Bob Hamm

The lies of Kenny Bowen: A message to the committe considering renovations to Lafayette’s old Natural History Museum Bulding

It appears that your committee, mislead and deceived by Kenny Bowen, is proceeding with action that will be harmful to Lafayette over the years. I know that you have approached the task of this committee in good faith, but you need to know that you are being used by Kenny, not for the civic good, but to serve his own vindictive and destructive purposes.

That he has involved good citizens in another malicious scheme is one more tragedy among the many this city has suffered because of Bowen’s unhealthy compulsion to hurt those he perceives as his enemies. His determination to renovate the old museum and keep the facility there has nothing to do with what is best for Lafayette. If he has told you that, he has lied again, and Kenny Bowen lies often. Most people who have dealt with him know that. It is time to say it publicly.

It is unfortunate that Bowen has sought no help for whatever it is that makes him so vindictive that he is compelled to deceive and mislead the people who trusted him to govern this city. There is medical help for people so consumed by negative emotions that they will use lies and deception in a way that harms innocent people, just to strike out at imaginary enemies.

Bowen’s lies concerning the Natural History Museum have been almost too numerous to recount. Each time he threw a roadblock in the path of those dedicated museum volunteers who wanted the facility to be housed permanently in the Heymann Building, he indicated that when it was removed, he would approve the project. He never intended to. He lied each time.

The final lie came when he told me and others that when it could be legally established that the old museum property would not revert to the Heymann family when the museum moved downtown, he would approve the move. I have dealt with a lot of mayors in this town. They were honorable men. Their word was good. Kenny does not belong in their company. After substantial expense and trouble to meet his demand, I learned that it was another lie. Instead of keeping his promise, he created the committee as an excuse to again break his word.

Again, that promise was not just made to me. Other citizens, and even local journalists, were aware of his pledge. There is something very unhealthy about a man who lies so shamelessly.

The bottom line is that the entire matter is about Herbert Heymann supporting the man who defeated Kenny Bowen when he was mayor before -- not about the museum or the good of Lafayette. Normal people in the political world accept the fact that some citizens will support them and some oppose them. It’s part of politics, and rational people put it aside after they are elected, and go on with the business of government. Kenny Bowen’s mean- spirited, vindictive nature will not allow him to do that. Revenge is more important to him than honorable performance of the duties of his office. That is why he will once more leave office with probably the highest negative rating of any public official in Lafayette’s history.

What has transpired in regard to the Natural History Museum and Planetarium is a travesty. • Loyal, hard working volunteers wanted to make the downtown location a permanent home, and proved in their operations there that it was a superior site to the old location. • Those who operate the Heymann Center for the Performing Arts and the Frem Boustany Convention Center were excited about getting the old museum building for office space and thus being able to provide additional rest rooms and other improvements at the auditorium and convention center. • The city council cast a majority vote in favor of moving the museum downtown. • Bowen promised repeatedly that he would support it if all his conditions were met.

They were all met.

He was lying from the beginning.

The bottom line is that if the old building is renovated, it will still be inadequate for the purpose it is supposed to serve. The auditorium and convention center people will be denied an opportunity to solve serious problems by taking over that space.

Kenny will have had his malicious way, and the taxpayers will eventually have to pay to correct the results.

If it happens, it will soon become apparent to everyone that remodeling the old building was detrimental to both the museum and the auditorium/convention center -- and thus to the city as a whole. Yet Kenny will be able to slither away from accusing fingers by claiming your committee was responsible for his travesty.

And history will blame the committee, even though it was all a result of Kenny Bowen’s vicious lies and compulsive vindictiveness.

I hope the committee will look beyond Kenny’s lies, and consider only what is best for Lafayette.