[StBernard] Meraux lawmaker files measure to help paper get journal contract

[Westley Annis]

Meraux lawmaker files measure to help paper get journal contract

Published: Monday, March 19, 2012, 7:30 AM

 By Bob Ross, The Times-Picayune 

State Rep. Ray Garofalo, R-Meraux, has proposed a bill that would allow a
newspaper in business for six months to hold the official journal contract
for a city or parish, rolling back the current five-year period. If House
Bill 943 is approved, that could pave the way for the newly formed St.
Bernard Post, which rents office space from the legislator, to compete as
the official journal in the parish.

In fact, that's precisely the idea. Garofalo said the bill was written so
the St. Bernard Post, opened in October, can compete for the official
journal contract.

Garofalo said he was asked by the St. Bernard Parish Council to file the
bill so a local company could win the contract. Currently, the St. Bernard
Voice is the official journal for the parish. The Voice has deep roots in
St. Bernard, but after Hurricane Katrina the publication was sold to the
owners of the Plaquemines Gazette.

"There's nothing underhanded here at all," Garofalo said. "All we're trying
to do is focus on economic development and what's best for St. Bernard."

Garofalo confirmed that he owns the property where The Post rents office
space at 1310 E. Judge Perez Drive.

He said he's not rewarding Post owner Kenny Zulli Sr. because of their
business relationship.

"The reason he is a tenant is because I felt very strongly we needed a local
paper," Garofalo said. "I'm renting to Mr. Zulli at half cost because I want
to help him get going in business. I'm losing money. But I believe we need a
local paper."

Zulli, who has decades of experience in the printing business, said he has
known Garofalo for only about four months. Garofalo won the 103rd District
seat in a runoff in November. The district covers all of St. Bernard Parish,
as well as small parts of Plaquemines Parish and eastern New Orleans.

Allan Von Werder, legislative chairman for the Louisiana Press Association
and publisher of papers in Franklin and Morgan City, said the five-year
requirement ensures that publications are serious and will continue in
operation.

"Six months is such a short period of time that, essentially, if I were to
publish some general news off my printer and copy machine and distribute
that for six months, I would qualify under this law," he said.

Zulli said he became interested in the possibility of holding the official
journal contract with the parish after researching the law recently and
discovering what he considers to be a problem for the St. Bernard Voice.

"I went and brought it to my attorney's attention and he says the Voice is
in violation because they are not locally owned and operated. So I asked how
I can get on the list."

Norris Babin, co-owner of the St. Bernard Voice, disagreed, saying the Voice
has had an office in the parish since 1890, with the exception of a short
period after Hurricane Katrina.

Babin also questioned the relationship between Garofalo and Zulli.

"I find it appalling," he said. "To me, that's a conflict, but I don't know
if that's a conflict according to state law. I've asked Mr. Garofalo to pull
down (the bill) and he says he was asked to put it in by his local
government."

According to state records, House Bill 943 has been assigned to the House
Municipal and Parochial Affairs Committee.

........

Bob Ross can be reached at rross at timespicayune.com or 504.883.7053.

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