Brilliant prank exposes federal neglect of New Orleans

[kpete]

Brilliant prank exposes federal neglect of New Orleans
by MaximusNYC
Mon Aug 28, 2006
Someone just pulled off a brilliant political prank:

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin each thanked the man -- identified as a federal housing representative -- who followed them to the lectern Monday to announce a major reversal in policy.

But the well-dressed, well-spoken man calling himself Rene Oswin, assistant deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, turned out to be an impostor who was part of a weeks-long hoax.

Oops: Impostor scams Louisiana officials
POSTED: 6:40 p.m. EDT, August 28, 2006

KENNER, Louisiana (CNN) -- A man who pulled a hoax on Louisiana officials and 1,000 contractors by presenting himself as a federal housing official said Monday he intended to focus attention on a lack of affordable housing.

"We basically go around impersonating bad institutes or institutes doing very bad things," said the man, who identified himself as Andy Bichlbaum, a 42-year-old former college teacher of video and media arts who lives in New York and Paris.

"That would be HUD. At this moment, they're doing some really bad things."

Masquerading as Rene Oswin, an official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Bichlbaum followed Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to the lectern Monday morning at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner.

more at:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/28/hud.hoax/index.html
via:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/28/181946/450

[tuvor]

1. Can you humiliate the government into action?

I'm doubtful, but nothing else seems to be working.

[Syncronaut Seven]

2. Worked for Ghandi.

.

[Old and In the Way]

9. Good question, apparently not this government.

The Feds ought to be royally embarassed...but if they can stand by the whole year while NO rots, I doubt this would stir them to action. Katrina reflects the Bush Republican domestic agenda just as surely as Iraq reflects their international agenda.

ICBM = Incompetence, Corruption, and Bush Mismanagement.....the real weapon of mass destruction.

[LA lady]

3. Louisiana looking stupid again

Do Blanco and Nagin have idiots for aides?

No one checked this nonsense? Do they just meet with anyone....

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. Dude made more sense than any of the elected

people who spoke.

What does that say?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. link to hoax page... great stuff

http://www.hano.us/announcement.html

now if only it were true

[bobbolink]

6. Kudos to him! Wish more would take this kind of interest in

low-income housing, and eliminate homelessness!!

This man deserves an award! :yourock:

Thanks for this story--warms my heart.

[Goat or Panic]

7. Holy Cow

Isn't this guy one half of the "Yes Men". Great movie out on DVD, shows them scamming their way into WTO events and giving these horrible, inhumane speeches to make points about fair trade.

[Generic Other]

8. That was satisfying

Great hoax. Too bad the joke's on us.

[Swamp Rat]

10. at OUR expense

ha ha :(