7/28/2019 Glenn Stewart's Letter To Ind Monthly

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AnOpenLettertoMr.JerryReauxChairmanoftheBoard,the“Independent”tabloidDearMr.Reaux:

ForthepastseveralmonthsyourtabloidhaseachandeveryweekdisparagedmeandmyParcLafayetteproject.Ithasclaimedtohave“exposed”measa“taxdodger”whodoesnotpaymyfairshareofpropertytax.Youreditor,WalterPierce,refusestoprintmyletterscontainingthefacts.Iwillsummarizethemhere:everybuyerofvacantpropertyinLouisianaover3acresinsizeAUTOMATICALLYgetsmailedanagusetaxform(Iwasnotinonany“opensecret”asWalterandHeatherreported)bytheparishassessor.WhenIreceivedmyform,Ihadmyfinancialassistantcalltheassessor’sofficetoseeifwequalified.ShespoketoMr.Comeauxhimself,whotoldherthatwequalifiedaslongaswebailedandsoldonebaleofhay.Sherecordedthisconversationinherdailyworkdiary.

Weactuallycutandbaledall13.5acrestwice.IfwedidnotproduceenoughhayforWalter’ssatisfaction,perhapsitisbecausewehad18eightyyearoldoaktreesontheproperty.WouldWalterbemorehappyifwecuttheoaktreesdowninordertogrowmorehay?InanycaseIhadameetingwithMr.Comeauxlastweekandheconfirmedthatwecompliedwithboththeintentandtheletterofthelaw.In2010,Iormycompaniespaidatotalof$636,206.06inLouisianapropertytax,$438,501.34inLafayetteparishalone.OnceParcLafayetteiscompletethisamountwillbeinexcessof$1,000,000peryear.Yourtabloid,the“Independent”,paysnothinginpropertytax,nothinginsalestax,andnothinginincometax.

Mr.Reaux,Ivaluemyreputationasanethicalbusinessmanandcitizen.IloveLafayette.InthepastfewyearsIhavebuiltorimprovedover$46millionofapartmentsinLafayette.IprovidequalityhousingforthousandsofLafayettecitizens.Allofmyemployeeshavefullhealthinsuranceandretirementplans—somethingunheardofintheapartmentmanagementindustry—andmyemployeesarepaidgenerously.Ivaluethehardworkthattheyhaveputintohelpingmebuildmycompany,andinhelpingtobuildLafayette.Yourtabloid,ontheotherhand,weekafterweektearspeopleandtheirreputationsapart.WhyareyoudoingthistoLafayette?

Mr.Reaux,maybeyouaretooremovedfromthedailyoperationofyourtabloidtorealizewhatistakingplaceunderyourgoodname.Pleaseallowmetoenlightenyou:1.Yourstaffwriter,HeatherMiller(accordingtoyourmastheadsheistheonlystaffwriteratyourpaper)hasspeededonI-49inordertodoastoryonspeedtrapsandhasintentionallytrespassedonpropertyinordertodothestoryonpropertytax.

7/28/2019 Glenn Stewart's Letter To Ind Monthly

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Sheappearstoberightoutofcollege.Perhapsshedoesn’trealizethat“freedomofthepress”doesnotmeanthatthepressisabovethelaw.2.Yourmanagingeditor,WalterPierce,ayoungmanwithovertsocialistsympathies(“Therichwonlongago.Uncle.”),weekafterweekdestroysthereputationsof

successfulLafayettebusinessleaders.Oneofhisonline“reports”aboutme(yourattorney’swordfortheblogthatWalter“exerciseseditorialcontrolover”and“approve(s)eachcommentsubmittedbeforeitappearsbeforetheInd’sreadingpublic”)contained33phrasesusingprofanity(myfavoritebeing“corruptsickotheiving(sic)MoFo”.Italsocontainedseveralattemptstoinciteviolenceagainstme,including“busthisgonads”,“hedefinately(sic)haschildren”,“knockhisassout”,“Iwillbackhandhisface”,“getharvesttags…yearroundopenseason...bagemandsellem”,and“IhaveascoreofmenfollowingthiscoullionStewart’severymove.Whenhecrapswe’llknow.”DoesthislanguagereallybelongintheIndependent’s“reports”?IfWalter

reallyhateswealthandcapitalismsomuchthatheencouragesviolenceagainstsuccessfulcitizens,thenIsuggestyoubuyhimaonewaytickettoNorthKoreawherehewillundoubtedlybemuchhappier.WalterhasalsorefusedtopublishmyletterstotheIndependentthatexplainwhyIusedtheagtaxcategory,andthatcorrectseveraloftheIndependent’sfactualerrors.Infact,theveryfirstarticleandeditorialthatWalterandHeatherwrotecontainatleastninemajorfactualerrors.ButWalterrefusestopublishanyofmycorrespondence,soyourreadersaretotallyinthedarkastowhatactuallyhappened.

3.Yourpublisher,CherryMayFisher,asI’msureyouareaware,wasarrestedforDWI.Notonlydidyourpapernotreportthis,butMs.MayliedtotheAdvertiserlastweekwhenshesaid“AllIgotwasaticket.”(No,Cherry,youwerearrested.That’swhytheytookyoudowntothepolicestationandtookyourmugshot.)HowcanyouendorseapublisherwhodrinksanddrivesandthenliesaboutittoLafayette’smajornewspaper?Additionally,Cherryandherhusband(and“Independent”co-publisher)SteveMayarepartnersinseveralRiverRanchbusinesseswithRiverRanchdeveloperRobertDaigle.ThesebusinesseswillbenegativelyaffectedifParcLafayetteissuccessful,nottomentionthefactthatMr.DaiglehasrepeatedlytriedtobuytheParcLafayette

land.HowcanyouendorsepublishersthatfailtomentionthishugeconflictofinterestwhiletheytryeachandeveryweektobringdownParcLafayette?4.LeslieTurk,your“editorialdirector”,calledmealiarinoneofherpieces.Yetshefailedtodisclosethatsheisthelive-ingirlfriendofthearchitectandpart-ownerofseveralcommercialRiverRanchbuildings.ThisarchitecthassolicitedmeforworkseveraltimesandIhaveturnedhimdownbecauseIhadheardverynegativecommentsabouthisworkfromthecontractorswhobuilthis“MainStreet”project.

7/28/2019 Glenn Stewart's Letter To Ind Monthly

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ThisarchitecthasalsocalledsomeoftheParcLafayettetenantsandtriedtoconvincethemnottomovetoParcLafayette.Mr.Reaux,Iunderstandyouhaveanexcellentreputation.UntilyourpaperstarteditssmearcampaignagainstmeIenjoyedanexcellentreputationaswell.IrealizeI

wasaneasytargetbecauseoftherecentTIFproposal(afullaccountingofthatdisasterisforthcoming),butItrulybelievetheonlythingyourtabloidcanaccusemeofisbeingpoliticallynaïve.Alifetimeofbuildingareputation—Fatimahighschoolvaledictorian,LSUmagnacumlaude,topofmyTulaneMedicalSchoolclass,ChiefResidentattheUniversityofWashingtonMedicalCenter,etc.—wasruinedwithjustoneofyourtabloid’s“reports”.Mr.Reaux,IhavereceiveddozensofcallsofsupportfromprominentLafayettebusinessowners,landowners,andgovernmentofficialswhoaresickandtiredofyourtabloid’sweeklyattacksonsuccessfulcitizens.Ithastostop.

Mr.Reaux,Iamaskingyoutohaveyourtabloidissueapublicapologytomeandtoanyothersthatyourmuckrakingjournalhaveunfairlytargeted.Iamalsoaskingthatyouseetoitthatyourtabloidpublishallpotentialconflictsofinterestpriorto“exposing”anyfuturevictimsofyour“investigativejournalism”.Finally,IamaskingthatyouseektheresignationsofHeatherMiller,WalterPierce,CherryandSteveFisherMay,andLeslieTurk.IfthepowerofyourpositionasChairmanoftheBoardisinsufficientforyoutosecuretheseresignationsthenIwouldrespectfullyaskthatyouresignyourpositionasasignthatyouarenotgoingtosupportyellow,gutter,muckrakingtabloidsinLafayette.

Sincerely,GlennStewart