Raise takes more than a smile

Dear Editor,

[On] Dec. 27, [2011 Mayor Tim Matte] and council of Morgan City had their last city meeting of the year. The last item on their agenda was [a] public hearing regarding the proposed increase in the mayor’s and the council’s salary.

[T]he salary increase was approved. Only two of the less than a dozen people in attendance approached the podium to express their opposition to the proposed salary increase.

[During] my presentation I addressed the following areas:

1. The city’s lack of economic growth, development and job creation opportunities during the last three decades and especially during the current mayor and council’s tenure in office.

2. [I asked] what mayor and council [had] done during their tenure in office to enhance and advance the economy that would warrant an increase in salary.

3. The lack of leadership that the city’s self-serving agenda consistently represents.

4. The difference between being a politician seeking elected office for the purpose of pursuing a self-serving agenda, and public servant who has empathy for those represented, [but] serv[ing] the best interests of those who made it possible for them to [control] government.

5. The position of mayor is clearly defined in the city’s Code of Ordinances as being a fulltime position with a fulltime salary and benefits, including car allowance. The current mayor … has never been a fulltime mayor and spends less than three hours a day at city hall while spending the bulk of his workday at his accounting business office, and receiving two fulltime salaries … having set a legal precedent that would have to [be] challenged in court.

[In response] Councilman Louis Tamporello addressed me with a monologue about how hard the mayor and members of the council ha[d] worked representing the people of Morgan City.

[I asked] Tamporello when the last time was that a member of the city council and the mayor made an effort to meet with officials at the Louisiana Department of Economic Development [and requested] help [to] enhance and advance the city’s economic growth development and job creation opportunities.

Tamporello replied that they ha[d] never met with anyone from the state because that was the responsibility of [the] St. Mary Parish director of economic development.

During Tamporello’s address I asked if [any council members] … [intends] seeking another term in office. They each indicated their interest to seek re-election and, of course, if re-elected they will be rewarded with the salary increase that they have approved.

[T]he mayor stated that he would not be a candidate during the next election. I stated that that was only because of term limits and that a caretaker mayor would be elected for one term and that after that term Matte would once again be seeking re-election to that office.

Mayor Matte, with a grin ear to ear, [said] that the public loves him and that he would be willing to serve another eight years.

If Tim Matte is so loved by the people of Morgan City, maybe he should petition the state to allow us to change the city’s name to the City of Matte.

Because of Tim Matte’s nice smile, it is easy for a lot of people not to notice who he really is n a slick professional politician who boasts, lies, is fond of embellishing his rhetoric to make himself appear as though he cares and tells us that we can’t exist without him, while he [does] anything to satisfy his self-serving agenda and the agenda of the leadership of the parish’s special interest group at the expense of the many.

Without a doubt, city government by smoke and mirrors has found a home in Morgan City!

Max J. Thibodeaux Jr.

Morgan City