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Central’s Image Tarnished- Just the Facts

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By Dave Freneaux (For an Editorial Opinion on this issue, see "Who Will Stand Up for Central?" under the Editorials tab of this website.)

    In a press release from the Louisiana Press Association reporting on the “Freedom of Information” Award given to the Central City News last Saturday, false and unsupportable claims have been made about the City of Central and this newspaper, CentralSpeaks.com.  These untruths were distributed through the Associated Press and have made it to the pages of one of the nation’s largest newspapers, USA Today.  However, those who read the article will likely never know that their impressions of the City of Central have been tainted by misinformation.  The press release is also featured on the blog site of Baton Rouge resident Woody Jenkins who currently prints a tabloid called the Central City News and places copies in retail locations in Central twice each month.

    The Louisiana Press Association, an association which limits full membership to newspapers which have been in print several years in Louisiana, issued the press release in question when it announced that the Central City News was chosen to receive its “Freedom of Information” award.  The press release explains the reasons the award was given to the Central City News.  The problem is, many of the claims made in the press release are simply not true, and are damaging to the reputation of the City of Central and to this newspaper, CentralSpeaks.com.

    The press release claims that Central “has, in essence, privatized its entire city government.” – FALSE

Fact: Central elects a Mayor, City Council Members and a Police Chief.  Central’s elected officials appoint citizens as board members on the Board of Adjustments and the Planning and Zoning Commission.   The Mayor and the City Council appoint citizens to committees to assist in formulating policy for the running of this city.  Every ordinance and resolution passed by Central’s City Council is done so in open meetings and then only after the input of the public.  Every administrative policy decision is made by Central’s duly elected Mayor.  The contractor hired to provide the manpower to carry out the policies and decisions of Central’s government is nowhere to be found in this process.  Central’s government is run by Central’s citizens and their elected representatives.

    The press release claims that “Problems came to a head last spring, when the city sponsored a campaign ad for the mayor.” – FALSE

Fact: First, the City of Central simply did not sponsor a campaign ad for the Mayor.  Second, if the press release refers to the ad run in the Advocate by CH2M Hill, it was not a campaign ad for the Mayor.  The advertisement makes no mention of Central’s Mayor, the content of the ad promoted CH2M Hill as a company, and on page four explained permit fees, which are not set by the Mayor.  Further, a judge has ruled that the ad “was placed by CH2M Hill to promote their company and the services that it provides.”

    The press release claims “The newspaper sued, but a district judge sided with the city.” – FALSE

Fact: The “City” was not even a party to the lawsuit.  The judge sided with CH2M Hill and against the Central City News.

    The press release states “…the mayor and his allies have started a competing newspaper…” – FALSE

Fact: CentralSpeaks.com is owned and managed SOLELY by members of the Freneaux family, residents of Central.  Every policy and editorial decision is made by Dave Freneaux, the Editor, or by the publisher, his daughter, Beth Fussell.  The Mayor of Central has never had any ownership in, nor given any financial support to, CentralSpeaks.com, nor in fact has anyone else other than this family.  When reached for comment, I stated: “I challenge anyone to offer any evidence that anyone other than this family supports or controls any aspect of CentralSpeaks.com.”

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