The Town of Jonesboro’s Alderman-at-Large LaStevic Cottonham last week suggested that if the town can’t get its act together, that perhaps there shouldn’t be a town. The comments came at the end of last Tuesday night’s meeting of the board of aldermen, and were in reference to the town’s financial plight and spending priorities.
Said Cottonham, “If we don’t attend to the (water tank), and the water gets contaminated, and we start losing people of the town, then what’s the purpose of even having one?” He added, “What’s the purpose of having a Police Department if no one is here. What’s the purpose of having a council if no one is here, and the water’s contaminated?”
See The Truth at Jonesboro to listen to the audio of the meeting.
07/16/2012 at 6:48 am |
The “one” he was referring to was a police deptartment, not the town. Come on Mr. Abbott, although it is obvious which side you are on, this article smells a little funny. The taxpayers are only concerned with the truth, right?
07/16/2012 at 7:19 am |
Truth, how about a doctored up video being used to perpetuate the same old excuse that cannot now nor will it ever cover the facts……..4 years without an audit. Historically speaking, we have now set a record that any rational, intelligent person would deduce that the Town of Jonesboro is on the cusp of total collapse. I wager today, the court proceedings will provide the evidence applicable to the business aspect of the Town that has never fully been displayed, presented under Oath, without a cloak of racial innuendo that has been the lifesaver up until now, will provide the answers to any questions posed by both sides. In everyday terms, the truth is about to come down. WOW you by your writing appear to have above average intelligence, do you condone the use of a doctored video? Do you condone the excuses that have now worn so thin they no longer work except for those adherents that have no idea or desire to know the truth? I think the manipulation will officially end today with numbers and money, politically, it’s only just begun.
07/16/2012 at 9:04 am |
TWO THUMBS UP Jessie!!!
07/16/2012 at 7:59 am |
On the Rev Dill’s personal website he states that the AG’s lawsuit was filed just shortly after the audit was completed by the Lake Charles auditing firm hired by Mayor Thompson.
So, has anyone seen the completed audit? Is this a public document? Is Rev Dill correct in his statement that the timing of the suit comes after the AG office has received the audit? This would seem to be an easy FACT to prove.
If the audit was ready prior to the filing of the AG’s suit, WHY was the audit not on the agenda at the last town meeting?
Is Jonesboro any different than many other struggling municipality around the state?
Rev Dill reports that there are NO reported cases of a municipality in Louisiana actually fighting a suit filed by the AG to assign a Fiscal Administrator….he does not mention how many municipalities in Louisiana are actually under the administration of a Fiscal Administrator……Maybe the other municipalities realized the REAL REASON for the Fiscal Administrator.
Let’s see how the “fighting back” works out today for Town of Jonesboro…..and we all know the out come (whatever it will be) ….that the cry of Rev Dill and Lesle will still be all about Leslie’s race and the actions of a previous employee…Leslie will not take any responsibility for his actions or lack there of….
Yes, Jonesboro is making history….sad to say not the kind of history that will want to be remembered….
07/16/2012 at 9:01 am |
I wasn’t there and have not heard an audio recording, so I have no idea the context or syntax of what he said, but looking at his words, it can certainly be interpreted in that way. I guess what Mr. Cottonham is arguing is that its an either/or proposition, that they can either have the funds to repair and maintain the water system or they can fund the police department, but they cannot do both. Funny, this problem never came up in years past.
It does open up an interesting line of thought though; whither the town of Jonesboro? To be or not to be, that is the question? The way things are going, perhaps an outside the box solution is in order. Jackson Parish could go the route of St. Bernard Parish; adopt a home rule charter, replace the Police Jury with a Council/President executive system, disband all the municipalities, and have Parishwide government as the ONLY government. Jonesboro, Hodge, Quitman, Eros all become like Weston and Beech Springs; they exist, but only as places on a map and nothing more.
How ’bout it folks? Think it could happen? Should it? Why or why not?
07/16/2012 at 9:56 am |
Please share how you know what the “one” is Mr. Cottonham refers to in his statement.
Reading his quote, I would think it is the town….
07/18/2012 at 5:41 pm |
If you want to read some articles that smell “something funny” go to the fount and read the righteous bro dill’s musings. For a religious bro man it seems he joined Les and laid down his God gig. Les is his king now.
07/16/2012 at 6:49 am |
You have a good point, Mr. Cottonham.
See, there is some leadership at those meetings.
07/16/2012 at 7:29 am |
If Cottonham has the towns best interest, then why does he continue to vote for everything only the mayor suggests? Why does he keep referring to water contamination, is he suggesting that the water is not being properly treated? Too many unanswered questions!
07/16/2012 at 12:35 pm |
Yeah, and why is he a no show at the hearing???? He is soooo concerned. Oh wait…I forget, he does what the mayor says so he stayed home. If I was the mayor, I wouldn’t want my cronies to hear any of this stuff. It is very damning.
07/16/2012 at 7:34 am |
Do you really think court will be fair/just today in Jackson Parish?
Look around the room.
07/16/2012 at 8:15 am |
Look around the room? Look at the books then look around the room………it wouldn’t matter if it was in Fairbanks Alaska, poor management falls to where it originated, at the hands of someone so inept they cannot operate under a B U D G E T.
07/16/2012 at 12:49 pm |
Really….you would have to be an imbecile not to hear the proof being revealed in court.
07/16/2012 at 7:38 am |
Was Mr. Cottonham the gentleman who allegedly asked Mrs. Roberts if she wanted some of his private parts on Tuesday night?
If he did this, was he being sincere in his offering?
Seems like an odd place for such an offering of such personal nature.
07/16/2012 at 8:27 am |
The video which was shown was not altered. What they didn’t show was when it continued outside in the parking lot where both parties were yelling inappropriate remarks. This too was videoed but not shown. Mrs Roberts should have not said what she did but Cottonham dropped to her level when he joined in.
07/16/2012 at 8:43 am |
What about simmons pointing his finger in abbot’s face, what level was he on when he did that and then was running around shouting what what what?
like he is the vocabulary police………..
07/16/2012 at 5:43 pm |
Wel, well, well, things must be getting under Simmons’ skin. Better cool it. Blood pressure goes up when under stress, doesn’t it.
07/16/2012 at 8:48 am |
Which town council member was arrested in Winnfield last year?
Which town council member drives a automobile with a Mississippi license plate?
07/16/2012 at 8:51 am |
Has anyone noticed that playing the race card is working out just fine in Jonesboro for Leslie?
A lot of folks just too afraid to speak up….
Here is a challenge …..for the next 30 days….let’s not use the anyone’s race in any post…Deal???
07/16/2012 at 5:45 pm |
That’s a hard challenge. There is just so much we, the bloggers, can take with Thompson’s foolishness.
07/17/2012 at 6:28 am |
So you think it is Thompson’s race that has created his “foolishness”?
07/16/2012 at 10:30 am |
Don’t agree with Cottonham that there should not be a Town of Jonesboro, but do agree that there is no point in having a Town Council if they are going to just go along with every ridiculous thing that the mayor proposes.
07/16/2012 at 11:08 am |
Mr. Cottonham, whose fault is it if the water contamination issue is not addressed?
07/18/2012 at 6:08 pm |
My understanding was that some of CD’s were saved for that purpose. But if they’ve been spent to pay day to day operating expenses, which every cpa agrees is not proper management then the mayor wil have Fannin and Kostelka to cut him another interest free loan with no pay back expected…..yeah it’s all good in jtown.
07/16/2012 at 1:39 pm |
A previous blogger stated that Cottonham had one good point. I think so too, and it is this: why pay Town Council members if they don’t accomplish anything? Name one thing that this present Council has accomplished for the good of Jonesboro. Name one time that they have told the mayor by their votes that they do not agree with him. Do they think he is perfect, that he can make no mistakes?
07/16/2012 at 3:56 pm |
Recall the DA.
07/16/2012 at 6:28 pm |
Does anyone remember why Wal-Mart moved out of Homer Louisiana?
07/16/2012 at 7:29 pm |
Not all city council members agree with everything he says and does. They just have no back up. Ya’ll need to pay attention, I don’t even live there anymore I can see whats going on.
07/17/2012 at 6:30 am |
True …not “all”…just the majority agree with him and serve at his pleasure.
Tell us what you see is going on…perhaps from afar, you may enlighten us.
THANKS!
07/17/2012 at 8:18 am |
TWO THUMBS UP!!!!
07/17/2012 at 9:04 am |
I see the same thing that most of you see, that the mayor is trying to suck the town of Jonesbroro dry. It just rubbed me wrong that someone made the comment that all of the council members are behind him. It is just not true, there is one that is doing all they can to fight for the town of Jonesboro it is just hard to try to do it all on your own
07/17/2012 at 7:53 pm |
I haven’t seen the comment that “all” of the council members are behind Thompson. I have seen the comment that we don’t need a Town Council if they are going to endorse everything he proposes as a group. One person is not going to be able to accomplish very much by herself, no matter how hard she may try.