MACHINE STILL IN POWER IN IBERVILLE PARISH, EARLY VOTING TELLS THE TALE
by KORAN ADDO - Advocate (excerpt)

Term limits rejected by Iberville voters

PLAQUEMINE — Iberville Parish voters narrowly decided Saturday to repeal the term limits the parish’s home rule charter had imposed on Parish Council members and the parish president.

Complete but unofficial voting returns show 165 votes made the difference, with 51 percent of voters voting to repeal term limits by a margin of 4,208 to 4,043 votes.

Saturday’s voting results allow Parish President Mitch Ourso and six of the council’s 13 members to run for re-election when their current terms expire in 2011.

COMMENTARY: What the article in the Advocate failed to note was that 'Early Voting' figures in the election showed 1854 YES to 348 NO. That is 84% in Favor of repealing term limits. A patently ridiculous result for anyone who pays close attention to elections.

What that means is the political machine in Iberville Parish is still alive and well. Nearly one half of the total votes cast for the repeal were cast the week before the actual election. The smoke is still thick in the back rooms of Iberville politics. Now that term limits have been repealed its likely to stay that way until someone bothers to keep a closer eye on the situation.

Also unmentioned in The Advocate (then or now), the Louisiana Tea Party didn't become involved until last Saturday.

THE ARROGANCE OF POWER (:30)