It’s a good question.
The Caddo Commission has now called two “live” meetings. That means meetings requiring personal attendance in the Government Plaza chambers.
The first was a work session / administrative conference on Monday, Aug. 3. The second one was a regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 6.
Both meetings could not be held for lack of a quorum, which is seven of the 12-member body.
Commissioner John-Paul Young, a Republican, was unable to attend these meetings due to a recent leg surgery.
Commissioners Lyndon Johnson, Stormy Gage-Watts, Linn Cawthorne, Steven Jackson, Roy Burrell and Ken Epperson were “no shows” at both meetings.
All of the Democrat commissioners, plus Young, participated in Zoom meetings on both days prior to the scheduled “live” meetings.
On Thursday, Jackson was seen on Zoom at his work desk. Reportedly, Gage-Watts and Johnson were also at their places of work for the Zoom meeting.
Many of these commissioners cited safety concerns as they ignored several silent factors.
Government Plaza was completely sanitized on Wednesday, Aug. 10 — the day before the regular meeting.
Temperatures are taken at the door at Government Plaza, and masks are mandated.
Seats in the chambers have been marked off to ensure social distancing. The fire marshal capacity is now 50.
Plexiglass has been installed between all seats at the horseshoe, including those for staff. Plexiglass is also installed in front of the speaker’s podium.
There Shreveport City Council has had two “live” meetings in the chambers — a combined work session / regular meeting on July 29 and Aug. 11.
The Commission Charter Review Committee met “live” on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and the Caddo-Shreveport MPC met on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The Plexiglass palace is good enough for these groups!
The Caddo Parish School Board resumed “live” meetings on Aug. 4.
All government bodies in Bossier Parish are meeting “live.”
The courts in both Caddo and Bossier parishes have been meeting “live”” for over a month now. And jury trails have been conducted in both parishes.
So, what makes the Democrat commissioners any different?
Citing age and susceptibility to COVID is becoming a very lame excuse.
Many others who are the same race and age (or older) than the boycotting commissioners have gone to meetings, to court, to the grocery store, put gas in their cars, etc., as they went about everyday life using COVID precautions.
By his own admission, Commissioner Epperson has departed his home to shoot buzzards off a constituent’s house — he bragged about this at a Zoom meeting — and to attend his physician. Presumably, someone put gas in his car for these trips.
How long will this “COVID sit at home” game go on is anyone’s guess.
In the meantime there is Facebook chatter of reward being offered for cell phone pictures of any of the Democrat commissioners at public places and events.
Certainly, not all six of them are living in a COVID-free bubble.
In the meantime, the games go on.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE August 14 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.