The first 100 days of the Ellis administration have been sprinkled with signs of hope but riddled with confrontations between a mayor bent on showing the council that he has the big guns and a well-dug-in council majority bent on…
Category: Roosevelt Wright
Next parish NAACP leader must lead the fight
As the Ouachita Parish NAACP prepares to select a new leader following Reverend Ambrose Douzart’s resignation, it’s crucial to reflect on the organization’s storied history and consider its future direction. For nearly a century, this branch has been at the…
Board’s Financial Negligence Betrays Public Trust, heads should roll
The recently released audit of the Monroe City School Board paints a damning picture of financial mismanagement and neglect that should outrage every taxpayer and parent in our community. The sheer breadth and depth of the failures uncovered reveal a…
As shootings continue, city would be wise to take first study steps
Monroe is a violent community, with a spiraling crime rate that far exceeds state and national averages. By some estimates, our violent crime rates are 600% higher than the national average for cities our size. Although it was reported last…
When will Mayor Ellis end his peeing contest with the city council?
The peeing contest between Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis and the Black members of the city council must end, or it will definitely begin expensive court fights and legislative slowdowns. At the center of this conflict is the issue of contract…
Mayor’s veto gives the finger to Black Council majority
Mayor Friday Ellis continued his fight with the city council’s black majority last week when he vetoed their ordinance required council approval of all contracts. At the heart of this controversy lies a fundamental question: Can Mayor Friday Ellis negotiate…
Mayor Ellis won’t succeed if he’s bent on fighting against South Monroe
Mayor Friday Ellis needs to take a class in political gamesmanship, or else the city’s progress will come to a screeching halt. While the mayor’s strengths have undoubtedly contributed to his political success among the city’s white minority, a glaring…