**CORRECTION**URSULA BOWMAN AND ERIN MCCARTY: TWO STRONG, INDEPENDENT WOMEN UPSET WITH SHREVEPORT POLITICAL APPLECART

**The council vote was 4-3 for an investigation of pay raises!

It all started with a weekend phone call to council woman Ursula Bowman when she was out of town about a rumored pay raise for the council clerk's staff.

That call has now morphed into a full-blown political scandal involving at least two members of the Shreveport City Council.

Bowman's research revealed that council chair James Green gave substantial pay raises to the staff of the council clerk’s office without the approval of the Council.

Widespread publicity of the pay raise resulted in a mean culpa press conference on Aug. 15 by Green who stated unequivocally that NO member of the clerk's office asked for the raise.

The furor over the pay raises lead to a Mon. Aug. 21 Audit and Finance Committee meeting chaired by councilman Alan Jackson. Green, council members Grayson Boucher and Ursula Bowman are also members of that committee.

Again, Green stated that no member of the council clerk's office asked for a pay raise.

At this meeting Jackson read a press release defending Green He also released memos signed by former council chairs Jerry Bowman, Jr., and now deceased James Flurry to show that they had issued pay raises for the clerk staff.

KEEL radio host Erin McCarty is well-known, and highly respected, for her diligent research on legislative issues. With a minimum of time, she discovered that the pay raises directed by Bowman and Flurry had been approved by the council.

On Tue. Aug 22, Jackson was a guest on the KEEL Mike and McCarty morning show. McCarty confronted Jackson with the minutes authorizing the pay raises. Jackson then attempted to justify the pay raises on "vague" language in the charter.

At the afternoon Tues. council meeting the saga continued with another 30-minute waste-of- time oratory by Green reciting numerous false justifications for the pay raises. He did repeat that the raises were his idea alone, with no staff request.

Green's ramblings and Jackson's pathetic arguments fell on deaf ears when Bowman, Boucher, Gary Brooks and Jim Taliaferro voted for an investigation of the pay raise. Green, Jackson, and council woman Tabatha Taylor voted NO.

Today (Wed.) Ursula and Jerry were guests on the morning show again. This interview dropped several bombshells, including:

a. research by Ursula and telecons with Green, Taylor, and Jackson to confirm pay raises.
b. a telecon with Jackson who advised her if she voted for the investigation, then he, Green and Taylor would oppose her to any further council actions for her district.
c. one clerk staff member first asked for a pay raise, and then two others chimed in wanting a raise.
d. Green's reference to black racism at the Tues. meeting was an attempt to bully her into voting against the investigation.

Ursula's diligence and courage is to be highly commended.

Erin's research and interview of Jackson along with co-host Mike Martindale was an example of diligent media professionalism at its best.

Today's interview with Ursula and hubby Jerry was a textbook follow up to the Jackson interview that elicited much previously unknown information.

Ursula said she was determined "to do the right thing". And she did just that with her vote and today's interview.

McCarty continued her role as the area's leading political reporter with the able assistance of Martindale.

Two strong, independent women, as different as night and day, have made the most important contribution to Shreveport politics this decade, and maybe this century.

They both are to be commended and encouraged to continue "doing the right thing" for our community.

Thank you both!