- Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., which held the traffic enforcement camera contracts in Jefferson Parish, Gretna and Westwego and has all but admitted bribing Chicago officials for a contract there, is now looking at how it obtained business outside Illinois' largest city. Michael McConnell, interim chairman of Redflex's Australian parent company, told stockholders late Monday that while examining the "extremely troubling and disappointing" Chicago revelations, analysts "found two other geographies that raised concern, and those investigations are considerably smaller than the one that just ended," according to the Chicago Tribune. McConnell did not name the other locations, although Parish Council members said in 2011 that federal investigators questioned them about Redflex's Jefferson contract.
- Gambit's Clancy Dubos comments on the fall of Aaron Broussard, comparing and contrasting Jefferson's ex-president with former Gov. Edwin Edwards. Each "had keen political skills, a finger on the pulse of his constituents and widespread support among the political establishment. He (Broussard) also had a knack -- and a taste -- for wheeling and dealing."
- New questions are raised about the Kenner City Council's award of a two-year, $100,000 contract to maintain Kenner's 49 emergency power generators. Walt Bennetti suggests at clickjefferson.com that winning bidder Taylor Power Systems was not eligible for the job. (Update: After seeing this post, Mayor Mike Yenni said Bennetti's "assertion is deeply flawed and quotes irrelevant requirements. This is not a public work project that would require certain types of licensing requirements. It is merely a maintenance and small repair contract. The contractor that was awarded the contract fulfills all the necessary requirements. Click Jefferson obviously does not have the expertise to properly distinguish the difference between a service contract and a public works contract as defined by law. Because of this Click Jefferson cannot evaluate and determine the proper requirements for awarding a bid. The city has recently put several service contracts out for bid and has saved the taxpayers in excess of $200,000.")