we noticed how a recent town talk article "access restricted to first-floor city hall offices." [our clipping] recounts how alexandria's brain trust has seen fit to lock down alexandria, louisiana city hall. alexandria, city council president everett hobbs said that it was done to protect several female city hall workers.
billy gunn writes that according to mr. hobbs no one else other than city council clerks, those elected to the council and a few other city employees such as the television producer for council meetings can get into the back offices including the break room. additionally we learn that in the lobby offices that had "formerly housed tax and utility receipts clerks also are secured for current employees. those who work in the city's computer systems divisions also sit behind locked-tight doors."
not to be outdone:
"There also are locks to the two doors that lead from council chambers to the former committee room, Hobbs' and the clerks' offices, and to the break room. Shutting off public entrance to the break room prohibits non-city employees from eating from the buffet that is catered for every council meeting.as if after reading about how the city council is eating hi-on-the-hog with expensive catered council meeting parties to the tune of $11,129 [8,554eur] or an average of $428.03 [329eur] per meeting (26 meetings total) and that the regular joe and jane six-packs are now denied access to their own city hall wouldnt piss someone off -- out comes another article Alexandria City Council to delay boxing contract vote [our clipping] published again by the town talk reveals how the city of alexandria paid $15,000 [11,534eur] to "dana pitcher productions, inc." for an 04 november 2006 "boxing and mixed martial arts show at the Alexandria Riverfront Center." which is very interesting to us because for one thing we cant find a dana pitcher productions, inc. listed in the louisiana sec'y of state corporations database. however, a search of "dana pitcher" returns a whole page of inactive corporations. so we dont know whats going on there. we dont understand why the city is paying someone to produce "events" here in alexandria. it would seem that promoters should be paying the city for use of public facilities, security, maintenance and so forth. also the town talk article doesnt say but it would appear that the city paid much more than the $15k when you take into consideration the cost of the electricity, security and so forth...
Fewer eaters should cut down on the expenses of catering, Hobbs said, "unless the mayor brings a whole lot of staff down."
