DEAR EDITOR: I’m concerned about the thinking of some St. John Parish Council members, when it comes to economic development. This council made a conscious decision to change the description of what a garbage truck should look like, knowing what the consequences would be to Trosclair Inc. This council also made the decision to award the garbage collection contract to Waste Management Inc. This will probably ruin Trosclair. Some years ago, our parish council did the same thing to another local business, Baloney Emergency Medical Service. I fail to see the rationale here, especially when the parish spends money promoting economic development, and at the same time ruin two locally-owned businesses. Both of these businesses could have competed with the big boys, had they been given a fighting chance to upgrade their services and equipment. Instead, another local business loses another parish contract. Why? For an automated garbage truck? Does this really matter? For a helicopter we have rarely, if ever, used? Please, council members, show me how one automated garbage truck, with one worker, is more economically feasible than one regular garbage truck, with three workers, picking up the same amount of garbage from the same number of households, except it will cost us $2 more per household. On another matter, our parish administration doesn’t always do what I think is right, but this one time, I think they did what was very right. We clobber them when they do wrong, so I would like to give them a plug for doing something good for their constituents. I would like to thank our parish president and his administration for providing portable toilets during the carnival parades in LaPlace and Reserve. This move, which is the first time that I’ve ever noticed, did cut down on embarrassing situations and indecent exposure complaints. To me, and many others, this was truly a gesture of compassion, understanding and of a governing body being “for the people.” Thanks again to Mr. Monica.

Larry Snyder Sr. LaPlace