In our conversation yesterday with Charles Theus, he asked a simple but on point question: “Where are all the Tea Party protesters on the V-Car tax?”
Indeed.
A tax is a tax is a tax. The silence from the April 15 and July 11 tax protesters at Forsythe Park is deafening.
Lois? Greta? Where y’all at?
Lincoln Parish News Online has obtained copies of documents from the controversial termination of KEDM News Director Sunny Meriwether.
Here is the letter of termination.
Here is the Payroll Action Form.
Readers might legitimately ask why we would post these documents. We suppose the best answer would be that after fifty years of listening to public officials and politicians, we aren’t too interested in what they say.
But we damn sure want to see what is in the documents – those pieces of paper that actually control all our lives.
Talk is cheap. Show me the paperwork.
Mr. Charles Theus, a Monroe property owner has called a public meeting for Thursday, August 13, 2009, 6:00 pm at the Ouachita Parish Public Library, 1800 Stubbs Avenue. The address is the main branch and is located on the corner of Stubbs and North 18th Street. Mr. Theus has booked the meeting room as the “Property Owners Forum.”
Lincoln Parish News Online spoke with Mr. Theus moments ago and he advised that he had invited the area media and local politicians to the event.
Mr. Theus had written a letter to the editor to The News-Star this past Tuesday. We commented on it that morning, but since then, the newspaper has disappeared it from their online archives.
Today there is another letter to the editor regarding the KEDM/Sunny Meriwether controversy. The writer suggests the Board of Advisers should investigate the matter.
The Morning Paper (snail mail or email subscription only) is working another story that will be published tonight. Lincoln Parish News Online also will have further details tonight.
Also in the news is a Ouachita Citizen story of an upcoming trial of the lawsuit by the EEOC against the University of Louisiana at Monroe for alleged age discrimination. The lawsuit alleges that ULM officials engaged in a series of discriminatory and retaliatory acts against retired professor Van McGraw.
The trial is scheduled to begin May 3, 2010.
There is another letter to the editor in today’s News-Star opposing the V-Car property tax. To date, no one save the paper’s editorial board has opined in favor of the 1.8 mil tax on Ouachita Parish property owners.
Meanwhile, the online poll at the website of the Ouachita Citizen remains at about the same percentage as three days ago.
From today’s The New York Times: As It Cuts Jobs, Gannett Also Cuts Severance Pay
This morning, we have two editorials on the V-Car controversy and two different viewpoints.
The (Monroe) News-Star writes that Ouachita voters should vote for a 1.8 mil property tax to fund local grants for the company. This is no surprise – The News-Star has almost never met a tax it didn’t like. Executive Editor Kathy Spurlock and Managing Editor Ken Stickney both have spouses that have taxpayer funded positions.
In contrast, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate writes that the entire deal is too secretive to make an informed decision. Last week that newspaper had a front-page story detailing what isn’t known.
And finally, what may be a partial answer to how the Ouachita African-American voters may decide on the tax. AA voters make up about 1/3 of the vote in the Parish.
The Monroe Free Press wrote in an editorial on June 25 that “Increasing any taxes should be a last resort.” The Free Press bills itself as “The Voice of the Monroe Area African-American Community,” and is published by Roosevelt Wright, Jr. The paper went on to say, “…city fathers should think long and hard about asking for property tax increases to fund this deal.”
Stay tuned.
An unscientific online poll on the website of the Ouachita Citizen shows a proposed property tax may already be in trouble. The tax would fund the local portion of incentives for V-Vehicle Company to locate an auto manufacturing plant in Monroe’s old Guide Plant building.
As of this writing, the poll shows about 42% for, about 51% against and about 7% undecided.
Earlier we had reported on the court hearing regarding Grambling’s Mayor Martha Andrus.
Andrus’ attorney, Chris Bowman from Jonesboro filed a motion to have the two plaintiff attorneys disqualified. Third Judicial District Judge Cynthia Woodard ruled favorably for the defense on at least part of Bowman’s motion.
Here is the motion and supporting documents. We do not as of yet have a copy of the Judge’s ruling.
I have nothing new to report on the controversy. However, we have noticed above normal web searches and traffic on the site.
That means you taxpayers are interested. Good.
Never forget that KEDM doesn’t belong to ULM or its Maximum Leader, employed by you and I at $252,886/year.
KEDM belongs to the taxpayers of Louisiana. Show them who is boss.
Lincoln Parish News Online 