“Just say no!” This has been the slogan to fight the drug war going on in this country since former First Lady Nancy Reagan introduced it in 1982. Her work was extensive and diligent in fighting the war on drugs. This fight still continues today and it appears it’s a war we’re losing. With little to no border control and our government leaders refusing to recognize that we have a border crisis, the battle rages on. As a teen growing up in East Texas, I had very little exposure to the drug world, but knew it existed. In the 1970’s, marijuana, speed and cocaine were the drugs of choice for those that chose that route looking to get high. Today I’ll give you my perspective on my drug of choice back then, one that I’m still addicted to and crave today.

As most of you already know, athletics have played a huge role in my life and are responsible for the opportunities that have come my way over the years. I enjoyed a great high school career, running track and playing both baseball and football, which included winning the Texas 3A State Baseball Championship in 1978. I was blessed with a football/baseball scholarship to Northwestern State that resulted in being drafted by the Montreal Expos (today’s Washington Nationals) in 1983.

Sports for me, was a drug that came with both highs and lows. Drug addicts talk about how they just can’t get enough of whatever they’re craving. For me, I could relate because I was the same way. I could not get enough of the rush that sports gave me. I thought about it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I would dream of getting my next high by hitting a home run, making a great play, or scoring a touchdown. Success in the sports arena came fairly easy for me, as God blessed me with good athletic ability.

But let’s talk about my first addiction…. bass fishing. Fishing has been an addiction for me since I caught my first bass as a kid walking the banks of our ranch stock ponds. This all started for me in the summer of 1969 when I got my first Zebco rod and reel combo. I was basically self-taught. I remember getting my hands on a copy of Bassmaster magazine that was full of tips and technique illustrations anyone could follow. One of the gifts I got on my 10th birthday was a subscription to Bassmaster magazine. BEST GIFT EVER!!!! Back then there were only a few fishing shows that existed. I watched “Fishing with Virgil Ward” and “Outdoors with John Fox.” Both were great, but then I found a show called “The Bassmaster’s,” hosted by legendary Bob Cobb. This introduced me to guys who actually fished for a living. Are you kidding me? You could make a living catching bass?!!! Now this had my full attention, and I could not wait for it to come on each week. I remember watching anglers like Tommy Martin, Bill Dance, Rick Clunn and Roland Martin, guys who became legends of the sport.

For me, there’s always been something about the moment you set the hook and a fish starts to pull drag. The adrenaline rush is unmatched and unexplainable! You don’t know how big your catch is until you see it jump out of the water as it is trying to throw your bait, or you swing it in the boat. Even today, despite the many bass I’ve caught over my lifetime, I still get this huge rush of excitement. So, I guess this makes me an addict! I just can’t get enough bass fishing action! It can be so rewarding, whether you’re catching small one-to-two-pound bass or five and six pounders. It’s still the same rush!

To wrap this up, if you’ve never had a fishing experience before, find someone to take you who knows what they’re doing. Go hire a fishing guide or an experienced angler who can teach you the ins and outs of fishing. If you want to get high, go fishing…whether it’s for bass, crappie, redfish or trout! The species doesn’t matter; the high is still the same. But beware, it can be addicting! Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!

Steve Graf

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WINN:
Charles Renay Tant
September 21, 1944 – January 26, 2022
Service: Saturday, January 29 at 1 pm at Corinth Baptist Church

Lillian Bernadine Crain Hyde
August 19, 1928 – January 22, 2022
Service: Friday, January 28 at 2 pm at Southern Funeral Home

Patrick Kevin Hale, II
November 18, 1983 – January 22, 2022
Service: Saturday, January 29, at 1 pm at the VFW Hall, located at 1859 Highway 71 in Montgomery

Barbara Gayle Alderman
October 5, 1943 – January 7, 2022
Arrangements TBA

NATCHITOCHES:
Thomas Lattier Hennigan
November 26, 1929 – January 26, 2022
Service: Saturday, January 29 at 12 pm at the Chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Jessie B. Williams
Service: Saturday, January 29 at 11:30 am at the Kingdom Life Center, located on Hwy 71 in Campti

Ruby Tamara Balthazar
January 3, 1966 – January 22, 2022
Visitation: Saturday, January 29 from 1-2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Burial will follow at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Cloutierville.

Frederick Lawson
Aug 15, 1956 – Jan 26, 2022
Arrangements TBA

Myrtis Marilyn Brett Otteman
January 23, 1938 – January 17, 2022
Service: Friday January 28 at 1 pm at The Minor Basilica of The Immaculate Conception

Sameria Pearrie
Service: Saturday, January 29 at 11 am at the Winnfield Funeral Home Chapel.

Nicholas Flakes
Dec 5, 2000 – Jan 10, 2022
Arrangements TBA

Cornell Robinson
Jul 27, 1962 – Jan 15, 2022
Arrangements TBA

Mildred Louise Eckhardt McTyre
March 26, 1935 – January 4, 2022
Service: Saturday, January 29 at 11 am at First Baptist Church of Natchitoches

SABINE:
Kathy Lea Kirk
December 5, 1952 – January 26, 2022
Service: Sunday, January 30 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

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The 7th Annual Winn Community Feast will be Saturday, Feb. 5th, from 11 AM – 2 PM at the Winnfield Civic Center on the Winn Parish Fair Grounds.

This annual event grew out of the practice developed by Shelia Mitchell of getting a meal together and inviting her neighbors to come to her yard and partake of it along with her, including ministers from the community who might share their wisdom with the people in the yard throughout the day. Over several years, the number of people served in Shelia’s yard grew so that her kitchen and her yard couldn’t contain the event, and she needed more help in preparing the meals.

When Shelia joined with Jane Purser and Mary Lou Blackley to form Caring & Sharing in Unity for our Community Winnfield in 2019, the group began sponsoring what is now known as the Winn Community Feast hosted by Laurel Heights Baptist Church in 2020 and 2021.

This year, through the generosity of the City of Winnfield and its mayor, George Moss, it moves to the Winnfield Civic Center on the Winn Parish Fair Grounds. Places for some to sit and eat in the building will be available, although it is expected most meals will be carry out due to considerations of COVID. The meal is made possible this year largely by Winn Lumber, PriceBevilleSmith and First Assembly Winnfield.
“We do the feast as an expression and celebration of God’s love for every person in the community, and invite any who wants one to come and share a good hot meal. We want everyone in our community to come together, learn to love each other, share their needs and dreams, and work together to help each other,” say the organizers of the meal. “Precautions of temperature monitoring and sanitizing will be taken, and we ask anyone who has COVID or has been recently exposed to send someone else to pick up their meal to go.”

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Among the problems reported to the City of Winnfield in the last several months, people complained that the major sewer repairs done on Maple Street resulted in the street being in a state of disrepair (as soon as the road block from the sewer work was cleared), the State Department of Environmental Quality complained that there were too many ashes in the City, and someone reported a major problem at the airport with aliens dumping foreign objects on houses in Calvin, according to a “state of the City report” by Mayor George Moss to the Winnfield Rotary Club at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, January 19. Mayor Moss was the guest speaker invited by Rotarian of the day, Keith Gates, our new City Judge.

On a more serious note, Mayor Moss said that, early in his term, several downtown improvement projects were underway which were derailed, in the early part of 2020, by the advent of COVID. Then, of course, further progress was also halted by Hurricane Laura at the end of August 2020 along with the pandemic, when communications with Baton Rouge were completely cut off, $2.9 million in damages was done to the City’s electric lines and poles, and massive tree removal and trimming was necessary. One of the companies which provided tree trimming and removal has submitted an excessive bill which is being contested by the City.

City audits were in progress early in the term when one of the primary auditors passed away, suddenly and without warning, in the middle of the process. This unfortunate circumstance led to significant delays in completion of the audits, but the entire process is now complete and the City is already moving forward.

Since Mayor Moss took office, the rate structure for utility bills has been overhauled, and the Louisiana Energy and Power Authority [LEPA] has placed the City in what the Mayor calls a “tunnel,” which will eliminate large spikes in billing when the City has to go outside the regular electrical grid to obtain power for the City.

As natural disasters and the pandemic have been dealt with and the City has returned to “new normal” operations, more progress has been made with downtown projects which had begun earlier. The animal shelter has been successful since its reopening and, with its partnership with Heart of Louisiana Humane Society, thousands of dogs and cats have been rescued from the streets, fixed and transported to other states where there is a demand for pets that cannot be met.

The new underground water storage tank was completed, and is now on line. Unfortunately, shortly after that successful project, a major water line had a break requiring major work, but that has now been completed.

Renovation of the Allen Building across Main Street from the Winn Parish Courthouse with grant money from the State was recently completed. The building had developed mold due to a malfunctioning door that regularly blew open in storms and caused water damage to the front wall of the building. A door with egress to nowhere had to be removed and closed, and other areas of the building were repaired and the entire building refurbished.

Street re-paving projects are back on track and grinding of streets needing repair is underway. Once that is complete, repaving will be done.

The mayor is still working closely with FEMA on repairs of the damage to City infrastructure caused by Hurricane Laura. The City was required to pay $1.7 million for repairs to the electrical system, and then seek reimbursement of those funds from FEMA. The repairs have been made and the bill has been paid. The reimbursement process is underway.

As to future plans in the works, Mayor Moss reports that the traffic lights on Main Street are flashing because the control boxes have all been damaged. The City will have them repaired in the near future, rather than purchasing new ones which cost $150,000 each.

The Winnfield Civic Center has been re-roofed, and a new floor will soon be installed. Plans are underway for installation of a Veterans’ Memorial in the Mini-Park at the junction of Highway 84 and Maple Street to be funded by a combination of grant money obtained by the Chamber of Commerce and fundraising by the City from private citizens.

Regular maintenance of City infrastructure and property has slowed significantly due to the loss of all inmate help. Adult Teen Challenge has been helping with some of this work in the past few months, for instance, rewiring lots of old Christmas decorations for use, which saved the City a good bit of money. The mayor is currently working on a contract with them to have some of the work that would have been done by inmates done by Adult Teen Challenge residents.

Bids have been called for repair and renovation of buildings at the Winnfield Recreation Center, and re-leveling of the baseball fields is in the works.

Other plans for the future include finishing downtown historic district projects and completion of the “Rails to Trail” project. Abandoned railroad tracks are being obtained to become part of a hiking/biking trail which will run from west of the City all the way to the Highway 84 overpass by MacDonald’s and P. K. Smith Chevrolet. This project includes installation of a little park there by the overpass where runners, hikers, bikers using the trail may take a break, have a rest and a snack. The part of the trail from Mosley Drive to behind P. K. Smith’s Chevrolet is in the process of being paved now. This stretch of trail will join with a trail going all the way from behind P.K.’s north to Jamestown in Bienville Parish.

Mayor Moss is also working with the Governor’s office on tourist attraction ideas about which he could not give specific information because any announcement must come from the Governor’s office. Plans are also underway for annexation of Collins Subdivision as well as areas north of the City along Highway 167. Funds have been awarded under the American Rescue Plan Act, to be put toward the water and sewage projects necessary for the annexation.

After all audience questions were answered, the meeting was adjourned with the Rotary motto, “Service above self!”

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Want to make a difference in our community? Consider running for public office in the City of Winnfield. The March 26, 2022 election will include mayor, chief of police, and city council.

The following is important information for the Saturday, March 26, 2022 Open Municipal Primary Election:

• The qualifying period for candidates is Jan. 26-28. Local and municipal candidates qualify with the Winn Parish Clerk of Court  Hon. Chesney Creel Chandler, 119 W. Main St., Room 103, Winnfield, LA 71483, Phone: 318-628-3515, Fax: 318-628-3527, Email: winncoc@suddenlinkmail.com.
• The deadline to register to vote in person or by mail is Feb. 23.    
• The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is March 5.
• Early voting is March 12-19 (excluding Sunday, March 13) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
• The deadline to request an absentee ballot is March 22 by 4:30 p.m. You can request an absentee ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office (other than military and overseas voters).
• The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted abentee ballot is March 25 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
• On election day, the polls are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

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City of Winnfield Police Department

Date: 1-18-22
Name: Damien Brown
Address: Natchitoches, LA
Sex: Male
Race: Black
Age: 21
Charge: Domestic Abuse Battery, Home Invasion

Date: 1-24-22
Name: Prescilla A. Payton
Address: Winnfield, LA
Sex: Female
Race: Black
Age: 63
Charge: Driving Under Suspension, One Headlight, No Insurance, FTA Warrant

Date: 1-24-22
Name: Timmy A. Beliew Jr.
Address: Winnfield, LA
Sex: Male
Race: White
Age: 27
Charge: 2nd Degree Battery

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On Tuesday, February 1st the Louisiana State Legislature will convene a 3 week special session for redistricting, or the redrawing of political boundary lines based on new census data. Federal and state laws require that most political boundaries be redrawn every 10 years, including Congressional districts, state legislative seats, the Public Service Commission, and BESE districts. Louisiana’s six Congressional districts are required to be essentially equal in population, while the other districts are allowed to have a 10% differential.

The most significant issue facing the legislature’s redistricting efforts is the stagnant population growth the state experienced the past 10 years and the continued shift in population from North Louisiana to parishes primarily located south of Interstate 10. Louisiana’s population only grew at a rate of 2.74% over the past decade compared to 10.22% by neighboring Southern states. The loss of population in North and Central Louisiana will likely lead to the loss of a state Senate district, at least one state House of Representatives district, and potentially even the loss of a Congressional district.

Losing a Congressional district to South Louisiana would be a big blow to North Louisiana, as it would further weaken our influence and likely leave us just one voice in Congress to represent a vast and diverse geographic region encompassing Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria and all points in between. Governor Edwards has also stated that he wants to create a second Congressional district with a majority black population, however, it is illegal to create districts solely based on racial gerrymandering. Although Republicans in the state House and Senate have significant majorities, the governor can veto any redistricting plan that he does not agree with.

The importance of the upcoming redistricting session cannot be overstated as it will shape the political landscape of our state for at least the next 10 years. It is absolutely critical that we have political boundaries that allow for people to be represented by elected officials who share their values and will go to Washington D.C. or Baton Rouge and fight for the interests and beliefs of those they represent. You can find more Census information here – https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html and more redistricting information here – https://redist.legis.la.gov/2020_Files/MtgFiles/PowerPoint.pdf.

Of course you can always contact me about this issue or anything else at (318)765-9606 or gfirment@legis.la.gov. Thank you and God Bless.

 

Gabe Firment

District 22 State Representative

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“And the answer is: What do you call a person who has no chance of correctly answering more than three questions, tops, on any single episode of Jeopardy!?”

“What is a Jeopardy! Deadbeat?”

“Correct! The judges would have also taken ‘What is Most any Normal Person?’”

No one is in jeopardy of me beating them on Jeopardy!, four decades old and the most-watched TV game show of all-time. The questions — or answers, if you prefer — are cast-iron tough. Harder than an acre of ash.

There is every reason to watch Jeopardy! and one big reason not to. What I hear most is, “It makes me feel stupid.” Legit response. Makes me feel more stupid. I passed feeling stupid a long time ago.

But … to those using that excuse, we offer this:

Consider an attitude adjustment. I know going in I’m not the most mature apple on the tree, so when I watch, it’s with low expectations. Extremely low. Barrel-bottom low. Again, me and millions of other stupid people have made it the most popular game show ever.

That anyone can ever actually win a match, even one, is what makes the current goings-on all that more confounding. The show’s reigning champ isn’t just beating people, she’s destroying them. Sherman through Georgia. She’s the game show equivalent of football’s 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

A historic champ is Amy Schneider, a 41-year-old engineering manager from Oakland, Calif., who after Monday’s just-another-day-at-the-office rout had won 39 consecutive matches and moved into second place all-time and all by her lonesome.

She’d also pocketed $1,319,800. Hello.

She’s still way behind all-time champ Ken Jennings and his 74 straight wins. If she were chasing Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak, she’d be around 30. Lot of pitchers left to face.

That said, Schneider’s got game. Monday alone, she answered questions from the categories of, among others, Government Agencies, Bodies of Water, The Crusades, Rhythm & Blues, Roman Life & Culture — quite the varied array.

As usual, she won by $10,000 — and that was after losing $25,000 in Final Jeopardy. LOST 25 large and still won by 10.

Some of Monday’s answers/questions, with the correct response in parentheses. Good luck:

“Moses’ mom put him in an ark made of this plant?” Me: “Reeds!” (Bulrush.) Dang! I KNEW I had that one …

“The mission of BLM, short for this, is ‘to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands.’” Me: “What is the Big Land Machine?” (Bureau of Land Management)

 “Croatia’s border rivers, the Sava & Drava, are both tributaries of this one.” Me: “Uh ….” (The Gulf of Sidra)

 “Pope Eugenius III launched the Second Crusade in 1145 with ‘Quantum Praedecessores,’ one of these documents named for its seal.” Me: “No WAY there was a whole other Crusade after the first one. No livin’ WAY!” (The Papal Bull.)

My guess would have been The Mama Bull. So close…

The show airs 4:30 weekdays on ABC. Sometimes I’ll record it and, if I’ve had a good day, I’ll watch maybe 10 minutes, just to be humbled, just to remind myself that while a contestant is winning on Jeopardy! each weekday, I barely know the difference between the Gulf of Sidra and the Gulf gas station down on the corner.

Always felt I had a fightin’-man’s chance back in the day with Match Game. The Price is Right. Even Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. But Jeopardy! is a different animal. It’s always the windshield; I’m always the bug.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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By: Brad Dison

Bill grew up on a dairy farm on a country road outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. His father and his uncle Clyde inherited a 300-acre dairy farm from Bill’s grandfather. It was a true family business. Bill’s father handled the business affairs. Bill’s mother did the bookkeeping at the kitchen table. Uncle Clyde tended to the milk-processing house. From the time he could walk, Bill helped tend the large garden where they grew corn, wheat, rye, barley, and a wide variety of vegetables. He followed behind the plow mule and spread fertilizer after the seeds had been sown in their rows.

As soon as Bill was strong enough – not old enough – he was awakened at 2:30 a.m. to begin working on the farm with the rest of the men in the family. Bill reminisced that “when that Big Ben alarm clock went off at two-thirty in the morning, I wanted to slam it to the floor and burrow back under the covers.” He understood that hard work was expected and necessary. He also realized that there would be no breakfast until after his chores were finished so he rushed from the bed and to his work.

Bill milked twenty cows, a task which usually took about two hours to complete. Then, he cleaned the fresh cow manure from the barn with a shovel, helped the other hands bring in fresh hay for the cows, helped refill the feed troughs, helped transport the 5-gallon milk cans to the frigid spring to keep them ice cold, and, once he had completed his chores, finally sat down to a mouth-watering country breakfast which consisted of grits and gravy, fresh eggs, ham or bacon, and homemade biscuits. All of this Bill did every morning before school. Bill repeated his chores each day after school.

Bill said that “After all my heavy labor in the fresh air at daybreak, followed by Mother’s good food, I was ready for almost anything—except school.” By the time he got to school, he was usually tired. He stayed awake by sheer willpower alone. Bill assumed that he would one day inherit an interest in the dairy farm, which suited him just fine.

Bill’s mother always encouraged him to read, which Bill preferred to his other school work. He read just about everything he could get his hands on including his favorite, the Tarzan book series. On a memorable visit to his aunt’s home, she, knowing that he enjoyed reading, told him to spend some time reading the Bible. Within about ten minutes Bill returned and proudly boasted that he had read a whole book in the Bible. She praised him for his quick reading. Unbeknownst to her, Bill had located the Epistle of Jude, which was the shortest book in the New Testament. It consisted of a single page.

The family’s dairy farm had several hired hands and Bill enjoyed swapping stories with them while they worked. One of the hired hands who Bill particularly liked to work alongside was a rough but good-natured character named Pedro. Pedro would often share stories with Bill about his erotic experiences with women. Even though Bill listened intently to every syllable, he was sure the stories were embellished. In high school, Bill had multiple opportunities to have his own exotic experiences with women, but he vowed to remain pure until marriage.

In addition to his tall tales of sexual escapades, Pedro took it upon himself to teach Bill to chew tobacco. One day Bill’s father caught him with a chaw of tobacco in his cheek. Pedro was fired immediately and Bill received a thrashing he would never forget. Bill vowed to never chew tobacco again. Bill’s father wondered what else Pedro had been teaching Bill.

One day, just after Prohibition had been repealed, Bill’s father brought home some beer. Bill’s father was a teetotaler, so him bringing home beer was totally out of character. He called Bill, then about 15-years old, and his sister, Catherine, two years younger, into the kitchen and ordered each of them to drink a full bottle of beer. They gagged, spat, and winced, but finally finished both bottles. “When any of your friends try to get you to drink alcohol, just tell them you’ve already tasted it and you don’t like it,” his father told him. “That’s all the reason you need to give.” Bill vowed not to drink alcohol again.

Bill came home from school one day and his mother sensed something was wrong. Bill explained that he was to portray Uncle Sam in a pageant at his school. He and his mother rehearsed the speech until he was unable to get it wrong. On the day of the pageant, his mother was a nervous wreck. Bill’s costume included the long beard, hat, and tailcoat commonly associated with Uncle Sam. His knees shook and his hands perspired as he flawlessly recited his speech. He hated the uncomfortable feeling and vowed to himself that he would never become a public speaker. Of all of the vows he had made to himself through the years, this was the vow he was destined to break. You see, Bill became a prominent public speaker. From the 1940s until his death in 2018, Bill was known as one of the best public speakers in the world. Bill spoke in front of live audiences totaling approximately 210 million people in more than 185 countries. He became a spiritual advisor to every president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. He was a friend of Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family who frequently invited him to speak at special events. In breaking a vow to himself, Bill made another vow. Bill, the man who vowed not to become a public speaker, vowed to spread the Gospel and became an evangelist. You know him as Billy Graham.

Source: Billy Graham, Just as I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (San Francisco: HarperCollins Worldwide, 1997), 3-20.

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By: Royal Alexander

The Federal Reserve should never lose sight of the fact that its own funding—as well as the trillions of dollars in financial assets it manages—all derive from the strength and prosperity of the United State and the American taxpayer.

Many of us have heard the term “Federal Reserve” or “The Fed” but may not be certain about what it is and what its role in our government is.  Some have referred to The Fed as the “bank for banks”; In simplest terms it is the central bank of the United States and it defines itself as having been created to provide the nation with a “safe, flexible and stable monetary and financial system.”  It was also created to act as an independent body, not tied to any presidential administration or partisan agenda.

The Fed is comprised of the Fed Chairman and the Board of Governors who are nominated by the president (and then must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate), a rotating group of Federal Reserve Bank presidents across the country and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).  Its primary purpose is to keep the American economy strong—by taking steps to ensure high employment, steady and consistent economic growth, as well as controlling and moderating the effects of inflation.

How does it do these things?

Well, it has a number of financial tools at its disposal but perhaps its most important tool—and the one for which it is best known—is its ability to control interest rates, which means controlling the cost of borrowing money.  This is generally how it works: the American people need to borrow money from banks which means that banks need to borrow money from some other entity.  That entity is the Federal Reserve.  And, when banks borrow money from The Fed, The Fed gets to determine what interest rate those borrowing banks will pay on their loans.  That’s why any action The Fed takes to raise or lower interest rates affects everything we consumers need and use in our lives including things like credit cards, car loans and the mortgages on our homes.

What does this mean for our economy?

Well, The Fed’s greatest power is that, for example, if the economy is sluggish and not performing well, it lowers interest rates which tends to encourage businesses to expand and people to begin spending again because the cost of borrowing that money is now cheaper after interest rates are lowered.  Conversely, if The Fed members feel the economy is growing too quickly and “overheating” in a way that causes inflation it can and will increase interest rates to slow expansion and spending thereby “cooling off” the economy.

The Fed prides itself on being independent from normal political pressure because its members serve fixed terms, it is independently funded and therefore not held reliant upon Congress for its funding, and while the power of a president to remove a member exists, it rarely ever happens.

Should The Fed be audited? It should.  Why? Because as we noted above it possesses enormous power to impact the American (and thereby, global) economy and it is largely unanswerable for its actions.  An audit of The Fed would not upset the current balance, but it would give the president, Congress, and the American people the opportunity to see exactly what it does.  After all, it’s still funded by American tax dollars.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced a bill to “Audit The Fed” that was entitled the “Federal Reserve Transparency Act.”  Senator Paul’s bill would do several things, including requiring the nonpartisan, independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a thorough audit of all transactions, deliberations, decisions, or actions regarding financial and monetary policy. 

As U.S. Senator John Kennedy (LA) succinctly pointed out in a 2017 letter to The Hill newspaper:

“A few years after the 2008 financial collapse, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) got a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain at the Federal Reserve.  Although the review was limited in scope, the GAO was able to audit the agency’s emergency loan programs.  What it found was troubling to say the least.

This rare audit found conflicts of interest and no-bid contracts. It also revealed that the Fed authorized $16 trillion in bailouts to businesses and banks without so much as a whisper in the Capitol hallway to Congress.  Unsurprisingly, the Federal Reserve would prefer not to be audited further with any degree of substance by the GAO, especially on interest rate decisions.  Yet the Federal Reserve insists its reluctance is centered on fears of political interference.  (Emphasis added).

Yet, The Fed doesn’t want an auditor peeking over its shoulder as it makes decisions that will impact millions of families.  Instead, The Fed is asking us to just trust that everything will work out.  And we’re supposed to believe that it’s best for Congress to be blindfolded in its role as public guardian of the American economy. I don’t buy it. It’s time to audit the Fed.” (U.S. Sen. John Kennedy letter to The Hill on 12/18/17).

The Heritage Foundation also notes that “… the Fed has strenuously resisted providing detailed information relating to specific transactions. The Fed’s determined lack of transparency in this area has raised red flags among policymakers, leading to Freedom of Information Act filings with the Fed and proposed legislation in Congress to subject the Fed to an outside audit of its activities …” (Heritage economist, J.D. Foster, 2009).

As former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”  We are a Republic based upon our U.S. Constitution which prescribes that we govern ourselves as a representative democracy.  Our form of government doesn’t allow for unchecked and unfettered power over our citizens, and this is especially so regarding an entity like The Fed which impacts so much of American life.  It must be the subject of an audit that will provide transparency, accountability, and public confidence in its policy decisions.   

The views and opinions expressed in the My Opinion article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Winn Parish Journal. Any content provided by the authors is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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WINN:
Lillian Bernadine Crain Hyde
August 19, 1928 – January 22, 2022
Service: Friday, January 28 at 2 pm at Southern Funeral Home

James Everett McAnally
November 9, 1940 – January 23, 2022
Service: Wednesday, January 26 at 2 pm at Cox-Guin Cemetery

Rodney Reynolds
April 4, 1947 – January 24, 2022
Service: Wednesday, February 2 at 10:30 am at Southern Funeral Home

Patrick Kevin Hale, II
November 18, 1983 – January 22, 2022
Service: Saturday, January 29, at 1 pm at the VFW Hall, located at 1859 Highway 71 in Montgomery

Barbara Gayle Alderman
October 5, 1943 – January 7, 2022
Arrangements TBA

Rev. Katie Florence Moore
April 5, 1972 – January 14, 2022
Service: Thursday, January 27 at 11 am at Southern Funeral Home

NATCHITOCHES:
Mathias da Gama e Silva, Jr.
May 5, 1950 – January 21, 2022
Service: Wednesday, January 26 at 1 pm in the chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Myrtis Marilyn Brett Otteman
January 23, 1938 – January 17, 2022
Service: Friday January 28 at 1 pm at The Minor Basilica of The Immaculate Conception

Sameria Pearrie
Arrangements TBA

James Rachal
Arrangements TBA

Irene Johnson
Arrangements TBA

Jessie B. Williams
Arrangements TBA

Nicholas Flakes
Dec 5, 2000 – Jan 10, 2022
Arrangements TBA

Cornell Robinson
Jul 27, 1962 – Jan 15, 2022
Arrangements TBA

Mildred Louise Eckhardt McTyre
March 26, 1935 – January 4, 2022
Service: Saturday, January 29 at 11 am at First Baptist Church of Natchitoches

RED RIVER:
Eleanor Vivian Peterson
April 9, 1936 – January 22, 2022
Service: Wednesday, January 26 at 1 pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel

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After a cold front moved through the region, below normal temperatures will remain in place into the first half of the weekend. Daily high temperatures will only climb into the 40s, with overnight lows in the 20s. Warmer temperatures and rain chances will return on Monday and Tuesday as another upper level disturbance moves into the region.

As Louisiana prepares for freezing weather conditions. If the power goes out, a generator can help you get through the cold weather!

Here are some generator safety tips:
– DO place your generator outside, more than 20 feet away from windows and doors
– DO NOT place near open windows or doors
– DO NOT use in wet conditions
– DO NOT refuel when hot
– DO NOT use a wall outlet

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At the first 2022 regular meeting of the Winn Parish Police Jury (the Jury) Tuesday night, Karen Tyler was reappointed as Secretary-Treasurer, Josh McAllister was elected President, and Kirk Miles was elected Vice President.

In the last regular meeting of 2021, the Jury reappointed Mr. Brad Cooper to the Winn Parish Fire Board for his second two-year term and appointed Mr. Josh Hood to the Winn Parish Fire Board for a two-year term. Hood stated that he has 22 years of working experience in fire departments and first responders and is looking forward to working on the Board.

Mrs. Donna King and Ms. Margaret Coon were appointed to the Winn Parish Library Board for five-year terms.

Mr. Brent Chandler, Mr. Chris Nevils, Mr. Jeremy Moore, Mr. Jeff Canerday, Mr. Al Simmons, Mr. Steven Wolfe, Mr. George Moss and Mr. Joshua McAllister (as Ex Officio member) were appointed to the newly formed Winn Parish Broadband Committee. This Committee will alleviate some of the work from the Jury and look into which grants to pursue to get broadband here to Winn Parish. The Board will bring their findings to the Jury.

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