Written by: host
4/18/2010 5:43 AM

By Patricia Morris

Since reading school board member Al Link's Letter to the Editor yesterday, it was decided to quote and give the Louisiana Revised Statute school board member Danny Ridgel violated.

Louisiana Revised Statute 42:1121 (A) (2) clearly states the following:  "No former member of a board or commission shall, for a period of two years following termination of his public service on such board or commission, contract with, be employed in any capacity by, or be appointed by that board or commission."  The law is clear Mr. Link and Mr. Ridgel.  Mr. Ridgel violated it, and from an obvious ruling from the Legislative Judiciary Commission manned with judges, they made no mistake in ruling as they did.  Count your blessings Mr. Ridgel that you were not removed completely, and fined the full amount of $10,000 from the board because of this violation.

As an aside, we are pleased to know all is well with your first surgery, and pray all will go well with the more complicated one you are about to undertake.  Truly, God has many ways of protecting us, and giving us second chances.

On a different subject, as attempts is being made to stop the voice of the NAACP in letting the people know the truth, and to stop any financial support, we are grateful that God is on top of His Work in continuing to give His Support to the NAACP through people across the State of Louisiana and across this country.  Yesterday, a letter was sent to the President of the NAACP from the LMBCA (Louisiana Municipal Black Caucus Association) stating in part how they have been monitoring and keeping up with my/our works and successes, and stating, "we are very proud of the important efforts, support, time, energy and finances that you have deemed necessary to accomplish all that you have for the people, especially the children of Tangipahoa Parish."  I am humbled to have received such a letter.

As I read this letter, I was reminded of something told to my Second Vice President for the local NAACP Branch last Tuesday night by a former NAACP President who attended the school board meeting in how the local NAACP would fold before the school system complied with anything we are fighting to see happen.  I smiled when I was given this information and said, "I keep stating, this is not my fight nor the fight of anyone else."  This is God's fight, and He keeps showing me He is at the helm, and what is right will happen as long as I/we follow His Directives.

I pray Jerry Peters will come to know this for himself, because it is obvious, there must be more to what is happening in our fight against the school system, as well as the efforts by some on the school board and school administration in their fight to silence the NAACP and myself than we even know of, because our efforts to attain equity and fairness for all in the TPSS is so upsetting to many in the TPSS.

The following is Attorney C.B. Forgotston's response to Al Link's editorial released yesterday in the Hammond Daily Star Newspaper:

 
In a recent letter to the editor of the Hammond paper, Tangipahoa Parish School Board member Al Link defended his ethically-challenged, colleague Danny Ridgel.
 
Link called my pointing out that Ridgel made a nice profit from the taxpayers by being unethical as adjudicated by the State Ethics Board a ?cheap shot.?  In case you missed it. See commentary here.
 
Government of laws

Mr. Link and the other board members seem to think they are above the law.  Link rationalized Ridgel?s blatant violation of the letter and spirit of the law by saying:
 
?Besides being an excellent, informed board member who is ?up to speed? on our ongoing desegregation suit, Mr. Ridgel was the best avenue for the board.?
 
That?s a typical Machiavellian approach to government by a long-time Louisiana politician.
 
Perhaps I was brain-washed by my law school training, but I remain wedded to the concept that, in the United States (and even Louisiana) we are a government of laws and not one of men.
 
The fact that Mr. Ridgel violated the law is not in dispute.  He was adjudicated as such and was fined.   Ridgel did not contest the adjudication and paid his fine.
 
Ridgel earned $7,500 by violating the law.  He was fined $2,500.  Thus, Ridgel made a nice profit of $5,000 from his illegal act.
 
Small change

Perhaps Mr. Link is so wealthy that he considers ripping off $7,500 from the taxpayers as small change. 
 
To me that?s not cheap. It?s an expensive shot at me and the other taxpayers of Tangipahoa Parish.
 
C.B.

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