By Traci Claussen, LiveGreenNOW

On Saturday, February 6th, with the scenes of Mardi Gras and Super Bowl occupying our collective gray matter, the citizens of New Orleans are thrice blessed with another major event that will send a message to the world about our great city: the New Orleans Mayoral Race.

If your vote is easily swayed by glossy ads in your mailbox or negative campaign ads on local broadcast stations, then devote an hour of your life to a relaxed setting with the candidates one-on-one hosted by local business groups in local settings, like the Speakeasy Series at the Icehouse, and actually visualize a candidate in 3-D.

The Speakeasy Series, put on by the Urban Conservancy and Trumpet Group, has given concerned voters an intimate look at the leading candidates in the New Orleans Mayoral race, from Nadine Ramsey to James Perry, John Georges to Troy Henry, Rob Couhig and maybe even Mitch Landrieu.  No panel debates, no stump speeches, just an opportunity to get face-to-face with the challengers and discuss the stuff that matters. In preparation for the upcoming mayoral race, the Urban Conservancy distributed a candidate questionnaire to the top candidates for New Orleans Mayor. Five of them responded. See their answers here.  If you missed any of the candidates, check out the video stream.

Understanding the politics of a cultural mecca like New Orleans is now compulsory. It has been more than 4 years since the devastation of that man-made disaster called Katrina, and New Orleans continues to struggle with her injuries: crime is at an all time high; infrastructure is at an all-time low; and yet, hope still thrives here, rising like a phoenix from the ash. Katrina brought an eco-urban wave to the Crescent City swelling with fresh ideas that could actually help RE-brand New Orleans as a prototype for the future of America, while reuniting the old with the new.  New Orleans brews with entrepreneurial spirit poised to make our city the model for a clean economy, along with a culture of intellectual property expressed through technology, music and the arts.

As you look at the candidates for mayor, even if you are favoring one over another right now, consider the cause-effect impact your vote will cast. Get to know what may not be comfortable for you in a candidate, and push for a deeper understanding of what electing your candidate will mean to us, globally.

Candidates chosen to appear at the Speakeasy Series are required to have raised $25,000 in campaign contributions as reported to the State of Louisiana’s Ethics Administration website.

Other local civic and business groups providing concerns for the community:

Forward New Orleans is a diverse, issue-focused community-led initiative pioneered by the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region in collaboration with more than 30 civic, neighborhood, and business organizations, all committed to improving the quality of life in New Orleans.

NOLA Recycles 2010 asks Mayoral candidates to sign their Mayoral Candidate Statement on Recycling and agree to implement the measures outlined should they be elected into office. What does your candidate have to say about this important issue?

GreenCollaborativeNOLA Civic leaders in sustainable practices have led an important innovative movement in New Orleans in an effort to transform the rebuilding process into a game changing opportunity for our city to create safer, energy saving buildings, landscapes, neighborhoods and infrastructure. How does your candidate stack up?

League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that has posted the questionnaire responses of mayoral candidates, encouraging informed and active citizen participation.