| By DREW BROACH | Staff writer |
REROUTING: New Orleans is pressing the pause button on its much-maligned road construction projects and bringing in an outside manager to help oversee the program. A new top deputy to Mayor LaToya Cantrell acknowledged City Hall tried to do too much at once, and will not meet a fast-approaching to finish $2 billion of federally funded improvements. URBAN BLEMISH: Graffiti, particularly the tagging of walls with signatures and logos, has long been a staple of the urban streetscape, particularly in downtown areas. New Orleans has never been Disneyland, to be sure, but the accumulation of graffiti and tags during the pandemic — along with other well-documented problems such as litter, dilapidated streets, broken traffic signals, homelessness and violent crime — is a visible manifestation of the city's ailing health. And it's hitting a crest just as tourists return to the city. PET PROJECTS: Throughout his almost 20 years in political office, Louisiana state Sen. Bodi White has called himself a conservative who champions smaller government. But that hasn’t kept White from stuffing next year’s state budget with millions of dollars of pet projects for his district. He’s only one of dozens of lawmakers who have authorized state dollars for local spending projects that received little public vetting and that serve as rewards for legislators in good standing with the Republican legislative leadership. Thank you for starting your Sunday with us. While you’re here, sign up for NOLA Business Insider, a daily newsletter highlighting the opportunities and challenges of the New Orleans business community. D.B. | 