Are Shreveport Politics Poking the Federal Bear?

SHREVEPORT, LA

Local Grandstanding Could Invite Federal Consequences

Last week, the Caddo Parish Commission recently proposed 3 resolutions that have nothing to do with parish business.  Then, this week the Shreveport City Council proposed those same three meaningless resolutions.

• Opposing proposed federal budget cuts of USAID
• Opposing layoffs of useless federal workers by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE
• Opposing trade tariffs.

Though resolutions like this are non-binding and largely symbolic, they risk something far greater: provoking unnecessary tension with the federal government.

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The recent announcement by President Trump of a new $5 Billion investment in a steel plant in Ascension Parish in south Louisiana was made with Louisiana Congressman and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry standing right next to the president.  Read more about that new steel mill HERE     One listener commented on the KEEL Message Board:

Joey says: "I'll bet you Ascension Parish isn't voting on resolutions to condemn Trump administration after receiving those 94k a year steel jobs."

Local governments often rely heavily on federal support—whether it’s infrastructure grants, disaster relief funding, or health and safety programs. Publicly opposing federal agencies with no jurisdictional stake in the issue can appear, at best, performative. At worst, it sends a message of hostility to the very institutions that control billions in aid and oversight.

Not a Good Idea to Poke the Bear...Needlessly

This kind of grandstanding—while it may appeal to a vocal constituency—amounts to little more than poking the bear. And in this case, the “bear” is the federal government. And more specifically, President Trump.  Washington doesn’t need parish approval to trim its own workforce. But local leaders do need federal partnership when roads collapse, budgets shrink, or storms roll through.

Symbolic resolutions against federal agencies may earn headlines, but they risk damaging relationships that benefit the people of Caddo Parish. It’s one thing to raise concerns. It’s another to broadcast opposition that could jeopardize cooperation in the long run.

A Better Idea is to Keep Your Eyes on your Own Paper

Now more than ever, local leadership should keep their eyes on their own paper and focus on matters within its control—fixing infrastructure, improving safety, making sure our water is safe to drink, and serving residents—rather than passing resolutions that carry no authority, but could carry plenty of risk.