I had high hopes for the meeting held yesterday afternoon.
I promoted the meeting by sending out the Allendale Strong press release about the meeting on two consecutive days to over 4500 email addresses.
I have previously published op eds by those in opposition to the I-49 intercity connector and those in favour of the same.
As a journalist I like FACTS to be addressed in public forums and to be accurately reported by the local media.
I had hoped to learn more FACTS at the presentation, but I that was NOT the case.
The meeting of the Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) started off badly, and ended even worse.
MPC chairman Bill Robertson is also a board member of Allendale Strong.
Robertson was very biassed from the git go in the meeting with opening remarks that were mainly irrelevant and wasted almost 10 minutes. That after being late for the start of a meeting he had scheduled that was to only last for two hours.
Allendale Strong (AS) speakers took 60 minutes in their presentation which primarily consisted of a long, long powerpoint presentation that was difficult to read much less understand by audience members in the chambers at Government Plaza.
Copies of the powerpoint were NOT made available to the MPC members, the media or any citizens in the audience.
The presentation made many statements that based accused the I-49 planning process and elected officials that had previously participated in it as being racists who had continually spread false propaganda.
Accusations of being racists and propagandists were made repeatedly by AS speaker Kim Mitchell.
Robertson then called up other pro-AS speakers who consumed additional time.
At one time this writer stood up and yelled to Robertson to allow speakers favouring the ICC to speak, including Mayor Arcneneux and long time I-40 proponent Caddo Commission president Roy Burrell.
Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce President Tim Magner presented a power point (again, copies NOT made available to the MPC members, the media or citizens in attendance) that seemingly rebutted many of the arguments in the AS power point.
Magner was forceful and understandable in this comments--which is generally not the case when he addressed public bodies.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux was even more so, stating he was insulted by the allegations of racism.
With limited time remaining in the two hour allotted time, Robertson allowed two more AS speakers who provided no meaningful input, wasting about 10 minutes.
Finally Robertson recognized Burrell who was allowed about 10 minutes. Burrell provided a concise history of the I-49 efforts that were started when he was on the city council with Bo Williams as mayor.
Burrell noted that every mayor since Williams, with the exception of Cedric Glover, supported the ICC.
Burrell also advised that he was initially OPPOSED to I-49, but realized its value and then became an ardent supporter.
Burrell sent a very detailed letter to US Transportation Secretary Buttigieg which will be posted tomorrow (Fri.) am.
Robertson ended the meeting with a several self-serving biassed comments.
Oh---before readers start trashing me on these comments please note I have published many articles written by Robertson and a couple of op eds.
My criticism is that he abused his position as Chairman of the MPC with his obvious bias for AS and his actions.
If Allendale Strong really wanted constructive meetings as they claimed, then this MPC meetings most likely killed any real hope of progress.
This meeting was ugly, ugly, ugly.
