are you saying IT graft is your focus? or was the meffert thing personal for you in some other way? (I ask because you always refer to him by silly names like Muppet, etc..)

Anonymous said...

Anon2, yeah you the one reading this post that is still trying to make a point but is having difficulty comprehending why everyone rolls their eyes and shakes their heads about your clever ideas - let me clue you in, you're an idiot. Your points are either poorly thought out, intellectually dishonest, or so biased you can't admit when you were wrong or unaware.

I'm pretty much guessing it doesn't just happen on blogs, it happens in real life as well - am I right? Ask those around you, they will probably agree, asking people that work for you doesn't count.

So before you start trying to prove a point that Ashe is somehow derelict in his civic duty, let's be clear about something, this isn't his job. He has done more to enlighten the citizens of New Orleans and local law enforcement than you or I could dream about. So until you have your own blog, deal with the BS posts like yours on a daily basis, spend time away from those you care about, oh and by the way make a measurable difference in society as we know it, do you get to feel like you can criticize Ashe.

Notice I used the word feel, not a word that implied action. Because once you actually do all of those things, then you might actually have some of the critical thinking skills and experience to realize that IT'S NOT HIS JOB! So stuff it down real, real deep and be on your way.


Anonymous said...

@sparky - despite your tough-guy talk (im sure youre a typical doughy IT dude in real life)... my point is not to grill the blogger for not covering enough.

my point is figure out why he and the TP's Hammer spend so much obvious effort on meffert & pals, but next to none on bigger offenders? i ask because it seems to be personal.

if its personal, thats good for me, as a reader, to know. i like to understand my news sources' biases.

that you dont is simply reflective of your own ability for critical thought. no skin off my back. shrug..

Jason Brad Berry said...

Ok, look man...go back through this blog and search for references to Meffert. Then go back and search for references to Nagin. Then get back to me on the ratio.

I think it's fair to say I know the history of this blog and it's focus a little better than you. I can tell you that it's focus has always been on issues with the Nagin adminstration first...from the top down. Meffert happened to be Nagin's primary comesee and that warrants the most attention.

You don't have to believe me, I don't care. But your point is way off, at least with this blog. And as far as our local MSM, the Edwards allegations were being thrown out back in 2001 by Gambit in the article "The Edwards Problem".

It appears you have a conspiracy theory in your head and that's cool, I have no problem with that. But you're barking up the wrong tree if you think you're going to validate it on this're just way the fuck off. I've never used race to bias anything I've reported about regarding corruption issues. I've talked about how others use race to hide corruption many, many times...most notably here:

read that and get back to me.

You obviously have a bone to pick and that's cool, but you're not going to find your evidence on AZ, unless of course you start selectively picking items which justify your thesis....but that isn't an answer.

Once again, I encourage you to start your own blog and bring this stuff up. The conversation is healthy, but I can assure you there is no conspiracy on this blog to attack only white people.

For the record, I'm about as white as they come...I'm a hillbily from Kentucky married to an Island girl from Manilla. I don't have a racial agenda on this blog...I do have an anti-corruption agenda.

Jason Brad Berry said...

and let me add something which I think may help you.

I think the reason why Meffert may have garnered so much attention by the TP is that he was so ostentatious and arrogant. He couldn't keep his mouth shut from the beginning and that was his downfall. That makes easy pickings for any journalistic effort. Edwards has always been a shadowy figure lurking in the background.

Let me ask you you think Meffert received more attention than Bill Jefferson by the TP? I don't think so, but maybe you see it differently.

For that matter, compare St. Pierre to Meffert....St. Pierre was smart, he stayed as low as he possibly could until he was forced to walk into Federal Court. Meffert has grandstanded the entire time in some delusional ego trip....once again...that makes easy fodder.

Anonymous said...


Thank you for proving my point. IT guy, yep - doughy (in any sense of the word) would not be a classification I fall under. Thank you for proving my point through your grade school insult. You remind me of the politicians bitching about competition in the health care system and then whining about no public option. You're start off good, but then just veer WAAAAAYYYY off course.

As far as your knowledge of my requirements for seeking information, again way off. I believe Ashe can verify what a pain in the ass I have been on the posts and in his email box challenging his theories/views and providing input where I can.

Oh and since we are in the holiday season and found myself not using this as often as I had like, and hopefully to show that I'm not a complete prick, I wish you and yours, the readers of AZ and Ashe a very Merry Christmas. Please be safe during the holiday season and don't spend too much money on Christmas gifts, I think 2010 is going to be far tougher on the average people like us than it was this year.


Anonymous said...

@sparky - you cant play the high road when youre the first to toss out insults. duh. stick to the phones.

@ashe - your racial defense argument is a straw man. i never said it *was* race. i simply asked "Why?" is it race.. is it cloth, is it IT, is it a native, etc - i floated out many possibles.

and youve presented a new one -- meffert's a better target because hes closer to nagin. ok. thats acceptable i guess, and at least youre honest. it just concedes that it isnt 100% about the heinousness of the crime; its part of the politics -- if it gets nagin, its more newsworthy than if it just exposes criminals.

at least, thats your take. and thats cool, but again its something i as a reader like to understand about my news source.
see? isnt asking questions a good thing?

or is it better to just huff & puff, tout yourself as a white knight defender of honor as Mr Sparky has done..? meh. my personal emotions as a reader arent strong enough to warrant that sort of blind brand loyalty.

Jason Brad Berry said...

- at least, thats your take.

no that's not my take, that's your take....keep it straight.

Do you know how to read? Or are you just here to throw daggers?

As far as me claiming I'm a "white knight"...hardly. I'm an asshole with a blog and I've never claimed to be anything but.

If you knew so much about Edwards, why didn't you start your own blog? Why don't you go do that now, Skippy?

You see, presently, you're just an asshole arguing with an asshole who took the time to start a blog. I had some information and I took the time to share it...that's all I did.

Why don't you man up and actually become an asshole with his own blog and then you won't have to worry so much about what I'm doing?

Isn't that a pregnant idea?

Anonymous said...

dude, youre the one mis-reading -- i said "Sparky" is the self-proclaimed white knight, defending your honor against all who would dare question you. ("as Mr Sparky has done")

and now youre tossing a-bombs a plenty, just cuz i re-phrased what YOU said: taking down meffert is what youre focused on because hes a direct nagin subordinate.

im not interested in a running a blog. im interested in understanding the mission behind my news sources. understanding yours is no different than wishing to understand TP priorities, WSJ, Wired, or whomever.

but jesus arent we defensive -- a guy asks legit questions about a dramatic difference in coverage, and the Angry Gorillas come out to play.

Jason Brad Berry said...

- taking down meffert is what youre focused on because hes a direct nagin subordinate.

no I didn' me where I said that. I said I was focused on corruption within the Nagin administration and Meffert happened to be Nagin's right hand man. I never said I was trying "to take Meffert down"'re the one that keeps parroting that ad nauseum.

You keep implying that I had some hidden personal agenda against Mefffert....I didn't and I don't. I my only intent was to expose people who are stealing from us. I happened to have access to a lot of information about Nagin's admin in particular so that's what I have blogged about.

Now....go ahead and misquote me again to prove your point.

As far as the use of asshole is concerned...I cuss like a sailor...don't like it? don't read me.

As a matter of fact...please do stop reading me...that'll solve the whole issue.

Anonymous said...

not sure what youre trying to mince words about.. you said it yourself: youre focused on exposing graft in the nagin administration, and you devoted much to meffert because he was the right-hand-man to nagin. what are we hung up on here, again?

since you are focused on high-ups in the nagin admin, then that answers my question as to why the Edwards case doesnt get all the torches & pitchforks. unlike...the "Muppet" coverage.

if you dont like how that sounds...well thats your deal, dude.

what i find amusing is in the past my comments have added to your arguments and posts, whereas now youre proverbial showing me the door for asking questions you dont like.

whatever man. your show.

Jason Brad Berry said...

well at least you're that going for me.

for the record...Edwards predated Nagin by nearly a decade. Another blogger, Moldy City covered S,& W,B rather extensively. Why? Because he was privy to the information...I wasn't. He also did some extensive reporting on sanitation contracts...once again because he was privy to the info....I wasn't Matt McBride did extensive blogging on ACE...because he was privy to the information....I wasn't. I am one guy with a blog...I am not a fully staffed newspaper...and as was mentioned before...I DON'T GET PAID FOR THIS.

So wait....let's back up....what the fuck is your point? I don't even remembmer what you were originally trying to prove? That I focused too much attention on Meffert? That I ignored Edwards (which I didn't)..a guy and department I knew very little about? What is your fucking point? Give me the elevator pitch and lets' be done with it.