Day 2: Nailing down Mayor Glover's schedule

Mayor Cedric Glover has not yet responded to my public records request asking to see his schedule and calendar. 

Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover

Sadly, that's not surprising.

Plenty of public officials are misguided when it comes to the state's public records law. Unfortunately, too many journalists also are misinformed. Sometimes that ignorance can be exploited. 

State law requires that public records be provided when requested. That's it. That simple. Read the law here

Citizens don't have to write a letter or complete some other more "formal" declaration. Simply asking for the record is enough.  

Contrary to what some people believe, there also isn't an automatic three day waiting period. That little caveat only applies if the record is not readily accessible - meaning it's being audited or used by someone else -- or if there is a question whether or not the record is public. 

In cases where the record isn't available, the public agency has to tell the requester where the record is and who has it and ultimately provide the record within three days. If the agency thinks the record isn't public it must cite the applicable law and send written notice within three days to the requester. 

That last one is important. It is not the obligation of the requester to prove a record is public. Rather, it is the responsibility of the public agency to prove that it is not. 

Food for thought. 

Let's see what Day 3 brings. 

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Day 1: Where in the world is Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover?

Shreveport Mayor Cedric B. Glover

Have you ever wondered what Shreveport Mayor Cedric B. Glover does all day? We here at The Times do.  


Of course, he's working on behalf of the city and I'm certain he's got plenty of appointments and meetings. But whom does he meet with and where does he go?


Knowing these details is more than idle curiosity. Being able to learn about the people the mayor meets with, or the organizations or businesses or cities he visits is vital to good government. 

It's one of the ways citizens can ensure their elected leaders are conducting the public's business openly, ethically. 

Elected officials interested in good government shouldn't have a problem making their calendars and/or schedules available for viewing. After all, they are public records. .

With that in mind, I sent a public records request to Mayor Glover yesterday asking for his schedule and calendar from January through August of this year. (I'm betting some appointments, meetings and travel already have been scheduled for the coming months.) 


I haven't heard from him yet. But I plan to follow up and share the results with readers. 


Today is Day 1. Who knows what Day 2 will bring? 


The records, I hope.  Share |

In the hopper ...

Time to update readers about progress on a few stories we've been covering. I may have been out on furlough for a week but things are coming along.

Washington Mardi Gras

Requests for complete expenses -- including private dinner and lunch parties hosed by Caddo and Bossier parishes -- have been made. Most agencies have complied but Caddo and Bossier both say complete expenses won't be available for a bit.

For Bossier, that means it will be at least the end of the month. Caddo administrator Woody Wilson indicated complete expenses would be available after March 3. I've e-mailed him to find when he will be sending them.

By the way, it seems the Caddo School Board sent representatives to DC. I haven't heard back from them yet.

Signs at Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park

A while back, I e-mailed Shreveport mayor Cedric Glover to see if the city planned putting up warning signs near the site where six teens drowned in August. No word yet from the mayor. I've e-mailed again. We'll see what happens.

Bossier vs. Huntington game

I've heard from at least one reader about problems getting into Centenary' s Gold Dome to see the game. Seems this reader had tickets and was denied admission because the venue was at capacity. A request for a refund was denied. Word has it, this reader wasn't the only hopeful attendee that had the same experience. I'll check into this ... feel free to drop me a line if you experienced a similar situation.


Red River Dumping update

John Tuma and his son Cody Tuma recently were charged by federal authorities for illegally dumping potentially toxic wastewater into the Red River that runs through Shreveport. Regular readers will remember that in 2008 a Times special report identified problems at the waste disposal site that Tuma operated. That story revealed concerns about dumping thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater into the river and the presence of toxins such as benzene. .

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