When it comes to rebuilding New Orleans, some are prepared to promise. Jon Johnson is prepared to deliver.


 Jon Johnson’s 10-Point Plan for A Citizen-Driven Recovery For Council District E

 

10 Point Plan for a Citizen-Driven Recovery
Click here for a PDF version of Jon's Plan for District E


Jon Johnson is committed to helping residents of New Orleans East, Desire and the Lower Ninth Ward realize their dream of a citizen-driven recovery. After the post-Katrina failures of federal, state, and local officials, many residents took ownership of the recovery process. Neighborhood groups and organizations began to form as homeowners returned to their communities. Today, neighbors across Council District E share a growing sense of empowerment and civic pride. With years of experience in helping businesses and communities grow, Jon Johnson is uniquely positioned to lead this recovery.
 

1-Crime:

  • Divide NOPD’s 7th District into two districts
  • Install “Hot Spot” cameras at citizen-identified locations
  • Construct a new, state funded Regional Crime Lab
  • Re-open Orleans Parish Levee Board Police substation
  • Open a state-funded Harbor Police substation in the Holy Cross neighborhood
  • Increase penalties for witness intimidation
  • More neighborhood Security Districts with Neighborhood Watch programs
  • Create an Eastern New Orleans “Crimestopper” type reward program
  • Increase the number of Task Force sweeps for outstanding felony warrants
  • Issue summons for non-violent violations
  • More community policing in neighborhoods and better utilization of police personnel for crime-fighting purposes.

2-Economic Development

  • Develop a comprehensive economic development program for the City of New Orleans
  • that will involve working with the private sector.
  • Work diligently to redevelop the Jazzland/Six Flags Theme Park site.
  • Build entrepreneurial capacity in local minority-owned businesses
  • Open a Lower Ninth Ward /Holy Cross Business and Community Resource Center
  • Cluster new businesses around the NASA Michoud Facility
  • Energize commercial activity by creating a Corridor-Based marketing strategy
  • Fund improvements to and incentives for the New Orleans Regional Business Park
  • Incentivize retail development at the Lake Forest Plaza and Kenilworth Mall sites
  • Reopen the East New Orleans Tourist and Visitor Center
  • Aggressively pursue new businesses and work to retain existing businesses

3-Education

  • Public education should be returned to local community control as soon as possible
  • Fight for a lower teacher to pupil ratio
  • Raise teacher pay to the national average
  • Restore the community’s voice to public education
  • Reopen more public schools as the population requires
  • Properly fund public education
  • Construct a new campus of Sidney Collier Vo-Tec School in Eastern New Orleans

4-Housing

  • Offer city assistance in dealing with blighted residential properties
  • Create a Housing Court and Environmental Court
  • Use neighborhood organizations and Community Development Corporations to receive
  • and redevelop Road Home properties and other residential properties controlled by the
  • City in Council District E
  • Expand the City’s Housing Assistance Program for first-time homeowners and provide
  • more grants for second mortgages
  • Do not concentrate Section 8 housing in Eastern New Orleans
  • In response to a growing number of citizen complaints regarding the blighted state of many

5-Health Care

  • Enhance the Hospital Service District by providing city, state, and federal funding to renovate and reopen Methodist Hospital and Lakeland Hospital
  • Decentralize health care by opening more neighborhood health clinics
  • Work with city officials to redevelop a comprehensive Charity Hospital system in New Orleans
  • Methodist Hospital needs to be reopened now with city, state, and federal funds.

6-Environmental

  • Create a Housing and Environmental Court
  • Increase Council District E’s involvement in the wetland restoration debate
  • Secure city, state and federal resources for the permanent closure and remediation of landfills
  • Remove debris from the Chef Menteur Landfill that was placed there under emergency declaration by the city
  • Stop the expansion of the locks at the Industrial Canal
  • Clean up the New Orleans Regional Park Almonsater/Michoud area
  • Accelerate the process of drainage and street repairs

7-Infrastructure

  • Provide timetables for the redevelopment of community centers, parks, police stations, fire stations, playgrounds, and libraries with priorities determined by the residents of the community
  • Develop and publicize a Street Priority Repair Program that is citizen driven
  • Review and monitor the location and capacity of each pumping station in Eastern New Orleans and the Lower Ninth Ward
  • Inspect, repair, and, when necessary, replace all city-owned roadways and bridges in Eastern New Orleans and the Lower Ninth Ward
  • Continue to review the need for a light rail system to connect Eastern New Orleans with Downtown New Orleans
  • Consider shifting funds from the no longer needed Florida Avenue elevated expressway project to St. Claude Bridge and Judge Seeber Bridge
  • Secure city, state and federal funding to cover the Morrison Canal

8-Ethics

  • Impose a “glass pockets” standard on city officials and employees to guard against “back-door” dealing
  • Provide for full disclosure of all income and income sources of all public officials – including bank loans – to ensure complete transparency
  • The Inspector General should be made to follow the letter of the law when discharging his duties and responsibilities and held to a standard that is beyond reproach.

9-Recreation

  • Reinvigorate the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) by providing funds to open and operate all parks and playgrounds in Council District E.
  • Permit residents will determine the redevelopment of Joe Brown Park
  • Direct the City to utilize state funds secured by Senator Jon Johnson to redevelop Lincoln Beach and expand recreational opportunities for our citizens
  • Direct the City to utilize state funds secured by Senator Jon Johnson to construct a Village De’Lest Community Center to meet the needs of the community

10-Government Services

  • Open a City Hall Annex in Eastern New Orleans (similar to the Algiers Annex) to enhance constituent services and make it easier for citizens and businesses to obtain permits and licenses, pay taxes, and obtain vital information and city-related services.