Meeting was an insult

BY STEPHEN HEMELT
CITY EDITOR /THE DAILY IBERIAN
Published/Last Modified on Friday, June 26, 2009 2:09 PM CDT

Three of the most respected and important people to many local residents were called to the assistant principal’s office Thursday morning as New Iberia Mayor Hilda Curry, Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal and Iberia Parish President Ernest Freyou were asked to sit down with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s legislative liaison Scott Angelle and executive counsel Jimmy Faircloth.

The meeting called Wednesday night and executed the next morning was arranged when members of Iberia Parish’s legislative delegation saw the need for state intervention.

The fact such a meeting took place is an insult to the residents of New Iberia and all of Iberia Parish. The three main people in the meeting representing Iberia Parish have been entrusted to care for the well-being of all.

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How did it ever get this bad? An emergency meeting at the State Capitol. Are you kidding me? What a disgrace.

To focus solely on the positive, the result was an agreed upon contract whereas the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office will receive what Ackal said he believes is an appropriate amount of money from New Iberia to fully fund law enforcement in the city. The residents of New Iberia are glad they will be protected.

Recent statements in The Daily Iberian and on local television stations had come to be absurd. In one rant it was suggested the National Guard would have to patrol the streets and in another there was a call for the return of the New Iberia Police Department.

 If residents were to rely on police protection from either the state or a defunct enforcement agency, then they were the ones who were going to suffer, surely not the elected leaders of this parish who were called to the assistant principal’s office and told to put this sad charade to an end.

The New Iberia City Council approved a one-year, $4.9 million contract with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement in the city at an emergency meeting Thursday night. Hopefully, for everyone involved, it ends here. If the governor’s office cannot force a resolution, is the president next?

STEPHEN HEMELT

CITY EDITOR

Copyright © 2010 The Daily Iberian

Comments

    D. Hertz wrote on Jun 30, 2009 10:23 PM:

    " Its amusing to see our elected officials behaving like feuding elementary school kids. I am sure that the vast majority of citizens of Iberia find it disgusting. "

    Defender wrote on Jun 26, 2009 7:18 PM:

    " The truth is that if that Terrorist Ackal would have parked his cars. Then the National Guard would have come in to police the city until Hilda created a police dept or paid the ransom that was demanded. She caved and without a vote of the people made a cowardly decision. "

    Tim Buck Too wrote on Jun 26, 2009 4:43 PM:

    " I wonder if the Assistant Principal paddled Hilda and Ernest for not paying Louis faster. I heard the meeting was loud and noisy. Raised voives could be heard through the door. At one point Hilda threw up her hands and said that this was not right. She even told Ted her lawyer to shut up. The governor should have come down to New Iberia not have Hilda and the rest travel to Baton Rouge. Now I know what I did not like about the movie ,Slum Dog Millionaire, it reminds me of Jindals up bringing!! "

    Ted wrote on Jun 26, 2009 4:39 PM:

    " Thank God there will be more money to run a department that has brought back safety to a town that was being run by gangs and guns. I had to call for police protection just recently and it took the officers 2 mins to get to me. You call City Hall for an answer and you might get an answer in a month or so. Keep up the good work Sheriff and thank you City Council members for the money!!!! "

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