INDReporter

Hell yeah, Joey!

by Walter Pierce

City-Parish Prez calls "consolidated" government "un-American." We couldn't agree more. There's still hope for supporters lobbying to form a new charter commission and, hopefully, engineer for the city of Lafayette the same political autonomy enjoyed by every other city in the parish - hell, every other city in the U.S. of A.

But in the meantime, City-Parish Joey Durel didn't mince words Thursday morning while speaking to a local radio station, telling listeners that Lafayette Consolidated Government is "an amazingly un-American form of government" and expressing astonishment that self-proclaimed "ultra-conservative groups have not pounded the podium demanding some corrections."

Tea Party of Lafayette or whatever you're calling yourself these days, he's speaking to you.

An ordinance that would create a new charter commission with the ultimate goal of redistricting the parish so the city of Lafayette has five districts entirely within the city limits, thus creating a "city council" within the nine-member City-Parish Council, was pulled from Tuesday's agenda as supporters lobby a pair of un-named councilmen who three weeks ago voted against the ordinance. Our sources tell us those councilmen are Jay Castille of Carencro and Kevin Naquin of Scott. Both are smart, handsome men with a good head on their shoulders, natch.

The ordinance will be back before the council on Sept. 17.

Hear Durel's entire interview on KPEL by clicking here.