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Ben Raymond was named Shreveport Police Chief by Mayor Ollie Tyler on November 13.. Actually substitute police chief.

He is having a press conference to talk bout crime tomorrow—Thursday at 11 am

Guess what else newsworthy is tomorrow?

You got it—the KTAL “mayoral conversation” between Tyler and Adrian Perkins.

Oh yea—and the Saints Cowboys game.

Raymond’s press conference is a scant 7 hours before the only televised one on one between the 2 mayoral finalist.

So why call it on Thursday?

Raymond spoke to a large enthusiastic crowd at the Southern Hills Business Association yesterday—Tuesday.

He also answered questions about crime from council member Willie Bradford at the Shreveport city council meeting yesterday.

A perfect time to mention the would have more info on Thursday.

But nary a word about the press conference.

The timing of Raymond’s first press conference after being named chief stinks of politics.

And it could tarnish his high rating from practically everyone.

Raymond and his top staff should be aware that Tyler is running for her political life. And she is pulling out all the stops to be re-elected.

He should also know that if Perkins wins, he could be replaced on day one.

Raymond should make a concerted effort to take mayoral politics out of his decision making.

Many critics have said too many SPD decisions have been made on the basis of politics versus good policing.

Certainly Raymond knew he was going to have this press conference yesterday—Tuesday,

Why the big secret at the council meeting?

Why not have it today?

It’s a bad start for Raymond as substitute SPD chief. And its unfortunate for him, the SPD and the citizens of Shreveport.

Hmm…does anyone really care?

Probably not until state senator Gregory Tarver launched an anti-Adrian Perkins media campaign that included Traver bragging about his Shreveport voting record.

But guess who lives outside the city limits?

Tarver admitted the same. He said he was using an address of property owned in Shreveport.

He actually lives in a big house on Cross Lake—conveniently outside the city limits.

The Caddo tax assessor records reflect that Tarver owns a 50% interest in a vacant resident located at 1135 Pierre Avenue in Shreveport.

Louisiana law provides that citizens can register to vote in the municipality in which they are “an actual bona fide resident.”

Those persons who file a homestead exemption are presumed to be residents of the address listed in the homestead application.

Sir Gregory does not have a homestead exemption on the Pierre Avenue property. Does not live there.

Soo…back to the question. Does anyone care?

Tarver has all but said he would vote for the devil before pulling a lever for Perkins.

So, if Tyler wins by one vote, somebody will care if state Senator Tarver is voting illegally in the Shreveport mayor’s race. Does anyone believe that election will be decided by one (1) vote?

Shreveport’s next mayor will be decided in about 2 weeks. Yes, December 8 is virtually “just around the corner.”

It’s no surprise that upstart Adrian Perkins has the edge in this race. If one has any doubts, consider that Perkins recently raised over $100 grand, as in $100,000 dollars in a 3 day span.

The November 6 primary was, in effect, a referendum on the Tyler administration. Since 74% of the voters pulled levers for her opponents, its apparent that her job rating was seriously questioned.

With the possible exception of name recognition, Perkins has the advantage in practically every measurable factor in the run-off election.

He certainly has the edge in age and energy. Perkins is 33; Tyler is almost 74.

Perkins can campaign full time. Tyler, to her credit, is still performing her duties as mayor.

Perkins has energized voters that have generally not participated, or at least actively, in the political process. In addition to voting, his younger (40 and under) supporters have literally taken to the streets to drum up support for him.

With his gigantic fundraising spree, there is little doubt that Perkins has more money in his campaign till than Tyler. This fundraising advantage is expected to continue. (The next campaign financial reports are not due until December 18.)

To top it off, the news for the Tyler administration has gone from bad to worse since the primary election.

Crime is continually in the media, and especially the murder of the pizza delivery person and the couple that gave a ride to a stranger.

And then there was the Crump retirement/medical leave circus. That saga left more egg on Tyler’s face than on her hand picked police chief, Alan Crump.

When Tyler named Ben Raymond as the substitute Shreveport Police Chief, she praised Raymond’s credentials that she reviewed when selecting Crump. Tyler all but said Raymond would have been the best choice.

Her stated rationale of going with Crump because he was black did not endear her to citizens both black and white.

To top it off, in his first media interview Raymond acknowledged that Shreveport has a gang problem. Tyler and Crump always denied the existence of gangs in Shreveport.

Tyler’s re-election campaign has never had much real energy, and seemingly what air was still left in the balloon gushed out when the primary vote was announced. Nothing her campaign has done since November 7 indicates a viable re-grouping in any real form or fashion.

Compare that reality to the upbeat, highly energized campaign of Perkins which has certainly picked up after the Tuesday Primary. There is little doubt that his campaign momentum has accelerated each day since then and that it will continue through the December 8 general election.

Perkins does not have an election victory ‘in the bag”. But he certainly has his hands on it and his clutch is tightening.

Tyler can expect Perkins to keep his campaign machine in over drive. Perkins has endorsements of 5 elected officials and now that of the Shreveport Police Officers Association, which is as they say a “biggie.”

More meaningful endorsements for Perkins are expected.

As Yogi Berra would say, ‘it ain’t over until its over.” Others say its not over until the fat lady sings.

Although Tyler may have a brief campaign spurt, its safe to say that the fat lady is warming up her vocals off stage. Baring a major campaign catastrophe it’s highly likely Perkins will be Shreveport’s next mayor.

(This article was/will be published in The Inquisitor on Friday, November 23, 2018)

Simply put, that Shreveport voters had very little consensus.

Incumbent mayor Ollie Tyler only received 24 % of the mayoral vote. Adrian Perkins polled the highest percentage at 29%. The other eight candidates split 47% of the vote.

Most politicos think Perkins will win the December 8 election. The question most often debated is how much his anticipated margin of victory will be.

Only two of the six contested City Council seats were decided.

Incumbent James Flurry won a second term. Incumbent Stephanie Lynch was defeated.

Incumbent council member Willie Bradford is in a run-off.

The three open, i.e. no incumbent , seats will be decided in the December 8 run-off election.

Bradford, District A councilman, will be in a run-off with Rose McCullough Wilson. In the primary he polled 44% of the votes and Wilson had 31%. Bradford is favored to retain his seat. Bradford defeated Wilson in a 2014 run-off.

Incumbent District F representative Lynch was defeated by Rev. James E. Green by a 53% to 47% margin. In 2014 Lynch won the seat outright in the primary with 53% of the vote; Green had 43%.

As expected, Council District B will be a runoff between Democratic Levette Fuller and Republican Wendy Vance. Fuller polled 45% to Vance’s 22% in the primary. Fuller will probably win the run off in a district that has a very heavy Democrat voter base.

District C will also have a runoff between two Republicans. John Nichelson gained 45% to Patrick Kireton’s 35% in the primary. Although Nichelson raised more $40,000, his margin of victory casts some doubt as to who will be elected in December.

The other candidate in the District C race was Joseph Carstensen, a no party candidate. He polled 19% of the vote despite the fact he did no campaigning.

Grayson Boucher (Republican) and Versa “V.D.” Clark (Democrat) will square off in a District D run-off. Boucher had 38% of the vote and Clark 23%. This District is heavily Republican and Boucher is expected to win the seat.

Joey Hester, a Republican, missed the run-off in District D by a scant 39 votes. Hester conducted a social media campaign only.

And in District E, a no name 19 year old Democrat (Quinton Aught) almost unseated the incumbent Flurry, who campaigned heavily. Apparently many District E voters either pulled the first lever or just voted for a Democrat with no consideration of qualifications.

Voter turn out is always critical in an election. This is especially true in run-off race.

Over 48% of Shreveport voters actually voted for mayor in the primary. This turnout was probably influenced by the congressional race on the ballot.

Additionally, all the national publicity on the mid-term elections likely influenced voter awareness of the election. The heavy television advertising for the Texas U.S. Senate race may have had a factor as well.

The general election ballot on December 8 will not have any federal elections.

The only state election is the Secretary of State, which could be surprising since Gwen Collins-Greenup finished second while only spending $1500. Obviously social media and cell phone texting played a major major role in her campaign.

Other than the mayor, there are no city wide votes on the ballot. In four of the seven Council districts there will be races that could attract voters.

Negative factors for voter turnout can be winter weather, the various hunting seasons, college football games, and of course Christmas shopping. To say guessing the voter turnout on December 8 will be a real “crap shoot” that could lead to unexpected consequences.

The make-up of the next Council will most likely be the first black majority Council under the mayor council form of government. The party affiliation will likely be 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans.

(This article was published in The Forum on Wednesday, November 14, 2018)

Daaa…

Look no further than Bossier City.

Lo Walker was first elected as the mayor of Bossier City in 2005. He has been re-elected three times.

Walker had no prior political experience before becoming mayor.

He had run unsuccessfully for the Bossier Parish Police Jury in 1991. He also ran for mayor unsuccessfully in 2001.

He has an undergraduate degree and a Master of Business Administration.

Lo had a distinguished military career in the United States Air Force. He retired at the rank of colonel.

Since becoming mayor Lo has surrounded himself with competent staff and worked diligently. He has lead Bossier City into its “golden era”.

Undoubtedly, Lo’s success as mayor is due in large part to his military experience.

Leadership skills are almost always learned. Military service provides a fertile ground of life experiences and training to develop this skill set.

In the military world, chain of command and adherence to rules and regulations is the order of the day. Every day.

Discipline and teamwork is also a daily regiment.

Equal treatment of all, regardless of race or sex, is not only a goal but a constant command from higher ups.

And job performance determines success in advancing in rank. Or in being dismissed from the service.

To those who have not served, the daily routine of being a serviceman is rarely understood much less appreciated.

Veterans are successful in all areas of our society. Be that in uniform, in the business world and in personal life.

So why not in Shreveport’s city hall?

One of the run-off candidates for mayor is a veteran. (And so is this writer.)

(This article was published in The Inquisitor on Thursday, November 15, 2018)

Does a cat have climbing gear? How could it not?

On Tuesday, November 6, Arkansas voters approved a state constitutional amendment to allow full scale casino gaming.

Oaklawn Racing & Gaming in Hot Springs and Southland Gaming & Racing in West Memphis will be able to expand from video electronic games of skill (video poker, and electronic blackjack) to poker, roulette and others.

The Arkansas Racing Commission has until March 14 to adopt rules and take administrative actions. The commission must start taking license applications by June 1.

The Shreveport-Bossier casinos started opening in 1990. The markets six casinos have been among the most successful in Louisiana.

Not only did the casinos add gaming jobs, but they also fueled the local construction industry that built the hotels and related facilities.

Additionally, the casinos have fostered many local companies that provide goods and services.

The economic impact of the six local casinos can not be underestimated. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board reported for fiscal year 2016-2017 that they had a combined payroll of $131.6 million and paid local fees of $29.2 million and property taxes of $10.5 million.

Historically, the Shreveport-Bossier City casino market has been heavily dependent on the densely populated Dallas-Fort Worth area for its customers.

But the regional gaming environment continues to evolve. Casino revenues in the Shreveport-Bossier City market have eroded with the rapid expansion of tribal casinos in Oklahoma.

The most recent (2017) Louisiana Gaming Control Board shows a loss of over 1000 local casino jobs in the 2014-2017 period.

The Shreveport-Bossier City market had adjusted gross revenues of $638.8 million in fiscal 2016-2017, a decrease of $28.1 million from the previous year, with $137.4 million in fees paid to the state.

Oaklawn should have its casino open by September 1, 2019.

No doubt local casinos will have the Labor Day blues then, if not earlier.

And how many jobs will be lost? Who knows, but the losses could be substantial.

And the same can be expected in local tax revenues.

All this is not good news for Shreveport Bossier.

(This article was/will be published in The Shreveport Times on Sunday, November 18, 2018)

Many Shreveport residents are in total shock over the news of the latest murders.

A white couple gave a black man a ride from Mall St. Vincent. They ended up dead, in a burning car late last night.

The bank accounts of the couple and family members had been cleaned out.

The couple has a 9 year old child and a 18 year old.

Earlier this week a pizza delivery person was murdered around midnight while in route to deliver a pizza.

News has just broken that Shreveport Police Chief Alan Crump is set to retire next week on 15 November.

What reasons will be given are not yet known, and there is no doubt that embattled Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler has issue a “resign or be fired” ultimatum to Crump.

Who Tyler will name as interim chief for the remaining days of her first term is unknown at this time.

The only hope is that it will be a person capable of keeping the trains running on time and restore some hope and confidence to the Shreveport Police Department.

Tyler’s decision obviously is driven by her poor results in Tuesday’s primary.

It is doubtful that pulling the plug on Crump will boost Tyler’s diminishing chances of re-election.

Her selection of Crump, constant defending Crump while touting that crime in Shreveport is “down”, and now her decision to dump Crump is reflective of her “leadership.”

It’s no wonder that 76% of Tuesday’s voters pulled switches for candidates not named Tyler.

Ok, it may be a little early to prepare a Christmas wish list.

Especially if it’s one for Shreveport’s next mayor to magically resolve.

For starters, this person will not be selected until the December 8 run-off election.

Secondly, one does not know if the next/new mayor has been “good “ all year. Or, even believes in Santa.

And lastly, this list may just a little more than Santa can accomplish.

But why not ask?? Shreveport already has many bags of coal.

Where to begin, without slighting even the most ardent government critics?

Now that SPD Chief Crump is retiring, a new (permanent) police chief must be selected.

After that, Shreveport’s crime rate, or the perception of the same, tops just about everyone’s list of social ills.

The continuing problems with Shreveport’s water bill fiasco seeming has no end. The arrest of the supervisor this past week is just another example.

And close on the heels of these two certainly is the lack of good meaningful jobs for all sectors of Shreveport’s population base.

Another is the continued loss of Shreveport’s population.

The large number of Shreveport citizens living below the federally defined poverty rate and those living paycheck to paycheck is staggering and , according to the United Way of Northwest Louisiana and growing.

Continued decline of the “inner city” is becoming more and more of an economic drain on the city. Not only is it eroding tax revenues, but it also requires more budget expenses for grass cutting.

And the list could go on, and on, and on.

No, the world has not come to an end in Shreveport, and it certainly will not during the next mayor’s four year term.

However progress does need to begin on issues that have not been adequately addressed, and in many instances, have been growing for quite some time.

The December 8 election is barely 4 weeks away. Its time for the 2 mayoral contenders to give answers to hard questions.

After all, who really believes in Santa Claus?

(This article was/will be published in The Shreveport Times on Sunday, November 11, 2018)

You read it here first.

Ollie Tyler should concede the 2018 Shreveport mayor’s race to Adrian Perkins.

Seventy six, as in 76%, per cent of Shreveport voters did not want Ollie for a second term in Tuesday’s election.

Ollie finished 5 points behind Adrian Perkins. And although that margin could be considered “small”, it was represents almost 20% of her vote total.

And where can Ollie hope, in her wildest of dreams, to pick up more votes than Perkins in the December 8 run off election?

Fellow African American Democrat Steven Jackson polled 11%. Perkins will probably get a minimum of 80 percent of that vote—or 8 points, if not 9.

White Republican Lee O. Savage polled 14 %. His candidacy was squared focused on Tyler’s performance as mayor. Perkins can expect to pick up 90% or more of these voters. That translates into 12 points.

White Republican Jim Taliaferro polled 20%. Perkins will probably pick up a minimum of 50% of these votes. That’s another 10 points, and probably more.

Tyler’s pride and ego will probably keep her in the race.

That plus her inner circle of ladies who would walk off the plank with her— promising that a lifeboat was awaiting their fall.

Tyler, who turns 74 on January 6 of next year, is much like the emperor who wore no clothes.

Because she is the mayor , at least for another month or so, and because she receives little if any constructive input not to her liking, she will, at least for now, carry on.

Tyler likes to tout her love for Shreveport and her dedication to making it better.

Viewed objectively, her administration has not advanced a city that has lost population, meaningful jobs, and many economic opportunities for real growth.

If Tyler really has the best interest of Shreveport at heart, she would graciously throw in the towel now. Then she could ride out of city hall on a fancy steed, her head held high, accompanied by adoring choirs, and loud trumpets and children throwing rose petals.

If she decides to stay the course, she will forever be know as the stubborn old lady who time passed by and who slipped out the back door humbled and defeated.

It’s not that hard a choice if rationale judgement is followed.

(This article was/will be published in The Inquisitor on Friday, November 9, 2018)

It’s a good question.

According to The Farmer’s Almanac, the first day of fall has come and gone.

Like long long ago—Saturday September 22. This was the autumnal equinox or in plain speak, the astronomical start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to the National Weather Service the low temp on that day was 72° and the high was 82°.

Thankfully The Farmer’s Almanac has another definition of fall is “nights of below-freezing temperatures combined with days of temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Again a big zero for the beginning of fall in these parts.

How about using the change in Daylight Savings Time? That was this past Sunday.

Some say on Tuesday election day starts fall. The high that day was 78 degrees and the low that morning was 63 degrees.

Hmm…that definition of fall seems a bit off base also.

Goofballs who hate LSU could say fall begins each year on the day LSU loses to Alabama.

For those who love to work in the yard, fall could mean leaves falling in their yards and leaf burning.

Flower fanatics point to asters and chrysanthemums as the first announcements of fall.

And what about pumpkins, corn mazes and Halloween as markers of fall?

The fashion conscious have switched, at some date, to orange and brown as their “go to colors” and gotten all their boots out of the back of their closets along with sweaters.

Bambi and all their kin define fall as the beginning of deer hunting season.

Starbucks points to sales of Pumpkin Spice Lattes outselling the Vanilla Spice Latte.

Shoppers point to the early arrival of Christmas trees (and carols) in stores as a sign of fall — or lunacy.

Like it or not, fall is a day to day season in this neck of the woods. And it lasts until winter begins, however one defines that season.