Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

Bogged down in the Big Easy quagmire

AP via CNN:

The city is ready to demolish some 2,500 houses deemed threats to public safety because of damage from Hurricane Katrina, but opponents said Saturday they will sue to stop the work to make sure homeowners' rights are respected.

City officials said inspectors had examined roughly 128,000 homes on New Orleans' east bank of the Mississippi River. About 4 percent, or 5,534 homes, were marked with red stickers as being unsafe to enter and must be razed, said Greg Meffert, the city's chief technology officer, who also oversees the department of safety and permits.

Only about 2,500 red-tagged houses that pose an imminent public hazard will be demolished immediately in the next few weeks. The remaining 3,000 will get a second inspection.

City officials are trying to locate homeowners to alert them in case they want to remove any belongings before the demolition, he said.

However, a coalition of individuals and groups announced Saturday that they're preparing to file a lawsuit to block the city from bulldozing houses without legal due process.

"The city of New Orleans knows full well that they are bound by the constitutions of the United States and the state of Louisiana," said Loyola Law School Professor Bill Quigley. "Both constitutions require real prior notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard before the government can take or destroy anyone's property."

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