[CALL TO ORDER]
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GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ON THIS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 2022, WHERE WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.ASHLEY, I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
DO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A QUORUM CALL LETTER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, MAKE SURE YOU SIGN THAT PROOF
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OF NOTICE.I'M GOING TO READ ITEM ONE, APPROVING REAPPORTIONMENT PLAN OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 2.0, ONE OF THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT SET PLAN TO BECOME EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2025 BY THE COUNSELOR ADMINISTRATIVE TREASURER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THE FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR DEMOGRAPHER COME FORWARD AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY HAVE ABOUT ANY OF THE PROPOSED MAPS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HIM COME FORWARD AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS FIRST.
AND THEN AFTER HE COMES FORWARD AND ANSWERS ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE AUDIENCE FOR COMMENTS.
NOW, MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO COME UP AND COMMENTS, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE AND A SHORT TIMEFRAME SCHEDULED FOR THIS MEETING, ALTHOUGH WE MAY GO OVER.
SO I'D LIKE TO ALLOW EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY STRICT ABOUT THE THREE MINUTE RULE.
UH, WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO TWO MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS, I'M GONNA SAY 30 SECONDS.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU, UH, TO TAKE YOUR SEAT.
AND I DO THAT BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THIS IS A VERY PASSIONATE ISSUES FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
AND I WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY WHO CHOOSES TO SPEAK TO DO SO.
UH, AND THEN AFTER WE'VE HEARD FROM AUDIENCE MEMBERS, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND OR QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE WILL ALLOW THE DEMOGRAPHER TO ANSWER ANY OF THOSE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
SO I WOULD ASK THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE IN THE AUDIENCE TO MAKE SURE YOU PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION ON THE FRONT SIDE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU LIKE ONE OF US OR THE DEMOGRAPHER TO ATTEMPT TO ANSWER, UH, DURING HIS SECOND TIME, OR PLEASE ASK THEM AT THAT TIME, I DO WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR, UH, THE DEMOGRAPHER AND OR THE COUNCIL MAY CHOOSE OR MAY CHOOSE NOT TO ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK, BUT KEEP IN MIND YOUR TIME.
YOUR THREE MINUTES IS FOR YOUR GENERAL STATEMENTS TO BE MADE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE COUNCIL FIRST.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE MY VIEW.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO OPEN UP MR. HEFFER WITH ANY COMMENTS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE ADDIS, MS. DAFNA TO BRING EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED.
WE SET OUT EARLIER RECAP OF MY AUNTS FOUR THROUGH EIGHT.
UH, SINCE THAT RECAP, I'VE HAD TWO REQUESTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, ONE TO MODIFY A PLAN FOR A, JUST SWITCH TO PRECINCTS BETWEEN DISTRICTS EIGHT AND NINE, THAT BECAME FOUR B, WHICH WAS SENT OUT.
AND THEN ALSO HAD A REQUEST TO CHANGE SOME OF THE PERCENTAGES AND PLANT FIVE EIGHT, WHICH BECAME FIVE B UH, THAT ONE WAS DOWN IN MY OFFICE AT WASN'T ANY SPECIFIC DIRECTION OTHER THAN TRYING TO REACH OR ACHIEVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE.
SO THOSE TWO CAME OUT SINCE I SENT THAT RECAP.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS CONCERNED BEFORE WE GO TO THE AUDIENCE? ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, THOUGHTS.
BEFORE WE GO TO THE AUDIENCE, I MADE THE REQUEST ON THE LAST ONE, WHICH WAS A FIVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
I LIKE TO LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF WE CAN MOVE A FEW THINGS AROUND TO TWEAK IT SINCE YOU DID IT WITHOUT US BEING PRESENT.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO TURN THE STREETS OFF FOR THE MOMENT, JUST SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT DID, UH, THAT WAS THE REQUEST IS TO TRY TO GET A, UH, A MINORITY PERCENT VOTING, A MINORITY PERCENTAGE IN, UH, DISTRICT EIGHT TO AROUND 52%, UH, WHICH YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, THE, THE BLACK LABELS.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN SEE, BUT THE AUDIENCE, THE BLACK BOXES HAVE THE DISTRICT NUMBER AT THE TOP, THE PER THE DEVIATION, WHICH IS WHETHER THEY HAVE BALANCED POPULATION WISE AS A PERCENTAGE FROM THE EXACT AVERAGE, UH, UP OR DOWN, UH, WE TRIED TO KEEP IT WITH THEM.
THE BOTTOM NUMBER IS YOUR TOTAL, UH, UH, BLACK POPULATION, NOT YOUR VOTING AGE POPULATION.
AND THOSE OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE, IF YOU WANT TO WALK UP TO THE MAPS ON YOUR, ON THE ROLLS, IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT, FEEL FREE TO DO SO, IF YOU WANT TO WALK UP TO SEE CLOSER, YOU FEEL FREE TO DO SO MANY EPISODES.
SO, UH, IN DOING SO IT KIND OF CHANGED SOME OF THE CONFIGURATIONS, BUT I AM OPEN TO SEEING WHAT MIGHT WORK, UH, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
LET ME, UH, PUT 1 54 BACK IN SIX.
LET'S PUT THAT IN 6, 1 54 GOES BACK AND JUST SICK WHERE WE HAVE TO DO 1 51 0 1 0 1, 1 0 4 AS
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WELL SINCE THIS.SO WE'LL HAVE TO EITHER FIND A WAY TO CONNECT IT, WHICH WOULD BE 1 52 TO 1 33.
OH, JUST, JUST PUT IT BACK, BUT GOING OFF NOW AND TWO, ONE AND 180 3, ALL OF THAT.
CAN YOU TAKE THAT OUT AND PUT THAT IN BY FIVE? IF IT MAKES SENSE.
I SEE WHAT IT DOES DO ONE AND 1 93.
WE'RE GOING TO ADD THAT BACK TO FIVE.
THE PLUS SEVEN, UH, SIX HAS A PLUS 5.5 AND EIGHT IS A LOAD OF MINUS 20% DEVIATION.
WHAT ABOUT IN 1 33? TAKE THAT.
WHAT IS THAT IN NOW? 1 33 RIGHT NOW IS IN SIX.
THAT PUTS A TWO, I MEAN SEVEN AT A MINUS TWO.
UH, SIX IS NOW AT A PLUS TWO, FIVE REMAINS.
EIGHT IS STILL AT A MINUS 28 IS OUT OF WET.
YEAH, WE GOT TO PICK UP 15%, SOMEWHERE.
UH, AND ONE 30, IF THAT'S NOT MOST HOUSE 1 37.
WHICH ONE WOULD YOU LOOKING AT? 3 24 ON 1 37.
LET'S JUST AS LONG AS IT'S NOT MOST OUT 3 24.
THAT'S GOING TO PUT THAT'S IN MR. HERTZ.
UH, WHAT ABOUT ONE 50 TO ONE 50 TO 1 52 GOING INTO EIGHT.
AND THAT THE EIGHT THAT BRINGS EIGHT, 10 MINUS 14, BRINGING SIX TO MINUS THREE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT MAYBE 1 97 AND JUST LOOKING AT IT.
NO, STAY RIGHT THERE DOES 1 97 BRINGS THREE BACK INTO BALANCE AT A PLUS THREE, SIX AS A MINUS THREE, MINUS 10 TO NEED ABOUT FIVE A YEAR, TOTAL MINORITY PERCENTAGES.
NOW DOWN TO 48, WHERE IS, UH, WHAT'S ANOTHER OPTION AT ONE POINT.
LET ME PUT YOUR MAJORITY OF MINORITY BOX UP.
THAT'S THE AREAS THAT ARE SHADED.
LET ME TAKE THE, UH, THE LABELS OFF.
THE AREAS THAT ARE SHADED OF THOSE CENSUS BLOCKS THAT HAVE MORE BLACKS THAN WHITES LIVING INSIDE, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU A GUIDE FROM THE ORIGINAL, UH, YOU'VE GOT THREE 12 THAT WOULD COME OUT OF FOUR.
THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOT A MINORITY POPULATION PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT THREE 12 IS GOING TO END UP CUTTING OFF ALL THE SOUTH END OF FOUR.
UH, 3 28, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT HAS A VERY HIGH MINORITY PERCENTAGE, 180 9.
UH, NOT THIS LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE MAJORITY WHITE, 1 98 OUT OF THE SAME THING.
AND IT WOULD CUT 180 9 OFF FOUR.
SO, UM, WHEREAS NOW WE ARE CUT OFF HERE AS WE'RE LOOKING HERE.
NOW, ONCE WE TOOK 1 33 HERE AND PUTTING THE SEVEN, THIS BOTTOM PART OF SIX NOW IS NO LONGER CONTIGUOUS.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM I WAS RUNNING INTO WITH 1 33, THE WAY IT GOES ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
SO 1 33 PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO STAY IN SEVEN OR WE'LL HAVE TO SWAP THOSE PRECINCTS AROUND, EITHER TAKE THEM OUT OF SIX AND PUT THEM IN EIGHT AND SEE WHAT THAT DOES.
AND THEN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FROM THERE.
WHAT ABOUT ONE 50 TO PUT IT IN 6, 1 50 TO PUT IT INTO SIX.
IS THAT 1 52 RIGHT THERE I, 1 52 TWOS RIGHT THERE.
LET'S SEE WHAT IT DOES TO SICK.
THAT'S THE SAME LOOK I HAVE WHEN I'M WORKING.
I JUST WANT TO TRY TO MOVE IT AROUND.
IF ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO INCREASE MINORITY PARTICIPATION OR REPRESENTATION AND EIGHT FEEL
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FREE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GOING TO GO TO THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO US BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE MORE TIME.UH, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENT BECAUSE SHEETS AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SHEETS.
WHEN YOU COME TO THE MIC, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
SO ANYONE WHO IS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE, PLEASE STEP FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE, PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME, JUSTIN IS GOING TO RETRIEVE AT ANY THE SPEAKER, THE COMMENTS SHEET FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE FILLED ONE OUT, BUT WHILE WE'RE WAITING, IF YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LIVE AT 25 32 BO COSH LAKE DRIVE.
FORGIVE THE PERSONAL REFERENCE, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STAND FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.
I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN WHAT YOU'RE FACING RIGHT NOW.
I WAS MAYOR OF A SMALL TOWN IN NORTH LOUISIANA AND SPENT 14 YEARS IN THE SENATE IN LOUISIANA.
SO I FACED LEGISLATIVE REINFORCING.
AS A TEST ON THE SIDE ON A, JUST A GENERAL OPINION, THE GERRYMANDERING THAT WE HAVE ALL SEEN FOR WHATEVER REASON, FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS, I THINK HAS BEEN A NET NEGATIVE TO THE, BOTH THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY'RE DISTANT.
SO OFTEN FROM THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE SOMETIMES NOT REALLY KNOWING EXACTLY WHO THEY SERVE, AND IT CERTAINLY IS A NEGATIVE FOR THE PEOPLE THEY ELECT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT COMMUNITY SPIRIT OFTEN AND CONNECTIVITY TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT DISTRICT.
I WOULD URGE YOU TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, AS YOU CONSIDER ON AGE DIRECT COMMENT, I'VE LOOKED AT THE MAPS, UH, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I LIVE IN, UH, COUNCILMAN ADAMS DISTRICT AND THERE IS A HISTORIC CONNECTIVITY AROUND JEFFERSON HIGHWAY AND IT'S A CONTINUOUS COMPACT DISTRICT.
AND FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, I WOULD URGE YOU TO, UH, CHOOSE FOR A OR FOUR BAY THAT'S THAT'S IT.
I DO HAVE A COMMENT SHEET WHEN I'M GOING ON OF THOSE WHO SIGNED UP GAIL GATE, EMMY, MR.
I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE SENATOR BARR.
I'M SECRETARY BORROW HIM FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND HIS LEGACY AND IN LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN PARADISE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK HIM FOR HIS SERVICE AND AT THIS TIME WHILE OUR NEXT PERSON IS COMING FORWARD, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR SBA ADMINISTRATOR FOR THIS REGION.
UH, MR. ED WOULD TELL JAMES AND OURS, A FAMILY COURT JUDGE, FORMER COUNSEL, MY DISTRICT FIVE, MS. ERICA GREEN.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY.
YEAH, AND I LIVE AT 71 37 ANNABEL AVENUE, UH, AND 7 0 8 0 6.
GREW UP ON TULIP STREET AND KENMORE AVENUE, WALK TO SCHOOL AS OUR PARENTS USED TO SAY AND WENT ON TO LSU.
UH, I MOVED, UH, WITH SOUTH CENTRAL BELL NOW 18 T SEVERAL TIMES OUT OF TOWN, BUT THEN CAME BACK AND WAS ABLE TO LIVE HOME BACK HOME ON THE TISSUE, SWEETBRIAR AND ANABEL.
NOW FOR 21 PLUS YEARS IN OLD GOODWOOD, I AM A NEW MEMBER SINCE JANUARY OF THE GOODWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS BOARD AND MY SERVICE AND MY RESIDENCIES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF BEING IN BATON ROUGE, UH, HAVE GIVEN ME A TOUCH OF THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY, OF INTEREST, BEING A SHARED INTEREST.
WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH UNDER COUNCILWOMAN ADAM'S LEADERSHIP AND LAMONT.
I BELIEVE YOU'VE GOT PART OF OUR GOODWOOD AREA THAT, UM, THE ABIDING SUBDIVISIONS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BATTLE THOSE COMMON INTERESTS, DRAINAGE.
WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT TRAFFIC.
HAVE YOU BEEN DOWN JEFFERSON HIGHWAY OR CONCRETE BOULEVARD, CRIME, YOU KNOW, AND ZONING.
SO WE ALL SHARE THAT INTEREST.
WE'VE ALL BATTLED TOGETHER FOR YEARS, MATT FOUR B IS THE ONE CLOSEST TO KEEPING US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT BATTLE WITH A UNIFIED FRONT.
UM, WE HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS.
WE WANT TO KEEP THE SAME TWO COUNCIL PERSONS, AND WE CAN DO THAT WITH MATH OR B PLAN FOR B'S THE CLOSEST ONE TO MAINTAINING THE SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR ARE GOODWOOD PARTICULARLY, BUT CERTAINLY ARE A BUDDING SUBDIVISIONS
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OF PARA AT JEFFERSON PLACE.AND, UM, I THINK IT'S FOCACCIA LEGS.
AND SO, UH, THAT WOULD BE OUR INTEREST.
OUR ONLY INTEREST IS FOR B, PLEASE CONSIDER VOTING FOR IT.
I LIVE AT 86 16 MORTEL AVENUE AND I'M TERRACE UP DIVISION.
UM, GREW UP ON IN, UM, TERROR.
WELL, SHAUN DRIVE RIGHT NEXT TO TARA, I WENT TO TARA HIGH SCHOOL, MOVED AWAY, NEVER THOUGHT I'D COME BACK AND LIVE THERE.
MY PARENTS WERE STILL LIVING ON IN THAT SAME SUBDIVISION, DECIDED TO MOVE BACK AND IT'S THE BEST.
IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS I EVER MADE.
AND I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T LISTEN TO MY DAD.
AND I CAME BACK, UM, UM, AM SUPPORTIVE PLAN BAIT FOR BAIT BECAUSE IT RETAINS THE COMMON INTERESTS, INTERESTS OF THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS OF DISTRICT 11 THAT HAD BEEN WORKING PROACTIVELY TOGETHER ON ISSUES.
UM, FOR YEARS, UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE CRIME PREVENTION BOARD AND TARA, I HAVE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE ON THAT AND WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE ASSOCIATION IN CRIME PREVENTION BOARD, UM, IN PARTICULAR WITH REGARDS TO CRIME PREVENTION, WHICH I JUST SAID, WHICH HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED SINCE OUR ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR CRIME DISTRICT.
AND IT NOT ONLY ENCOMPASSES TERROR, BUT IT HELPS THE NEIGHBORING SUBDIVISIONS ALSO BECAUSE WE WORK WITH THEM AND THEIR CRIME DISTRICTS.
IT ALSO HELPS US MONITOR NEW COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT ARE COMING UP AROUND US.
AND IT'S ALSO ENABLES US A QUICK RESPONSE TO NATURAL DISASTERS.
MOST RECENTLY, I THOUGH WHEN WE HAD THE AWFUL ISSUE OF HAVING BEEN OUT OF ELECTRICITY FOR SO LONG ON O'HARA HAMMOND HIGHWAY MAP FOR BE RETAINED TO THE PROVING, THE PROVEN SUCCESS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WORKING TOGETHER FOR YEARS, THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT 11 CHOOSE TO RESIDE THERE.
THEY CHOOSE TO RESIDE THERE BECAUSE OF BASED ON COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, ACTIVISM, AND THE LEADERSHIP, THEIR VOTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE NEED TO KEEP THE POWER WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT 11 OR CHOOSING MAP FOUR B.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
MA'AM NEXT? WE HAVE RONNIE HARRIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, MY NAME IS RONNIE AND I RESIDE AT 1135 CARTER AVENUE.
AND, UH, I SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE GOODWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND SINCE PEOPLE ARE REVEALING THEIR LENGTH OF SERVICE OF, UH, LIVING IN GRA, UH, YOU CALL IT THAT, UH, LIVING IN BATON ROUGE, I'M A ROOKIE, I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE NINE YEARS.
AND THE ONE THING THAT I HAVE FOUND IN THOSE NINE YEARS BECAUSE OF MY INTEREST IN GOVERNMENT IS THAT OUR DISTRICT COUNCIL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE TO OUR NEEDS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOODWOOD IS BECAUSE THE DISTRICT THAT IS REPRESENTS OUR AREA HAS CERTAIN COMMONALITIES.
AND OF COURSE, YOU'LL HEAR THE SPEAKERS SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S TRUE IN, IN WORKING WITH THE VARIOUS AREAS OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ZONING AND BLIGHT.
THESE ARE THE CONCERNS THE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION IS CONCERNED WITH.
WE WANT TO PROTECT THOSE PROPERTY VALUES.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL, BUT AS YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO WORK WITH ONE OR TWO, BUT WHEN IT GETS PAST THAT NUMBER AND PLUS, IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND OUR DISTRICT IN OUR NEEDS, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT AND GOVERNMENT STOPS.
AND THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR ELECTED POSITION, THE ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, AS FAR AS SELECTING THE DISTRICT LINES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S THE VOTERS THAT ARE CONCERNED WITH THEIR FUTURE FOR THE NEXT DECADE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE DECISION THAT YOU MAY VERY WELL POSSIBLY MAKE TODAY.
THE GPOA SUPPORTS PLAY IN FOUR B.
I SENT LETTERS TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY FROM SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO YOU THIS MORNING, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS SO FAST MOVING AND WENT FROM FOUR 80 TO FOUR B WITHOUT, UH, MUCH, UH, YOU KNOW, KNOWLEDGE BY, BY FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THE UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE IN THE FUTURE, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU AS A METRO COUNCIL TO MAKE BATON ROUGE, PROGRESSIVE, KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
LET'S CONTINUE WORKING COOPERATIVELY IN THE FUTURE AND BELIEVE ME, I'M VERY PROUD TO LIVE IN BATON ROUGE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ENJOYED FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS AND NINE 10 DOING, KEEP ON DOING THAT FOR A LONG TIME TO COME, BUT WE ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT
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FOR PLAN B.THANK YOU VERY MUCH NEXT WEEK.
NOW I'M GONNA GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE, BUT MR. HARRIS IS A FORMER MAYOR OF GRETNA AND HEADED THE LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE HIM FOR HIS SERVICE.
I PROMISE I WON'T RECOGNIZE EVERY SPEAKER.
I LIVE AT 180 7 ROSE NEATH AND TERRA NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, I AM THE CHAIR OF THE TERRA CRIME DISTRICT.
AND, UH, AND ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER MAPS, UH, FOUR B UH, WHEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT FOUR B, UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT MAKES ADJUSTMENTS FOR POPULATION, UH, CHANGE.
IT ALSO, UH, WORKS TO KEEP COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOGETHER AND THE COMPACTNESS OF, UH, INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS, UM, NOT ONLY, OR DISTRICT 11, WHICH I LIVE IN, BUT FOR MANY OF THE, UH, OF THE DISTRICTS, MAYBE FOR ALL OF THEM AS AN EXAMPLE, AND SEVERAL OF THE PROPOSALS, UH, THE OTHER PROPOSALS, TARA HAS BEEN CARVED OUT AND SEPARATED FROM DISTRICT 11.
AND IN THOSE DISTRICTS, THE DISTRICT LEVEL, AS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE WE SHARE COMMON INTERESTS, AND WE'VE SHARED THOSE COMMON INTERESTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST TWO SENTENCES, YOU CAN SEE THAT, BUT IT ACTUALLY GOES BACK FURTHER THAN THAT.
UM, WE SHARE THE COMMON BOUNDARIES OF OLD HAMMOND HIGHWAY AND JEFFERSON HIGHWAY, AND WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER, UH, TO HELP ESTABLISH, AS YOU'VE HEARD EVERYTHING FROM CRIME DISTRICTS TO AN EXAMPLE LAST YEAR AFTER HURRICANE IDA, UH, WE LOST POWER FOR NINE DAYS, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE TREES FELL DOWN ALONG THE OLD HAMMOND HIGHWAY.
IT TOOK OUT THE MAJOR DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSMISSION LINES, NOT ONLY FOR DISTRICT 11, BUT FOR MAJOR PARTS OF THE CITY.
SO IN RESPONSE, A NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE, WE CREATED OPERATION PRUNING FOR POWER.
WE DIDN'T ASK FOR, UH, FOR METRO COUNCIL SUPPORT.
WE, AS NEIGHBORHOODS CAME TOGETHER, WE WENT TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
UH, WE WENT TO BRECK AND WE ARE W WE ARE NOW WORKING TOGETHER TO REMOVE THOSE TREES THAT ARE DANGEROUS TO THOSE POWER LINES AND NOT ONLY PREVENT POWER LOSS FROM WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, OUR CONTINUOUS CONTIGUOUS NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT FROM OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
SO THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE COMMON INTERESTS WORKING TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. SO, UM, AS A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION OF CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, MOST NEIGHBORHOODS, PRIMARY CONCERN IS MAINTAINING THEIR STRONG VOICE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
AND W I'VE SEEN THAT, UM, MANY YEARS IN MANY DIFFERENT DISTRICTS DISTRICTS, UH, AS THE FEDERATION REPRESENTS NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE PARISH.
SO WHAT, WHAT WE SEE IN LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT MAPS, UH, THAT, UH, MATT FORT B IS THE BAT THAT, THAT IN OUR OPINION, BEST CONSIDERS ALL THOSE INTERESTS, THE COMMON INTEREST OF NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO, UH, CONSIDER MAP FOUR B AS, AS THE MAP FOR THE PARISH.
I'M BARRY MEIER, 68 85 SHEFFIELD AVENUE AND SEVEN EIGHT ON SIX.
AND THAT GOODWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION AREA.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU.
AND I WILL TRY TO KEEP MY COMMENTS UNDER THREE MINUTES AND CAN GET OUT OF THE WAY AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE ONTO THE, ONTO THE PODIUM.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON NOT JUST ON BEHALF OF THE GOODWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, NOT JUST ON BEHALF OF THE AREA WHERE I LIVE, BUT ON BEHALF OF THE PARISH AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE, UM, WE ARE FACING CHALLENGING TIMES IN TERMS OF, UM, TRAGIC SITUATIONS, MURDERS, UM, AND A VARIETY OF DIFFICULTIES THAT HAVE PRETTY MUCH FORCED US TO FIND WAYS TO BRING NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE, UH, IN 1978 AND THE BATON ROUGE POWERHOUSE WAS AN AD JUST OFF OF EVANGELINE AND FOSTER.
AND WE SAW THAT OUR LITTLE SMALL ENCLAVE THERE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONTINUITY OF INTEREST.
UH, AND WE HELPED EACH OTHER AS NEIGHBORS, UH, DEAL WITH SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES, UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UH, AND TO SAY THE LEAST AS WELL AS TRUANCY, BUT THAT TOOK THAT COHESIVENESS OF THAT, THAT SMALL AREA RIGHT UP THERE BY FOSTER AND EVANGELIST TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND IF WE FOUND THE SAME THING, WHEN
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WE MOVED INTO THE GOODWILL PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, IS THAT THE NEIGHBORS BANDED TOGETHER AND THEY ABANDONED TOGETHER NOT JUST ABOUT ROADS OR DRAINAGE, UM, BUT ABOUT EACH OTHER AND SHARE THOSE COMMON INTERESTS THAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.SOME OF THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED, GO BACK, YOU KNOW, DECADES, BUT THE GOODWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST 70, 80 YEARS.
UH, SOME OF THE FOLKS, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR IS BORN AND RAISED THERE.
UM, IN 1934 WHEN HER PARENTS MOVED THERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY HAD PLAY, BUT WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MOST IS THAT WE'RE AT A TIME WHEN THE CITY AND THE PARISHES GROWTH, THAT WE NEED TO FIND MORE AREAS OF INTEREST AND MORE NEIGHBORHOODS OF COMMON GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS RATHER THAN TEAR APART.
THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE AND HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR NEIGHBORS, NOT JUST IN THEIR OWN DISTRICT OR PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION IS IT MAY BE, BUT THOSE AROUND THEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE AREAS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY ALL THE, THE OPTIONS OTHER, OTHER THAN FOUR B I THINK WOULD BE DECIMATED, DECIMATE THE VERY HEART OF THE PARISH.
SO I GUESS I'LL LEAVE A SAYING FIRST DO NO HARM.
THANK YOU FOR OUR CITY PARISH AS A BODY.
AND AT THE HEART OF THAT BODY, IS THAT THE CORE AND THAT CORE IS, UH, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WOULD BE MOST IMPACTED BY ANY OF THE OTHER OPTIONS OTHER THAN MATH FOUR P SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I WILL STOP.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM EUGENE COLLINS, LOCAL CHAPTER PRESIDENT OF AACP.
THANK YOU, SIR, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? MY NAME IS EUGENE COLLINS, PRESIDENT OF NAACP HERE IN BATON ROUGE, 9 24, FRENCH STREET, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, 7,800 TO DO THE WHITE FLIGHT.
WHEN MANY PEOPLE MOVE TO ASCENSION PARISH AND LIVINGSTON PARISH, THE 2020 CENSUS SHOWED THAT EAST BATON ROUGE IS NOW MAJORITY BLACK AND 46% BY WHITE PEOPLE OR 42% OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
IN OUR OPINION THAT THE NAACP UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD BLACK PEOPLE BE THE MAJORITY IN THIS PARISH, BUT HAVING MINORITY REPRESENTATION THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN ANYWHERE.
OUR GREAT COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON THE THEME OF NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
THIS TOWN IS MOSTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
OUR COUNCIL SHOULD REFLECT THE SAME, AND I'VE HEARD SOME FOLKS GET UP HERE TODAY AND TALK ABOUT NOT TAKING THINGS APART.
THE LACK OF REPRESENTATION HAS TOURED MY COMMUNITY APART FOR DECADES NOW, AND WE HOPE TO EVER BRING THOSE THINGS BACK TOGETHER.
IN MY OPINION, IT'S WHAT THEY COUNSELED THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THIS POPULATION THAT LIVES IN THAT CITY.
ANYTHING ELSE LEAVING THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS THE DAY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I FEEL THAT YOU'LL BE A PART OF THE OPPRESSIVE HISTORY OF THIS CITY.
IF WE DON'T LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE, WE DON'T LISTEN TO THE NUMBERS.
WE DON'T LISTEN TO THE DATA WE'RE WALKING OUT OF HERE, AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THIS BODY HAS DONE SINCE THE LATE FIFTIES.
I URGE YOU TO LOOK DIFFERENTLY, AND IF NOT, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS CITY IS LOOKING AT LITIGATION.
WHY SPEND THAT MONEY? THAT MONEY WHEN THE NUMBERS ARE CLEAR, HIS BODY SHOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE BY MOSTLY AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
AND TODAY WE STAND IN SUPPORT OF MAP SEVEN EIGHT.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM JARRETT LUNAR.
I LIVE AT 1 5 3 3 5 7 PINES, UM, AVENUE THAT'S DISTRICT NINE, BUT I'M NOT HERE TO REPRESENT DISTRICT NINE.
I'M HERE TO REPRESENT, UH, THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY.
UM, IT'S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO EXPLAIN.
UH, I KEEP HEARING ABOUT HISTORY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING THE HISTORY OF THE CITY, BUT THE CITY IS NOW A MAJORITY BLACK.
UM, ANY MAP CHOSEN THAT OPPOSES THIS AS A SLAP IN THE FACE OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS HISTORY THAT YOU SUPPORT, UH, ANY MAP THAT SUPPORTS A WHITE MAJORITY AS AKIN TO POST RECONSTRUCTION TACTICS AND JIM CROW LAWS.
UH, I HOPE AND PRAY THAT YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, BUT LIKE PRESIDENT COLLINS STATED IF YOU DO NOT, WE WILL, UH, CONTINUE THIS FIGHT.
NEXT MOVER HERE FROM LAEL MONTGOMERY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ZACHARY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, SIR.
[00:30:04]
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.AND THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL SERVICE AS WELL.
UM, MY NAME IS LEIA MONTGOMERY, 59 74.
HE SAID TO AVE EXACTLY WHAT LOUISIANA, UM, EXACTLY.
WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET THE NUMBERS RIGHT, AND TO GET OUR REDISTRICT IN, RIGHT, WITHOUT GOING TO COURT, WE HAD A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
FIVE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTED FOR THE RIGHT THING.
SO WHEN DEALING WITH MATHEMATICS, IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES AND YOU JUST SEE THE NUMBERS AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS, YOU COME UP WITH 46% BLACK, 42% WHITE RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE SEVEN WHITE REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS, AND THERE WAS FIVE BLACK DEMOCRATIC DISTRICTS.
WHAT I ASKED EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO DO IS TO GO WITH THE FACTS, GO WITH THE NUMBERS.
THE NUMBERS SUPPORT AT LEAST 66, IF NOT A 75 ON THE BLACK SIDE.
SO I SUGGEST THAT Y'ALL DO WAS RIGHTEOUS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN LOUISIANA FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO THE SENATE.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY'S READING PAGES OUT THE SAME PLAYBOOK, THE SAME RACIST, OPPRESSIVE PLAYBOOK THAT HAS HELD BLACK PEOPLE DOWN FOR YEARS.
SO I'M ASKING Y'ALL AS A, AS A MEMBER OF DISTRICT ONE, WHICH IS BRAND NEW FEET.
WHAT'S UP, BRANDON, HOW YOU DOING, MAN? I'M ASKING Y'ALL TO DO THE RIGHTEOUS NAME.
I'M SURE ALL Y'ALL GO TO CHURCH.
I'M SURE ALL Y'ALL PRAY TO GOD.
AND I JUST HOPE THAT Y'ALL PRAY TO THE SAME GOD THAT WE PRAY TO HIM.
SO I'M ASKING Y'ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY, BESIDES YOUR HEART AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
THESE NUMBERS SUPPORT AT LEAST 6, 6, 7, 5 ON THE BLACK SIDE.
SO I'M ASKING Y'ALL TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
PLEASE FIND THEM WITHIN YOUR HEART TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT BOX.
POLAR, WE'LL TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE I WAS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, DORIS LANDIS.
THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, SIR.
OH, AND ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF 100 BLACK.
I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF BATON ROUGE AND I LIVE AT 79 20 WAYSIDE DRIVE, WHICH IS OFF OF OLD HAMMOND NEAR TOWN CENTER.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL WITH REGARD TO THE REDISTRICTING OF DISTRICT 11.
WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE THAT THE ONLY OUTLET TO OUR STREET IS ON OLD HAMMOND.
WE FREQUENTLY WALKED DOWN TO THE TERRA NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO WE AREN'T ON SUCH A BUSY, STRAIGHT.
WE LIKE TO GET OFF OF OLD HAMMOND HIGHWAY.
IF WE DON'T GO THAT WAY, WE WALK TO THE WONDERFUL BIKE PATH AND WALKING PATH.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ON SEVEN OAKS.
MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS ALSO DO THE SAME THING BEING SO CLOSE TO
WE HAVE WALKING ACCESS TO SHOPS, GROCERY STORES AND RESTAURANTS.
THAT IS THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT MAKES HER AREAS SO DESIRABLE AND WHY WE ENJOY IT SO MUCH.
IT IS TRULY A WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SINCE WE MOVED TO THIS PART OF TOWN IN 2013, WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT OUR CYNDI COUNCIL MEMBER WAS AN IMPORTANT CONTACT TO HAVE, AND THAT A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT PERSON WAS VITALLY IMPORTANT.
MATT WATSON WAS ALWAYS RESPONSIVE TO OUR NEEDS.
AND WHEN MATT WATSON WAS REPLACED BY LORI ADAMS, THAT INTERACTION ONLY IMPROVED.
LET ME GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE.
WHEN WE WERE OUT OF TOWN VISITING OUR SON AT THE END THANKSGIVING OF 2020, WE HAD A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOR WHO TOLD US THAT THE STREET, THE WATER WAS FILLING OUR STREET IN FRONT OF OUR HOME.
AND THEY HAD CALLED THAT PROBLEM INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
WHEN WE RETURNED FROM OUR TRIP, UH, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED FOR MONTHS WITH RAINWATER, FILLING THE INTERSECTION IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE TO ADAPT THE SEVERAL FEET SUBSEQUENT CALLS TO DPW AND CONTACTING 3, 1, 1, SENDING PHOTOS OF THE FLOODING DID NO GOOD.
UH, OUR CALLS ONE ANSWERED FOR NINE MONTHS IN AN UNRELATED DISCUSSION WITH COUNCILMAN ADAMS. WE'D MENTIONED THE PROBLEM WITHIN THREE DAYS, HEY, VACUUM TRUCK ARRIVED.
AND THE DRAINS ON BOTH SIDES WERE CLEANED.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD KNOWS LAURIE, WHO WE CAN DEPEND ON HER, TAKE CARE OF OUR PROBLEMS
[00:35:01]
AND HELP PROVIDE SOLUTIONS.SHE REGULARLY ATTENDS OUR GOODWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS, ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND WORKS TIRELESSLY.
WHEN MY WIFE AND FRIENDS STARTED A LITTER PICKUP AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS GROUP.
LAST YEAR, THE FIRST CLEANUP WAS AT THE CORNER OF JEFFERSON HIGHWAY AND S AND LANE.
I SKIPPED IT? WE, UH, WE CAN ALL AGREE THE NECESSARY, BUT TECH BY SACRIFICING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CONTINUITY WOULD NOT BE THE RESULT WITH THAT.
IN MIND, I ASK EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO THE VOTE TO ACCEPT MAP FOUR B.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, RIGHT ON TIME.
NEXT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM ROBERT BOREHAM.
I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE VANESSA FLOOR JUST STEPPED DOWN.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS OR FORMER ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE? SO WE GET EVERYBODY AT THE SAME TIME.
ANY OTHER ELECTED, UH, FOR ME, ELECTED OFFICIALS RECOGNIZE YOU RIGHT NOW AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO COME UP AND SPEAK AT THIS TIME? OH, WE'RE RECOGNIZED YOU CALL YOU DO COME ON DOWN.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
JAMES
LET ME READ YOU SOME NUMBERS TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU JANE COLLIN SAID.
THERE ARE IN THIS PARISH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE NOTES BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS, A MATH TEACHER.
THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION IS 191,355.
MR. COLLINS MENTIONED THE ANY PART BLACK POPULATION IS 211,429.
THAT LEAVES ANOTHER 53,997 THAT ARE NEITHER ONE RACE, WHITE NON-HISPANIC NOR ANY PART BLACK, HISPANIC OR NOT.
BUT THE POINT IS THERE ARE 46% PEOPLE THAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS BLACK, 42% CLASSIFIED AS WHITE.
THE FACT THAT YOU ARE SERIOUSLY ENTERTAINING, PLAT PASSING THE MAP THAT HAS FIVE MAJORITY WHITE DISTRICTS IS ASININE.
IT SUGGESTS YOU HAVE HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
IF PEOPLE AT THIS STAGE ARE DEFENDING, KEEPING THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER, YOU MAY AS WELL JUST ABANDON THE WHOLE PROCESS, START OVER OR PASS A FAKE MAP.
SEE MISS, MAKE THE DEADLINE, AND THEN LET'S DO THE REAL REDISTRICTING.
SO LET ME LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT I FOUND ON YOUR WEBSITE A MOMENT AGO FOR THIS MAP FOR B, SORRY.
I HATE DOING THIS ON MY PHONE, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY MAPS OR DEMOGRAPHIC POSTERS IN THE ROOM, THIS WAS MY ONLY CHOICE.
I AM LOOKING AT THE REGISTERED VOTER BLACK PERCENTS FROM APP FOUR B DISTRICT TWO 85% DISTRICT 5 91 0.3 60.2 FOR DISTRICT 6 66 0.7 FOR DISTRICT SEVEN AND 70.1 FOR DISTRICT NINE.
SO THAT MAY BE GREAT FOR THE BLACK INCUMBENTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE COMFORTABLE BLACK MAJORITIES, BUT IT ABSOLUTELY SUCKS FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
SO UNLESS YOU HAVE THE POLITICAL ABILITY TO COME UP WITH A MAP AND GET YOUR COLLEAGUES TO VOTE FOR IT, QUIT NOW, LET'S GET SOMEBODY ELSE IN OFFICE.
THE SCHOOL BOARD DIDN'T BELIEVE ANYBODY WOULD SUE WHEN THEY BROKE THE LAW.
GUESS WHAT? SEVERAL OF US SUED AND WE'RE GOING TO WIN AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PASS A LEGAL PLAN.
I WILL SUE YOU IF YOU VIOLATE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, BUT I HOPE SOMEBODY DOES.
IT TELLS THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT BATON ROUGE HASN'T MADE IT OUT OF THE 1950S.
GET A GRIP, DROP FOUR B ABANDONED, ANY PLANS THAT DON'T HAVE AT LEAST SIX SOLID MAJORITY BLACK DISTRICTS DO YOUR JOBS.
CAN ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS? COME DOWN, COME ON DOWN AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
AND I WASN'T GOING TO SPEAK TODAY, BUT I'M AN OLD MAN.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY SOME OF THE YOUNGER PEOPLE ABOUT COLOR OF SKIN OVER 20 YEARS AGO.
WE ELECTED AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN IS MAYOR OF EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH 68%
[00:40:01]
WHITE, 32% BLACK.SO WE HOPE THAT THAT TIME MAYBE THE COLA ISSUE WOULD STOP.
WHEN THE CURRENT MAYOR WAS ELECTED.
WE WERE ALL, I THINK I PICKED FROM CORRECT ABOUT 52% WHITE, 48% MINORITY.
I WANT TO SHARE A STORY THAT I SHARED WITH MY NEIGHBOR, WHO IS PASTOR RONNIE WILLIAMS. NOW HE LIVES IN OUR SUBDIVISION.
HE WON'T COMMENT BACK WHEN COLIN KAEPERNICK TOOK A KNEE, I AM A VETERAN, CAME HOME FROM THE MILITARY.
FRIENDS OF MINE WERE BROUGHT HOME IN COFFINS WITH THE THRIVE DRAPED AROUND THEIR COFFIN.
AND THEN TALKING TO RONNIE, I TOLD HIM, I SAID, ONE DAY AFTER ABOUT A YEAR I WOKE UP AND I TOLD MY WIFE, I SAID, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK DOWN TO NORTH BATON ROUGE, WHERE WE WENT TO CHURCH FOR 50 YEARS.
CURRENTLY, WE WERE GOING TO CHURCH AT OUR LADY OF MERCY.
WE WAS GETTING DRESSED FOR CHURCH.
AND I SAID, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO MY ROOTS NORTH BATON ROUGE, GO TO CHURCH.
SO SHE SAID, OKAY, LET'S GO, BUT LET'S GO FAST.
NOW YOU CAN BE EARLY AT CHURCH WITH MY WIFE, BUT YOU'RE NOT LATE.
AND WHEN WE ARRIVED, BUT 50 YEARS, WE SAT ON THE END OF THE SECOND OR THIRD ROW OF THE CHURCH WITH OUR CHILDREN.
AND WHEN WE ARRIVED, CHURCH WAS STARTING AND THERE WERE ONLY TWO SEATS AVAILABLE AT THE END OF THE SECOND ROW.
AND WE SAT DOWN AFTER THE SERVICE WAS OVER, WE WALKED OUTSIDE AND WE WERE MEETING WITH ALL OF OUR FRIENDS, TALKING WITH PRIEST.
WE SAW A YOUNG MAN WALKING DOWN, THOMAS SCHROLL THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH THOMAS ROAD? NO THERE'S DITCHES.
HE WAS WALKING DOWN THOMAS ROAD AND HE HAD A BAG IN HIS HAND, LOOKED LIKE HIS CLOTHES.
AND HE TURNED AND HE WALKED UP THE DRIVEWAY OF THE 30 SECONDS.
HE WALKED UP, THE DRIVEWAY OF THE CHURCH, WALKED THROUGH THE CROWD AND HE WALKED UP TO ME AND I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
HE HANDED ME A NEATLY, FOLDED $1 BILL.
AND HE SAID, I WANT YOU TO GIVE THIS TO GOD.
AND HE TURNED AROUND AND HE WALKED OFF THIS YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEAD HAIR DOWN BELOW HIS SHOULDERS, LOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN HIS THIRTIES.
AND WHEN HE TURNED HIM WALK OFF, MY HEART CHANGED.
AND I UNDERSTOOD WHY COLIN KAEPERNICK TOOK THE KNEE BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAME HOME IN THE COFFINS FAULT.
SO HOW WAS IT PEACE THAT YOUNG MAN HAS NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE, AND THAT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AGO.
IS THERE ANYWHERE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COME ON DOWN, HOLD UP, PASTOR.
I'M CHARLES
I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ON ANY OF THE OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED.
THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL ISSUES, YOU KNOW, ON THOSE IT'S YOU FOLKS HAVE DONE A LOT OF STUDY ON THIS.
UH, BUT I HAD A BRIEF MEETING YEAH.
THIS MORNING WITH OUR MAYOR AND WE WOULD TALK.
AND WHEN SOMEONE WHO SEES HERSELF AS REPRESENTING ALL THE PEOPLE OF BATON ROUGE AND SAID, YEAH, ISN'T THAT HOW IT OUGHT TO BE THAT EACH MEMBER OF OUR COUNCIL CAN FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS PARISH AND REPRESENT ALL THE PEOPLE.
AND I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT'S KIND OF IDEALISM, BUT Y'ALL LOOK, I LISTENED TO THE 46 AND 42, AND THEN THERE'S 12%.
AND I'M SAYING, WELL, THOSE 12% DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO REPRESENT THEM BECAUSE THERE'S NONE OF YOU FOLKS ARE IN THIS 12%.
UM, SO YEAH, I KNOW IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD REASONS FOR COHESION OF NEIGHBORHOODS, WITH COMMON INTEREST AT ALL.
BUT GOSH, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF EVERY DISTRICT IN BATON ROUGE WAS 46, 42 AND 12, AND THAT EVERY MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL AND AUDIT TO GET ELECTED WOULD HAVE TO APPEAL TO THE INTERESTS OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T LOOK JUST LIKE HIM, BUT HAD TO APPEAL WHETHER WE WERE BLACK.
YOU KNOW WHY? AND I'M REFLECTING ON THE MANY TIMES THAT WE'VE COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON ISSUES OF
[00:45:01]
PLANNING AND SONY.AND WE HAVE GOTTEN ACTUALLY AT LEAST AS MUCH SUPPORT BLACK MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AS WE HAVE FROM WHITE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
AND THAT IS TELLING ME THAT THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN LOOK AT EVERYBODY IN THE PARISH AND THINK THAT THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT EVERYONE.
AND OF COURSE YOU GUYS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTRY AS A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT HALF THE COUNTRY HATES THE OTHER HALF OF THE COUNTRY TO THE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AND EVERYBODY'S ARRANGING THINGS SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY ATTENTION TO ANYBODY WHO IS DIFFERENT THAN THEY ARE.
SO YOU GUYS GOT A REALLY TOUGH JOB.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SUGGESTION ON HOW TO SOLVE IT, BUT GOSH, IT'D BE GOOD IF WE COULD ALL THINK OF OURSELVES AS RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING CARING ABOUT EVERYBODY, NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO LOOK JUST LIKE US.
JASON GILMORE, HAVING AN ADDRESS AT 1, 2 8, 2 1 FAIRWOOD COURT, UM, I'VE BEEN CONNECTED TO THIS COUNCIL AND LEADERS OF THIS PARISH FOR DECADES, UH, FROM SERVING ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION TO THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, AND MANY OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS EVEN SERVED AS THE ASSISTANT CAO FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME.
AND, UH, ONE THING I CAN SAY THAT IS MOST DISAPPOINTED ABOUT BEING A RESIDENT OF THIS PARISH, AS WELL AS SERVING IN MANY CAPACITIES OF THIS PARISH IS THE LACK OF EQUITY AND THE LACK OF REPRESENTATION.
WHEN IT COMES TO MINORITIES AND THEIR NEEDS, I HAVE STOOD HERE.
I HAVE BEEN BEFORE MANY COUNCILS AND WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE URGENT THINGS TO BRING ABOUT EQUITY AND PROSPERITY FOR THOSE IN NORTH BATON ROUGE AND THOSE THAT ARE MINORITIES, WE FAIL MORE THAN WE SUCCEED.
IT'S THE BUSINESS AND IT'S SADNESS.
AND THOUGH I APPLAUD THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE UNITY AND COHESIVENESS.
I COME FROM NEIGHBORHOODS THAT STRUGGLE.
I COME FROM AREAS WHERE PEOPLE NEED REPRESENTATION.
AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AM I CONNECTING THIS TO THIS GOVERNMENT HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH, MINORITIES HAVE NOT BEEN CONNECTED.
WE'VE BEEN DISENFRANCHISED, WE'VE LEFT OUT AND WE'VE HAD TO FIGHT FOR EVERY SINGLE POLICY WORTHWHILE.
AND YES, WE'VE HAD SOME UTOPIAN EXPERIENCES WHERE REPUBLICANS WHO JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE WHITE WOULD WORK WITH US TO BRING ABOUT PROGRESS.
BUT THOSE FIGHTS, THOSE FIGHTS HAVE TORN US APART IN THIS PARISH.
AND NOW IS THE TIME FOR TRUE UNITY FOR REAL UNITY, FOR REAL CONNECTEDNESS AND BRINGING ABOUT EQUITY ON THIS COUNCIL SO THAT WE WON'T BE MAKING THE HEADLINES FOR BEING THE VISIT AND FOR BEING IN THE WRONG.
BUT THEN WE'RE MAKING THE HEADLINES FOR DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.
I DON'T WANT US TO GO TO COURT.
WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THAT HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
LET'S JUST DO WHAT'S RIGHT NOW AND LET'S MOVE FORWARD IN THE SENSE OF UNITY AND UTOPIA.
I RESIDE IN 57 38 STRATFORD AVENUE, AND I REPRESENT PROPHETIC VOICES, A COALITION OF CONCERNED CLERGY.
I COME THIS AFTERNOON TO URGE YOU TO ADOPT A REDISTRICTING PLAN THAT ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
SPECIFICALLY, I'M URGING YOU TO VOTE FOR SIX MAJORITY BLACK DISTRICT FOR THIS PARISH.
ACCORDING TO THE 2020 CENSUS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH IS MAJORITY AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
SO IT FOLLOWS THAT THE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICTS SHOULD LOOK LIKE THE PARISH THAT IT SERVES TO DO LESS WOULD MEAN FAILING TO LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATION OF OUR CITIZENRY TO DO LESS WOULD SUGGEST THAT POLITICAL AND PERHAPS PERSONAL AGENDAS PREVAILED OVER FAIRNESS AND INTEGRITY, FAIR DISSERTATING WOULD BRING UNPRECEDENTED BALANCE TO THIS PARISHES.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH FAIR DISTRICT TEAM IS LIKELY TO PRODUCE FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON THE ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL FAIR DISTRICTING WILL LIKELY HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON HOW CONTRACTS ARE AWARDED ON HOW SERVICES ARE RENDERED ON HOW MATTERS ARE GIVEN GREATEST PRIORITY.
I SUPPORT THE EFFORT OF COUNCILMAN DON AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHO ARE SIMPLY BUT FIRMLY DEMANDING EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION ON THIS COUNCIL.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THEIR DESIRE FOR EQUITY AND FAIRNESS HAS BEEN MET BY OPPOSITION ON THE PART OF SOME AND A COMPLETE LACK OF ENTHUSIASM ON THE PART OF OTHERS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL
[00:50:01]
OF THESE BATON ROUGE PARISH.FAIRNESS IS SELDOM OFFERED BY THOSE WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN UNFAIR.
IT MUST BE FOUGHT FOR IT MUST BE PRAYED FOR, WE ARE DOING THIS TODAY.
AS YOU VOTE TO SELECT THE BOUNDARIES OF THE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICTS, WE URGE YOU TO VOTE IN A MANNER THAT PROPERLY REPRESENTS THE CITIZENS OF THIS PARISH.
THAT WOULD BE SIX BLACK MAJORITY DISTRICTS.
ANYONE ELSE? WISHING TO SPEAK OF ITEM ONE.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE, FIRST NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD PLEASE? MA'AM MY NAME IS KATHERINE GRAY.
I RESIDE AT 29 45 CONGRESS BOULEVARD, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
I HAD NOT INTENDED TO SAY ANYTHING TODAY.
I SENT MY PASTOR A NOTE SAYING THAT YEAH, WHEN I LISTEN TO WHATEVER BOTH SIDES HAVE TO SAY, CAUSE IT'S REALLY TWO SIDES.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR THOSE THAT REPRESENT THOSE THAT LIVE IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T WANT THEM TO BE SPLIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH CONTINUITY THAT'S FEELINGS OF UNITY.
AND FOR THOSE THAT REPRESENT THEM, WHY IS IT THAT YOU THINK, OR MAYBE YOU JUST, WHY IS IT THAT YOU THINK THAT PUTTING YOU SOMEWHERE ELSE IS GONNA DISSOLVE THAT SENSE OF UNITY? WHY CAN'T YOU BRING THAT SENSE OF UNITY TO WHERE YOU'RE PUT, IF WE DECIDE ON HAVING SIX MINORITY BLACK UNITS AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
ARE YOU SO WEAK THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN'T BRING UNITY TO THE PLACE THAT YOU MAY BE PLACED? I'VE LIVED IN A PLACE THAT I'VE HAVEN'T FELT REPRESENTED FOR QUITE A WHILE.
THAT'S DISTRICT 12, BUT I BRING A SENSE OF UNITY TO THE PEOPLE AROUND ME BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN CALL ON ME FOR ISSUES THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS.
JUST THINK ABOUT IT AS YOU VOTE TODAY.
I COME TO YOU AS THAT AS THE NAACP STATE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING, BUT AS A SYSTEM THAT'S BEEN IN BATON ROUGE, ABOUT 30, 40 YEARS, I'M A RESIDENT OF VILLA DEL RAY, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE, UH, UH, DISTRICTS IN BATON ROUGE.
MY REPRESENTATIVE IS, UH, CLEVE DONE PROUD OF CLEAVE DONE.
IT WAS DONNA LEWIS AND PROUD OF HER.
WE HAD A, I CAN'T THINK OF THE YOUNG LADY'S NAME, UH, BUT IT WAS A WHITE LADY.
IT DIDN'T FALL OFF BECAUSE SHE MOVED OUT.
WE STILL HAD GOOD REPRESENTATION.
I PROBABLY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS THE YOUNG LADY TALKED ABOUT, I BELIEVE TO HAVE A WHITE PERSON REPRESENT ME BECAUSE I LIVE IN A WHITE AREA.
THAT'S THAT'S NONSENSE, BYRON SHARP.
MY FRIEND REPRESENTED DISTRICT SEVEN.
HIS ERIC WENT FROM ALMOST LOCKED, BATON ROUGE TO SOUTH BATON ROUGE AND ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN HE'S.
HE USED TO HAVE A IN HUNDRED OAKS THOUSAND OAKS SOMEWHERE.
HE REPRESENTED IN PARK ERA JUST AS WELL AS HE DID THE ON THE AREA.
SO AS, AS, AS JANE FINISHED, IT'S ASININE FOR US TO BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER FOR ME TO KEEP SOME CONTINUITY, SOME CAN TAKE WITH IT.
BUT I THINK THE PERSON REALLY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE, KEEP SOME SECURITY AND NOT MY AREA.
I GOT TO BE REPRESENTED BY THE WHITE PERSON, BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE SHERIFF OR THE CHIEF RUN BAD GUYS OUT AND EVERYBODY WANTS SECURITY.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET THE SCHOOLS.
AND YOU ALL HAD AMAZON COME TO OUR DISTRICT.
IF I WAS GOING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING, WE TRAFFIC, BUT JOBS ARE IMPORTANT.
SO, SO I HAVE THERE, I I'VE BEEN A PART OF EBR FOR YEARS.
I'VE BEEN A PERIOD OF FIGHT FOR EQUITY.
SOMEBODY TO TRY TO APPEAL TO YOUR, YOUR CHRISTIAN BELIEFS, YOU AIN'T LISTENING.
SOMETIMES THE ONLY THING THAT WE UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE IS IF SOMEBODY MESSED WITH OUR MONEY, GET YOUR MIND, RIGHT? IF SOMEBODY SUSAN, GET YOUR MIND, RIGHT? I PROMISE YOU.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF ALL, ALL OF THAT.
I CAN'T MESS WITH THE MONEY, BUT I CAN SUE YOU.
AND I PROMISE YOU, WE HAVE A HISTORY OF NOT ONLY BE SUING, BUT WINNING WHY ONE, WE HAVE A LOT ON OUR SIDE, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD REAPPORTION A QUARTER TO THE LAW.
IT MEANS THAT ONE BLACK ONE, MAN, ONE VOTE.
I NEED TO BE REPRESENTED BY THAT.
BATON ROUGE MAKES BLACK FOLKS IN BATON ROUGE MAKE UP A BIGGER PART.
[00:55:01]
I THINK DR.JOHNSON WOULD TELL TIM IS WHEN THEY FORMED THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
I WAS TELLING MY FRIENDS, WE SHOULDN'T DO A WAIT AND SEE THE PARISH GOVERNMENT GO BACK TO THE OLD WAY OF THINGS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
WE WOULD HAVE SEVEN, UH, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THAT REPRESENT US.
AND THEN YOU COULD HAVE 12 PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THE INNER CITY.
WE SHOULD GO THOUGH THAT, BUT SINCE WE DON'T, I PROMISE YOU THE BLACK KIDS AND THE WHITE KIDS PLAY, PLAY BETTER MUSIC TOGETHER.
WE CAN, WE CAN HIRE THIS OR WE CAN SAY, GO TO LSU AS ONE.
AND HOLLY YANG GO TIGERS VOTER SOUTHERN TO, YEAH, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO SHARE IN THE POWER OF THIS PARIS.
I'VE BEEN AT THE BOTTOM ALL DAY LONG.
NICE TIME FOR US TO RISE TO THE TOP.
TELL US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
CAITLIN JOSHUA 48, 21 IN A SWELL ROAD.
UM, LAURIE ADAMS IS MY COUNCILPERSON.
UM, I'LL BE REALLY SHORT AND SWEET.
UM, I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE POWER COALITION AS THE LEAD ORGANIZER.
I'VE BEEN IN BATON ROUGE FOR 29 YEARS.
I LOVE HOW DIVERSE OUR PARISHES.
I CELEBRATE THAT AND I EMBRACE IT.
AND OUR GOVERNING BODIES SHOULD ALSO REFLECT THAT DIVERSITY IN THAT REPRESENTATION.
ADDITIONALLY, I WANTED TO POINT OUT WE'VE GOT SEVERAL REPRESENTATION, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UM, THROUGHOUT OUR BALDRIDGE CHAPTER OF THE POWER COALITION HERE TODAY, I'M WEARING THEIR SHIRTS AND THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, IMMERSED IN THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS FROM THE BEGINNING, KNOCKING ON DOORS FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, NOT JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE AUDITIONING PROCESS, BUT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CENSUS, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE ENGAGED AND UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME MASS MOBILIZATION VIA EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THAT HAS REALLY ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAPS M AND A PASS TODAY.
UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE KNOW THAT MAP SEVEN, A SATISFIED SATISFIES THE GOALS OF A 66 MAPS, SIX MAJORITY BLACK, SIX MONTHS, MAJORITY WHITE DISTRICTS, BUT ALSO SATISFIES THE, UM, SECTION TWO, A VOTING RIGHTS ACT, WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT.
UM, SO WE ARE IMPLORING EVERYONE TODAY TO PLEASE VOTE FOR MAP SEVEN EIGHT SPECIFICALLY.
ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE? COME ON DOWN.
IT'S NOMINAL ARE Y'ALL DOING TODAY.
I'M JOHNNY DOMINO GETAWAYS MEDIA.
I'M FROM HOSPITAL PLAZA, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I COME FROM NOTHING, BUT I WAS ABLE TO SELF-EDUCATE I HAVE A GED, RIGHT? I WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPREHEND ENOUGH TO SELF-EDUCATE MYSELF, TO MOVE THROUGH DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN LIFE.
NOT ALL OF MY PEOPLE KNOW HOW AND CAN COMPREHEND.
WE HAVE LOW EDUCATION, SO THAT'S ABOUT THEM.
AND THEN IT COULD BE THINGS THAT'S VISIBLE ON CAMERA GOING ON WITH PEOPLE AND EVERYBODY COULD, THE WORLD COULD SEE US WRONG, BUT WE GOT A FIGHT.
WHAT W W WHAT WILL IT HURT? ALL WE WANT IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FAIR SHOT.
WE JUST ASKING FOR A FAIR SHOT.
AND I'M, I FEEL LIKE I FEEL BOTH SIDES, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE REAL CONCERN IS.
YOU SEE, I'M, I'M, I'M BLENDED UP.
I GOT CREOLE BLACK AND EVERYTHING UP IN ME.
SO GUESS WHAT? I LOVE ALL PEOPLE.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? MY THING IS, IT'S BEEN TOO MANY DISPARITIES ON THE BLACK SIDE.
AND I'M GOING TO ALWAYS ROLL WITH MY PEOPLE BECAUSE I COME FROM NOTHING.
WHEN THE UPPER CLASS BLACKS LOOKED DOWN ON GHETTO KIDS, I LOOK, I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW I CAN EDUCATE THEM WHEN Y'ALL SCARED TO DEAL WITH THEM.
I TRY TO FIND OUT A WAY TO HELP THEM.
BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? IF WE STUDY BATTLING OVER LITTLE MINUSCULE STUFF LIKE THIS, THIS IS NOTHING.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? BUT EVERYTHING WE GOT TO DO, WE GOT TO FIGHT FOR IT.
WHAT Y'ALL IS CALLED AUTOMATIC.
WHEN CERTAIN THINGS GO ON, IT'S JUST AUTOMATIC IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL Y'ALL IS TODAY, THE CITY THAT LOST ENOUGH FOR THE TAX PAYERS MONEY ON LAWSUITS.
WE GOT OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN BE INVESTING THIS MONEY IN LIKE EDUCATION, BECAUSE OF EATING REMIND, GOING TO DO DUMB THINGS.
YOU CAN LOCK UP AS MANY OF THEM AS YOU CAN, BUT IF YOU DON'T START EDUCATE MORE OF THEM, YOU STILL GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM.
AND THEN THEY GOING TO BLEED OVER INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT PROBLEMS. NONE OF THIS IS JUST ONE PERSON PROBLEM.
YOUR PROBLEM, LIKE THE FENTANYL PROBLEM, THAT, THAT CAN'T BE JUST ONE SIDE THAT HAS TO BE BOTH SIDED.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? WE BOTH WERE LOSING PEOPLE AND WE FORGET ABOUT HUMANS.
WE FORGET ABOUT THE HUMAN ASPECT.
LET'S, LET'S TRY TO, UH, END THE LITTLE, UH, BACK AND FORTH BATTLE BETWEEN THE RACIST HILL IN BETWEEN SEATS AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
WHY NOT? SHOULDN'T YOU WANT BLACK PEOPLE TO HAVE AS MANY SEATS AS YOU HAVE.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE A FIVE.
Y'ALL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.
[01:00:01]
THANK YOU.WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS JACQUELINE GERMANY, AND I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE REPORTING GEARS.
SO I'VE SEEN A MINI COUNCIL MEMBERS TAKE THESE SIX.
I WORKED OUT OF THE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE.
I WORKED OUT OF THE PUBLIC GOOD MEN'S PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE IDEALISTS.
SO I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR TODAY IS TO BE FAIR, JUST TO FAIR MAPS, JUST DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE HAVE GOT TO STOP VOTING ALONG PARTY LINES AND DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITIZENS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
I DIDN'T COME HERE TO SPEAK TODAY, BUT I'VE NEVER SHOT A WORD.
AND I'M NEVER AFRAID TO GET UP AND SAY WHAT I NEED TO SAY.
SO WE NEED YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO LISTEN TO WHAT WE ARE SAYING AND WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR, BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
SO WHEN YOU GO BACK AND YOU PONDER YOUR DECISION ABOUT YOUR HEART, ABOUT YOUR CONSCIOUS, BUT WHAT'S RIGHT.
NOT FOR YOU, NOT FOR INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF THE TOBACCO.
I'M TIRED OF RIDING AROUND SEEING IMPROVEMENTS AND ONE SECTION OF THE CITY AND NOTHING DONE AND OTHER I'M TIRED OF SEEING THE BAD, BUT HOUSING OVERGROWN LOTS.
AND WHEN YOU CALL TO GET ASSISTANCE, TO GET THOSE THINGS CHANGE AND TO GET THOSE THINGS DONE, IT'S NEVER DONE.
WE HAVE TO SIT BACK AND WAIT AND FIGHT.
BUT WHEN YOU GOT EQUALITY, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL I'VE EVER WANTED IN MY LIFE IS EQUALITY TO GET THE SAME THING THAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN GET.
NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN, BUT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
COME ON DOWN, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
I LIVE AT 9 0 2 0 METTERY DRIVE, AND WITH THE NAACP BATTERIES BRANCH.
AND I HADN'T PLANNED TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT HERE WE ARE AGAIN AT THE PODIUM, ASIN AND BEG AND PLEAD AND CRYING AND PRAYING FOR YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE ON THIS SIDE.
YOU HAVE NEVER HAD TO COME UP TO SOMEBODY DECADE AFTER DECADE, HUNDREDS OF YEARS, AND ASKED HIM BEGGING AND PLEADING AND CRYING AND PRAYING FOR SOMEBODY, THE POLICE TREAT US RIGHT.