Outtakes from the P.A.C.E. mayor candidate forum

Writing a narrative about a political Q-and-A isn’t always easy. The questions can vary widely, and sometimes contenders don’t give good answers – much less speak in complete sentences.



So today’s article on the P.A.C.E. mayoral forum honed in on the “Ron Webb incident,” as categorized by moderator Adam Giblin. Here are some quotations that didn’t make the article.


One topic each candidate seemed comfortable discussing was the plan to bring Louisiana College’s law school to Shreveport. Giblin said the Southern Baptist school discriminates against gays. He asked whether public money should be used to fund a private institution.

• “It shouldn’t be used because of our debt situation,” Libertarian Parker Ward said. “Government should not be involved in somebody’s personal life.”
  
  
• “If we’re not discriminating against anybody… we shouldn’t donate money to an organization that does,” independent Dana Bruhnke said, referring to the city’s personnel policy. “It would be great to have… but we have other budget issues to take care of.”
  
  
• “The city cannot do this deal,” said Caddo Commissioner David Cox, running as no party. “It should not do this deal.”
  
  
• “It’s a discussion that I’m interested in having,” said Mayor Cedric Glover, a Democrat who went public with the proposal for the city to buy the former Joe D. Waggoner Federal Building for the college. And then here are some wildcards.
  
  
  
  • “If you call my office, I will call you back.” – State Rep, Roy Burrell, a Democrat, taking a jab Glover. A common complaint from the public at City Council meetings is that Glove rand staff don’t return phone calls.
    
    
  • “We need a leader that understands coming from behind.” – Cox on how he we manage city finances.
    
    
  • “I do not think the will of the people… should simply be overturned by a judge’s ruling,” Republican Tim Goeders on recent court proceedings about Proposition 8, the California law that outlawed gay marriage.
    
    
  • “You’ve got to kind of make up your mind. Are you going to go forward or go backward?” – independent Hersy Jones on Glover’s decision to honor the city’s Confederate history.
  
  
  
  
  City Councilman Bryan Wooley, a Republic, missed the forum because he was sick, he said. He expects to be at Tuesday’s council meeting.
  
  
  Oration was not Bruhnke’s strong point. He acknowledged that with this swipe at Wooley: “I’m just going to work on my public speaking. One that’s not here – he’s very polished.”

It's budget time in Shreveport

We're still more than a month away from public meetings on the budget, but Shreveport department heads have been fast at work since July, according to Mayor Cedric Glover's office.

Discussions started then between them and mayoral and City Council staff. Department heads get to propose changes from last year. Whether their numbers go up and down will depend largely, of course, on projected sales tax revenue, among other factors.

The next major step will be to schedule budget review sessions. Council members will go department-by-department listening to director pitches. That generally happens in October.

Public hearings on the full document happen on or before Nov. 15.  The charter requires the council to approve a budget by Dec. 15.

Check out Caddo Commission clerk candidate resumes

The anonysphere of web comments suggested good-ole-boyism played a role in the Caddo Commission choosing Fleet Services manager Todd Hopkins as its new clerk.

And Commissioner Stephanie Lynch quickly noted that a black, male commissioner joined the board's six white men with a yes vote.

So I figured I would let you readers weigh in yourselves. Here are resumes for each of the four finalists:

• Todd Hopkins

• Veta Samuels, Caddo Commission's deputy clerk

• Deborah Sewell, recording secretary for the Ouachita Police Jury

• Mark Terry, former director of Horizon Bay senior retirement center in Bossier City

More on Shreveport swim lesson plans

Fire Chief Brian Crawford got me some more information today that wasn't discussed during Thursday's press conference about Shreveport's new plan to teach children to swim.

Public officials and civic leaders, as you read, introduced the Stewart-Warner Project Swim, named for the six youth who drowned last week in Red River. They could not swim.

Here are notes from Crawford:

• Shreveport already offered free swim lessons to children in city programs if caregivers couldn't afford to pay. Project Swim fundraising simply will help offset costs to the city and organizations, such as YMCA and Red Cross, that help provide instruction.

• SPAR already provides swimming instruction to more than 1,000 children each summer.

• “The bottom line is the child can learn for free - wherever they learn and no more tax dollars are being expended that were before with the programs that were already in place.”

I'm back, and Shreveport is newsy!

Hi, folks. Sorry for the absence. But after a week of vacation and another working with some great college journalists (see our work here), I am glad to be back on the city beat. And it's already been busy.

While I wasn't here to check in on our local leaders, at least other folks at the paper were. If you missed it, here is a Times editorial about Mayor Cedric Glover's handling of Government Plaza roof repairs. If you recall, water has oozed through the eighth-floor ceiling onto people, walls and cabinets since at least mid-2008.

Caddo administrators are getting dripped on, and the parish offered the city a loan early this year on its $1.3 million portion. The parish should bay about $500,000.

And here is Glover's response. (Seriously, folks. How many other places can you really go that will allow you to directly criticize analysis with so little censorship? Show some newspaper love here.)

Of course some of the biggest news of this week is plans to draw Louisiana College's law school to Shreveport. I'll offer more on that in the next few days.

Here's a little noise, and a break

If you missed this story from Thursday, Caddo and Bossier residents can sound off on noise in early August at a joint meeting between the two parishes' governments.

The Commission and Police Jury will consider ordinances aimed at setting allowable levels of loudness.

"Excessive noise can mean one thing to you and another thing to me," Caddo Parish Attorney Charles Grubb said. "What this proposal does is it puts some objectivity into what is excessive."

Read the prop for yourself here.

And on another note, dear readers, I'll be taking a blogging break for a short while. I've got vacation next week followed by the Asian American Journalists Association convention. There I'll be an editor/mentor for college students producing a multimedia project that includes a newspaper, website and Internet video broadcasts. Follow me on Twitter if you'd like to see more about that.


Watch the City Council and Commission for me while I'm out. You never know when they might try to pull a fast one.

Full list of Shreveport's fall election qualifiers

A reader pointed out it was hard to find this list on our site. So here is a recap of all the candidates who qualified for Shreveport offices in the Oct. 2 election.

Shreveport mayor

• Dana Bruhnke, no party
• Roy Burrell, D
• David Cox, other
• Cedric Glover, D
• Tim Goeders, R
• Hersy Jones Jr., other
• Debra Lindsey, other
• Parker Ward
• Bryan Wooley

Shreveport City Council

District A:
• Rose Wilson McCulloch, D
• C. O. Simpkins, D
• Lillian Thomas Wade, no party
• Michael D. Williams, D

District B:
• Deborah Allen, no party
• "Jeff" Everson, D
• Craig B. Lee, other
• Sheva Sims, D

District C:
• Oliver Jenkins, R
• Jacob "Jake" Toloso, no party

District D:
• Deanna Candler, R
• Michael D. Corbin, R
• Phillip A. Templeton, other

District E:
• "Ron" Webb, R

District F:
• Joe Shyne, D

District G:
• Samuel L. "Sam" Jenkins Jr., D
• Jerry L. White, D

News release about Shreveport's ongoing trash pickup issues

Workers load plant clippings  in 2008.

The city news release posted below didn't get much play last week. But I thought it would be good to post it as just another increment in this ongoing story. (Think plan to buy new garbage trucks.)

Shreveport sent this out July 13:

The City’s Solid Waste Division is asking citizens for patience and understanding as crews work diligently to get back on schedule for regular weekly collections.

“Baring any unforeseen occurrences or situations, we will be back on schedule after Wednesday, July 14, 2010,” says Public Works Superintendent Fred Williams.  “We are still providing once a week collection, except in some areas we have come a day or two late and we apologize.”

Plagued by mechanical problems, Williams explains that a reduced number of operating solid waste vehicles has significantly impacted weekly collections.  “We have been operating with 36 to 38 sanitation vehicles instead of the 47 that are needed to finish our daily/weekly routes.” 

Additionally, last week, sanitation crews worked a holiday (4th of July) schedule.  They were off Monday and worked Tuesday through Friday without the benefit of a non-collection day to catch up and go back to those areas that were missed.   

“We are asking the citizens of Shreveport to be patient with us as we get back to and continue to provide the level of service that they expect.”

For questions of further information contact:  Fred Williams, Superintendent, Office of Public Works, Solid Waste Division @ (318) 673.6300

Shreveport City Council Chairwoman takes witness stand

I'm not covering the case, but fellow reporter Nicole Blake Johnson has been sitting in on the residency hearing of a Caddo School Board candidate for District 12.

The one in question is Michael Collins, a Republican, seeking the seat of incumbent Democrat Dottie Bell. City Council Chairwoman Joyce Bowman, who sometimes pals around with Bell, apparently took the stand.

Not sure what she said, but I think we may hear more tomorrow,  after Judge Ramon Lafitte makes a decision.

And here are Shreveport City Council member duties

I wouldn't want the City Council to feel like no one pays attention. So since I posted Shreveport's mayoral duties yesterday, here are the council's:

With respect to the organization of the city government, the council by ordinance shall have the exclusive power:

(a) To create and establish new functions of the city government and assign responsibility for administering same;

(b) To create and establish new departments to administer functions not established by this Charter; and

(c) Upon recommendation of the mayor, to reassign or terminate functions, offices and duties which have been specifically assigned by this Charter, or which have been previously assigned by council action, provided, however, that no such ordinance shall change the duties and responsibilities assigned by this Charter to the elective officers named in section 3.01 hereof or those duties and responsibilities assigned to the fire and police departments under Article 11 of this Charter.

Read more here.

Shreveport mayoral duties

Just thought I would pluck this section of Shreveport's charter since we've been discussing the mayor's office.

It comes from Section 5.02 - Powers and duties of the mayor

All executive and administrative powers under this Charter shall vest in and be exercised by the mayor, except as may be otherwise specifically provided in this Charter. In the exercise of such authority, the mayor shall be responsible for the conduct of the executive branch of the city government and shall administer all offices, departments, boards, commissions and agencies thereof. 

It shall be the duty of the mayor to see that the provisions of this Charter, the ordinances and resolutions of the city, and all laws of the municipality are enforced. 

Specifically, but not by way of limitation of the other provisions herein made, the mayor shall: 

(a) Subject to the provisions of Article 14 of this Charter, appoint all officers and employees of the several departments of the city, except those officers and employees who are to be appointed in some other manner under the provisions of this Charter; 

(b) Subject to the provisions of applicable state laws and of Article 14 of this Charter, remove at his pleasure all persons appointed by him; 

(c) Sign all contracts, bonds or other instruments or documents requiring the assent of or execution by the city, except those which some other officer is authorized hereunder to sign, and be custodian of the corporate seal; 

(d) See that the terms and conditions of all contracts are faithfully executed;

(e) Have a voice but no vote in the proceedings of all boards, agencies, committees, commissions and authorities of the city of which he is not made a voting member; 

(f) Annually present to the council a report on the condition of the affairs of the city together with any advices, proposals or recommendations he deems worthy of consideration by the council or the people of the city; and 

(g) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this Charter, by ordinance, by resolution, or by applicable law.

 

Read more of the charter here.

Let the political games begin, Shreveport

Qualifying's done, and now the real campaigning can get started.

The Shreveport mayor's race, with nine contenders, obviously will be something we will follow closely. There will be some competitive council races as well.

So stay tuned. In the meantime, what do y'all want to know more about? And what are the biggest issues facing Shreveport's next round of leaders?

Shreveport now has 7 mayoral candidates

Here's the list, including two surprises.

1. Dana Bruhnke, independent.
2. Roy Burrell, Democrat.
3. David Cox, independent.
4. Debra Lindsey, independent.
5. Cedric Glover, Democrat.
6. Parker Ward, Libertarian
7. Bryan Wooley, Republican.

That's all for today. But we still have one more day of qualifying. I'll be dispatching via my Twitter feed on Friday.

Thanks, Shreveport City Council, for the notice

Just wanted to give props to your City Council for doing the right thing last week.

Office worker Eric Whitt (who sits at the council office front desk and often answers phone calls) is quitting to move on to another job in the Dallas area, I'm told. So the council and staff decided to take him to lunch on Friday.

And since there was a chance that could mean a quorum at the noon gathering, clerk Arthur Thompson sent public notice. I didn't crash the party, but I could have since council staff fulfilled the law. I don't hear too often of local government boards meeting without giving notice, but I do hear when they gather two-by-two, which technically means they don't have to inform us. (And that us means you and me, not just journalists.)

Now, the next question is how much did lunch cost us taxpayers?

Good luck in The Metroplex, Eric.

Read more here about Louisiana open meetings law.

Lagniappe from LSU-S student's City Council announcement

Folks were probably expecting some follow up from Mayor Cedric Glover' re-election party last night. Unfortunately I couldn't attend because of a death in my family.

But I did want to offer a little from Tuesday's City Council announcement gathering for LSU-S student Deanna Candler. It was at Catina Laredo on Youree Drive. She works there.

A possible alliance worth noting: fellow Republican Ron Webb attended.

Candler is the second announced candidate for Bryan Wooley's District D seat. Michael Corbin is the other.

Mayoral re-election invite I almost missed

 Glover and wife, Veronica Glover, at the April re-election event.

Just when I thought Mayor Cedric Glover forgot to invite me to his official re-election party, which is Thursday, I got an e-mailed press release this afternoon. Granted, that's about a week after at least one other reporter received this (nicely designed, I might add) mailed invitation.

The "Jazz & Jambalaya" event is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Barnwell Garden & Arts Center downtown. Shreveporters are invited, according to the news release, for free food and drinks. And that'll be paid for by the Cedric B. Glover Campaign Committee. Parking, also at no charge, is available at the city garage across Clyde Fant Parkway from Barnwell and next to Sci-Port: Louisiana's Discovery Center. The campaign also will pay for shuttle service.

Burnadine Anderson, who put in quite a few years talking to the media for Caddo schools, is Glover's campaign coordinator. (She's retired.) Anderson's also sitting as a "citizen" on the mayor's airport task force.

Michael Corbin, director at Barnwell, is running for City Council District D. He also sells life insurance. Barnwell has had a Thursday night jazz concert series this summer.

If you'll remember, Glover already announced his campaign back in April. That meeting was billed as a big announcement for Mardi Gras, but what was offered was a vague promise to keep Carnival celebrations in Shreveport. No other local politicians are really pushing to send the parades back to Bossier City. That was one of many highlights he listed among accomplishments since winning an office on Government Plaza's second floor.

So we'll see what tomorrow and the rest of election season brings. Candidates qualify (i.e. officially register) to run next week. That's when we see who's serious.

Outtakes on last trash truck meeting, and looking forward

Worker Kevin Colins, works in the 6100 block of Ambleside Drive on June 21st.
Jim Hudelson/The Times

I got a little tied up last week, so please forgive the time away from blogging. (See my oil spill story for part of the distraction.)

So the Shreveport City Council's new committee on solid waste meets again tomorrow. On the agenda: financing the $2.4 million purchase of 15 garbage packers, plus the timeline in which Shreveport can get that done. (That's at 2 p.m. in the first-floor conference room at Government Plaza.)

Council chair Joyce Bowman has pledged to get workers in newer vehicles (with air conditioning) by next month.

Beyond trash collection logistics and employee issues, the most intriguing parts of last week's dialogue

According to Councilman Monty Walford, though, the city can't continue that way much longer. With a minimal monthly fee of $2.50 to the 60,000 or customers, Shreveport could replace about 12 trucks a year. The vehicles in use now are at least five years old. And they're worn out, officials and workers say.

Walford knows, though, that adding a fee is a tough political fight. Councilman Joe Shyne put that in perspective in asking Walford thinks the fee should start.

"Bryan is running for mayor," Shyne said. "I'm running for re-election. I'm just trying to be practical." (Bryan is Councilman Wooley, of course.)

Interestingly, Bossier City uses Shreveport's trash services and charges a lot more, comparatively. That city receives $16 a month, via water bills.

So what are your thoughts?

Announced mayoral candidate promotes Libertarian meeting

In case you missed it, here is announced Shreveport mayoral candidate Parker Ward's most recent letter to the editor.

Essentially, Ward says, the Caddo Parish Libertarian party is organizing. It will meet at 6 p.m. June 28 at El Chico on Greenwood Road.

Previously, Ward has written about the U.S. being a republic vs. a democracy and given some observations on local politics, for instance: "Our leaders are elected to serve everyone and not just those who voted for them. I am one who believes they should listen to the majority public opinion of the people in their district."

Ward also expressed his support in 2008 for Chester T. "Catfish" Kelley in the Congressional race against now-Rep. John Fleming. Kelley, owner of Catfish Landing restaurant, provided Ward with free food and a venue for his candidacy announcement. That's something Kelley said he offers once to any local political candidate.

Staffer quits Mayor Cedric Glover's office

I'm back on the job in Shreveport after spending most of last week reporting on the  Gulf oil spill.  Honestly, it feels in many ways like I never left. This blog entry details one of the dozen or so City Hall-related phone calls or texts I fielded while in south Louisiana.

As posted on my Twitter feed, Chloe Haygood, assistant to Mayor Cedric Glover, has quit. Her last day was June 18. She is getting married in August and plans to move to New Orleans, where her fiance lives, after her wedding.

Haygood said in a phone call that she still believes in Glover's mission and abilities. She campaigned for him in 2006, so she's put in a good four years. She said she needs the next few months to focus on getting her new life in order.

Much of Haygood's official work focused on community groups and events. She oversaw Glover's summer internship programs, for instance. I use "official" because duties often overlap in the mayor's office.

More background on Haygood:

• Ran unsuccessfully in the 2006 electiStaffer quits Mayor Cedric Glover's officeon against incumbent Willie Burton for the seat in Caddo School Board District 3.
• Daughter of Carolyn Jones, among the first black students to integrate Shreveport's white public schools. Granddaughter of the Rev. E.E. Jones, a civil rights leader and pastor of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.
• In 2008 – the most recent year I’ve got information at my fingertips – her salary was about $78,000.

And follow this link to watch a video about the role of Haygood's family in the Civil Rights Movement.

Former Shreveport Fire Chief Cochran to leave federal post

Caught this Atlanta Journal Constitution article on Shreveport native and former Fire Chief recently. Kelvin Cochran left that city's top fire post for the nations pinnacle in firefighting.

But he'll be returning to Atlanta soon. We don't have many more details besides that. It'll be interesting to see those.