It’s a simple question.

Caddo Commissioner Steven Jackson has introduced a resolution for the Commission to appoint eight local agencies to administer rental assistance funds totally $6.5 million dollars. The Commission anticipates receiving these funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury.

The resolution lists Providence House, Grace Project CDC, Northwest La CDC, United Way of NW La, Housing Authority-Shreveport, Legal Aid of North La., Parish of Caddo, Spanish Translation Services and "inspections".

Jackson aggressively lobbied the Commission at yesterday’s work session to pass the resolution at its meeting tomorrow -Thursday. And he was very defensive when asked questions about this resolution.

I sent the following email to Jackson during the work session:

“My readers asking questions
1. Are you employed by Unite Us
2. If so what is your position
3. Is your agency paid by the federal government
4. Is your agency paid any fees by moneys by agencies that get funding that you lobby for.
Referencing the discussions today on CARES Act funding
I hope you will reply timely
Thanks
John Settle
FOCUS SB”

His response was:

“John I don’t have time for this racist dog whistling in 2021. You did this when I worked at David Raines and you looked like a fool. I have never had a reason to try to make money off of a Caddo Parish Program.
Did you do this with Todd when we provided $1million to Blanchard water system?
Are you going to ask Jim whose company has residential rental properties are they going to have tenants participate in the program?
Did you do this when JPY brought Shreveport Green $40,000 down to get funding for garden programs?
Did you do this when commissioner Chavez (who works in the technology industry) pushed through a project to have a company install software for the MPC?
Where were your questions when John Escude got the Parish to do millions for EAP?
Help me understand why is it that when Black commissioners propose something you have questions? When white commissioners propose something "your readers" (you) have no questions?
Is the city of Shreveport paying you to be their official journal to keep up these racist dog whistles? I hope the council will really rethink supporting this bigotry with taxpayer funds.
Until you can answer those questions, you can kiss my @$$.
Stephen Jackson”


One of the agencies that is included in his resolution has acknowledged that he is a representative of Unite Us, which is a for profit organization. This agency has a memorandum of understanding with Unite Us. (This has been requested.)

At the work session on Tuesday two commissioners recused themselves from votes because of potential conflicts of interest between possible funding of entities that they had associations with.

Now the question is does Jackson has a conflict?

It is not a hard question. Hopefully it will be answered tomorrow at the Commission meeting.