Bossier Deputies deserve better

I have been trying to understand exactly what happened in the "under-withholding" that the sheriff reported, and the ensuing confusion over repayment to the IRS.
The official explanations were as clear as mud, and in fact misleading.
Nothing was "under-withheld". Income was incorrectly reported on Sheriff’s employees pay stubs and W-2’s for 10 years. Ten years until an employee looked at her pay stub and realized that it was incorrect.
Ten years without, apparently, any oversight that would have caught this error.
From what I am able to gather from people in the know, the sheriff agreed in 2002 to start paying 2% that employees had been paying toward retirement. The problem was, that although the sheriff paid the retirement system, employees’ pay still reflected that 2% as deferred income, rather than as taxable income. The result of this, of course, was that when these employees filed their yearly return, the income they reported was actually lower than it should have been.
The IRS only has records, according to the sheriff, for the last 3 years. The cumulative total of what is owed for 2008, 2009 and 2010, and I would assume that this would include interest and penalties, is $689,000.
Employees were given the option to pay their share by December 5^th, or alternately to have 2% deducted from their pay until it is paid. This, supposedly, was part of an agreement reached with the IRS. How it will be credited to each individual employee, I have no idea. Why the sheriff couldn’t just issue corrected W-2’s and let each employee deal with it at tax time, I have no idea.
Of course, to add insult to injury in a manner that only Larry Deen could come up with, was his ‘joking’ statement to deputies that their paycheck would have a bonus included. Just joking.
Wow.
Oh, and they won’t get that raise next year. Although they are paying their part of the money owed, someone has to pay the interest and penalties. That will be offset by deputies not receiving a raise.
Meanwhile, Larry Deen is sitting on almost half a million dollars in unused campaign contributions. The law closely governs how he can disburse that money to certain non-profit and charitable donations.
Shame he can’t donate it to the Sheriff’s office or to a non-profit set up for that purpose, and relieve the employees of about 2/3 of their burden.

Sonja Bailes - from the frying pan into the fire

Word is that KTBS anchor Sonja Bailes is leaving to work for the Bossier Parish School Board.  I haven't seen an official announcement, though there may be one out there. 
Apparently she will serve as the Ed Baswell/Mark Natale of the school board. 
She is a graduate of Airline High School and has a degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech.

LSU 12-0, but I've changed my mind about one thing

What a game.  LSU just won't be beaten this year.
Second to LSU, I have always liked the Razorbacks, and I have really liked Bobby Petrino as their coach.
After this incident today, I have changed my mind.  As I so eloquently noted in the comments on Andy's blog, he is a poor loser and an asshole to boot (pardon the pun).
He was upset because LSU kicked a field goal when they were already up 39-17.  The reason Les wanted it, of course, was that Alabama beat Arkansas by 24 points, and by going 41-17 so did LSU.
This was Petrino's reaction.

Sheriff’s ‘computer formula error’ raises questions

An error in the sheriff’s payroll computer system is causing all sorts of problems, some of which are a little hard to understand.
The error in computing taxes caused Federal & State taxes to be withheld at an improper, lower rate, than required. Employees are being required to kick in the difference for their 2011 taxes.
The question I have regards the (quoting from the times) ‘taxes owed from 2008 thru 2010’.
Haven’t the individual employees filed their tax returns for those years and paid any taxes owed, or in some cases, received less of a refund than they otherwise would have received?
How can the sheriff owe $689,000 to the IRS or to the State for ‘taxes’ for a three year period when those taxes have already been paid by the employees?
What is the $689,000 for?
We will get into this more next week.
And So it Goes in Shreveport
The Times

Where's my Bottle?

You want me to do WHAT with this cup thing? I'm thinking no....

Spam Mail

Every day it's something.  Do you get a lot of these type things?
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To track your package, go to fedex.com (it gives an address that is undoubtedly masked) and insert the tracking number below to view delivery status.Tracking Number: 875531681014
On the tracking page you will see that this package is going to a wrong address. This is because you have refused to give us your cooperation. You are hereby adviced to provide us with the below details so we can immediately have it sent out to our FedEx office at Memphis.
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Margaritaville OK, Brotherton, Bennett & Cook win Police Jury

Bossier Parish Police Jury

District 1 – Brotherton over Small
District 3 – Bennett over Cooper
District 4 – Cook over Carter


The proposition to allow another riverboat in Bossier City has passed.
In Shreveport, Barbara Norton was re-elected with 56% of the vote in House District 3.

Sheva Sims won the race for City Judge against Shante` Wells.

Election Day Saturday

Tomorrow is election day, here are a few of the choices that need to be made with my recommendations on some of them.

Amendment 1

To prohibit the levy of new taxes or fees upon the sale or transfer of immovable property, including documentary transaction taxes or fees, or any other tax or fee, by the state or any of its political subdivisions after November 30, 2011. (November 30, 2011) (Adds Article VII, Section 2.3)

Bossier Parish Proposition
Shall Bossier Casino Venture LLC, or its successor(s), be allowed to conduct riverboat gaming along land situated in the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana pursuant to approval of petition for change of berth from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board?

Police Jury
In the Police Jury runoffs, voters are faced with the following choices.  I have no recommendation, the voters in each district know their candidates better than I do.
District 1: Brotherton-Small
District 3: Bennett-Cooper
District 4: Carter-Cook


Caddo Races
A couple of other races that are catching some attention are the Senate District 39 race between incumbent Lydia Jackson and former Senator Greg Tarver.
Also the race in Caddo Parish between Lynn Cawthorne and Barbara Norton for the House seat currently held by Norton. Cawthorne is well qualified and would represent the district well. For this reason, and because Barbara Norton is a disgrace, I recommend Cawthorne.

A Scandal or Not?

I very rarely comment on national politics, but with the input today of a Ruston Physician I am ready to jump in.
Herman Cain, who is wildly popular in these parts, has been accused by 5 women who worked for him at the National Restaurant Association of making inappropriate sexual advances. Today Dr. Victor Zuckerman, who is a pediatrician in Ruston, came out in support of his former girlfriend, Sharon Bialek, who was the first accuser.
She said that Cain acted inappropriately.
Cain says he has no idea who Sharon Bialek is. Zuckerman said that Bialek introduced him to Cain years ago, and that Bialek also told him about the incident with Cain.
As for the other 4 women, I’m not that familiar with their stories.
A lot of people are suggesting that the Democrats are behind the women coming out, but I don’t buy that. The timing just isn’t right. If it is being orchestrated, and it probably is, it is by another one of the Republican contenders.
Indeed, Cain himself has blamed Rick Perry, saying it is ‘despicable’. Perry, in turn, blamed Mitt Romney.
I’m withholding judgment for a couple of reasons.
First of all, if there is more it will come out. So far it is ‘she said, he said’. It is better to have this fully vetted now. If Cain should get the nomination (and I don’t believe there is a chance of that), imagine more coming out when he is actually a candidate.
I’m also holding back because I have seen this a lot of times. It is a pattern, and hopefully Cain will be the exception.
1. The accusation.
2. The denial (I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky).
3. The attack on the accusers by the poltician and his minions.
4. More damning information comes out and there is an apology of sorts (I committed a serious sin).
That’s why I’m going to wait and see.
Now Herman Cain may be the biggest horndog in the country, or not. I have no idea. The problem I would have, as I have had with countless others, is that if something is proven, he has been lying to cover up. I don’t like liars.
If nothing more comes up, all the better, he can survive the storm.


Pat has this over at And So it Goes in Shreveport

What the Bossier Parish School Board is facing

The Bossier Parish School Board is faced with a daunting task, namely looking at all of the facts and figures and deciding if they can accommodate the anticipated growth in the system on the current tax millage, or if they need to seek an increase.
The Board tasked the joint venture of SGB Architects & Yates Construction to assess and propose needed changes. A number of proposals were put forth, from building of new schools to extensive renovations and additions.
Among the possibilities are a new Airline High School and a new Benton High School.
The new Airline would carry a price tag of $53,000,000 plus an additional $10,000,000 for an athletic complex. The alternative for Airline would be an addition of 24 classrooms, a cafeteria expansion and other renovations for a total of just over $21,000,000.
A new Benton High School would cost just over $40,000,000 plus $10,000,000 for an athletic complex. Also being considered is building a new Benton Middle School at a cost of $20,000,000, moving Benton Elementary into the current Benton Middle School after adding a 12 classroom wing at a cost of $2,500,000. The alternative would be spending $16,000,000 for additions and renovations on all three Benton schools.
Other upgrades, additions and renovations that are on the table include:

• Apollo Elementary $6,819,179
• Bellaire Elementary $2,208,834
• Bossier Elementary $4,746,233
• Bossier High $8,601,330
• Butler Educational Complex $1,701,378
• Carrie Martin Elementary $3,324,053
• Central Park $3,249,607
• Greenacres Middle $9,216,840
• Haughton Middle $5,802,217
• Haughton High $16,377,093
• Kerr Elementary $2,767,968
• LA New Tech Plain Dealing $4,691,050
• Legacy Elementary $374,400
• Meadowview Elementary $3,467,454
• Parkway High $5,430,000
• Plantation Park $5,494,782
• Platt Elementary $2,365,620
• Princeton Elementary $4,115,652
• Rodes Elementary $2,010,578
• Rusheon Middle $4,168,727
• Stockwell Place $2,462,555
• Sun City Elementary $4,611,582
• W.T. Lewis Elementary $2,625,000
• Waller Elementary $3,290,139

The board is also looking at building a new technical school at a possible cost of $25,000,000, probably on the campus of Bossier High School.
Board member Jack Raley is pushing for the technical school, while Mike Mosura and Glen Bullard are very vocal in favor of a new Airline High School.
Board President Alison Brigham has the job of trying to keep everyone focused on the big picture.
That big picture, at this point, is that going with all necessary renovations and additions would cost just over $200,000,000, while the ‘full monty’ would be about $450,000,000.
The costs of two new high schools will force more talk of a consolidation of, at least, Airline and Benton High Schools.
The board will meet again next Thursday (November 17th) to begin to piece it together. Expect a bond issue next spring to finance whatever is decided.

Channel 12 does series on Danielle Cox

I blogged back in August and September about Danielle Cox, the 15 year old Parkway High School student who committed suicide earlier this year.
Remembering Danielle
Bullying has Consequences
Jason Patrick Thomas of Bossier City is facing charges of Criminal Assistance to Suicide.
Thomas had sent more than 100 messages to Danielle encouraging her to kill herself.
In case you missed them, KSLA did a series focusing on this case.
If you have a teenager, I would encourage you to have them watch these videos. High-Schoolers need to be reminded that their actions have consequences.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The case will be back in court on November 22^nd for a status conference.
Defense attorney Elton Richey was granted a motion for the State to present a bill of particulars to furnish:

1. The facts the State contends supports the allegation that Jason Thomas knowingly and intentionally advised, or encouraged, D.C. to commit suicide on or about January 25, 2011.
2. The facts the State contends supports the allegation that Jason Thomas participated in an act on or about January 25^th, 2011, which caused D.C. to commit suicide.
3. The specific acts that the state intends to prove at trial on the merits that constitute any of the following elements of the offense of Criminal Assistance to Suicide:

        a. That Jason Thomas advised D.C. to commit suicide.

      b. That Jason Thomas encouraged D.C. to commit suicide.

      c. The particular acts purportedly participated in by Jason Thomas, which caused D.C. to commit suicide.

Veterans Day 2011

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.
History of Veterans Day

Welcome Luke to his new home

Matt Sciba and his wife Mikki are in Chicago to finalize the adoption of their second child, Luke.
Luke faces some challenges, but will be well cared for in a loving home. Luke should be home, hopefully, just before Thanksgiving.
All of the regular readers of My Bossier know Matt from his association with the Northwest Louisiana Tea Party Alliance, and quite possibly from discussions on the comment section of various blog posts.
Agree with Matt politically or not, and it’s a mix, I hope everyone will stand with me and congratulate Matt, and wish the very best to Mikki, Mary and Luke.
Mikki and Matt are blogging their experiences at A Concrete Way of Love.
Luke, welcome to Bossier.

The ongoing story of MPERS

In the ongoing story of MPERS, an interesting side note.
MPERS has sued both Bossier Parish and Bossier City to refund the ad valorem taxes they paid for 2010. This is the first year that they have done so.
MPERS paid, under protest, $190,166.70 to the Parish and $13,967.67 to the City for 2010.
In January they filed suit against both the Parish naming Larry Deen as Tax Collector and Bobby Edmiston as Assessor. They also filed against the City, naming William Buffington, Finance Director.
The suits were filed by Kimberly L. Robinson of the Baton Rouge law firm of Jones Walker.
The suits maintain that they are exempt because according to their theory, they fall under the Louisiana Constitutional definition of “public lands, other public property used for public purposes”.
I’m not a lawyer, but the “used for public purposes” doesn’t seem to fit (in my opinion) golf courses.
The lawyers and the judge will figure it out.
It just seems a little strange to me that they paid the taxes for all of those years, and now want to challenge the assessment.
I suppose desperate times require desperate measures.
We will have a lot more on MPERS in the very near future.

Time to take the flag down

Today the Caddo Parish Commission voted 11-1 to remove the Confederate flag from the front of the courthouse.
I think that it is time to fold the flag and put it up.
I have heard the arguments both pro and con. On the pro side is the argument that it is part of our heritage. Generally speaking that might be true, but the flag at the courthouse doesn’t represent that heritage. It is true that the last Confederate flag to come down was at that location, and that should be properly noted. The flag at the courthouse isn't there to commemorate that event.
I love history, and I love the history of our area. I love the history of my family and try to pass it down to the younger people in the family.
Three of my four great-grandfathers fought in the Confederate army.
But that flag doesn’t represent them, the history of the location or even of the era. That flag was put up in my lifetime, and it was put up in defiance of an ever growing civil rights movement.
There were things that had to change, and needed to change. The flag at the courthouse was put up in opposition to that change. Simply put, the change came and it is time to take it down.

MPERS lawyer sentenced - more convictions to come?

Today the former attorney for The Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System (MPERS), Randy Zinna, was sentenced to 30 months incarceration in Federal Court for stealing more than $1,500,000 from several sources.
I have blogged about MPERS on several occasions, here and here, particularly zeroing in on some bad investments.
One of those, of course, is Olde Oaks in Bossier Parish, which the system sunk more than $15,000,000 into, yet it ended up with a net worth of just over $3,000,000. Because of mismanagement of the system, police officers across the state are having to pay an addition 2.5% of their salary into contributions. The amount that the municipalities involved must contribute has risen exponentially.
The $1.2 billion program went from fully funded to $836.3 million short of meeting future retirement obligations.
Zinna was ordered to make restitution of $501,318.11 to MPERS and $136,614.10 to Olde Oaks. He also must make restitution to the Employers’ Retirement System for East Baton Rouge in the amount of $340,392.93, as well as $546,351.82 that he had swindled from a widow.
Zinna could have received up to 20 years in prison, but the U.S. Attorney filed a report indicating that Mr. Zinna should be allowed a three-level downgrade for sentencing guideline purposes due to his cooperation with the investigation and assistance with respect to other potential violators.
That’s where it gets interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if more indictments follow.
More complete articles here, here and here.

State House District 3 Race - Lynn Cawthorne

I blogged yesterday about State Representative Barbara Norton. Fortunately for the people of District 3, they not only have an alternative, but a good one.
Lynn Cawthorne is managing partner of Cawthorne Financial Group. He has a degree in Business Finance from Dillard University and an MBA from Troy State. Here is his biographical info from his WEBSITE.
• Lynn D. Cawthorne is the 7th child of 13 born to Mrs. Fannie Johnson Cawthorne and the late Robert Cawthorne, Sr. He is the proud father of two children; Tatyana age 15 and 10 year-old Tylinn.
• He is a 1985 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School where he served as Senior Class President. He went on to graduate from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana with a degree in Business Finance. He also holds an MBA from Troy State University.
• His career has spanned more than 20 years working at all levels in the financial community. He began his career with Whitney National Bank in New Orleans where he rose to the position of vice-president before moving into the investment industry at UBS Paine Webber and Axa Advisors. He is currently managing partner of Cawthorne Financial Group.
• Lynn is actively involved in his community. He is the General Manager and Coach of the Caddo Heights Storm Spar League Football Team. He is the Founder of the Booker T. Washington Scholar's Society, as well as President of United Citizens and Neighborhoods (UCAN) Community Development Corporation. In 2010 he served on the Citizen's Bond Study Committee. He has been a featured panelist on Dateline Shreveport in addition to serving on the Shreveport Times Editorial/Community Board.
• Lynn is a member of Shady Grove #2 Baptist Church and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Representing an inner city district that is plagued by poverty and crime is a difficult challenge. Cawthorne has a platform that stresses education and economic development.
• Promote laws to improve education for inner city students
• Retool educational opportunities for public school students
• Establish legislation that will create Business Enterprise Zones
• Enact laws that will assist in reducing crime
The people of District 3 deserve a representative who will do his best to build the district, not to embarrass it; to serve the people of the district, not to serve himself; and to be a credit to not only District 3, but to Shreveport and all of Louisiana.
Lynn Cawthorne is that person.
Cawthorne has a YouTube channel with several videos. You can check it out for yourself here.
There are five videos on the channel, so I picked one at random to share with you.

State House District 3 Race - Barbara Norton

I was going to do this in one blog post, but it would be too much. I’ll take a look at Barbara Norton tonight and then Lynn Cawthorne tomorrow.
District 3 runs from Midway Street south to part of Cedar Grove down to the Innerloop and west across 70th Street and Hollywood to the Airport. You can find that district map here.
We’re all familiar with Barbara Norton, who has represented this district for the last 3½ years. The infamous Norton, of course, is renowned for her cursing of Shreveport Police officers on the streets of downtown during her African-American History Parade last year. To refresh your memory, here’s what happened, and it was verified by video and by eyewitness accounts.
The City of Shreveport has a law that says that drivers of parade floats must be cleared by the police department to drive in a parade. Norton did not turn in the required paperwork ahead of time so the police were checking all of the drivers as best they could.
Norton went ballistic. How dare they question her, a former ‘community activist’ turned state legislator?
Calling one officer a white motherfucker and the other, a black officer, an Uncle Tom, Norton had to be calmed down by then Chief Henry Whitehorn.
She should have been arrested, not calmed down.
In fairness, I searched for a campaign website and could not find one to link to.
Barbara Norton is a blight on the community and a disgrace to the district she serves, indeed to the Louisiana State House of Representatives.
As for issues, she is against corporal punishment in school and she didn’t like Henry Burns’ bill (which passed) to allow guns in churches with approval and under certain circumstances.
Other than that, it is hard to find anything substantive at all about Norton.
I did get the video below, in which she refused to answer questions and referred them to her ‘assistant’.
Video thanks to Shmuffinman on You Tube.
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at her opponent, local businessman Lynn Cawthorne. There is a lot to recommend him other than just not being Barbara Norton.

Oceans Two – The Great Jet Ski Escape

That is just a representation of the Jet Ski that was used.
That really isn't Regis either.

It was a plan worthy of James Bond. Rob a Riverboat Casino and escape on a jet ski. My imagination runs wild, did they have a jet waiting to take them to Switzerland to a private villa to enjoy their ill-gotten loot?
Very James Bondish, except, you know, for the part about being caught and bitten by a police dog.
LaNorris Weathers and Regis Demond Hamilton tried to rob a cashier’s cage at Sam’s Town Casino in Shreveport at about 2:50 this morning.
Despite the best laid plans of mice and men, it backfired. LaNorris was captured by police in the casino. Regis apparently took the Jet Ski and wound up near the wastewater treatment plant in Bossier City, where a short time later BCPD found it and some wet clothes. A Bossier City police dog tracked Regis down and bit him in the process. He was treated at the hospital before being booked by SPD with his partner, LaNorris.

Nibbling on Sponge Cake

The Margaritaville story continues. With the yes or no vote coming up in just over two weeks, I have tried to get all of the facts that I can in order to help the readers of My Bossier make an educated decision.
Some concern has been expressed by commenters over the involvement of the city in the development. As previously noted, the city has to be involved in a couple of ways.
First of all, they owned the land just north of Bass Pro Shops where the casino and hotel will be located.
Second, the city will have to provide infrastucture for the development, as it would for any other development, be it a shopping mall, church or whatever.
The earliest projected costs, and at this point they are just projections, is about $5,000,000 for water, sewerage, a lift station and an intersection providing access to the casino/hotel. This would be recovered in projected taxes in a matter of months.
Another benefit that is showing up already, even before the vote, is that the other players in town are already stepping up their game. From physical improvements to existing casinos to better comp offers in an effort to cement their player bases, the proposed competition is already reaping some benefits.
Bossier City casinos are the city’s second largest employer, trailing only Barksdale Air Force Base. The casinos currently employ more than 3,500 people compared to Barksdale’s 10,000 plus.
Margaritaville will add an estimated 1,200 more positions.
Since casino gambling was approved in Louisiana in the 1990’s, the state has benefited by billions in tax dollars, and local governments across the state in hundreds of millions.
These are just facts, not a sales pitch for the Margaritaville development, although I have said that I support it. Some people believe that it will shut down or cripple other casinos. I don’t share that view.
If you are opposed to gambling through your moral or religious convictions, I have absolute respect for your opinion.
The fact is, however, that this is a legal and legitimate business in Louisiana and as such, the market should be allowed to operate freely.