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Axios
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
New Orleans mayoral hopefuls pitch big change at town hall
New Orleans voters got their first in-depth look Thursday at some of the candidates vying to succeed term-limited Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Why it matters: Residents are looking to the next leader to fix ongoing struggles with infrastructure, economic inequality and public safety. The big picture: Arthur Hunter, Helena Moreno and Oliver Thomas squared off for more than two hours at the town hall hosted by nonprofit Voters Organized to Educate. The public interest was intense, with the event reaching capacity before it started. Dozens were turned away at the doors, including Tyrell Morris, who is also running for mayor. Renada Collins and Ricky Twiggs were in the audience and told Axios New Orleans they were not invited to participate, even though they are campaigning. The latest: State Sen. Royce Duplessis on Sunday night said he will seek the office too, reversing course from his January decision that cited fundraising concerns. His formal announcement is expected Tuesday. Frank Scurlock, who made a bid for mayor in 2017, also says he is entering the race again. Between the lines: The on-stage candidates were chosen because they had a longstanding relationship with the organization and had filed campaign finance reports, said Devin Davis, the nonprofit's political operations director. Inside the room: It was packed, with 150-plus people sitting, leaning on walls and cramming in to every corner. Attendees were a mix of longtime residents, campaign supporters and community activists. Moderators with the nonprofit asked questions and the candidates had 60 seconds to respond. The questions focused on fixing the city's infrastructure and improving quality of life issues. What we learned: The candidates' platforms were similar, with each saying they want drivable streets, reliable power, good schools, safe neighborhoods and improvements for residents, not just tourists. The main difference seems to be their leadership styles. Oliver Thomas Thomas, a current councilmember, described himself as a middle-class native New Orleanian who will help people who he says have been "disrespected," "overlooked" and "forgotten," especially in New Orleans East. He also painted himself as a strong advocate for Black New Orleanians and formerly incarcerated residents. Thomas, who served three years in jail on bribery charges, touted his efforts with strengthening " Ban the Box," which prevents public employers from discriminating against job applicants with criminal backgrounds. Plus, he took credit for recent developments in New Orleans East: Lincoln Beach and the demolition at the former Six Flags. Arthur Hunter Hunter, a former criminal court judge, portrayed himself as a connector, saying he sees the mayoral position as one that brings everyone to the table. "That's what I've always been about — doing the work," he said. "Taking control, bringing the right people together and coming up with a solution and results." He brought success stories from his time on the bench and talked about how he would expand the New Orleans Recreation Department's role to help improve life for youth and families. He also talked about career training programs he started that are geared at creating a skilled workforce. Helena Moreno Moreno, another councilmember, painted the picture of herself as someone with good ideas who has been ignored over the years. "When I'm your mayor, I'm no longer going to be ignored and pushed aside," she said, especially with short-term rental regulations. She talked about her wins during her time on the council and in the state Legislature, citing her efforts regulating Entergy New Orleans, helping create NOPD's mobile crisis unit and working on mental health and homeless outreach services. She also talked about her work creating the housing trust fund, which is dedicated to affordable housing projects. Zoom in: They were all prepared and seemed comfortable talking on stage. Their comments often elicited applause and vocal support from the audience. Of the three, Moreno was the most critical of Cantrell, blaming her for her "absent leadership" and misaligned infrastructure priorities. Hunter took subtle shots at Moreno and Thomas, saying the council has had the power to change things and they haven't done it. He portrayed himself as an outsider who can make it happen. But in general, the candidates were civil and friendly with each other on stage as they shared a microphone. They got loud on a few issues, but not at each other. And, no one interrupted one another.
RNZ News
04-05-2025
- RNZ News
This NZ law aims to give people with criminal convictions a 'clean slate'. It's not working
By Alexander Plum, Kabir Dasgupta* of Photo: 123RF Analysis - If you own a business, would you be willing to hire a person who has been convicted of a crime? Give them a chance when a background check shows they have a criminal record? The answers matter for both individuals and communities. For people who have paid their debt to society, rejoining it can hinge on getting a second chance without being judged on their past. It is not something they can really hide. Employers often conduct criminal background checks as part of the hiring process. People with criminal records face high levels of stigmatisation, making it harder to reenter their communities and make money legally. The thorny question of what to do with people with convictions when it comes to employment has been considered by policymakers and justice campaigners around the world. In the United States, more than 27 states have introduced "Ban the Box" legislation. While each law is unique, by and large, they have eliminated the requirement to provide criminal background information in job applications. And a number of countries, including New Zealand, have implemented clean slate initiatives which help conceal criminal records for people who meet certain criteria. Our new research looks at whether New Zealand's clean slate scheme increases the job prospects for eligible people. The clean slate reform was introduced as the Criminal Records Act in 2004. People who were previously convicted of minor offences can now have their criminal records automatically concealed if they can maintain a conviction-free record for seven years after their last sentence. The regulation excludes people who were involved in a serious offence (such as sexual misconduct) or who received a particularly punitive sentence (such as incarceration or an indefinite disqualification from driving). Our research started with the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), hosted by Statistics New Zealand (StatsNZ). This is a repository of records provided by different public and private agencies, including court charge data from the Ministry of Justice and tax records from Inland Revenue. StatsNZ uses specific characteristics of individuals (such as name and birth date) to identify them across the different datasets. This enables researchers to track the same individual's data footprint across different administrative records. We used court charges data on all men convicted between 1992 and 2003 who had fulfilled the clean slate eligibility criteria. We then linked this pool of people with their Inland Revenue records to measure their employment and earnings. To identify the labour market impact of the clean slate policy, we compared the employment and earnings of those who completed their seven-year rehabilitation period (the treatment group) with individuals who became eligible sometime later (the control group). Our analysis found the clean slate scheme has no relevant impact on the likelihood of eligible individuals finding work. This could result from the length of time required between sentencing and being eligible for a clean slate. Seven years could simply be too long. But the clean slate scheme did create at least a 2 percent increase in eligible workers' monthly wages and salaries - equivalent to a NZ$100 hike for an individual with an average monthly salary of $5000. The increase in monthly earnings appears to be greater for workers with a stronger commitment to working and for those who remain with one company for longer periods. The labour market effects of concealing past convictions have also been explored in the US. Recent research looked at a policy enacted in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Bexar County, Texas. Mirroring our own results, the authors do not find any relevant impact on gaining employment. Our findings indicate the concealment of past convictions through New Zealand's clean slate scheme might happen too late to make a huge difference. But there are changes that can be made to improve work outcomes for people who have completed their sentences. This could include following the example of countries such as Finland, where access to criminal histories is much more restricted. In Finland, the background check has to be directly relevant to the job requirements. For example, the law allows checks for someone applying to work in the financial sector who was convicted of fraud. There would also be benefits from looking at the eligibility criteria for New Zealand's clean slate scheme. Currently, it only applies to people who committed a minor offence. But, policymakers should consider whether it makes sense to expand the policy to people who committed more serious crimes but managed to turn their lives around. Making this change would allow people to reap the benefits of working without stigma. All that said, the government's current "tough on crime" stance makes change unlikely, with a focus on the cost of crime rather than what happens after punishment has been completed. * Alexander Plum is a Senior Research Fellow, Auckland University of Technology; Kabir Dasgupta is a Research Associate, Auckland University of Technology - This story was first published by The Conversation.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell claims racial profiling and misunderstanding in 1996 arrest
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told KIRO 7 that he believes he was racially profiled in an incident that led to his arrest, and subsequent charges dropped, nearly three decades ago. According to an Ohama World article from 1996, Harrell, then 38, was arrested in the parking lot of Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, for an alleged confrontation over a parking space. Harrell allegedly brandished a gun, the Omaha World-Herald reported. An investigation determined the clip was not in the gun at the time of the altercation. Harrell told authorities at the time that he was carrying a gun because he had received death threats after being nominated to fill a position on the Omaha Housing Authority. In a statement to KIRO 7, Harrell explained his side of the story: 'Nearly 30 years ago, I received a nomination for appointment to a controversial affordable housing board. I received a deluge of calls opposing my nomination, including death threats. As a Black man newly relocated to a Midwestern community, I had a handgun in my car for the safety of myself and my wife. Just after midnight, having received these threats, I was approached by multiple people in a parking lot. Not knowing their intentions and fearing for my life, I referenced being in possession of a handgun, which was unloaded, and showed it to them. 'While in the parking lot, we realized that there was a misunderstanding, and we amicably settled the dispute, entering the establishment together. However, I was then racially profiled by a private security officer and detained for having the gun in my car. Knowing all the facts, the prosecutor asked to drop the charges and a judge agreed. I pursued legal recourse after my constitutional rights were violated by an illegal search. 'Because of this situation, and other instances from my youth of being unfairly targeted by bias, this is one reason I have been a strong advocate for police accountability — including advocating for SPD to join the consent decree, and why I proposed and passed Seattle's bias free policing law. This is also why I've fought for racial equity and opportunity through initiatives like 'Ban the Box,' recognizing that people of color are disproportionately likely to be arrested, and too many are not in a position to prove their innocence and get a second chance.' Harrell was an attorney at the time in Omaha, Nebraska, and withdrew his name for consideration of the housing authority position after his arrest. He was arrested on Sept. 27, 1996, for possession of a concealed weapon, assault use/display of a weapon (both misdemeanors) and interference with official acts, according to court records from Iowa. The charges were dropped in March 1997. The Omaha World-Herald reported in 1997 that Harrell met 'several requirements' set by then-Pottawattamie County Attorney Rick Crowl and apologized to arresting officers.
