- BREAKING NEWS UPDATES
- GET NEWS YOUR WAY
- Receive news updates to your inbox or mobile device
- TIMES-PICAYUNE PHOTOS
-
Around New Orleans
Around New Orleans
- TIMES-PICAYUNE VIDEO
-
Video: U.S. Senate Debate in Baton Rouge
- TIMES-PICAYUNE MULTIMEDIA
-
- AP LOUISIANA NEWS
-
• Lawmaker LaBruzzo loses committee leadership job 10/6/2008, 7:43 p.m. CDT
• Cheney visits La. for Cassidy, Scalise fundraisers 10/6/2008, 7:25 p.m. CDT
• Man arrested for fatally stabbing children 10/6/2008, 7:18 p.m. CDT
- AP VIDEO
-
Facing investigation, NOAH terminates employees
by Susan Finch, The Times-Picayune
Wednesday August 06, 2008, 4:25 PM
Facing an intensified investigation into ties between the woman who ran a city-financed home remediation program and contractors it used, the board of New Orleans Affordable Homeownership decided today to terminate its four remaining employees.
The terminations take effect at 5 p.m. Friday.
Employees losing their jobs are the interim director, construction manager, assistant construction manager and a secretary, officials said.
The agency's former director, Stacey Jackson, quit her post in June.
The board announced Friday it had suspended the remediation program, perhaps permanently.
The moves come after the FBI and the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development opened a probe into NOAH. Those interviewed by federal agents include activist Karen Gadbois, who has been highlighting NOAH's alleged misdeeds for weeks on her blog, www.squanderedheritage.com.
For now, the probe appears to focus on two things: links between Jackson and the contractors who earned the most money under the program; and whether contractors -- particularly those with links to Jackson -- did the work at homes for which they were paid a total of about $1.8 million.
The program, designed to help poor and elderly residents repair dilapidated homes, was touted by Mayor Ray Nagin as a centerpiece of his 2007 budget. Slated as a $15 million initiative, he said the effort would help 5,000 homeowners.
Stacey Jackson was tipped off! Wait! She will get hers when the feds investigate!
Stacey "ring leader" Jackson is a New Orleans Criminal Thugster!!!!!!
Hopefully, she'll get time along with her thugster rigged contract buddies....
Every sin WILL be discovered.
Wake up you morons. Learn from these morons mistakes and fix these internal problems. This government will, and already seems to be, crumbling from the inside.
Hopefully enough of these corruption cases help you choose the right everytime, not just when someone's looking.
Amazing! Greed is a temporary "Fix" and a permanent setback. These people are pathetic in every meaning of the word. I'm going to keep on saying...Greed is a LOSE LOSE situation people...there are NO winners when you're on the take.
I am so sick and tired of these programs that are awarded lots of money to do a specific task and the only tasks that seem to get done is LYING and STEALING!!!!!
If they are guilty....yes feds get them!
Another fraudulent rip-off "non-profit" agency bites the dust in New Orleans!
Thank God for good citizen watchdogs and investigative media coverage - otherwise the City would already by totally bankrupt from criminals i.e. politicians and scum thugs rigging every deal they can...
I can't believe Lee Zurik got those 5 employee's fired! What a jerk!
The centerpiece of Nagin’s 2007 budget – not surprising at all. He’s such an incompetent, he would build his whole hot air, cotton candy, no substance having plan on a program that was raping the system. All this time, everybody’s squawking about fear of fraud with the road home program. nobody thought to look at the federal funding going to a Nagin-(mis)lead office.
It’s a shame too. the one area we need the most oversight and painstakingly careful consideration on post-K is HOUSING! And that knucklehead, phoning his job in from where ever in the hell he hides out, is just as culpable as Stacy.
Stacy, there’s a special place in hell for people like you who take help away from the poor and elderly. You’re no better than these other fly by night fraudulent contractors coming in here to take advantage of suffering, devastated people. VULTURES – each and every last one of you!
Oh and they’re gonna love your pretty little behind in prison, cause that’s EXACTLY where you’re headed, miss sneaky thief.
Trying to be Pampy 2.0. Idiot!
PS – Thank you Karen Gadbois – there’s a special place in heaven for people like you!!
mmbayou:
Nagin's New Math:
0 gutting + FBI = 10 years
-------------------------------
LMAO!!! Let's see if the accountant
can get with that math!
roky36, Maybe Zurik did them all a favor. Now maybe those 5 former employees can go out and get REAL jobs. Jobs that really accomplish something good for a change. Jobs they and their families can be proud of. HONEST work for a change. God knows there are still plenty of those type jobs to be had here.
THIS PERSON IS TRASH. THROW HER AWAY AND GET SOMEONE WITH SOME COMPASSION FOR THE ELDERLY.
YOU WOULD BE A FOOL TO HIRE THIS PERSON ANYWHERE IN THIS CITY, AS IT IS APPARENT THAT SHE IS NOT A TEAM PLAYER AND DOES NOT CARE FOR PEOPLE.
NEVER HIRE TRASH LIKE THIS AGAIN, PLEASE.
MAKE US LOOK BAD. SUCH A WASTE OF HUMAN MATTER.
Right on, right on lc2425! Plus, I'd be terrified to be guilty by association with these total and complete screw ups. I still can't help but wonder if it was Stacy's idea or if she was just that dumb. What was her motivation? I really don't care to get inside that thought...
If the feds are involved in the investigation it will be done right. This will get much better before it's over. Stay tuned.
FEDs, please take a look at Project Rebuild Plaquemines!!!!!
they should keep people like this locked up, until the victims FULLY recover everything. Keep this trash in jail.
"the probe appears to focus on two things: links between Jackson and the contractors who earned the most money under the program..."
Those arrest warrants and federal subpoenas should be coming soon... STAY TUNED...
PS - Stacey "ring leader" Jackson knew exactly what she was doing from DAY ONE !!!! Go to Jail, don't pass Go, Don't Collect $200 !!!!!!
SHE'S PURE CRIMINAL SCUM FEMALE-THUGSTER, NOLA STYLE !
What experience did this person have to be given this position? I believe this goes farther than Stacy. Look at the board. Something does not smell right here.Stacy, I believe you have been used. Someone gave you that position for a reason. They knew what was going to happen, the trap was put there and you fell for it. This is just the tip of the ice berg.
After Katrina when federal money was literally falling from the sky the FBI was warning that they'd be keeping a close eye on it to make sure it was spent wisely and properly. But greed is a force to be reckoned with, apparently, because people tried to fleece the taxpayers anyway. Our city has certainly earned its reputation as one of the most corrupt. Now if only we could make ineptitude a crime . . .
Stacey, if I were you, I would move to a new city. Not only did you help mess up the names of your contractor friends, your sister, business associates, city workers, your husband, the mayor, a few non-profit organizations, you have now caused your staff to lose their job!! Look over your shoulder because you have a LOT of enemies!!!! I am glad I am not in your position.
I wouldn't be surprized if she didn't try to get the ACLU to defend her.
Remember, the life that is saved tomorrow might well be yours, a loved one or a friend.
Don't forget, be a local hero donate blood and blood components such as platelets.
Semper Fi to all the men and women in our Armed Forces.
And a special Semper Fi to all the Marines out there both present and former. I miss the Corps. OHHRAH
Hey Lee, start looking into the money collected by the louisiana black caucus, the city, the churches, and other groups on behalf of Katrina victims.
Jackie Clarkson is a JOKE. She needs to retire and pick up on some needlepoint.
Shouldn't the Finance Department alerted someone about the payments? What's with the Finance Department? I smell another cover-up or It's not
their job. See and don't see because they're all
Appointed Positions hand picked by the Mayor. It's to wonder, that's why they're picked, to go
alone with the Mayor not matter what. These Appointed people should be investigated.
Here's how I would handle the investigation if I'm the FBI:
Take NOAH's list and find one property of each of the Top 4 contractors that was invoiced as being remediated that wasn't and then issue a subpoena to search Stacey and the boys' homes and businesses. At that point you have a potential felony theft and conspiracy.
Start at that point working my way up City Hall and the Board of NOAH.
There may be as many as 10-15 indicted and convicted in this one.
I hope those fired employees are smart enough to hire defense attorneys.
HEY I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A N.O.A.H. HOME REMEDIATION PROGRAM ...NEITHER DID MY MOTHER WHO LIVED IN GENTILLY FOR 2 AND 1/2 YEARS AFTER THE STORM UNTIL THIS STORY EVOLVED ABOUT A MONTH AGO.....2 CHURCH GROUPS DID ALL THE GUTTING IN HER GENTILLY NEIGHBORHOOD..GOD BLESS THEM ALL...AS FOR THE HOME REMEDIATION PROGRAM AND THE LACK THEROF--I HOPE THEY ALL GET 10-20 YEARS AND PAY BACK THE MONEY THEY ILLEGALLY STOLE FROM THE FEMA PROGRAMS.....JUST PATHETIC!!
BUDMAN
YAY LEE ZURIK
LEE FOR MAYOR!
Crap job but someone has to do it
and preferably properly! Eh, what?
Let's get some honest folks in there for a change!
Not just for change sake- but for the future of the metro area! yes?!?!?!?!
Yes!!!!!!
No big deal. As the UNHOLY FIVE no longer get checks from NOAH, they will now get their UNEMPLOYMENT checks as they continue to watch Judge Judy, Jerry Springer, BET, etc. Work? No Way! Some other non-profit scam will come along.
I would hate to be on the board. Clearly they weren't doing their jobs either. They're to blame as well for not watching this closely, or so it seems...
Gildthelilly, I read your comments and I must say, you are always, always "on the money" - no pun intended!
clearly noah is like all the rest of the bogas agencies who are sent to help us restore our city,if these people were ripping off monies, think how many others there is we have not been told of yet??? this is sad... sad !!
We're likely just seeing the tip of a big poopy blob in the N.O. cesspool of politics.
Checking the WWL-TV website and NOLA.com has never been more entertaining. Chris Rose cannot hold a candle to this stuff.
So we see the thugs of N.O. shooting it out on the streets and then we see the white collar thugs of N.O. stealing from the very folks that their "nonprofits" were designed to help.
...and the only defense that Wakeupfriend and Carstreet have is that white people are doing it somewhere else.
I'm not interested in somewhere else.
I am just interested in why N.O. is getting it from both sides by people that look the same and act the same, but some of the perps are illiterate and some are graduates with professional degrees.
Is there a common denominator here?
Carstreet and Wakeupfriend are examples of how people rationalize and tolerate ill behavior, thereby perpetuating it.
Carstreet, oh Carstreet, whereforth art thou?
Nope, everybody been fired. Can't investigate us, ain't nobody here but us chickens.
Hey Stacy,
Can I move into your Eastover digs while you are in prison??????????
A construction manager and assistant construction manager for a house boarding up and grass cutting program????
I want answers about who the 5 employees were and what were their salaries and benefits? City cars? Gas cards?
I also want to see time sheets of when (probably if) these people even went to work on a daily basis.
WAY TO GO KAREN!!!! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE BLOGS OF THE CITY THAT COULD SET THIS CITY STRAIGHT.
WAY TO GO!
A construction manager and assistant construction manager for a house boarding up and grass cutting program????
I want answers about who the 5 employees were and what were their salaries and benefits? City cars? Gas cards?
I also want to see time sheets of when (probably if) these people even went to work on a daily basis.
WAY TO GO KAREN!!!! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE BLOGS OF THE CITY THAT COULD SET THIS CITY STRAIGHT.
WAY TO GO!
Wasn't Stacey Jackson doing the lap dance at Sheppard's house? or is she somehow connected with Dollar Bill Jefferson? One of them must have tipped her off...
A recap of todays Recovery Committee meeting in the council chambers:
LOL....
Both Penya Moses-Fileds and Blakely appeared before the Recovery Committee this afternoon very briefly, maybe 10 minutes each. Clarkson and Fielkow had a bunch of niceties to offer Moses-Fields of how efficient her office responded to the IG‘s letter, and of course Fields reiterated she meant nothing negative about her request that Cerasoli notifies her before he investigates her, or any of the other Nagin cronies, Shelly Madura tried to question Moses-Fields, and make comments about Nagin not cooperating with the council, but Clarkson interrupted that "the mayor was cooperating". Clarkson/ Fielkow commenced to kiss arse, and let Fields/Blakely go. Fielkow asked Blakely about the “non”-rebuilding of the firestation in Venetian Isles, why it was taking so long, Blakely shot Fielkow a line of bullsh*t, Fielkow thanked him, and that was it.
With a statement from Fielkow, the city council has removed itself from any involvement of investigating NOAH. This sh*t is getting very interesting, I wonder if the Feds are going looking in the council chambers also?
P.S. Stacy Head was nowhere to be found, nor was Willard-Lewis.
LOL....
Above is my opinion, and a damn good one.
Yes New Orleans Katrina money at work. What's next Ray Ray?
Just remember, before Katrina, Arnie was the mouthpiece and main policy maker for one of the biggest scumbags in this city in Tom Benson. Arnie is a do nothing, publicity seeking POS too.
Jackie has been dead for 5 years and no one told her. How she can sit there and try to act like she is above the fray is just a @%@% joke. I dont think her nose could get any further up Nagin's butt. Of course they all want cover up the truth, because they are all criminals.
Continuing the great tradition of blacks abusing blacks and in the spirit of the great Idi Amin we will screw you over and laught all the way to the bank...are you proud Ms Jackson?
Glad people in power lead by example around here. If you're smart, you too can run for some type of office with/for the city and get PAID.
Hell yeah, screw making an honest living. I bust my arse at work to make an honest living, and still can barely make it, with hunger pangs. And then outta the blue, another nobody is raking up cash right under everyone's nose.
I need a job like that. Honest living is making my stomach hurt and my gas tank empty.
Why aren't you guys forcing Nagin to talk about this? he's being quiet about every single thing until it involves him, I'd Pull him out of Office kicking and screaming.
"tommythetoad on 08/06/08 at 8:01PM"
You have some damn good points, but go ahead, tell us how you really feel!!!
LOL
Mother of GOD. What does it take for the folks of New Orleans to wake up. They marched on the vote to allow condoms to be thrown from Mardi Gras floats. Do you need a friggin tree to fall on you. Take a stand and run the crooks from Nagin down out of town. Need a leader, pick one. They will follow. This is sinful. These crooks laugh at you while they steal your money. Third world countries hand these type of leaders. TAKE A STAND NOW.
This has been going on since before Katrina. What is worse, we needs the Feds to get the corrupt ones.
For the record, FEMA is more backwards than any politician in Louisiana. Past or present.
OUT
Do you remember when Lee Zurik was a WWL sports reporter? I have so much respect for him (and his back-up team/investigators at WWL) who started this whole story. The TP is riding on their coat tails! As I noted earlier, Nagin looks at Zurik with hatred. Wonder why! I also don't really believe (hope) Jackie Clarkson is a crook, but why is she not as forceful as Lee Zurik...a former sports reporter? He faced our mayor with bravado and asked questions that he knew would be met with disgust and anger. Kudos! I give credit where credit is due and Jackie is an absolute wimp but WWL and Lee deserve our respect. Let's all watch what happens from here on. I just wonder who tipped Lee/WWL/TP off as being such an investigative journalists as to NOAH. Let's just hope it was their own gumption as a respected, caring citizens. They make me sick. Whatcha think? Comments?
Another Jackson that will not make the Hall Of Fame...Maybe the Hall of Shame.
Roll over Ms Jackson, give us the real crooks and cut a deal to save yourself...that is what they all do.
Not only do we owe Lee a thank you and the respect he deserves, but the several people who gave Lee the tip as well and the papertrail to follow, if it had not been for them, Lee would have not known anything.
Nagin should be ashamed to even show his face in public, he has proved time & time again that he's a loser & now we know he's a thief too!
Can you believe Clarkson was reelected????? Voters hit bottom and keep digging and bring them back for more. New Orleans is doomed unless it gets different leadership SOON. Where is the IG on all this?? Is he blind or simply owed favors to look the other way?
stpeter707
You are so damn right.
MAN... New Orleans is more messed up than ever!
I gave up on it along time ago but I still wish the City could rise above it all.
Will it always be seedy?
MAN... New Orleans is more messed up than ever!
I gave up on it along time ago but I still wish the City could rise above it all.
Will it always be seedy?
Now, would anybody like to possibly start SHRINKING the size of government? We already know that it stinks to high hell here in New Orleans & Louisiana in general. Why don't we start eliminating these programs that attract crooks? Why don't we stop creating these stupid programs that attract these crooks? Oh yeah, maybe our taxes wouldn't be outrageous if we had less of these "woe is me" programs, that ultimately attract slimy, crook politicians.
Less rules, less taxes, less government, and MORE FREEDOM!
I am sick of so many people repeatedly saying how much they ‘love’ New Orleans. Well you’re all a bunch of hypocrites. Mardi Gras does not last all year people.
Sure you love it during carnival. But anything and everything beyond that is always someone else’s problem.
None of you people that looooove New Orleans sooooo much have enough baaaaalls to stand up and do anything. It’s so much easier to sit back and bitch and point fingers.
This has turned into a weekly outing of ineptitude and incompetence. And you wonder why tourism is still down.
Holy Rose Colored Glasses Batman! Here’s a clue… The whole country is still watching.
'Can I move into your Eastover digs while you are in prison??????????'
What does Eastover have to do with the story?
abc26 fox8 and wdsu 6 should feel ashame of themselves . They don't even cover this story . They are really a dollar short and a day late tv news station. I think wwl 4 tv did a great job this rating period with the exception of the break in of the 5th district station by the MCC and the reporter.(tv4)
This will go a lot deeper than this Stacey Jackson. She's just a tiny spoke in a giant wheel. There will be lots of things uncovered if this investigation is handled the way it should be handled. Money paid to people of influence. Kickbacks the likes of which we haven't seen in some time. This city is famous for this type of thing, folks; it's just the way they do things down here. Just another version of "the good old boy" game.
I'm getting the popcorn & ice cold coke ready,this is gonna be great watching the domino's fall!.
nolablows, what? You sound like a disgruntled ex-employee of WWL. roky.... Zurick did not have them fired, they did that to themselves. Hope you are being facecious. Miteb... Good one. Being fired may be the least of their problems. heintex, Yeah you right.
Stacey "ring leader" Jackson will get fried by the feds.
She'll use the B.S. defense "I didn't know any one did any thing wrong!" - and this won't cut it in front of a jury.
Also, her rigged contractors are going to take a legal hit also!!!!
She's a NOLA style criminal female-thugster.
Ray Ray's Chocolate City in action. Crawfish out of this one Mayor Wonka.
Now if we can get the "COUNCILS" to do work in all their District and not just in their Friends chosen area.
.
When citizens start voting for good people instead of skin color, that's when coruption will
start to decline.
Cajun Joe
.
I am pleased to hear that the Board terminated these fraudulent individuals.
My home was listed as gutted by a NOAH contractor, Training Connection. What a joke! I paid a contract in April 2008 to gut my home. Can I have that money back if NOAH is claiming that it paid over $2300 to Training Connection.
Here's my past experience with NOAH. I contacted the program back in 2007 regarding the status of my application for gutting and was informed that my house was assigned to Parish Dubuclet. After my home sat untouched, I called again and was informed that my home wasn't assigned yet. What a contradiction. After I informed the secretary that Parish Dubuclet was allegedly assigned to my property, she became quite ignorant and refused to give me his contact information. She said that's not how the program works. She said that she couldn't release this information. After months passed, I called again and was informed that due to funding issues the program was in hiatus. That's right, funds were paid for work not done. Somebody needed to get their lies straight.
What a fleecing of taxpayers' money. What a sham.
P.S. Mr. Inspector General, Robert Cerasoli, don't leave an outgoing message that states you will contact people within 24hrs if you don't plan to do so.
What's done at night, always comes out in the day......Let's just hope, all these theives, are put where they belong. Poor, Poor New Orleans.
I researched Stacy jackson
She dropped out of NOLA public highschool system
Raised on Koolaid and mayo sandwisches
And now she gonna git hers,
look into the free sheetrock that was donated to the churches, and the pastor, and his board members used it to repair their own homes and rental properties. don't have to look far, holy cross!
STORIES• Results show voters keep the faith in lawmaker
• Many surprised at strength of Jefferson win
- CRIME NEWS
- METRO COLUMNISTS
-
-
- EDITORIAL PAGE COLUMNISTS
-
-
-
-
- NEWS FORUMS
-
Sound Off
-
Orleans Parish
-
St. Tammany Parish
-
Jefferson Parish
-
Crime & Safety
