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Police Jury opposes new finance law
Published Monday, July 14, 2008
BY ADAM KOOB
THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT
VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish Police Jury spoke out against state legislators Monday night when they passed a resolution against financial disclosure.
Jury members endorsed a resolution by the Rapides Parish Police Jury against newly passed legislation aimed at requiring all elected officials in Louisiana to provide complete income records to the state.
Jury President Melvin Ferrington said he supports the need for elected officials to submit financial records, but said the new law goes too far in its requirements.
Ferrington and other jury members took issue with the law because it mandates that members of any board also provide their financial records.
In addition, the law requires spouses also submit their financial records for examination.
“We are opposed to this,” Ferrington said. “It’s not needed.”
Ferrington said he felt the new demands would ultimately deter volunteers from joining much-needed boards.
“This impacts every board we’ve got,” he said. “It’s hard enough to get people on boards already.”
Ferrington said if a member of the hospital board had to submit all financial records for themselves and their spouses, that potential board member could be discouraged from joining the board due to the personal nature of the finance records.
Ferrington said the jury will send a letter to the governor expressing the board’s disapproval of the law.
In other news, the jury finalized the addition of the Concordia Parish Council on Aging’s request to add a millage proposal to November’s ballot.
Council President Guylyn Boles said the millage would help to bolster the council’s budget and expand services in the community.
The jury also approved a $445 expenditure to place an ad for the police jury in the map printed by the chamber of commerce.
Comments
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 12:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, the ethics board told me once that no matter how severe an ethics violation was uncovered the most that would likely happen would be a 1000 dollar fine.
If you serve in public office or on a board and you are taking money from people you have the power to aid, as several of the legislators down in Baton Rouge are doing, the public should know so we will know how to vote next time.
I was beginning to think BJ would do nothing proper, but I guess I was wrong. Louisiana needs this badly. The rest of the states do too.
Posted by momoftwo23 (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 7:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think this is very direspectful to the family. They should not be able to get the spouse's financial records. That is none of their business.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Some of these people are now beginning to see what The Sheriff's Dept., Police Dept., Fire Dept., et al feel like when the public demands to see their salaries. If it's good for the goose, its good for the gander.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
momoftwo, it has often happened that lobbyists have made gifts or given jobs to spouses of office holders. The only way to end that form of poliitical corruption is to expose it.
Posted by momoftwo23 (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Enkikur what kind of jobs?
Posted by hollywood (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 12:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I saw my police jury - men this morning,,, he said he didn't have a problem with his family disclosing income,,, he said the problem will be with all the boards under the police jury... sewage board, rec board,,, these people are volunteeers that don't get a dime -- and he was against having them disclose anything that they were opposed to... it's hard enough to get good people on these boards.
Posted by juansat (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You have to disclose financial information if you apply for
a loan. I don't see why anyone would have any problem with this. Helps to make sure that board member do get on Boards so gain financially or help Family
members gain by their decisions. Just my opinion.
Posted by fatherof4 (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 3:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You would have to check the spouses income, or they would just have income they didn't want to be shown, transfered or put into their spouse name.
Posted by Sarge (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 8:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks to me like the Police Jury is following in the footsteps of the La. Ethics Board! They have lost over 200 members on the Ethics Board because they too were being required to have their spouses reveal their incomes and salaries! WHY?????
They don't work for the Ethics Board just like the spouses of the Police Jury don't work for the Police Jury!
I think its an absolute invasion of their rights! JMO.
Posted by Inquirer (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 9:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ha!Ha! You guys just don't want them to figure out where your kick-backs come from. La. politics, you gotta love them!
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on July 16, 2008 at 6:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The guys on the ethics board had something to hide. That is why all of them quit. I say good job Mr. Jindal. Keep cleaning out the corruption.
Posted by msubulldog (anonymous) on July 16, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why hasn't anyone reported that Gene Allen took his trip to Vegas. I guess what he did in Vegas stayed in Vegas.
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on July 16, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why haven't they reported about the man that broke out of 15 and was chased in Clayton last night?
Posted by Sullivan (Paige Sullivan) on September 19, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe you can make a good name for yourself by investigating the truth of the Jeffrey Havard story!
We all are aware that Mr.Steven Haynes is the one who put him there. Mr. Haynes could not recall where he was certified. Knowing that, the State must recognize Mr. Steven's mental capability isn't up to par.
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