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The primary beneficiary of this plan is the Audubon Nature Institute.
Many people in New Orleans have learned to simply roll their eyes and nod knowingly when Ron Forman and the Audubon Institute start talking about "benefiting the public". It's merely a euphemism for "making more money".
Within the past few years...
- The Audubon Institute tried to move the zoo fence to appropriate the Hyams Fountain (which they have singularly failed to maintain), despite a previous out-of-court settlement designed to preserve open green space and prevent the Audubon Commission from building a commercial kiddie-ride attraction along Magazine Street, and which precluded them from expanding the zoo boundaries further into the park. The plot was discovered, and stopped.
- The Audubon Institute tried to create a tour bus parking lot near Tchoupitoulas Street over the objections of neighbors. They were stopped.
- The Audubon Institute succeeded in demolishing the Whitney Young Pool, but their plan to build the new entrance promenade to the zoo right through the resultant green space was halted by a determined group of concerned citizens... though not before several live oaks in the path of the planned promenade mysteriously died.
Zoo=Animals, Aquarium=Fish, Insectarium=Bugs, Golf Course=?
(Answer: Money)
The golf course reconstruction is just another in this long-running series of Audubon Institute land grabs. The "executive clubhouse"? Just another word for "country club", and just another fancy building that can be rented out at tidy sums for private parties.
- Is the Audubon Institute planning to create a Country Club in our park?
- Will they drill for oil in the Polar Bear exhibit next? (will green bears turn black?!)
Who ARE these people?
The Audubon Commission is a public body, whose members are appointed by the Mayor. The City Charter authorizes it "to administer, operate, and maintain facilities administered by the Commission, including Audubon Park", which is a public, city-owned park.
The Audubon Nature Institute has been contracted by the Audubon Commission to operate these facilities, for which they receive both public and private funds. They received over 7 million in public funds from property taxes last year alone.
Since the members of the Audubon Commission and Audubon Nature Institute Board seem perfectly content to rubber-stamp Ron Forman's decisions, even those that affect everyone else's use and enjoyment of Audubon Park, perhaps we should be directing some of our questions to them.
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