I understand that you’re tired. Tired of hearing promises that sound good at a rally but don’t fix any broken pipes, tired of meetings that make the news but don’t lead to any clear results, and tired of seeing your neighbors leave town because life has become harder. In our city, we call that anger New Orleans bullgas.
New Orleans bullgas is what passes for political leadership when what we really need are real solutions. It shows up as flashy announcements with no plans for how to carry them out, political board appointments instead of professional management, and a never-ending cycle of blame that never lands on someone who is really responsible. The outcome is a city with fewer people, worse services, and a lower quality of life. If we don’t deal with New Orleans bullgas now, we could lose more than just headlines; we could lose the future of our neighborhoods.
Why New Orleans bullgas seems so familiar
New Orleans bullgas does well because it’s easier to talk than to do. Slogans are what campaigns use; governing requires quiet, disciplined work. When politicians care more about how things look than how they work, the Sewerage & Water Board becomes a sign of a bigger problem instead of an isolated case. We have to deal with boil water notices, billing problems, and streets that are prone to flooding because the systems that should handle these issues are set up for patronage instead of performance. That is New Orleans bullgas in action: looking like you’re paying attention without actually being responsible.
How professional governance beats New Orleans bullgas
I’ve seen a different way work. Running the Public Belt Railroad through a turnaround taught me that good governance is important. Political patronage used to create almost no value and make workers feel bad about their jobs. Now, clear goals, performance metrics, and the power to hire a good CEO have changed how things work. The lessons are easy to understand and apply: set clear goals, make sure leaders stick to them, and replace political oversight with boards that are trained to judge performance. That’s how you stop New Orleans bullgas: by replacing showy government with steady competence.
The price of letting New Orleans bullgas go
This is not a theoretical issue. People in New Orleans lose their homes, jobs, and sense of belonging because of bullgas. In five years, we’ve lost 30,000 people. Every person who leaves the city lowers its tax base, which makes it harder to pay for services and keep parks and schools open. Families choose to move because of repeated failures, flooding, unreliable water, and bad streets, that make life hard. When leaders care more about getting re-elected than making long-lasting policies, New Orleans bullgas takes hold and weakens the city’s resilience.
What leadership that focuses on outcomes looks like
Outcome-focused leadership doesn’t like the political theater that makes New Orleans bullgas and asks three simple questions about every project: What are we trying to do? How will we know if we are successful? If we fail, who is to blame? Answers must be specific: get rid of boil water advisories completely by a certain date; lower sewage overflows by a certain amount; and speed up stormwater response time to a certain level. When candidates make promises, ask for numbers, not slogans. After the vote, make sure they stick to those numbers.
Reforms that can lower New Orleans bullgas: policy over politics
Begin with changing how public utilities are run. Change boards that are controlled by politics into governance bodies that hire professional executives and make performance contracts that are clear and linked to measurable service improvements. Require public reporting of key performance indicators on a regular basis so that people can tell if progress is real or just another case of New Orleans bullgas.
Next, make procurement and project management stronger so that bullgas-driven projects don’t have delays and cost overruns, which are common. Set up independent audits and a public dashboard that shows how much money has been spent and what the project’s goals are. People should be able to see if contractors are meeting deadlines and staying within budget when a mayor or councilmember makes a big announcement.
Instead of doing big projects that only happen once, spend money on regular maintenance. Long-term asset management, like fixing pipes before they burst, keeping drainage canals in good shape, and upgrading electrical infrastructure, cuts down on emergencies and the political hand-wringing that feeds New Orleans bullgas.
A campaign season to ask for less bull and more strength
This election has to be different. Instead of their flashiest soundbites, candidates should be judged on their plans to get rid of New Orleans bullgas. Voters should ask for plans that are clear, include costs, deadlines, and names of the people in charge of making them happen. We should give candidates who promise to make performance contracts, set up independent oversight, and not use city boards as political patronage shops a reward.
We should also ask for a change in culture: leaders who promise to run the government instead of running for office all the time. On the first day, ask candidates if they won’t run for re-election and if they will promise to make the process of handing over power to new appointees clear. Ask them to explain how they will know if they are successful and what will happen if they don’t reach their goals. That kind of responsibility makes New Orleans bullgas angry.
How people can fight back against the bullgas culture
The people of New Orleans are the real owners of Team New Orleans. To begin, you should insist on data by going to board meetings, asking for performance metrics, and demanding public reporting. Support watchdog journalism and community groups that look at results instead of how things are spun. Vote for leaders who have a track record of getting things done, not just talking about them.
Neighborhood groups and business groups should use their power to demand that important services be run by professionals and support candidates who put policy over politics. City leaders will pay attention when five neighborhoods speak with one voice and call for professional governance at the Sewerage & Water Board. To stop the cycle of New Orleans bullgas, local business groups should only support businesses that make improvements.
A frank talk about trade-offs and duty
Accepting the end of New Orleans bullgas means making tough choices. It might mean ending certain forms of patronage, combining services that are already being offered, or shifting budgets away from new, flashy projects and toward maintenance. Those are tough decisions, but they are honest ones. The lies that come with bullgas are no longer affordable for our city. The other option is that things will keep getting worse and more people will leave neighborhoods we love.
A hopeful ending: we can win if we stop acting like we can.
We’ve done things like this before. After Katrina, we rebuilt, came up with new ideas for festivals, and brought neighborhoods back to life. If we demand leaders who get things done instead of just talking, that same strength can beat New Orleans bullgas. This campaign should be the turning point where people choose competence over spin, boards hire professionals instead of giving jobs to friends, and the scoreboard stops showing losses and starts showing progress.
This article is from a citizen’s point of view on local government issues and calls for reforms that focus on accountability to cut down on political theater in New Orleans. It is meant to get people talking about it, not to give official policy advice. If you need legal or professional advice on changes to governance, talk to experts.
