Council says farewell to Jones, Hanisee

Tommy Harvey was sworn in to replace Larry Hanisee on the Bossier City Council. Harvey replaces Hanisee on his 2nd attempt at the office. Hanisee served previously and was elected the last time to fill the term of Chubby Knight. I have every confidence that Councilman Harvey will serve his consituents well.
Jeff Free has some big shoes to fill. He replaces David Jones, who decided to step down after 16 years. I believe he will do well.
Bossier City is all about growth and infrastructure, and the council has done the job. There have been criticisms for some individual projects, but on the whole the city is not only keeping up, but is ahead of the curve.
David Jones has been a key player in infrastructure, probably more so than any other individual council member. He also fought hard to keep Public Safety funded at a good level, and tried to get raises for unclassified city employees. Well deserved raises, by the way.
He deserves a thank you from the citizens of Bossier City for a job well done.
I'm not ignoring Larry Hanisee, he also deserves thanks for serving, he just didn't have the time to achieve very much in this abbreviated term.
It hasn't been all roses and rainbows, however. What I consider to be the council's biggest mistake was the Walker Place debacle. I think it could have worked out early and amicably, but pride and egos got involved and it ended up in a (pardon my language) pissing contest that the council was destined to lose. Maybe if faced with a similar situation in the future, the council will act in a more prudent manner. 
As Kenny Rogers said, 'you have to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them'.
Overall, the City is in good hands.

Harvey, Hanisee in runoff

Where have we heard that one before? Last time it came down to two votes.
Looks like (for a change) my prediction was correct.
Tommy Harvey ran first, Larry Hanisee second and Mischa Angel is out.
Runoff part two is coming up.
In District 1, Scott Irwin has an unsurmountable lead and will retain his seat on the council.

Larry Hanisee (Incumbent)

Tommy Harvey

Saturday Elections: One Prediction

Saturday is election day for municipal offices in Bossier Parish. There are only two contested council races in Bossier City, and I have a prediction for one of them.
First, the one I won't predict is District 1, where Michael Beam is challenging Incumbent Scott Irwin. I really have no feel for that one.
Now my predictions don't carry much weight, but everyone loves to predict, so here is my prediction for District 5, which has Incumbent Larry Hanisee being challenged by Tommy Harvey and Mischa Angel.
I believe that Angel will take away more from Hanisee's vote than from Harvey's, so my prediction is this:
Tommy Harvey in first place.
Larry Hanisee in second place.
Mischa Angel in third place.
Resulting, of course, in a runoff between Harvey and Hanisee. Deja Vu.
Beyond that, I won't predict!
Happy voting.

Candidates for April 6th primary

A complete list of candidates for the April 6th primary election.

Town of Benton Alderman
District 1 

• Richard Arness Jackson

District 2 

• Linda Ann Gates

District 3 

• Kenneth Earl Shiflett
• Ronald Louis Jones

District 4

• James Edward Friday
• Donna Moore Wyatt

District 5 

• Richard Darrel Bushnell II
• Thomas H Hill

Bossier City Council
District 1 

• Scott Patrick Irwin
• Michael Thomas Beam

District 2 

• Jeffery Dewayne Darby

District 3 

• Don Wayne "Bubba" Williams

District 4 

• Jeffrey Alan Free

District 5 

• Thomas Siewert Harvey
• Mischa Mills Angel
• William Laurence Hanisee

At Large 

• Timothy Anthony Larkin
• David Arnold Montgomery Jr

Bossier City Mayor

• Lorenz James Walker

Town of Haughton Alderman 

• Monica Smith Wells
• Douglas Wilson Adams
• Melba Walker Baker

Justice of the Peace, JP District 3 

• Robert D Hamiter

The X Factor

X Factor Definition: a hard-to-describe influence or quality; an important element with unknown consequences.

Everyone was set for a re-match in the District 5 council race, when at the last hour of the last day of qualifying, the X factor entered the equation, in the person of Mischa Angel.
There wasn't much doubt that Tommy Harvey would give it another go; losing by 2 votes in the special election was just too much to bear, and Larry Hanisee would probably have been surprised if he hadn't. One thing that people in politics don't like is a surprise, and Angel's entrance into the race was a surprise.
I hear that she has some support lined up and this race is now truly up in the air. It will be interesting when the first contribution reports are filed a month before the April 6th election to see who is supporting who. That might give some insight into Angel's decision to enter the race.
Everyone was impressed last time by the clean race that Hanisee and Harvey ran, but with the x factor at work here anything can happen. 
Michael Beam is challenging Scott Irwin, and promising openness and availability in District 1. I look for a very clean and straightforward race in this one. 
Jeff Free only had to announce for David Jones' seat and is in like flint, as he has no opposition.
The Mayor and the other councilmen all are automatically re-elected without opposition.
Race to watch: District 5, I think everyone was prepared for another nail biter, but a third candidate will definitely make waves. The only bet I will make at this point is that it will go into a runoff that will be decided on May 4th.

Harvey vs Hanisee: Part Two

Larry Hanisee

Call it the battle of the good guys.
In the closest local election in anyone’s memory, Larry Hanisee won the Special Election for City Council District 5 in October of 2011. The seat had been vacated by ‘Chubby’ Knight, who has since passed away.
Of 2,320 votes cast, Hanisee won by 2 votes.

Tommy Harvey

Now it is time for the regular municipal elections, and Tommy Harvey can’t resist. He qualified yesterday at the Clerk of Court’s office in order to give it one more shot.
I will note that in addition to being one of the closest races we have seen, it was also one of the cleanest. I expect no difference this time. 
The advantage to an incumbent is that, well, he is an incumbent. The disadvantage of being an incumbent is that he also has votes on record for the last two years. We’ll see if there is anything in that record with which Mr. Harvey will take issue.
That, and of course turnout, will be the theme of this election.

Congratulations Mike Nerren

Mike Nerren has won the election for Judge. Of 9,350 votes cast in Bossier Parish, Nerren won by a margin of 266 votes. In Webster Parish, where the count isn't complete, he has an insurmountable lead at this time.
Congratulations to Judge Nerren.

Three more days

Three more days until the election. Turnout is expected to be low, that's the problem with runoff elections. But then again, only the people who care are voting, and that's not a bad thing.
It has been an interesting election cycle. My Bossier has had some record numbers. I've had several blog posts about the election, including a couple early on when it was just beginning to develop.
The blog posts about the race for Judge have had more than 26,000 views and as of right now 1,545 comments. 
I am encountering a problem; when the comment count reaches 200 comments don't always post. Apparently it is a problem with Google Blogger, which is the platform that I use. In ordinary circumstances, that is not a problem, because very few blog posts have that many comments.
A lot of money has been spent by the candidates. I haven't done anything in depth, but it appears that the total raised, borrowed and spent by all three candidates is between $400,000 and $500,000.
That's a lot of money for a local Judge's race.
Use this blog post to comment any general thoughts you have about the election, and to support your candidate.
It would really be nice if we could get some positives in here - rather than just running down the other guy, tell us what is good and positive about your candidate.

Ethics complaint filed against Mike Nerren

This letter was sent to the Louisiana Ethics Board today. 

George Peyton Cole, Jr.
Brigadier General USAF (ret)
Bossier City, LA 71111

December 3, 2012

Louisiana Ethics Administration Program

P.O. Box 4368

Baton Rouge, LA 70821

Dear Ethics Board Members,

I am writing for the purpose of filing an official ethics complaint against Mr. Michael J. Nerren, candidate for District Judge in the 26^th Judicial District Court in Louisiana. I am filing this complaint because I believe that Mr. Nerren has violated the Louisiana Election Code, Part II 18:1491.7. There are three ways that I believe Mr. Nerren has violated this code.

On September 17, 2012, Mr. Nerren issued a $2,000 payment for “Consulting” to Mr. Julian Darby. Mr. Darby is listed as the sole agent of United Independents for Democracy, a Bossier City Non-Profit Corporation. On and prior to Election Day on November 6, 2012, Mr. Darby’s group, illegally using the acronym “UID”, distributed a flier urging voters to cast their ballots for Presidential candidate Barack Obama, as well as Candidate for District Judge, Mr. Mike Nerren (see original flier enclosed). Mr. Nerren’s campaign never reported expenditure to United Independents for Democracy or an In-kind expenditure to Mr. Barack Obama’s campaign for President.

On November 27, 2012, when asked to address the Bossier Parish Republican Executive Committee regarding an endorsement of Mr. Nerren’s opponent based on the fact that Mr. Nerren paid for a ballot featuring himself and Mr. Obama, Mr. Nerren admitted to getting involved with Mr. Darby’s group. Mr. Nerren is quoted as having said the following, “My campaign made an attempt to have the black vote turn out and we got involved with a group to canvas the black community. Somehow that turned into a ballot which I did not authorize and I had never seen until it showed up in three places.”

The ethics violations that I would point out is the fact that Mr. Nerren violated Louisiana Election Code Part II 18:1491.7 (13) The full name and address of each person to whom an expenditure has been made by the committee during the reporting period.  The amount, purpose, and date of each such expenditure, and the name and address of and office sought by candidates on whose behalf each such expenditure was made shall be reported.

-          This first violation is that Mr. Nerren’s campaign reported having paid $2,000 to Mr. Darby, when in fact this money was used by United Independents for Democracy to create a ballot for canvassing the black community, as admitted by Mr. Nerren.

-          The second violation is that Mr. Nerren’s campaign reported that the purpose of the $2,000 was for “Consulting” when in fact, this money was used for the production of the enclosed ballot and presumably for manpower to distribute this ballot.

-          Finally, as there was no record found of Mr. Obama’s campaign paying for their portion of this ballot, Mr. Nerren’s campaign presumably paid for the entire ballot. If this is the case, Mr. Nerren’s campaign again violated the ethics code by failing to report an in-kind donation to the Presidential Campaign of Mr. Barack Obama. Mr. Nerren also violated the Louisiana Ethics Code by failing for report in-kind expenditures for the ballot initiatives that were supported by the ballot that he paid to have produced. Those initiatives include CA NO. 1 and the School District Local Option.

Please take these allegations into consideration, as I feel that the violation of the Louisiana Ethics Code by a candidate for District Judge is a very important matter. The citizens of this district do not take lightly the violation of state laws by a candidate who is seeking an office sworn to interpret the law. I expect a speedy response to this letter and I appreciate your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

George Peyton Cole, Jr.

Brigadier General USAF (ret) 

On the lighter side

There are a lot of videos being made about the Judge's race, and in a couple of cases questions about who made them. Here is the latest, provided to me by a Nerren supporter to lighten it up. It pretty much reflects everything that is being said in the comments on this blog.

A Video inspired by My Bossier Commenters

Rex Moncrief, who publishes the blog Conservative Drink, has put up a video that was inspired by something I have also addressed, the comments on My Bossier.
This is not particularly a pro-Nerren or pro-Graves video, it just address some of the more outrageous comments from My Bossier.
Disclaimer: Rex, through his company, manages Whit Graves' campaign website. 

Keeping perspective in Judge's race

Check out the new post at Conservative Drink
The comments on My Bossier have gotten very heated, in some cases extreme. 
Regardless of what some commenters will tell you, I have presented the Judge's race in an unbiased manner, giving all sides an opportunity to present themselves. I have kept it open to the candidates to send me press releases in order to present their case. 
What is it about a race for District Judge that causes people to get so bent out of shape? Well, a couple of things.
Bossier Parish, at least the politicians, seem to be divided into two camps; the pro-Schuyler Marvin and the anti-Schuyler Marvin.
That's fine for the politicians and the power brokers, but I don't believe that the vast majority of people fall into either category. I think that people try to inform themselves about the candidates and vote accordingly, regardless of their affiliations and friendships.
I also believe that extreme rhetoric results in hard feelings for years to come, and that's a shame. We will all be living here together when the election is over. In the very first post about this potential race (back in March), I noted that both candidates are qualified and that it would come down to personal preference. 
We will know next Saturday night who will serve as Judge. In the meantime, let's all try to agree to disagree in a civil manner.
You know, for the old people and the kids.

RPEC meeting gets heated

The Bossier Parish Republican Executive committee met yesterday to discuss the endorsement of Whit Graves by the State Republican Party. Both Mike Nerren and Whit Graves were present. I'm told that the proceedings got a little heated at times.
The end result was a vote to send a letter to Baton Rouge asking the state party to either rescind the endorsement of Graves or to endorse Nerren also.
I don't know that the electorate at large is paying much attention. This is primarily stuff for the politicians and for political geeks who enjoy the inner workings of the system.
Bismarck once said that 'laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made'. This is the sausage making of the election process.
If the state party does take action, Mr. Nerren won't have much time to take advantage of it, but with the election just a week away I don't think it will affect the results one way or the other. Personally, I believe that most people know who they are going to vote for at this point, and the folks who go out to vote in an election for just this one office definitely have an opinion.
With all of that said, so far as it goes it is an advantage to Team Nerren.

The Bossier/Webster Judge's race: an Update

Since the primary election on November 6^th, the race for 26^th JDC Judge has taken some twists and turns.
For anyone who is not aware of everything that has happened and is happening, this is an attempt to help you sort it out.
In case you have really been hiding under a rock, the candidates remaining are Michael Nerren. Nerren is an Assistant DA and has a private practice in Bossier City.
Whit Graves is a former State Trooper turned lawyer who served at one time as an Assistant DA, and is now in private practice.
Nerren has the endorsement of DA Schuyler Marvin, Mayor Lo Walker, Marshal Lynn Austin, and other public figures.
Graves has the endorsement of the Louisiana Republican Party.
Eleven years ago Whit Graves was sanctioned by the State Supreme Court for failing to file a sentencing memorandum in a timely manner. He received a nine-month suspension, deferred, and two years supervised probation.
You can read the Opinion here.
Earlier this week, the Nerren campaign sent out a flyer stating that Graves had been suspended. In response, the Graves campaign released this letter from the State Supreme Court.
In the meantime, the Louisiana Republican Party endorsed Whit Graves for the position. The reason was a flyer that had been distributed by Julian Darby prior to the November 6^th election. The Nerren campaign paid Darby $2,000, of which at least part was for the flyer.

The State Republican Party didn’t take kindly to issuing campaign material supporting Barack Obama for president, thus their endorsement of Graves.
The Bossier Parish Republican Executive Committee has a meeting scheduled for late next week, but I have no idea if this will be discussed.
I’ll keep you posted.

Whit Graves Endorsed by Republican Party of Louisiana

Whit Graves, candidate for District Judge in the 26th Judicial District in Bossier and Webster parishes, today announced that he has been formally endorsed by the Republican Party of Louisiana.

"I am happy to have earned the support of the Republican Party and look forward to serving all of the people of the 26th District with honor and fairness," Graves said.

Following the primary election in which Mr. Graves' opponent, Mike Nerren, issued payments from his campaign to the owner of a group who produced and distributed a flier supporting liberal Democrat Barack Obama, Mr. Graves is the only candidate who upholds the values and platform of the Republican Party.

Whit Graves has served honorably for 35 years as a decorated state trooper, prosecutor and private attorney. He has spent years serving as a Shriner, helping to ensure critical medical care for our children.

Whit Graves is the most experienced and honest candidate running for District Judge. On December 8, please vote for Whit Graves to be the next District Judge from the 26th Judicial District Court.

(Press release from the Graves campaign)

Clearing up the rumors

 

A lot of let's say, less than truthful things have circulated both on this blog and in the public in the race for District Judge. This should clear up at least one of them.

Evodna Springer endorses Whit Graves

Thank you for allowing citizens to express their views regarding the candidates for the 26^th Judicial District Court.  Although I differ with Graves in some areas, I am voting for Graves in this runoff. 

Whit Graves has a broad scope of personal and professional experiences which gives him a perspective rarely found among judges. In a conservative parish with disdain for the criminal element, it has become almost cliche for judicial candidates to express their toughness on crime.  But Graves doesn’t merely talk the “tough on crime” talk. He has walked that talk as a law enforcement officer, experiencing first-hand the difficult and dangerous job that no one truly comprehends unless they have been in uniformed patrol. As a former law enforcement officer, Graves no doubt fully understands the bitter and frustrating reality of prosecutors in district attorney’s offices who with shocking frequency plea bargain or nolle prosequi, or simply allow every manner of criminal and DWI case to die from inaction.    While a judge cannot fix issues such as these which exist in the Bossier/Webster District Attorney’s Office, a judge who is independent of direct ties to the current DA’s office will be far better suited to adjudicate cases fairly and impartially.

While both candidates’ campaign finance reports show a variety of donor sources, there appears to be a disproportionate number of contributions to Nerren from career politicians and others in the entrenched Bossier/Webster political establishment. This establishment not only defines Bossier Parish, but also keeps our parish divided into those with political influence, and those without.  Justice often seems skewed in favor of those who wield the influence. And the fear of retaliation from those in power is not mere paranoia. It is based upon real-life examples of what can happen to someone who incurs the wrath of those who broker true power in Bossier and Webster Parishes, particularly prosecutorial or judicial power. This bitter reality will only change by electing to office candidates such as Whit Graves, who are not christened into elected positions because they’ve developed tenure-like time as loyal employees of political players. 

Finally, in a perfect world, judges are impartial.  But judges are human, and bring to the job their own biases and philosophies, which are by nature, shaped by personal and professional experiences.  Unlike Nerren, Graves’ experiences are not shaped by any relationship with the current District Attorney’s Office or any other political entity in Bossier Parish.  I believe it is vital to keep the integrity of the 26^th Judicial District court system free from political influence as much as possible. In a sense, Graves is an outsider, a welcome, refreshing and sorely needed identity for the Bossier and Webster Parish judicial system.
- Evodna Springer

Make your endorsement for District Judge. Email it to mybossier@gmail.com

Roger Baten endorses Mike Nerren

When you are in trouble and you stand before the Judge your one hope is that he will be honest, fair and compassionate. No one exhibits those qualities any better than Mike Nerren. As a young man he excelled at whatever he did whether it be academics or sports. Mike was the consummate teammate. In College he was selected outstanding student of his graduating class and in Law School he excelled. He has spent his career helping others from his many years as a Little League And Youth Baseball coach, to his years working with troubled youth. He has practiced and excelled in all phases of Law, Criminal, Civil, Prosecutor, and Defense. He lives in Benton but his roots go deep into the red clay of Webster Parrish Two Great Grand Fathers a Grand Father and their wives are buried there and relatives to numerous to count live and work there . To me the choice is simple, when you can put a man on the bench you know you can trust why hesitate go to the Polls on Dec 8th and elect Mike Nerren.
- Roger Baten

Make your endorsement for District Judge. Email it to mybossier@gmail.com

Jennifer Barringer endorses Mike Nerren

I would like to share why Mike Nerren is my choice for district judge. In my opinion Mike Nerren makes decisions based on what is right and not based on outsiders influences. He does things because its the right thing to do without having to be recognized and let everyone know "he did this" to make himself look good. When my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer she was Mike's secretary. She was unable to continue her full duties in his office due to the side effects of her cancer treatment. Instead of laying her off or cutting her pay he gave her his support throughout this difficult time. He allowed her to ultimately make the decision to quit working due to her illness instead of telling her he wouldn't be able to use her in his office.
My son was rushed to Arkansas Children's hospital when he was 9 days old to undergo emergency heart surgery. The hospital sent their jet to pickup my baby and told us they were only allowed to take one of us with them. They also told me that my baby would get worse before he got better so be prepared for him to go straight into surgery as soon as we landed. This situation would be devistating to any mother or father to know that only one of us would be able to be there with our newborn during this surgery because the other would have to make the drive from Shreveport to Arkansas while it is taking place. When Mike Nerren heard about the situation he made arrangements for my husband to fly to Arkansas and be there when we got there with my son. He did this because it was the right thing to do not because he had to or wanted recognition for it.
These are the reasons I am voting for Mike Nerren. In my opinion it doesn't matter who is else is backing him because I'm not voting for his supporters. I am not a huge fan of Schuyler Marvin which is why he didn't receive my vote in the race for district attorney. I am a huge fan of voting for who will be fair and honest and that is Mike Nerren. He has established this reputation throughout his career and I feel sure it will continue to proceed him as District Judge.
- Jennifer Barringer

Make your endorsement for District Judge. Email it to mybossier@gmail.com

Darlene Poole endorses Mike Nerren

Ok here it goes!!!!
I personally know them both. I was Whit's secretary during the time of his suspension, so (I guess you would call me the incompent staff). Come on whit take responsibility for your own actions. If you people would go to the link on the Supreme Court website and read the facts for yourself you will see it was not the fact that he didn't file the brief in a timely manner nor the fact that his so called incompetent staff didn't tell him time and time again about the deadlines that he ignored over and over but the bald face lie he told in open court that he had the documents and was going to file them with the clerk as soon as the hearing was over!
You know this is not the first time whit has blamed his incompent staff ( ME) for this, but I took it the first time because yes he was my boss/friend but NOT NOW ! With friends like that who needs enemies.
As far as Mike Nerren I was his secretary also he never missed a date on filing a brief. He NEVER put the blame on anyone for anything no matter what.
As far as Whit helping the Martins with their child getting into the Shriners, that's what he is supposed to do. HE'S A SHRINER. I know personally the little boy that had to have heart surgery at 9 days old that Mike helped get his father to ACH because the hospital would only fly baby and mother, which mother still recovering from surgery because that was my grandson and thanks to him we were able to be there for his surgery.
I would not expect anything different from either one of them. Go and read for yourself the link then you will know who the one with honesty and integrity.
MIKE NERREN has mine and my family's VOTE!
Everyone makes mistakes - take responsibility for them.
-Darlene Poole

Make your endorsement for District Judge. Email it to mybossier@gmail.com