Abusing the Town Hall Meetings

The last two Town Hall Meetings have demonstrated an unsettling trend toward abusing a forum that was meant to inform neighborhoods in their local community centers and recreation centers. Up until the last two that was pretty much the way it worked. Lafayette Coming Together has passed out a thousand flyers in each of the areas around the neighborhoods to encourage attendance at the forum. Most of the attendees have appeared to come from the immediate region and to have basic questions about the mechanics of the project.

Then came the Clifton Chenier meeting where both National Public Radio (Flash: NPR should air this story about 5:15 this afternoon, Wednesday, 13th.) and Louisiana Public Broadcastings’s “Louisiana, The State We Are In” were scheduled to appear. Fiber411 broadcast a plea to attend in the hopes of effecting the national and state coverage but that particular idea came to naught. More disturbingly, two protesters bearing a batch of yellow NO signs showed up on the other side of Willow street from the entrance to the complex. Out of sight of the entrance to the event they planted yellow signs and marched up and down in front of the entrance to….the shopping center. According to folks from the surrounding neighborhood these guys weren’t from around there, and in fact, weren’t from the city _or_ the parish. They were from St. Landry. And a man named Brooks appeared to be associated with them but did not himself protest. These are the guys captured on the LPB video saying they were going to vote against it and then backpedaling about being a voter. (The video, look for about minute 5:30)

Here is a picture of one of them, pulled from the LPB video; watch closely you’ll see him again.

The picture got clearer–and worse–at the next town hall meeting at the Martin Luther King Center. At that meeting the imported protesters showed up late, together in a Van but trickled in separately and sat in different places. The same man, Brooks, sat in the back and the other two set in front of him. They both asked a single, anti question, made no move to follow up, waited awhile and then got up and left. Brooks took them back to the car and left. They were recognized going into the building an personally challenged one who seemed to agree that he was from St. Landry.

Pictures of each of the men asking questions, a picture of Brooks, a picture of them leaving early together:
This is old-fashioned politics at its worst. It’s hard to imagine an innocent story for bringing in people to wave signs and ask hostile questions by folks from out of the parish. Why? Who knows. But someone is willing to engage resources that Lafayette locals no longer are willing to supply. Moving in on a neighborhood meeting in this way and foreclosing their chance to ask their questions in order to play to the media is unfair and dishonest. People ought not be doing it.

127 thoughts on “Abusing the Town Hall Meetings”

  2. If John and Mike weren’t up to thier ears busy I’m sure they’d say, don’t make anonymous, unsubstantiated accusations, and I would agree. In addition, I would find it hard to believe that St Sen Cravins (Sr) or St Rep Cravins (Jr) would be opposed to this.

    I’m sure these folks are somehow connected to one of the incumbents. They may be regular employees, simply concerned about their jobs, or they may be hired by one of the incumbents (or one of their PR firns) solely to carry these signs.

    David Hays
    Grand Coteau
    (Cravins constituency)

  3. Yes, David is right in this…

    Cravins has forcefully denied any involvement in this in private meetings with our members and claims that Brooks is free-lancing.

    Thanks, David…Off to be more busy…Great stuff to post on in today’s and yesterday’s papers but no time right now.

  25. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.

  43. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.

  55. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.

  76. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.

  80. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.

  88. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.Onwin Giriş için Tıklayın onwin

  89. I really love to read such an excellent article. Helpful article. Hello Administ . Websiteye Giriş için Tıklayın. a href=”https://cutt.ly/SahabetSosyal/” title=”Sahabet” rel=”dofollow”>Sahabet

  90. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.Onwin Giriş için Tıklayın onwin

  91. Thank you for great content. Hello Administ. Websiteye Giriş için Tıklayın. a href=”https://cutt.ly/SahabetSosyal/” title=”Sahabet” rel=”dofollow”>Sahabet

  94. Thank you great posting about essential oil. Hello Administ . Websiteye Giriş için Tıklayın. a href=”https://cutt.ly/SahabetSosyal/” title=”Sahabet” rel=”dofollow”>Sahabet

  96. Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it. Websiteye Giriş için Tıklayın. a href=”https://cutt.ly/SahabetSosyal/” title=”Sahabet” rel=”dofollow”>Sahabet

  99. Thank you for content. Area rugs and online home decor store. Hello Administ . Websiteye Giriş için Tıklayın. a href=”https://cutt.ly/SahabetSosyal/” title=”Sahabet” rel=”dofollow”>Sahabet

  101. Thank you for great content. Hello Administ. Websiteye Giriş için Tıklayın. a href=”https://cutt.ly/SahabetSosyal/” title=”Sahabet” rel=”dofollow”>Sahabet

  104. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across. Website Giriş için Tıklayın. Starzbet

  110. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.Website Giriş için Tıklayın: tipobet

  121. Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across.