22 May 2008

alexandria, la. city council doesnt want a citizen to address it!


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in the 20 may 2008 city of alexandria, la. city council meeting a citizen **later identified as houston rax** arose to address the city council. after some hem hawing by the council president about silly procedural technicalities he was finally allowed to address the council.

the citizen wanted to touch upon the city's continued high utility rates. the city of alexandria's utility bill crisis was all the rage in the local media last year. however, this year it seems to have dropped off the media's radar.

one of the most asinine statements we've heard coming from a city councilman was when councilman chuck fowler interrupted the citizen to ask him how was alexandria's utility rates high "compared to what?"

councilman fowler, who according to the la. sec'y of states website is up for reelection this year, must have forgotten the umpteen meetings the city has had to discuss their utility bill crisis, such as this one last summer presented by then acting utility department director marcus connella to the utility committee, which councilman fowler chaired.

or how about the city's commission on utility reform and equity [c.u.r.e.] a citizens advisory group tasked with finding answers to alexandria's utility bill crisis.

apparently, the city council is more interested in suppressing and browbeating citizens who desire to speak out about real quality of life issues they are facing, than they are in being reminded of and discussing their inability to solve them.
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see also video blogging the alexandria, la. city council
city of alexandria c.u.r.e. meetings
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the rapides note
utility bill comparison
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related posts
  • c.u.r.e. meeting 09 april 2008
  • alexandria city government: full of house negros
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    Posted by wst... at 13:18

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