Pay the Ransom for Bossier's Police Officers & Fire Fighters

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 1, 2010, voters in Bossier City will go to the polls to vote on whether or not to approve an increase to the tax millage that will be dedicated to police and fire.

Bossier City officials warn that police officers and fire fighters will be laid off if the tax increase does not pass.

If you Google "police and fire millages around the country", you will see time and time again that whenever governing bodies want more taxes, the first hostages they take are police officers and fire fighters .

Until police officers, fire fighters, and the citizens they protect and serve, rise up and demand accountability from elected officials in how tax dollars are spent, this scenario will continue to occur.

Taxpayers in Bossier City will come through tomorrow and approve the tax increase, but not because they think Bossier City government has been wise with tax dollars. Taxpayers will approve the millage because their heroes are the underpaid, overworked police officers and fire fighters of Bossier City. Every one of those heroes would gladly ransom us. Once again, we have to ransom them.

Email us at savebossier@hotmail.com

LSUS ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY OF WALKER PLACE

In 2004, on instruction from the City of Bossier City, the U.L. Coleman Company contracted with the Louisiana State University Shreveport Center for Business and Economic Research, for an Economic Impact Study relative to the Walker Place Development.

Of special note is that the study focused only on the original 24.8 acres of the Walker Place Development. The economic impact of just the 24,8 acres over a ten year period was estimated at $500,000,000.

The last paragraph of page ii states:

"The cumulative revenues expected to be received by Bossier City during the five-year construction of the multi-purpose development are expected to be $261,289,136."

If the Bossier City Council had not derailed the Walker Place Development over a lone curb cut in August, 2006, Bossier City would be nearing revenues of $261Million+.

How could $261 Million have benefitted Bossier City? For starters, more police officers, more life-saving paramedic fire fighters, lower taxes....[Sigh]

The full text of the Economic Impact study is HERE.

Thanks!

Many thanks to readers who have sent in documents to SaveBossier.com. And special thanks to those who civilly brought to our attention several post details which needed correction. We have made the corrections. Thanks again!

Time to Put Up or Shut Up

It is amazing how a simple little blog can create such epic angst among those who subscribe to the philosophy that elected officials are always right, always working for the betterment of the constituents they serve, and can always be counted upon to put the needs of citizens above their own political agenda.

Those who put such blind faith in elected officials would be well served by heeding the words of Thomas Jefferson:

"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories. And to render even them safe, their minds must be improved to a certain degree."
--Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XIV, 1782. ME 2:207

Over the past few weeks, this blog site has heard complaints about not being "fair", not being "accurate", and not being truthful. Strangely, those objecting to this blog's content seem abjectly repulsed at the thought of actually presenting whatever evidence they have to support their claims.

This blog has gone to great lengths to present factual data, and has openly invited anyone to present any evidence they possess which refutes any of the information which has been presented in the blog.

So, here is yet another invitation. If anyone has evidence which disputes the accuracy of the data contained in any post of this blog, please present it. If we are wrong, we will make the necessary corrections.

The critics of this blog can choose to man-up (or woman-up) and debate us on the substance of the issue of the Walker Place Development. Or, the critics can refuse to present their evidence, refuse to debate us on the facts, and continue their own self-deception which insulates them from the grim task of dealing with the ugly reality of truth, choosing instead, to engage in vague innuendo, nebulous accusations, and anger bordering on hysteria.

It is the anger that is most disconcerting, for it seems that in the minds of some, the First Amendment is only applicable when the words are those with which they agree.

Bossier City May Lose $500,000,000 Economic Opportunity

THE ISSUE: Bossier City governing officials could possibly be facing the loss of potentially millions of taxpayer dollars in a current federal lawsuit concerning a south Bossier City development. Also at risk, is the loss of the development itself, which would have an estimated projected economic impact of $500,000,000. [Center for Busness and Economic Research, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Economic Impact Study; See also Shreveport Times].

WALKER PLACE - REVITALIZING SOUTH BOSSIER:

Incorporating smart growth, new urbanism, and green design, the approximately 52 acre mixed-use Walker Place Development would be the first private LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified development in north Louisiana. The development would include retail shopping, medical and multi-purpose office space, upscale townhomes, parks, and other amenities typically found only in major metropolitan areas. Additionally, the Walker Place Development has shared its vision with the City of Bossier City for extensive revitalization of Barksdale Boulevard itself.

WALKER PLACE VIDEO HERE (File is large and may take a few moments to load.)

BACKGROUND: In 2003, the City of Bossier City entered into negotiations with a local company for the purchase and development of approximately 24.8 acres of vacant land, owned by the City of Bossier, located just north of Walker Place (the road north of CenturyTel which connects the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway to Barksdale Boulevard in south Bossier City).

In 2005, the City of Bossier City encouraged and facilitated the developer's purchase of approximately 26 additional acres of adjoining land, thereby expanding the project to approximately 51 acres. [See MPC Minutes of 21Nov2005, P. 2]

In August, 2006, the Bossier City Council suddenly and unexpectedly passed an ordinance banning curb cuts along the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway. Citing a concern for "traffic flow", Councilman David Jones, introduced the ordinance. [See Page 2 Minutes HERE] According to the minutes, the ordinance not only banned future curb cuts, but also targeted any curb cuts "not already in existence prior to July 1, 2006" [See Minutes Page 3 HERE]

DEVELOPER SUES CITY OVER ACCESS TO TEAGUE: After having invested reportedly millions of dollars on the Walker Place Development project, in October, 2008, the developer filed suit in federal court.

According to the public record transcripts of a Memorandum Ruling on the federal lawsuit, the City of Bossier City contends that it was unaware of the need for the curb cut on the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway until May 25 and 30, 2006. The court writes:

"While the Defendants contend this was the first time MPC members knew of a curb cut, the Plaintiffs maintain, and the Court assumed to be true for purposes of the preliminary injunction proceeding, that many city officials knew of, and have given their oral approval to, the curb cut onto the Parkway." (Page 11)

TAXPAYER AGGREGATE LITIGATION EXPENSES:Under the authority of the Public Records Act of Louisiana, R.S. 44:1, on March 29, 2010, a private citizen presented a letter to the Mayor of Bossier City, Lorenz "Lo" Walker, requesting that the City of Bossier City disclose the total dollar amount of legal expenses already spent by the City of Bossier City in litigation regarding the Walker Place Development.

In response to a citizen's Public Records request, City Attorney Jimmy Hall produced documents detailing that as of March 1 2010, the City of Bossier City has spent $337,603.43 of taxpayer dollars in outside attorney fees to defend against the lawsuit.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

Foward the link to http://www.savesouthbossier.com/ to help inform other members of the Bossier City community about the Walker Place issue. Governmental offices contact information for Bossier City - Mayor Lo Walker HERE Bossier City Council HERE

Even if you don't live in south Bossier City, the loss of a lawsuit and/or the loss of Walker Place Development's $500,000,000 economic impact will have staggering consequences for all Bossier City residents, many of whom have families which are suffering loss of employment, home foreclosures, and a host of other economic hardships.

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Note: If you believe that any information at this web site is factually inaccurate, please email us the specific item of concern along with your supporting data to savesouthbossier@hotmail.com Thank you.