By J. R. “Randy” Stelly
I took great pains in researching this article. Most of the pain came from watching the Parish Council meeting held March 19th numerous times! I’d like to thank The Journal for broadcasting the Council meetings so that folks like me who are out of town can stay informed about what is going on in the Parish.
A well planted lie is like an invasive weed with deep rooted tentacles that is hard to kill. Since the first year of the Home Rule Charter in 2013, former police jurors have been diligently seeding the fertile ground that is the rural and African American communities of our Parish. At this month’s meeting, Chris Paige harvested a bumper crop!
The number of lies told at the meeting was simply astounding and Chris Paige’s ego puffed up bigger and bigger as each one was told. I give him credit for his masterful manipulation of the gullible people in this Parish!
Chief among the lies was that the Parish President makes $160k a year. The President’s salary was set at $80k by the voters when the H.R.C. was passed (See Parish President Set..below). The salary is increased only when the Social Security Administration authorizes a cost-of-living adjustment. The only other way that the President’s salary may increase is by a vote of the Council in the form of an Ordinance.
Another major lie, this one told by Janice Perry, is that over half of those people employed under the police jury have lost their jobs. In order for her statement to have been true, over 100 people would have had to lose their jobs! It’s absurd to insinuate that a government should never terminate an employee. Unfortunately, it does not surprise me one bit that Ms. Perry wants to return to a form of government that allows employees to get paid for leave regardless of whether or not they had any time accrued and also allowed the Head Start program to run up huge deficits!
Mr. Richard Black (see below), a registered sex-offender, lied when he addressed the meeting and stated that “they claim they ain’t got no money to fix our rural roads, but they got $4 million to spend on this lakefront down here…” I have heard this lie told numerous time. The Parish Government had no involvement, financial or otherwise, in the renovations to the City of Natchitoches’ riverfront and had no control over the fact that the Cane River Waterway Commission did pour money into the Project.
Finally, while Councilman Rodney Bedgood didn’t tell an outright lie, he did demonstrate that he doesn’t understand the form of government that he took an oath represent. Even under the police jury form of government, police jurors were prohibited from interfering in the day-to-day operations of the Parish. And while Parish Council members do not have direct supervision over employees, they do have direct control over almost every aspect of the government’s operations (See Document A below). The Council approves salary ranges, the hiring of department heads, insurance benefits, annual budgets, capital outlay plans and so much more!
The Home Rule Charter form of government offers a checks-and-balances system that did not exist under the police jury. Go back and read the audits for the last 4 years and you’ll see that, under the HRC, the Parish has had no major findings. The same cannot be said for the police jury who was fraught with budget overruns and violated the law even in its last months of existence (See document B)! We need to focus on finding a solution for funding road improvements, not on how to destroy the Parish in its entirety by going back to a police jury!
Parish President Salary Set by Charter
Document A
Document B
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Earnetine Armstrong He put the proof out there from public records. If you can’t read and understand them that doesn’t change the facts in those reports.
How much research you did on the records presented? Who prepared the records? Do you always take someone else word without checking facts?
It’s public records,that’s where the information came from! It’s city documents your looking at!!!!!!!
Phil, You are correct the parish voters should clean house. Mike I agree.
I have only lived in this area a few years but I do not understand why people voted for the council members who seem to cause the most trouble. Wake up folks.
As for Mr. Stelley’s article above, as far as I can tell he is completely accurate in everything he says,
I challenge anyone who has documentation to prove otherwise, or quit posting.
J.C. Robertson
the council is crooked and if they could ever fix these god awful roads
it will take years to repair and the roads will be so far gone by then.I don’t see
any change coming anytime soon,i think anyone who has car damage due to potholes should just send repair bill to the council and let them see how crappy these roads are.
If the three stooges on the Council would spend more time trying to do the right thing instead of acting the disgusting fools they portray, then they might come up with something constructive for a change. But you can’t fix stupid!!!!
Maybe you should consider these people as being misinformed rather than liars. Why not just communicate rather than name call?
I know what Home Charter Rule did to Flint MI water. All I can say is Pay attention folks.
As far as roads go, maybe raise taxes on those that can afford to pay more. It used to work. And we had good roads in our nation.
Crazy that you would throw out a system of govt because certain ones cannot manage money well. Be careful.
pretty dane ballsy for a sex offender to to show up at a public meeting
demanding stuff.this guy should be in prison,why is he even loose.I think a pedophile is like a drunk they slipt once they will again.
Would you have known he was one Mr. Hadn’t seen the need to get you off the subject because as far as you know thaere maybe a room full right in that room who hasn’t been caught. . Yet! Be careful how you label people.
In my opinion the plan for the roads in the by Doug Dr Graffenried would bring money in for the much needed repairs. Of course board members voted no. The elected officials are not putting the best interest of the citizens of the parish. Why not have an election so the people can decide if they want the plan by Doug de Graffenried to fund road repair.
We have a couple that are trying to do the right thing and three that are trying to make it look like the HRC doesn’t work. The HRC works everywhere but here because by of them. Whatever form we have in the end there is still not enough money to fix everything at one time. Some just want to go back to PJ system to extend their time in office.
Looks like it’s time for intelligent, caring, people to run for office. Our vote is the real way to fix the problems that plague this Parish. Next election vote for anyone but the incumbent. It’s time to clean house.
Don’t confuse the fools with facts….
Randy Stelly wouldn’t know a fact from fiction if it bit him in his behind. He been Rick yes man since he needed notoriety. I detected a few lies in your loonnnggg speech (trying to get a job at NPJ??)edpecially the lie about that $300,000.00 deficit that occurred in their records, if they would show you the real records, HS didn’t have that deficit, the delegate agency did and thought they could lay it at HS doors. Why the Federal Government haven’t come down here to salvage this program, is beyond me. About every rule concerning HS has been broken by this administration. And you was a HS parent and supposedly know the guidelines. That’s your paper didn’t last long because you spent all your time tearing people down. What was your reasoning to bring upMr. Black criminal record in a meeting like this? To gain Browny Points? If had nothing to do with the situation. So get off your pedestal with this crap!!