Fri, 01/14/2022 - 12:00am
JOHN E. SETTLE JR. EDITOR
Alan Jackson was appointed to the Shreveport City Council by Gov. John Bel Edwards on Dec. 28 of last year. He was sworn into office at 12:30 p.m. that day and attended his first council meeting at 3 p.m.
He attended his first council work session on Monday, Jan. 10 and his second council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11.
Jackson is the director of financial aid and scholarship at Grambling State University in Grambling, which is 60-plus miles from Shreveport.
By email Jackson was asked if he would be required to take personal time off (PTO) from his Grambling job to conduct council business during the workday, like attend council meetings. Although a prior email requesting a resume was answered, the last inquiry has generated only “crickets.”
Rick Gallot, a former state representative, is the president of Grambling. A letter to him delivered by Federal Express inquired if Jackson would be required to take PTO to attend council meetings, council committee meetings and other council events during the workday. Again, crickets, as in no response to the public records request.
As an employee of Grambling, Jackson draws a state paycheck. As a councilman, he gets a city paycheck. The pertinent question is, does the get paid twice while doing council work during the business day?
It's a fair question, and it is worthy of a response. And it may be the subject of a request for an attorney general's opinion and/or an ethics complaint to the Louisiana Ethics Administration.
Jackson applied to the governor for the council appointment. Thus, he was not vetted by citizens if he had run for the office. Nor was he vetted by citizens and the council when the council considered making an interim appointment.
Gallot should know the political ropes after his tenure in Baton Rouge. And being an attorney, he should also understand the ethics of being a public official.
The lack of responses reflects poorly on Jackson, Gallot and Grambling.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE January 14 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR - SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT http://www.theinquisitor.com