It’s an old political maxim: "To the victor go the spoils".
The latest incarnation of this reality is the committee appointments of new Shreveport council president James Green.
John Nickelson was the 2021 chair of the Audit and Finance Committee.
Nickelson's letter to the Louisiana Auditor invoked virtually instant retaliation from Green. Nickelson is no longer on that committee.
Council member Levette Fuller served as the 2021 chair of the Riverfront/B4 Committee.
Nickelson along with Fuller voted against Green's selection as council president.
Both were overlooked for any committee chair positions. Nickelson was appointed to two committees and Fuller has five committee memberships.
Green appointed councilman Alan Jackson who less than 30 days service on the council as the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. The council newbie was also appointed chair of the Small and Emerging Business Task Force. He also has two other committee appointments.
Jackson was obviously Mayor Perkins selection to replace James Flurry who resigned his position. Perkins had nominated Jackson for the Shreveport Bossier Tourist and Convention Board in Nov. of last year.
Grayson Boucher did vote for Green's presidency. Boucher was appointed to chair the Public Safety Committee and the Master Plan Committee. He also has three other committee memberships.
Tabitha Taylor received one committee chair position and four other committee memberships. As a member of Green's church, she no doubt had the pick of the litter on committee and chair assignments.
Current council vice president Jerry Bowman, Jr. will chair one committee and serve on five others.
Green appointed himself chair of one committee and membership in two others.
The snub of Nickelson and Fuller is obvious and is bad government at its worse.
Green has previously served on the council. His reputation of playing old time politics, often dictated by race, has followed him to the council for this term.