The Shreveport-Bossier Tea Party is getting some love from The Times this week. From an article on the spotlight that SB Tea Party is focusing on local government, to an editorial praising those actions, the Tea Party is enjoying some well deserved recognition. Personally, I am very pleased with the local thrust of the Shreveport-Bossier group. The Red River Tea Party takes more notice of state and national issues.
The Times addressed the questions raised by Evodna Springer to the Bossier City Council regarding the workshop meetings that were held about the sewer increase, and about the discovery that no minutes had been kept (you can see the video here).
A meeting with 26th JDC District Attorney Schuyler Marvin extracted a promise from the DA to instruct the Bossier City Attorney on the requirements of the Open Meetings Law.
City Council President David Jones is not waiting for the DA to write – he is moving to correct these oversights, and I do believe they were caused by lax behavior, not by any intent to deceive the public. I seriously doubt that the city had ever had a public records request for these minutes before.
They’re not off the hook, however.
Tea Party members intend to be at the council meeting Tuesday at 3PM to ask some questions about the proposed roll forward of property tax rates, which the city says won’t actually raise taxes.
They will also be questioning other expenditures, such as $1.4 million for renovations at the North Bossier Tennis Club and money being spent to put in the CNG fueling station.
Tea Party spokesman Matt Sciba questions some of the expenditures at a time when the city has had to layoff public safety workers. “It seems Bossier City Council has a constant flux between not having any money for the basics, and having plenty of money for the luxuries. Am I missing something?”
Be sure and check out the Times article and editorial if you haven’t read them yet.
You can become a member of a Tea Party organization by signing up on their websites.
Red River Tea Party
Shreveport-Bossier Tea Party
I hope the Tea Party will take as much time understanding the issues as they do pointing out perceived failures. One issue i see coming up time and time again is the use of Riverboat Gaming Revenue. For years - it was the position of Bossier Government that Riverboat money should not be used for recurring expenditures - only for projects. This presents a problem because most people dont understand how government works. I have heard a 1000 times - how can they cut police and fire and still build this project or that project. Simple - the recurring revenues are not keeping pace with the cost of employees (ad valorem tax and sales tax)- but the riverboat money (diminished as it has over the years) has built up enough to do the project. Same with the questions pointed out in your blog - the projects are being paid for with money that is not recurring - grants from DNR and the FEDs to build the stations and Riverboat money for the tennis courts - but the taxes are not sufficient to pay for the ever increasing costs of city employees - thus the cuts. Should Bossier take money from Riverboats and put it on recurring revenue to a greater extent? Maybe they have too many employees and should cut there rather than do the practice of using riverboat revenue for recurring funds. Take the 1.4 million from the tennis courts and put it toward officer salaries - then next year if the riverboats underperform or the state takes the money like it did with LA downs - then the officers go home. Not such an easy answer.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I have noticed that the most vocal of the tea party people are the least informed I have ever read.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the inherent problem is finding the balance. A lot of people demand less and less government spending and at the same time demand more and more government services.
ReplyDeleteIf nothing else, the Tea Party will encourage people to make a choice.
The first commenter asked "Should Bossier take money from Riverboats and put it on recurring revenue to a greater extent?"
Perhaps to some extent. As I understand it, this was done because the riverboat revenues, when they first started rolling in during the 90s were thought to be undependable. I think the opposite has proved to be true.
Back to that question of balance - Bossier has experienced a lot of growth, and that demands more infrastructure.
I just looked at the City Council agenda online and I find no roll forward. Typical Tea Party misinfo.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteExcellent statement "people want more and more and want to pay les and less." I don't like taxes any more than the next guy, but I am willing to pay for what we want and need.
After receiving a financial update from Director of Finance Buffington, the city council moved
ReplyDeleteforward with approving whether to roll forward with the city’s property tax millage rates.
. . . Due to state law,
Bossier City cannot collect more funds than it collected last year unless it rolls forward, which
does not raise taxes, but brings the tax up to the actually percent collected rather than how
much the city collected in previous years."
This was in the Press Tribune, is it incorrect?
Anon 9:52, 9:59, 10:13 and 10:15 are all from the same person or group of persons from City Hall. I agree the Tea Party is misinformed. But not for long, because they have some more FOI requests coming, which should include salaries, car exenses, trip expenses, etc.
ReplyDeleteExcellent Post Anon 11:05. LOL.
ReplyDeleteSomebody at CITY HALL is checking your blog JIM in real time, with email alerts - funny. LOL LOL LOL LOL
ReplyDeleteThis message is to Mrs. Evonda. Please set up a government waste hotline or email or blog post or something on your Shereveport Bossier Tea Party website so people can inform you of what is going on in the City. This would then allow you to direct FOI requests in the proper places.
ReplyDeleteWe are tired of paying high taxes and paying for underfunded mandates like the MPERS, CIC, CenturyTel Center. I mean, enough is enough. City Govt. should focus on public safety, streets, drainage, utitlites. everything else should be private sector. Tell me, when are the going to four lane some of the two lane roads around here. When are they going to fix pots holes and the like.
Tea Party please set up a hot line or email tip line.
You can send any tips info, etc. to SBTPtips@hotmail.com
ReplyDeletesmells like donkey in here
ReplyDeleteWhy did this guy type smells like donkey in here? What does that mean?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, please keep tips coming concerning government waste, mis-use etc.
SPTPtips@hotmail.com
The tips are starting to come in -more FOI requests coming -
Let the Sunshine In!!!!!!!
Correction on email address:
ReplyDeleteSBTPtips@hotmail.com
SBTPtips@hotmail.com
Thanks
For Matt Sciba,
ReplyDeleteHow can you in good faith stand up for the citizens of Bossier City when you did not even VOTE in the latest millage rate for Bossier's Fire and Police salaries. Remember Matt, this is PUBLIC record also.
Uh, Anon 4:44, Matt Scriba didn't blog about Standing up for Police and Fire.
ReplyDeleteWho cares if he voted for it or not - just the uncovering of waste things at City Hall is good enough reason for the Tea Party.
Keep sending in Tips to SBTPtips@hotmail.com
Keep the FOI requests coming. Can't wait to see what else is gonna be uncovered. - Not taking minutes at meetings - isn't that City Govt 101.
This would all be real funny, if the taxpayer wasn't sick of writing blank checks for all this ---
Keep it coming Tea Party - More FOI's