Opelousas Mayor Pro Tem Reggie Tatum, initially removed from the post in June by Mayor Donald Cravins — Cravins broke the “tie” after three aldermen abstained and three voted to remove Tatum — got his seat back again Wednesday. In what might turn out to be a precedent-setting ruling for municipalities, 27th Judicial District Judge Ellis Daigle determined that an abstention is not a “no” vote. An abstention is equivalent to an alderman recusing himself, Daigle ruled, which was the argument Tatum says he put forward.
“This is ground-breaking,” Tatum says. “No one’s even been removed as mayor pro tem,” notes the alderman, who consulted with municipalities across the state in building his case. “We couldn’t even find any case in the whole United States.”
When he was first reinstated by the court in July, Tatum wasted no time asking the feds to investigate Cravins and his handling of the city’s business after a legislative audit found a number of troubling issues, and Cravins wasted no time trying to have his adversary removed as mayor pro tem. The vote went down in July just as it did in June — three for removal and three abstentions (including Tatum himself). Cravins once more broke the tie.
Tatum, who has been a vocal critic of how Cravins runs the city, teamed up with state Sen. Elbert Guillory, state Rep. Rickey Hardy and Opelousas Alderman at Large Joe Charles in urging U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley to investigate City Hall. Tatum says he hasn’t heard from Finley since making the request. “I guess that could be good or could be bad,” he says.
Judge Daigle Wednesday ordered the city to pay all court costs. It’s unclear whether the city of Opelousas will again appeal. “They’re going to waste the people’s money again,” Tatum says.
Cravins faces Guillory in a Nov. 19 runoff.
MAY 22 This post was written the day after the second line shooting in NOLA, by Brentin Mock. Mock is a friend of Deb "Big Red" Cotton, a blogger who was shot in the back and was seriously injured. It is a raw, emotional piece of writing, something the writer obviously felt he needed to get off his chest. But it raises questions that can't be easily dismissed, and might give some insight into where the source of these events truly is.
MAY 22 In this Baton Rouge Business Report post, Rolfe McCollister considers the privatization of bus service in Baton Rouge. After decades of under-funding, it is a mess, and although a tax (partially) passed last year, improvement hasn't happened yet. McCollister apparently feels it is time to let private business get in on the transit business.
MAY 22 This post on Bayou Buzz by Jeff Crouere urges the defeat of a bill that would grant modest pay increases over the next several years to the state's judges and clerks of court. The state is in no position to fund pay hikes, Crouere argues, with the pay increases costing a total of $9 million over several years. It sends the wrong message to the (proverbial) hard-working people of Louisiana, he says.
MAY 22 The Advocate reports here that State Treasurer John Kennedy is complaining about a meeting of the corporation that oversees the state's tobacco settlement. The Governor wanted it restructured, and he has some support, but not a lot. The corporation agreed with his plan, but Kennedy didn't, and it appears that the meeting was noticed in a manner completely different than that of all previous meetings. Kennedy's given to hyperbole, but in this case the fish don't smell too fresh.
MAY 22 In this Advocate story, Carencro Police Chief Carlos Stout says the recent federal indictment of a strip club owner is all wrong. The indictment alleges that drugs and prostitution went on with impunity because club staff made arrangements with "local" police. Stout says it never happened, and while his cops do work security in the parking lot, they're not allowed inside.
MAY 22 This amusing post in DIG Baton Rouge recounts an ad that ran on Craig's List recently; the advertiser was seeking tenants for a Beauregard Town house. He knew his market, and wrote an ad that the most ironical hipster couldn't resist. Apparently, he really did know his market, because the ad worked like a charm.
MAY 22 In this post in The Lens, Mark Moseley comments on the rhetoric Gov. Jindal employed in trying to save his tax "reform" package. One interesting point concerns Jindal's use of his brother, Nikesh, in a little story. Nikesh left Louisiana because of his inability to get a decent job, the story goes, but the story won't hold water: Nikesh lives in DC, which has an income tax level comparable to Louisiana, Moseley says. If income taxes caused the dismal situation, it should exist in DC too. Right?
MAY 22 This post by columnist John Maginnis traces the trajectory of the bill that would fund construction at community and technical colleges -- and bypass the Board of Regents and traditional higher ed funding mechanisms. Sure, it will bust the legislature's self-imposed debt limit, but some leges feel that there's more need (because there is more growth) in the community and technical college area than in the university area, he says.
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