There are currently more than 300,000 people in the United States undergoing deportation cases, and, as you may have heard, President Obama recently enacted a policy to change our country's deportation practices. Each of these 300,000 is going to face review on a case-by-case basis; the new policy assures that only those undocumented immigrants who are considered "harmful" will be considered for deportation.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Never Forgetting Katrina
Six years ago today, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the entire Gulf South region. In the years since it's become customary to share our Katrina stories with each other. It is something that binds us all in a very profound way. "Where did you go for Katrina?" is a common form of small talk for many Louisianians.
So it's important to remember those lost on August 29th, 2005, and in the days that followed (Because after all, the true damage wasn't done on the day the storm hit, but the next day when the storm surge overwhelmed the levees and Lake Pontchartrain flooded the city.). To remember that period in time that has, in a way, defined us all. The Times-Picayune has an excellent piece on the many Katrina memorials, as well as an appeal to look ahead.
I had the pleasure of defending many people affected by Katrina against insurance companies that tried to short change them. There are still those out there who have never recovered, and many others who have never returned. So please, even as the beat of time continues to march on, as seasons change and we grow older and the Saints continue to dominate our conversations, never forget Katrina.
Related:
"New Orleans attorney John Redmann takes landmark Katrina insurance case to the U.S. Supreme Court"
"Remembering Hurricane Katrina in Pictures"
"Drew Brees reflects on Katrina"
"President Obama reflects on Katrina"
"Marathon home rebuild marks Katrina anniversary"
So it's important to remember those lost on August 29th, 2005, and in the days that followed (Because after all, the true damage wasn't done on the day the storm hit, but the next day when the storm surge overwhelmed the levees and Lake Pontchartrain flooded the city.). To remember that period in time that has, in a way, defined us all. The Times-Picayune has an excellent piece on the many Katrina memorials, as well as an appeal to look ahead.
I had the pleasure of defending many people affected by Katrina against insurance companies that tried to short change them. There are still those out there who have never recovered, and many others who have never returned. So please, even as the beat of time continues to march on, as seasons change and we grow older and the Saints continue to dominate our conversations, never forget Katrina.
Related:
"New Orleans attorney John Redmann takes landmark Katrina insurance case to the U.S. Supreme Court"
"Remembering Hurricane Katrina in Pictures"
"Drew Brees reflects on Katrina"
"President Obama reflects on Katrina"
"Marathon home rebuild marks Katrina anniversary"
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Google's Gmail practices open up questions about privacy
Google is far and away the biggest web company in the world, and its Gmail service has lately come under intense scrutiny for its privacy practices. A recent YouTube video mocking Gmail became a viral sensation; clearly, people are unhappy with Google's policies:
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Transparency in Food Safety
The Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals recently launched a website focused on cleanliness and sanitation in our food industry. "Eat Safe Louisiana" is its tag, and as John Pope wrote today in The Times-Picayune in his write-up of the new site:
"Instead of evaluating the products on the plate, the website lets diners know about the cleanliness of the environments in which these dishes are created - the conditions of the sinks and garbage receptacles, for instance, as well as the temperature of the dishwashers and freezers, the status of the plumbing and employee compliance with hand-washing regulations." (read the complete article here)
The principal goal of the site is to provide consumers with information to which they would not normally have easy access: How sanitary their favorite restaurants and stores are. The web site's most useful feature is its interactive database of more than 34,000 Louisiana food establishments and records of their sanitation inspections. The user also has access to a PDF of each sanitation report. [For some reason, this feature is buried on the web site... you can go to it directly by clicking HERE or find it at the bottom of the "For Consumers" section.]
Transparency here is key. We are blessed to live in an era of almost limitless information. Sometimes this abundance of information can be intimidating, but when we get a very user-friendly tool such as Eat Safe Louisiana, we can make the best and most informed choices for ourselves and our loved ones.
_________________________
NOTE: We recently updated our website, RedmannLaw.com, to include a section focusing on important and interesting health and safety information. Our goal here is simply to inform and hopefully provide some helpful and useful info. Check it out by clicking HERE, and of course, your feedback is welcome.
"Instead of evaluating the products on the plate, the website lets diners know about the cleanliness of the environments in which these dishes are created - the conditions of the sinks and garbage receptacles, for instance, as well as the temperature of the dishwashers and freezers, the status of the plumbing and employee compliance with hand-washing regulations." (read the complete article here)
The principal goal of the site is to provide consumers with information to which they would not normally have easy access: How sanitary their favorite restaurants and stores are. The web site's most useful feature is its interactive database of more than 34,000 Louisiana food establishments and records of their sanitation inspections. The user also has access to a PDF of each sanitation report. [For some reason, this feature is buried on the web site... you can go to it directly by clicking HERE or find it at the bottom of the "For Consumers" section.]
Transparency here is key. We are blessed to live in an era of almost limitless information. Sometimes this abundance of information can be intimidating, but when we get a very user-friendly tool such as Eat Safe Louisiana, we can make the best and most informed choices for ourselves and our loved ones.
_________________________
NOTE: We recently updated our website, RedmannLaw.com, to include a section focusing on important and interesting health and safety information. Our goal here is simply to inform and hopefully provide some helpful and useful info. Check it out by clicking HERE, and of course, your feedback is welcome.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Public opinion of Congress at historic low
We're all aware of the recent talks about the debt ceiling in this country and how polarizing these talks have become. What's surprising is that somehow Americans have come together to reach an overwhelming consensus: We're unhappy with Congress.
A recent New York Times/CBS poll revealed that 82% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress has done. This is the highest percentage in the history of the poll, which dates back to 1977.
As originally reported by the New York Times: "More than four out of five people surveyed said that the recent debt-ceiling debate was more about gaining political advantage than about doing what is best for the country." (read the rest of the original article here)
These are scary economic times, indeed, and many people fear another recession on the horizon for this country. What makes it all the more frustrating, I believe, is that most of us can't wrap our heads around what's really going on and how it should be fixed. This is, of course, why we elect leaders - to work toward solving problems we can't. But people are becoming more and more frustrated and disenchanted with the way Congress is handling this problem, politicizing potential solutions and using them to strengthen each party's agenda. It is incredibly disheartening; we elect our leaders to show vision for the future, not to spend time divvying up blame and credit for the past.
Among other interesting findings in the poll was this: 63% of Americans believe that households with an annual income of at least $250,000 should see increased taxes to lower the deficit. This is an interesting development, as nearly two out of every three Americans think that those fortunate enough to be blessed with more should consequently give more back to their country.
I'm not sure any of us knows an easy answer, or that one even exists. But one thing is certain: It's time our leaders in Congress stop bickering and have an intelligent, sensible conversation about where we are, how we got here, and we're going to go from here.
A recent New York Times/CBS poll revealed that 82% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress has done. This is the highest percentage in the history of the poll, which dates back to 1977.
As originally reported by the New York Times: "More than four out of five people surveyed said that the recent debt-ceiling debate was more about gaining political advantage than about doing what is best for the country." (read the rest of the original article here)
These are scary economic times, indeed, and many people fear another recession on the horizon for this country. What makes it all the more frustrating, I believe, is that most of us can't wrap our heads around what's really going on and how it should be fixed. This is, of course, why we elect leaders - to work toward solving problems we can't. But people are becoming more and more frustrated and disenchanted with the way Congress is handling this problem, politicizing potential solutions and using them to strengthen each party's agenda. It is incredibly disheartening; we elect our leaders to show vision for the future, not to spend time divvying up blame and credit for the past.
Among other interesting findings in the poll was this: 63% of Americans believe that households with an annual income of at least $250,000 should see increased taxes to lower the deficit. This is an interesting development, as nearly two out of every three Americans think that those fortunate enough to be blessed with more should consequently give more back to their country.
I'm not sure any of us knows an easy answer, or that one even exists. But one thing is certain: It's time our leaders in Congress stop bickering and have an intelligent, sensible conversation about where we are, how we got here, and we're going to go from here.
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