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Bureau of Governmental Research
BGR is a private, non-profit,
independent research organization dedicated to informed public policy making and
the effective use of public resources for the improvement of government in the
New Orleans metropolitan area. BGR also addresses state and national public
policy issues that affect the metropolitan area.
Job
Opportunities at BGR
BGR is now hiring for the following positions (click links for details):
Development Manager
Legal Analyst
Research Associate
Mending the
Urban Fabric
Mending the Urban Fabric: Blight in
New Orleans is a two-part series analyzing blighted property programs and
recommending reforms. In Part I (2/12/08),
BGR
addressed the structure, goals and strategy of New Orleans' blight programs. In
Part II (4/14/08) BGR focuses on code enforcement and procedures for successful
redevelopment.
See Part 1:
Structure and Strategy (February 12). See the
press release.
See Part
II: Procedures for Successful Redevelopment (April 14). See the
press release.
Blight and
Expropriation
Recent
news coverage highlighted serious flaws in two 2006 State constitutional
amendments that put new limits on expropriation. Prior to their approval, BGR
published an analysis in On the
Ballot raising concerns about the proposals, Amendments No. 5 and 6. It also
issued this
special report flagging problems with Amendment No. 5.
Drafting a
TIF Policy for New Orleans
The City of New Orleans is working on a
draft policy governing
tax increment financing.
BGR submitted comments on
the
February 2008 draft at the request of the City Council’s Special Development
Projects and Economic Development Committee. Read
BGR's
comment letter (3/12/08).
The letter recommends
that the City look to
San Antonio's TIF policy for guidance.
In
November, BGR submitted a
letter commenting on a
City TIF policy report.
BGR Wins
Prestigious National Awards
BGR won the top prize in one category
and was runner-up in another at the Governmental Research Association awards in
Denver. Its March report
Not Ready for
Prime Time: An Analysis of the UNOP Citywide Plan
won the award for Most Effective Education, and BGR's role in assessor
consolidation won a certificate of merit for Outstanding Policy Achievement.
See Not Ready for Prime Time
here. See the
press release here.
Contact Us
If you are a BGR member, please take
the time to provide us with updated contact information. Please contact
Helen Williams at 504/525-4152 ext. 101 or via
email. We want to keep in
touch with you.
BGR in the News
Recent news coverage of BGR.
April
Term limits among panel's ideas (Times-Picayune, 4/25/08)
Jeff may consider Fat City tax district (Times-Picayune, 4/23/08)
Agency criticizes handling of blight (Times-Picayune, 4/21/08)
March
Blight
Slight (Times-Picayune, 3/30/08)
Business Council, preservation leader wins TP Loving Cup (Times-Picayune,
3/30/08)
IDB leader ends 25-year era atop key funding stop (CityBusiness, 3/24/08)
Nagin family's company got deal with Home Depot (Times-Picayune, 3/23/08)
Revised N.O. assessments generally more accurate (Times-Picayune, 3/15/08)
Plaza meeting called off again (Times-Picayune, 3/4/08)
February
Effort to propel tax district revived (Times-Picayune, 2/29/08)
City Park poised for cash infusion (Times-Picayune, 2/29/08)
Bond, tax board chief retiring (Times-Picayune, 2/29/08)
Some adjustments are needed (Urban Conservancy, 2/25/08)
Charter changes for Covington? (Times-Picayune, 2/22/08)
Report calls for more rules for NORA (CityBusiness, 2/13/08)
January
Quiet veto resolves budget mishap (Times-Picayune, 1/12/08)
2007
December
Firm picked to revise zoning laws (Times-Picayune, 12/28/07)
Warehouse District to get new apartments (Times-Picayune, 12/19/07)
Commentary: Happy Birthday, BGR (Gambit Weekly, 12/18/07)
Watchdog group's fundraiser on track (Times-Picayune, 12/18/07)
Editorial: Time for action (Times-Picayune, 12/16/07)
Jazz
and Razz (Times-Picayune, 12/16/07)
BGR marks 75 years as a guide for government (Times-Picayune, 12/14/07)
BGR criticizes city's anti-blight process (Times-Picayune, 12/14/07)
November
Council weighs budget concerns (Times-Picayune, 11/30/07)
BGR says budget falls short (Times-Picayune, 11/29/07)
October
Expert urges killing taxes on business (Times-Picayune, 10/18/07)
Researcher: Louisiana should dump corporate taxes (Associated Press,
10/18/07)
Voters to decide four amendments next week (Times-Picayune, 10/12/07)
Amendments deal with pay, retirement, jewelry tax (Associated Press,
10/10/07)
September
Letter: Column off-base on service-minded board (Times-Picayune, 9/30/07)
Letter: Officials should heed watchdogs (Times-Picayune, 9/23/07)
Fat-cat welfare board tired of the whining (Times-Picayune, 9/21/07)
N.O. Board OKs tax breaks (Times-Picayune, 9/19/07)
Developers to ask city for tax break on hotel (Times-Picayune, 9/18/07)
La. policies concentrate poverty (Times-Picayune, 9/17/07)
Editorial: Share the excitement (Times-Picayune, 9/8/07)
Council approves funds for Blakely (Times-Picayune, 9/7/07)
Council gives go-ahead to new accounts for Blakely (WVUE, 9/6/07)
Council reviews recovery zone details (Times-Picayune, 9/6/07)
August
Group: State 'perpetuates imbalance' (Baton Rouge Advocate, 8/24/07)
Reassessments reduce inequities (Gambit, 8/17/07)
It's tough to break ethics law (Times-Picayune, 8/5/07)
July
Ethics code has puzzling loophole (Times-Picayune, 7/30/07)
Planners request zoning proposals (Times-Picayune, 7/11/07)
New Orleans homeowners worry about taxes (Forbes, 7/10/07)
June
N.O. recovery cash on slippery ground (Times-Picayune, 6/17/07)
May
BGR: N.O. finances worse than expected (CityBusiness, 5/28/07)
City plan gets lukewarm reviews
(Times-Picayune, 5/22/07)
N.O. debt burden nears $1 billion
(Times-Picayune, 5/21/07)
Housing program problems assessed
(Times-Picayune, 5/16/07)
Critics lighten up on recovery plan
(Times-Picayune, 5/16/07)
Tax
breaks get scrutiny, pass
(Times-Picayune, 5/9/07)
A
push for premium discounts (Insurance News Net, 5/4/07)
BGR report questions tax break standards (Times-Picayune, 5/4/07)
Insurers urged to reward mitigation (Times-Picayune, 5/1/07)
April
Critics chafe at cost to regulate utility (Times-Picayune, 4/1/07)
March
New Orleans Proposes to Invest in 17 Areas (New York Times, 3/30/07)
BGR: Subsidy program needs update (CityBusiness, 3/19/07)
Tax-incentive program criticized (Times-Picayune, 3/13/07)
BGR blasts UNOP citywide priorities (CityBusiness, 3/12/07)
Watchdog group finds New Orleans Unified Plan lacking (MuniNet, 3/9/07)
New Orleans plan prompts cool response (National Public Radio, 03/8/07)
.....Listen here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7770271
Planning process OK, speakers say (Times-Picayune, 3/8/07)
Public urges continued say in the planning process (Associated Press,
3/7/07)
N.O. recovery plan called a muddle (Times-Picayune, 3/6/07)
Watchdog: City should rewrite recovery plan (Associated Press, 3/6/07)
New Orleans Unified Plan needs unity (Bayou Buzz, 3/6/07)
Board expects to find IG by summer (CityBusiness, 3/5/07)
February
Memo provides rare look at N.O.'s City Hall (Times-Picayune, 2/5/07)
January
Forum tackles financing health care for the poor (Times-Picayune, 1/26/07)
Tammany master plan has plenty of support (Times-Picayune, 1/24/07)
Possible changes to Tammany charter to be discussed (Times-Picayune, 1/18/07)
Why didn't New Orleans declare bankruptcy? (The New Republic, 1/12/07)
For articles more than a year old, see the News Archives.
BGR
is a member of the
Governmental Research Association, a network
of independent organizations studying government and public policies.
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Copyright 2007, Bureau of Governmental Research, all rights reserved.
BGR assumes no responsibility for content outside the domain www.bgr.org.
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