Feature Story

By Rob Holbert Managing Editor

When Julian Rayford revived the Joe Cain Procession in 1967, the idea was to include as many people as possible in the “people’s parade.” This year, some of those who have been marching in the procession for decades say new rules and regulations are destroying the spirit of Joe Cain.

For the first time, those who march on foot will be expected to fill out a form and pay $20 per person before they can parade. The new regulations are pitting marchers against float riders, with the riders holding the parade permit and the power to determine who can be in the procession.

“Now you have to actually register to be in Joe Cain. It was the people’s parade,” said longtime marcher Jerry Tomlinson. “You could show up and march in the people’s parade. That’s what we’ve been doing for the past 30 years.”

Tomlinson and other marchers said the effort to limit the number of people on foot began last year, but didn’t come to pass because Wayne Dean, who portrays Chief Slackabamorinico was going to abandon his traditional coal wagon so more people could walk. Dean says the new regulations are an unfortunate part of the evolution of the procession.

“It’s one of those situations that evolve. In the beginning all we had was foot marchers. Then for years there were hundreds of trucks and floats,” Dean explained. “At some point the city came in and put limits on the units. That was probably the beginning of what is happening now. They’ve limited it to 32 units.”

Dean said the city has determined that 20 walkers equal one unit, or is the equivalent of a float. For many years, he said, the marching units were not counted. But that changed last year.

“It never raised its head until last year, but last year it stayed status quo. This year we’re not going to count my wagon and the Excelsior Band. And they said we can have 200 marchers, which is more marchers than we’ve probably had in 20 years. The real issue is that they’re starting to charge a fee,” Dean said. “The police said they need to know who is in the parade, which is a sign of the times. It started as the ‘People’s Parade’ and now it’s as structured as anything else.”

Tomlinson and others complain that the $20-per-marcher fee is more than people riding floats pay. And while they acknowledge the permit holders are responsible for paying for the insurance, they say the marchers don’t cause the insurance to be any more expensive. Tomlinson said he and other marchers have met with Jim Baldwin, who heads the Joe Cain organization and officially files for the parade permit. Tomlinson said the meeting provided little in the way of explanation for the fee.

“We sat down with (Jim) Baldwin two weeks ago and asked why they were interested in charging $20, and he said there had to be buttons that everyone wears,” Tomlinson said. “My response is this is a damper or obstacle, rather than encouraging people who have no other way of joining Mardi Gras.”

Several attempts to speak to Baldwin about the new regulations were unsuccessful prior to press time.

Dean feels the new regulations are part of the evolution of the procession – although not one he necessarily feels is in the spirit of the way it started.

“It’s a growing organism. I guess with growth there is always pain,” Dean said.

He recalled how 30 years ago the procession listed 1,000 marchers, one vehicle and three animals.

“There was no accountability in those days. That was in the spirit in which Julian Rayford began this thing. Unfortunately, you can’t do the things today we did 50 years ago,” Dean said. “In some ways it is a simple matter, in other ways it’s complex.”

Jack Zieman, another marcher, said the float riders feel the marchers need to bear more of the expense of the parade.

“Their point is the floats have carried this along. They deserve a break. But it doesn’t cost more for insurance, we don’t cost them more…. There needs to be a way we can give them more names on the day of the parade,” Zieman said. “I think it restricts the entire spirit of the parade.”

Dean echoed that sentiment, saying just the other night at a ball he heard three men talking about getting a truck and joining Joe Cain – something that hasn’t been possible for several years. He said it was just an example of the way people think about the parade.

“There have always been people who are going to show up with their kids and think they are going to march, and they’re not going to be able to. That’s the saddest part,” Dean said.

He believes the two sides will meet again after Mardi Gras to contemplate a solution.

Rob Holbert is Lagniappe managing editor. Contact him at rholbert@lagniappemobile.com.

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