STATEMENT OF THE SHREVEPORT CHAMBER CONCERNING RECALL PETITION

January 30, 2020

We at the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce have read with disappointment the remarks of Pastor Linus Mayes concerning the effort to recall Councilwoman Levette Fuller. While we do not dispute the right of the citizens of District B to undertake such a step, we believe such an effort is both shortsighted and ill advised.

Since her election to the Council, Councilwoman Fuller has demonstrated an independence of mind and a bias toward action that have been all too often absent among members of the Council. While the Chamber does not always agree with the positions of the Councilwoman, nor any Council Member for that matter, we are heartened by her adherence to fact as a basis for her decisions, and her willingness to challenge the orthodoxies that have often hampered both cooperative open discussion and concerted action on the part of the Council.

Councilwoman Fuller’s decision regarding the fate of the Cross Bayou Project, the inciting incident for this petition, was based on a reading of the facts, an appreciation for the gravity of the project and the position of the City to undertake such discussions. For members of the Council, or select citizens of Shreveport, to malign her or her position because it does not align with a particularly antiquated view of race is counterproductive, belittling to her and harmful to our community.

We encourage the citizens of District B to listen to the Councilwoman’s rationale concerning her vote, rather than to the histrionics and empty rhetoric proffered by her detractors. When they do, we believe they will recognize that they are being well served by an independent voice who understands their perspective, watches out for their interests and keeps the interests of the City at the forefront of her deliberations and decisions.

Timothy J. Magner ED.D.
President