Acadia Parish Police Jury

   Last week, two members of our illustrious police jury wrote a letter to the editor complaining about “several serious errors” in a news story on the front page of the Post Signal. They asked for a correction on the front page where the story was carried originally.
  They wrote: “First, the bonds in question are not for a ‘loan’ but to sell ‘bonds’ that were secured by our voters through a tax in our district. “This is a serious error”.
  Excuse Me! Is this really a “serious error”? I don’t think so even if it had been an error: which as we shall see, was not.
  Am I to understand that these two jurors duly elected by the people in their district to manage our business affairs in the parish don’t know the difference between a bond and a loan? If they don’t, let me hasten to explain.
  Let me see if I can make this simple for simple minded folks or like they say in the army, KISS -------------(Keep It Simple Stupid).
   A bond is a secured indenture for a loan. You see people or institutions loan their money to the parish for capital improvements or some purpose: in this case it was for “new equipment in the Fifth Ward.” In this case too, the loan was for $175,000 and secured by bonds. It is indeed, as was reported correctly, A Loan!
  There are all kinds of bonds: security, warranty, debenture, certificate registered bond, bearer bond, coupon bond, zero coupon bond, gold bond, government bond, municipal bond, long or short term bond and junk bonds.
  To reinforce the fact that it was correctly reported as a loan, it was a direct quote in a press release from State Treasurer John Kennedy’s office. So much for the serious error that wasn’t.
   Now for the other very serious error as written by the jurors and I quote: “The other error, again a very misleading statement, refers to Katry Martin as the Police Jury Administrator and there is no such position. “Mr. Martin is the Secretary/Treasurer of the police jury”.
   Well, now this is a mistake for which the editor apologized. This struck me as kind of nit picking but for the life of me, I don’t understand why it was a “serious error.” Someone has to administer the polices of the police jury and the editor assumed that person was Mr. Martin. Who, I wonder does administer the policies if not Mr. Martin?
In fairness to Cecelia and John W., no one has ever accused either one of them of being smart. Still, as someone said, little minds worry about little things.
  Maybe that’s why the Police Jury as a whole is in such a mess.

               Is this a Great Police Jury or What?
  
  That’s my story and I am sticking to it.
  
   Milo A. Nickel is the former President and COO of Louisiana State Newspapers.

Crowley Post Signal • 602 North Parkerson Avenue • Crowley, LA
Ph: 337-783-3450 • Fax: 337-788-0949