Current News Items
Letters: Don’t Give In
KEEP pushing. Say NO, ESPECIALLY if it’s something you don’t agree with or if it don’t sit right with your soul. You do what you think is best for your family.
DDA “Weaponizes” Public Records
It just doesn’t look good when a governing body stops sending out meeting notices and then puts a tax on a lonely ballot during the area’s largest festival. Add to that, they are now not going to respond to any public records requests until the day after the election. Now, tell me how that strikes you.
It’s all about the map
Several local RPECs (Republican Parish Executive Committees) have taken up a resolution supporting a veto override for Louisiana’s US Congressional districts. This is very odd behavior. The reason seems to be because the State Republican Party hasn’t taken up the cause, and neither has any US Congressman in Louisiana. So, it’s up to the fraud squad to press the Republican legislators to support this effort another way.
No fiscal impact?
That “no fiscal impact” box always seems to be ticked on ordinances coming out of local government. Whether or not they actually believe there will be no fiscal impact remains to be proven. We’ve seen it so very many times, that it was finally time to take a really good look at one of these. Turns out we were right. It’s just another unnecessary project, another bridge to nowhere, another taxpayer funded boondoggle.
Balance of Power
Soon Louisiana will elect a new governor. Citizens are asking which candidate will be most willing to work with legislators on balancing power.
SUNSHINE WEEK – TAX ASSESSORS
Our request to this elected office was narrowly tailored to the calendar, salary, expenses and staff within the office. Much like the various Clerks of Courts throughout the state we received a virtually identical boiler plate response from the Assessors asserting ‘Responsive documents in our possession are available for inspection and copying during regular business hours at our offices located at [FILL IN THE BLANK].’ This is no more of a response to our request for public records than it is a tactic being employed to set-up a defense for failing to provide the requested records. The position illustrated here is that if you wanted to see the documents all you must do is show up at our office and the records will be readily available.
SUNSHINE WEEK – CORONERS
Our requests for public records were sent while many Coroners were gathered at the Louisiana State Coroners Association meeting. Many of those in attendance openly discussed our public records request. Some dismissed us as some “conspiracy” because it had been circulated to so many Coroners in a short period of time. Some fired back with a boiler plate letter rambling on about public records law, citing irrelevant Attorney General opinions and claiming that the requests were “broad” and “unreasonably burdensome.” Many demanded a deposit, one office upwards of $7,000, in order to fulfill our requests.
SUNSHINE WEEK – CLERKS OF COURT
During the course of this project one person remarked ‘Clerks of Court are like the Mafia!’ That statement could easily be interpreted in several different ways. Initially, it was perceived to mean that Clerks can be intimidating, threatening, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay in power. For the purposes of this exercise that interpretation of the statement didn’t ring true. In fact, most Clerks and their employees are very polite and helpful.
SUNSHINE WEEK – PARISH AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS
“I don’t know what you sent to the Police Jury, but you lit’ a fire under their *sses! They are scrambling like cockroaches when you turn the lights on.” That shocking reaction to our public records requests to parish governing authorities did not come from the Parish President, his Secretary, or his staff, but from a regular citizen. That one reaction perfectly encapsulates the importance of sunshine week and the work of Citizens for a New Louisiana.
Lafayette’s Downtown Shakedown
If Anita Begnaud has her preference, you’ll never find out that smack in the middle of Festival International she’ll be asking downtown for a fifteen-year, fifty-percent (for now) property tax hike. If approved, the new tax will collect $447,840. However, a whopping ninety-five percent (95%) of that money, will be going to pay “operational expenses,” such as salaries and operations; with the lion’s share (96%) of that going straight to employee compensation.
