One of the deep mysteries of the universe is how New Orleans manages to remain one of the great cities of the world, despite suffering under such corrupt and incompetent governance.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who has been in office less than a year, apparently has decided that all the post-Hurricane Katrina federal money and all the aggressive revenue-raising by former Mayor Mitch Landrieu still aren’t enough to pay for the Crescent City’s burgeoning bureaucracy. In recent weeks, she has embarked on two new, self-defeating efforts to grab short-term cash at the expense of the city’s long-term prospects.