It’s unfortunate when a city employee cannot succinctly answer questions by members of the Shreveport City Council at the council meetings.

It’s even more unfortunate when this has happened frequently with same individual.

Such has been the case in recent months when Shreveport Police Cpl. Carlos Glass-Bradley has been quizzed on alcohol permit issues.

Often, the information provided by Glass-Bradley as well as SPD Chief Wayne Smith has been contradictory, incomplete and confusing..

The latest example was at the last council meeting on Aug. 23.

The big issue before the council was the alcohol ordinance amendments, and especially the ordinance to delete the requirement of a physical separation for grocery stores and other retail to sell hard liquor.

Put in non-legal terms, would Brookshire’s be allowed to sell hard liquor next to wine and beer, milk and bread, or cereal and candy?

At the beginning of the meeting, Council Chairman James Green announced that the physical separation ordinance would be passed because Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor would miss the meeting.

Green advised that all present on this issue could leave the meeting. And many did just that.

But then Taylor appeared at the meeting. And guess what?

Green then announced that the physical separation ordinance would be considered.

So much for consideration of those audience members who had left the meeting after Green's announcement.

And so much for the violation of the Open Meetings Law by the flip-flop on the agenda.

Taylor's paramour, City Attorney Ron Lattier, did not stop any consideration of the physical separation ordinance.

To top off the charade, Taylor came down from the horseshoe and pulled Glass-Bradley out of the chambers to have a private conference during the council meeting.

Yes, during the council meeting, an elected official pulled an SPD officer out of the chamber, outside the presence of the SPD chief, for a private discussion.

It was no big surprise that Taylor later called Glass-Bradley to the podium to ask the impact of any delay in the vote on the physical separation provision.

He advised that the liquor permits of eight retail establishments would not be renewed and that they would be required to close or not sell hard liquor the next day, Aug. 24.

Taylor then advised the council that closing these locations would hurt school kids coming home from buying chicken fingers and other snacks at retail locations selling hard liquor.

She used this cry tactic along with Glass-Bradley's unconfirmed testimony to convince the other council members to vote that day to remove the physical separation requirement.

No holders of the hard alcohol permits were disclosed at the council meeting.

And to make matters worse, no list was provided in response to a public records request for the same.

The actions of councilmember Taylor and Officer Glass-Bradley border on malfeasance at best and collusion at the worst.

To make matters worse, Green played an integral role in a series of actions that are reflective of bad government.

Actually, the incident is just another example of how Green and his church member Taylor, along with Lattier, attempt to manipulate matters that come before the council.

So much for good government.

So much for following the Open Meetings Law.

So much for the appearance of collusion.