[StBernard] st lights & other

[Westley Annis]

I'm with you Laurie

Our elected officials should echo the voice and the will of the people. They
need to get to where they can hear the people, go to the neighborhood
meetings, make it easy for the people to access the representatives and have
the information they need to effect the ever-changing decisions BEFORE the
decisions are made.

 In recent meetings there have been members of our community sign up to
speak at the public hearing portion of the meeting.  They were asked if they
were for or against the ordinances and they simply stated: there is not
enough information to know. 

My own experience has been that even at the introduction of ordinances weeks
before the vote, attempts to gain information from EFC meetings, zoning and
planning office or council office are not always successful and very time
consuming and at times subjecting me to rude outbursts by planning office or
legal department staff members. The council staff has in my opinion always
been professional and  always tried to help, yet if the information is not
there -  there is not much else they can do.   In trying to address these
problems, instead of assurances that public information will be more readily
available and staff will at least not cuss or ball out residents, there were
only inappropriate personal remarks with weird assumptions of my beliefs.

I believe in the democratic process and look forward to seeing more citizens
and representatives genuinely engaged in it.
I also believe residents should ask questions and speak up without being
subjected to anything other than good representations.

SJK
.  

-----Original Message-----
Jer,
 
Trying to move things along with my complaints is all I can do. I do not
give up in that regard and I keep on top of reporting  and following up with
the proper parish agencies.  I will admit that I am not a politician or
community activist.  I do my part in my own way.  I have been working very
hard and have restored seven properties in the parish for myself and family
members.  I am not done working and I believe I am contributing to the
parish and it's restoration.  I vote and I expect my leaders that I voted
for do what they say they will do and keep their word. I expect them to do
their jobs and work for me. That is not being done in a satisfactory manner.
There is progress, but the pace is painfully slow, as I said.  We can't all
be Martin Luther Kings.  Most people with any sort of means or options have
left.  The population is down and people do not trust the corp of engineers
or the local or federal governement.  That is why there is no outrage or
crowding into meeting.  People have given up and feel helpless to make any
real difference.  They do not believe their voices will be heard, or that
their concerns are cared about.  Left behind and forgotten.  That is how I
feel most of the time, even by our own local politicians and leaders.  
 
Laurie