Independence Day, 2025

This column publishes every Sunday through Thursday around noon U.S. Central Time (maybe even after sundown on busy days, or maybe before noon if things work out, or even sometimes on the weekend if there's big news) except whenever a significant national holiday falls on the Monday through Friday associated with the otherwise-usual publication on the previous day (unless it is Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Christmas, or New Year's Day when it is the day on which the holiday is observed by the U.S. government). In my opinion, in addition to these are also Easter Sunday, Memorial Day and Veterans' Day.

With Friday, Jul. 4 being Independence Day, I invite you to explore the links connected to this page.

New BC Council impresses, but conflict may come

As if the tinted windows were thrown open to let in sunshine and fresh air, the Bossier City Council with its new membership took the first steps towards hauling city governance into the 21^st century – and promising more to come, which may lead to a showdown, whether visible, with Republican Mayor Tommy Chandler.

Four new councilors took over from the graybeards that had practiced financial profligacy and insider politics to the hilt. They joined reformist holdovers Republicans Chris Smith and Brian Hammons, leaving only former graybeard ally Vince Maggio as the lone representative of the old guard that had dominated Council proceedings for decades.

The vibe was noticeably different from the start. Over the past term, tension typically hung over Council meetings; replete with instances where Republican former Councilor David Montgomery would launch into an opinionated-drunk-at-the-end-of-the-bar rant when graybeard actions were questioned by citizens or reformist councilors, or votes were taken representing obvious power plays against reform measures that in some instances ended up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars for nothing, or there occurred councilor behavior designed to avoid criticism that bordered on the illegal or unconstitutional -- all of which put both councilors and citizens viewing on edge.

Skrmetta right to urge LA utilities move to SEEM

As if things haven’t become bad enough for the catastrophic anthropogenic global warming crowd in Louisiana, now it has to deal with a Public Service Commission member like a matador waving a red cape in front of a bull.

Last week, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed HB 692 by GOP state Rep. Jacob Landry into law. To sum it up, it created anti-renewable portfolio standards for state energy policy. An RPS is a mandate that regulated utilities have a certain mix of renewable fuel sources, which because of the unreliability of wind and solar sources and infinitesimal existing battery power elevates substantially costs for consumers.

Louisiana by law or through regulation issued by the PSC doesn’t have one, although New Orleans, uniquely separately able to regulate power provision within its borders, has a quasi-version that allows for both natural gas and nuclear sources to count as “clean” like a renewable, source, for now. The new law does the same in considering the pair of sources, but it also in demands for reliability pushes providers in the direction of fossil fuel usage.

Monroe Council needs to govern, not grandstand

All right, Democrat Monroe City Councilor Rodney McFarland, we’ll take your word that you’re “far from being a fool.” But so are others in government, the citizenry, and the general public who are on to your game that puts a political agenda and its associated theater ahead of responsible consideration of the people’s needs.

At the last Council meeting, the independent Mayor Friday Ellis Administration brought back a proposal to improve the Jackson Street corridor from DeSiard St. north of St. Francis Medical Center south past Interstate 20, a bit more than one and a quarter miles. Originally approved in 2012 by the state with a local match of just under 20 percent, the Democrat former Mayor Jamie Mayo Administration did nothing with it. Ellis resurrected the project as part of his Downtown Strategic Plan, but after Council approval in 2021 when it went out to bid the city ended up rejecting those it received as these came in substantially higher than the allocated funding.

Since then, the state came up with more dollars that broadened its scope to include accessible sidewalks, traffic control devices, and lighting. After the city reworked the plan, the state authorized it again to move forward but with an increased local match from $479,000 to $777,000, so this increased price tag required additional Council approval.