Despite all the justified pissing and moaning about things that go on at City Hall, I’ve never had a bad experience there — at least not once I’m inside the building. TBK and I had to go over there this morning to begin the process of getting a conditional use permit so the restaurant can sell beer and wine. Once inside the building, things were pleasant. Thanks to Carla in Stacy Head’s office for giving us some good advice.

This is the second business I’ve started in this city and I’ve always found the folks at the permitting, city planning, licensing and other offices to be courteous and helpful. This includes the couple of times I’ve had to deal with my assessor’s office (Betty Jefferson) and today’s experience was no exception. I find some of the rules a little silly and redundant — but so do the folks who help me navigate things, so we get a good laugh out of it. I think it’s all in the attitude. Hell, we even voted early this morning, since we had to kill some time before the planning office opened. We walked downstairs and there was NO line, so our Oct. 20th civic duty is already accomplished.

Things are, however, different outside City Hall….

There’s this encampment for the homeless set up (and growing) across Perdido in and around the gazebo in front of the old State Annex building (and on the steps of the annex as well). Old mattresses and other flotsam has been dragged up there, along with the other deritus of the homeless, Folks of all colors are lazing about, some drunk, others asleep (or both). It’s not dangerous — it’s just, well, sad.

We thought our visit to City Hall would be a short one, but it turned out we had to take some extra time getting some addresses in the assessor’s office. So TBK volunteers to go back out to the truck and pump some more cash in the meter (too late, as it turned out) while I get started on the work at hand. So she leaves and is gone about ten minutes, having to trek back through Homelessburg on the way. While on the way, she witnesses one guy taking a piss and some woman taking a dump on this otherwise pretty nice city property. Great.

Again, i thought, how sad. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought it was all kinda allgorical, y’know? We can’t even stop people from pissing and dumping across the street from City Freaking Hall. No one gave a rip, even though it’s all visible from the scores of windows facing the area. Kinda sums up our entire situation, don’t it? As a city, we continue to crap right where we live and work — despite some valiant efforts by not enough folks,

…oh, and a hearty welcome to the 10,000 or so folks in town for our big surgical convention this week. We’re thrilled you’re here. Just be glad the convention stuff is the other side of downtown from City Hall. Just the same, watch where you step.

Related posts:

1. The City of NO
2. Business License in NOLA
3. Stacy Head, City Council District B: A leader for the heart of the city.
4. register to vote today
5. Wuv….tuh-woo wuv….