1st Place, LPA CAPITALCAPITAL CITYCITY General Excellence RussianRussian Intelligence,Intelligence, FacebookFacebook && BatonBaton RougeRouge What’sWhat’s thethe Connection?Connection? SeeSee PagePage 22 NEWS® NEWSJanuary 2019 • South Baton Rouge’s Community Newspaper • Capital City News on Facebook • Phone 225-261-5055 Far-Left ‘Together Baton Rouge’ Leads Attack Will Exxon Sour on BR? Baton Rouge’s Largest Taxpayer May See Fewer Reasons to Stay Woody Jenkins Editor BATON ROUGE - Last Thursday, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted 5-4 against a resolution to grant an Industrial Tax Exemption on $67 million in capital improvements at the Exxon Refinery in Baton Rouge. Exxon’s tax exemption was unanimously approved by the State Board of Commerce and In- dustry, but under rules put in place by Gov. John Bel Edwards without a vote of the legislature, each local governing authority that levies a property tax has the ability to deny the tax exemption. The Metro Council will vote on whether to grant Exxon an ITEP Baton Rouge, looking north from the State Capitol to Exxon. Aerial photo by Charles Breard for Capital City News exemption on the taxes it levies at 4 p.m. this Wednesday. The tax exemption is on 80 per- cent of the capital investment. So EBR School Board Votes to Kill Exxon Tax Exemption 20 percent goes on the tax rolls The State Board of Commerce voted unanimously to approval a 10-year exemption immediately but 80 percent won’t from property taxes for 80 percent of a $67 million investment Exxon has made at its go on the rolls for 10 years. Tax Baton Rouge Refinery. However, under new rules approved by Gov. John Bel Edwards, exemptions are traditionally ap- each local taxing agency can disapprove the tax exemption. Together Baton Rouge, an proved for all industries that meet arm of Sol Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation, urged the EBR School Board to op- the regulations. However, a far-left group called pose the exemption and they did by a 5-4 vote. Together Baton Rouge, organized Approve Standard Industrial Tax Exemption for Exxon by Saul Alinsky’s national orga- nization Industrial Areas Foun- Voting FOR (4) Mark Bellue, Connie Bernard, Jill Dyason, and Mike Gaudet (all R) dation, targeted Exxon in Baton Voting AGAINST (5) Dawn Collins, Tramell Howard, Evelyn Jackson-Ware, and Rouge for denial. A number of Dadrius Lanus (all D) and David Tatman (R) liberal churches in Baton Rouge See EXXON on Page 6 As Registrar Compares Every Signature, Spring Election for St. George Is Unlikely The registrar received the peti- Raborn said his office has sev- • Determine if the voter is on in- Woody Jenkins tions from the St. George move- eral major tasks: active status. Editor ment on Oct. 15, but his office • Make sure the person who The registrar has no specific was busy with its duties related to signed the petition was registered deadline to meet in certifying the BATON ROUGE — In an interview major elections in November and to vote and living in the proposed petition. Once certified as having with the Capital City News, East December. “Since mid-December, City of St. George at the time of sufficient signatures, it is transmit- Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of we’ve been analyzing how we will signing. “There’s no way to do that ted to the governor’s office. Voters Steve Raborn said his office proceed and we have started the quickly,” he said. “We have to look The registrar said his office is busy processing signatures on process in a small way,” he said. at several screens per voter, and it should be able to complete its work petitions for the incorporation of The registrar requested an At- is a tedious process.” well before the July 9 deadline to the City of St. George. However, it torney General’s opinion on how • Make sure the signature is not get propositions on the fall ballot. is slow-going, he said, and he does to handle issues involving certifi- a duplicate. However, delays at the gover- not anticipate completing his work cation of the petition. The Attorney • Make sure the person signing nor’s office or as a result of litiga- in time to meet the March 11 dead- General responded to that request, provided all required information. tion could conceivably prevent the line for placing the referendum on and the registrar said he is follow- • Compare the handwritten sig- St. George referendum being on the Spring 2019 election ballot. ing the AG’s opinion. nature with the signature on record. the ballot this fall, Raborn said. 2 CAPITAL CITY NEWS Thursday, January 24, 2019 Facebook Reveals Who Was Behind Mysterious Demonstration Russian Intelligence Heightened Tensions Here By Initiating an Alton Sterling Protest at BRPD knew what would happen An Investigative Report next. If a protester got out EDITOR’S NOTE: In July 2016, of hand, the pastor or other during protests against the shoot- leader would step in front of ing of Alton Sterling, Central him and tell him to back off. City News editor Woody Jenkins was in daily contact with black Dunn and other leaders leaders in Baton Rouge. Based told the protesters, “This is on interviews done at that time, our city and we’ll handle a report issued by Democratic things our way!” he said. members of the House Intelli- “If you can’t cooperate, you gence Committee, and recent in- need to leave.” terviews with some of the same A few radical groups got Baton Rouge black leaders, this investigative report was put to- on TV and tried to stir up gether. It shows how foreign passions, but the protests agents located on the other side gradually slowed down. of the world were able to ma- On Sunday, July 17, 2016, nipulate events in Baton Rouge. three Baton Rouge Police officers were assassinated Woody Jenkins by Gavin Eugene Long, a Editor, Central City News Powers Kim by Photo former Marine Corps ser- geant who embraced a black BATON ROUGE — After the PROTESTERS confronted Ba- THIS FACEBOOK AD paid for in rubles by Russian intelligence shooting of Alton Sterling ton Rouge City Police in front of promoted a protest at BRPD Headquarters that local black leaders had separatist movement and at at the Triple S convenience BRPD headquarters in 2016. The no knowledge of. Out-of-state protesters surged into Baton Rouge, ap- times claimed to be Mus- store on North Foster Drive protest was promoted by Russia. parently not knowing the protest was initiated by Russian intelligence. lim. The assassinations oc- in July 2016, protests broke publicans, which was con- police unit drove up North curred on Airline Highway, out in front of the conve- ducted in public at Café Foster and paused in front just a few blocks from po- nience store and at other Américain on Jefferson of the Triple S. lice headquarters. points around Baton Rouge. Highway. A black youth pushed In 2018, the House Intel- Some protests were spon- Everything seemed to be forward and threw a bottle ligence Committee asked taneous, while others were going well — until some- at the vehicle. The crowd Facebook to produce ads well planned and organized. thing quite unexpected hap- shouted at him not to do placed on Facebook by What few people knew pened. A protest was called that! Then two black moth- Russian intelligence agents at the time was that a small in front of Baton Rouge Po- ers grabbed the young man during 2016. Facebook pro- group of key African Amer- lice Department headquar- and set him straight. There duced more than 3,500 ads ican leaders were meeting ters at the corner of Good- would be nothing like that that it believed to be placed wood and Airline Highway. here, they told him in no un- by Russian intelligence. everyday throughout the While the ads showed protest. Their goal was to The black leaders who certain terms. Businessman Cleve Dunn protest the killing of Ster- had been carefully orga- After that, the reporter no evidence of collusion ling but also to make sure nizing and monitoring the said there were no more between the Russians and the protests did not turn protests were caught by sur- signs of violence at Triple the Trump campaign, it did violent. One of the African prise. They had not called S. Her only concern was the show a pattern of the Rus- American leaders willing for the protest. Worse still, fact that some people were sians injecting themselves to speak on the record was they didn’t know anything drinking and that could into a wide range of political businessman Cleve Dunn. about it. easily get out of control. disputes in the United States, During the protest, Dunn As word spread about As word of the planned always trying to stir the pot, and others were quietly the protest, the concern of protest in front of BRPD make American politics working to calm things black leaders grew. A direct headquarters spread days more toxic, and turn Ameri- down and keep everyone on confrontation with the po- later, African American Dwight Hudson cans against one another. both sides safe. The group lice was not something they leaders became uneasy. Now on Metro Council Among the ads was one often met at the Triple S. wanted and certainly not in Who had called the protest? Worse still, the Baton which answered the question “Baton Rouge is not like front of police headquarters No one seemed to know. Rouge leaders didn’t recog- of Who was behind the pro- the places where they have where tensions would prob- Rumors spread on social nize these people.