November 13, 2005
Metairie Mardi Gras
I probably shouldn't even comment on this subject. I've had a nice dinner, a couple of glasses of wine, and Steely Dan playing through the very nice speakers I bought to replace the ones that flooded in the YatCave. Still, the notion of relaxing standards for Metairie parades is one that really cracks me up.
The implication is that the standards in place prior to the storm meant that there were quality parades in Metairie. According to Da Paper, the current requirements are:
Under ordinances that took effect this past Carnival season, krewes must meet the following minimum requirements: 200 riders, including their court; at least 10 musical acts, five of which must be bands; and 10 krewe floats.
OK, if you can't put together ten floats, you're not a parade. Most krewes could put together 15 or so floats, when you include the king/queen and the court. What usually irks me about Metairie parades is the lack of bands. The krewes were already pushing it with the number of "boom-box" dance groups they used as opposed to getting real marching units to parade.
If Metairie parades pretty much sucked before the storm, how can the captains of these krewes make a legitimate case for the status quo post-Katrina? Easy. It's not about the parades, it's about the floats. A lot of the captains are float-builders or related to someone who builds floats. If you start talking about mergers, that means someone's going to lose money.
Councilman Roberts is right to start the discussion of standards. I hope he stands his ground.