In another universe, I might like Kenner District 5
Councilman (and JP Council District 4 candidate) Dominick Impastato.
He’s bright and, on the surface at least, looks like someone
you would actually want in government. Unlike his friends, he’s not a Sexual
Predator, a pathological liar or a money-grubbing whore who is only out for
himself.
Like I said, in another universe perhaps, but in this
universe, Dominick Impastato has already been corrupted.
Now I’m not saying that Impastato is politically corrupt, at
least not in the traditional way of thinking (although he and disgraced former
Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard do share the same campaign manager).
There’s been no proof of bribes or quid pro quo offered to or by me.
But, Impastato IS politically corrupt in the Jefferson
Parish/Kenner way.
And, that’s truly sad.
It’s even sadder watching Impastato sit smugly upon his
Kenner City Council chair and continue to attempt to justify his actions and watching
his condescending ways (obviously learned from his mentor Mike Yenni).
At several recent Kenner City Council meetings, residents
have questioned Impastato about his shady campaign tactics.
Despite Kenner having a political sign ordinance which bans
signs put out more than 60 days prior to an election, Impastato “bought” a
vehicle, draped it with campaign signs and parked it in a private parking lot.
The vehicle didn’t move for several weeks, which itself is a violation of
Kenner code.
When he was questioned about it at a Council meeting,
Impastato smugly said that he drove the vehicle, although he admitted to not
having a license plate on the vehicle (another violation of Kenner law and
code). Impastato even had the audacity to get the Kenner City Attorney to prove
that he was not violating Kenner Code since he’s involved in a Jefferson Parish
election and the vehicle is a “rolling billboard”.
Yeah, a “rolling billboard” that doesn’t move and isn’t
licensed.
Don’t we all sleep better at night knowing that our elected
officials look for loopholes in the laws that they are sworn to uphold?
At another Council meeting, Impastato was accused of putting
up a campaign sign at the entrance of a subdivision. When questioned by a
resident about that sign, Impastato said, “If it’s in the wrong place, I will
move it.”
So, now elected officials can do whatever they want in
Kenner until they are caught? How does that work?
Another resident complained about the huge campaign banner
Impastato has at his campaign headquarters which is considerably larger than
Kenner sign law allows and, since it’s a banner and not a permanent sign, also
violates other Kenner sign laws.
When he was questioned about it, Impastato smugly said, “I’m
surprised that it took someone this long to ask about it.”
Impastato again got the Kenner City Attorney involved and
said that the banner was legal because he got a permit for it.
How could he get a permit for an illegal banner that
exceeded both size and duration?
And, why would Kenner’s Code Enforcement Department grant a
permit?
The answer is, if Impastato wasn’t supported by Mayor Zahn,
a permit would never have seen the light of day.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want an elected official
representing me who manipulates the rules and gets others to bend the rules for
him.
The Uber/Taxi Debacle
Recently, Kenner was involved in a huge debate regarding
ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft and their impact on the taxi industry.
While it was spearheaded by Mayor Zahn, District 2 Councilman Mike Sigur and
District 4 Councilman Lenny Cline (both also involved with Greg Buisson),
Impastato worked feverishly behind the scenes. It was painfully obvious that
Impastato was favoring TNCs like Uber and Lyft and against taxi drivers.
When a representative of the Taxi Union spoke before the
Council and asked that the Taxi industry be treated fairly and the Uber/Lyft
drivers be held to the same set of standards and fees as taxi drivers,
Impastato treated the Union representative like a hostile witness under
interrogation.
Impastato, sitting smugly in his Council chair, fired off question
after question and repeatedly interrupted the Union Rep and wouldn’t let him
finish answering.
As a resident of Kenner, I was appalled at the way an
elected official was treating a member of the public who was simply asking for “fairness”.
Isn't "fairness" something that government should strive for?
No citizen addressing a City Council should be the subject
of an interrogation or verbally assaulted.
Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign
In addition to Impastato’s other sign issues, I’ve received
at least a dozen emails or calls about another Impastato campaign “trick”:
putting campaign signs in people’s yards without their consent.
Here’s how this trick works: Impastato, or someone from his
campaign, knocks on your door. If you’re not home, a yard sign goes up in your
yard and a note saying, “Sorry I missed you. I put a sign in your yard. If it’s
a problem, call me.”
If it happened once, I’d say, “It’s on overzealous campaign
worker”. Since I know of at least 12 occurrences in different parts of Kenner,
it’s not just one campaign worker. Of course, if Impastato was confronted he would
just do what he always does, deny any involvement.
Since no one is going to call a sitting City Councilman, who
may be a Parish Councilman, and confront them about a yard sign, and since
folks are also afraid to remove the unwanted yard sign for fear of retaliation,
Impastato gets over again.
But, is that the kind of elected official we want in office?
Someone who tacitly intimidates folks over a yard sign?
The Yenni Connection
In addition to Zahn, Impastato also has the support of
Jefferson Parish’s Sexual Predator-In-Chief Mike Yenni and he uses Zahn and
Yenni’s Campaign Manager, the Minister of Propaganda and the biggest whore in
Jefferson Parish, Greg Buisson.
Impastato has taken pains to tell anyone who listen that he “will
be his own man” and isn’t affiliated with Yenni.
If you are foolish enough to believe that, I have an old
toll bridge over the Mississippi River that I’d like to sell you.
Impastato is where he is directly because of his friendship
with Mike Yenni. Despite the fact that Impastato hadn’t created five jobs in
his entire life, Yenni appointed him as Chairman of Yenni’s hand-picked
Economic Development Committee. Before this, no one outside of a few folks
involved in Kenner’s playgrounds had ever heard of Dominick Impastato.
You will recall that the Economic Development Committee didn’t
create one job or attract or retain one business for Kenner.
What the Economic Development Committee DID DO is saddle
Kenner residents with $40 Million in debt for Yenni’s 2030 Plan. 4 years after
the money was borrowed, and with Yenni long gone to Parish Government (although
he should be in jail, in my opinion), and Kenner residents still have not
received any accounting of the Plan.
When Impastato ran for Kenner City Council in 2014, Yenni
ardently campaigned for him and helped significantly increase Impastato’s
campaign fund with contributions from city (and parish) contractors.
Impastato owes his political career to Mike Yenni and, if
Yenni hadn’t been exposed as the Sexual Predator that we now know he is, he
would be out front leading Impastato’s JP Council campaign committee. Instead,
we get Mike Yenni Lite, aka Ben Zahn.
“Impastato Is Yenni’s Candidate”
When someone like Clancy DuBos at Gambit is bright enough to
put 2+2 together, you know it’s obvious.
The question every Jefferson Parish District 4 resident
needs to ask themselves is: “Do I want someone who is so closely aligned with
someone as morally bankrupt as Mike Yenni, representing me?”
Now, to be fair, if you’ve read this blog in the past you
know that I’ve had my differences with Impastato’s opponent, State Senator
Danny Martiny. I’ve also butted heads on more than one occasion with former
Sheriff Newell Normand, who is endorsing Martiny.
But, differing with Martiny or Normand on issues is
completely different than the case against Mike Yenni.
Yenni continues to disgrace Jefferson Parish Government with
his mere presence.
Last week, I was having a discussing with someone in
Gonzales. When I mentioned that I was from Kenner, she said, “Is
that pervert still your Parish President?”
Pervert.
Sexual Predator.
Whether you agree or disagree with
Mike Yenni’s politics, everything is overshadowed by his infidelity and
dalliances with high school boys.
Do we really want someone who is considered “Yenni’s
Candidate” representing us and our Parish?
I think you know my answer.
