JINDAL’S LAST ADDRESS

Pierre Sez Thursday, April 30, 2015 Comments Off on JINDAL’S LAST ADDRESS
JINDAL’S LAST ADDRESS

While enjoyin’ a good ceegar, me, I watched Bobby Jindal speak to de Legislature for de las’ time … sometin’ he joked some were happy to hear.

He brought out some good points. Da gov reminded lawmakers dat 10 years ago our state wuz hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and wuz devastated to de point dat some national leaders questioned if New Awlins should be rebuilt.  Jindal also reminded dem what wuz dar dat over 1,000 people lost dar lives az a result of de storms.

He pointed to how our state haz come a long way since 2005. He pointed to economic growth in our state and then addressed three areas uf concern to him and the lawmakers. Number one wuz de budget. He pledged to protect higher education and health care while eliminatin’ corporate welfare. He claimed dat would generate $500 million fo our state. You know LABI will fight dat move tooth and nail.

Number two, Jindal wants to fight for education reform, callin’ Common Core an attempt by de federal gubment to control our education system. Dat one may have trouble gettin’ out uf committee.

Number three on his agenda wuz de religious liberty bill filed by Mike Johnson, state representative from Bossier Parish. Now frankly, dis bill mos’ figure iz designed for him to get national attention to our state like dar wuz in Indiana and Arkansas. You wanna shoot economic development in  de head … watch de number uf organizations dat will cancel conventions in New Awlins an’ udder sectionz uf de state.

Dar’s lots uf work to be done by our legislators. But one ting iz for shore … our Southwest Louisiana delegation will be united and have our interests at heart.

 

Keith Makes It Official

Dr. Keith Desonier made it official, announcin’ he wuz runnin’ for state representative from District 36. Dat’s de seat held by House Speaker Chuck Kleckley. Kleckley is termed-out and can’t run dis fall.

Desonier is a fine man who’s been an ear, nose and throat specialist in our area for many years. He’s a prominent figure in his church an’ community. Udders have sed day iz in the race, but no one else haz announced yet. Keith will be hard to beat.

 

A Good Move

Dar wuz an attempt by one uf dem man camp groups to set up a camp on Highway 27 near DeQuincy. To say dat day met wit’ opposition at a public meetin’ about de site  would be puttin’ it mildly. Residents from dat area came out and told de zonin’ committee not no but hell no.

De group wuz heard an’ de company pulled dar request and announced plans to build on Highway 108 east of Highway 27 in Sulphur. Dat makes a lot mo sense. Remember when you are organized az dis group wuz, you can make tings happen.

 

Rain An’ Mo Rain An’ Still Day Came

Me and my wife Sedonia made it to de crawfish boil for District Attorney John DeRosier recently. You may recall dat event wuz scheduled for de day we had 4 inches uf rain in South Lake Charles. Yet folks from trewout de area came out to enjoy great crawfish and to politic. Judgin’ from de great crowd, me, I would say anybody plannin’ to run against DeRosier would be a real cooyon.

 

De Kennedy-Boustany Connection

You’ve probably read or heard dat Treasury Secretary John Kennedy haz decided not to run for governor, but instead to run for treasurer again. Now here we have it again wit’ dis guy. He’s always tinkin’ about runnin’ for some udder office but never does.

But rumors have it he haz a good reason for stayin’ out uf dat race in de fall. Story iz he’s goin’ to support David Vitter for governor. De position of U.S. senator will open up if Vitter wins for governor. And Kennedy iz seein’ a move whar Vitter would see to it dat Kennedy would get de unexpired term, an den run when de election for dat seat comes up again.

But not so fast, John. Our Congressman Charles Boustany iz also supportin’ Vitter, an’ all who know him say he’s got hiz eye on dat U.S. Senate seat. Watch dis governor’s race real careful, folks. Az uf now, Vitter iz leadin’ in de polls an’ de Democrats feel pretty good about dar candidate John Bel Edwards. Maybe dis Kennedy-Boustany ting won’t come to pass if de Democrats pump a buncha money to dar candidate.

 

Port Can Handle La. Ag Products

Me, I wuz watchin’ an ag economist speakin’ to de Baton Rouge Press Club de udder day. John Westra wuz talkin’ about real increases in de production uf some agriculture products in our state. He pointed out dat de forestry production had increased from $2 to $3 billion in 2014. He also pointed out dat beef cattle production wuz way up — you can see dat when you go to de grocery store — and soybean production wuz up even though de price wuz down.

What came to mind iz how dem products an’ udders, like feed grain an’ poultry, can all be shipped out uf our country trew de Port uf Lake Charles.  Lots uf it iz bein’ shipped now. But when de enlargement uf de Panama Canal iz finished, we gonna see a whole bunch mo agricultural products leavin’ from de Port for destinations around de world.

 

Gaz Tax Increase Eyed

Durin’ de Roemer administration, voters were axed to vote for a 4 cent a gallon gasoline tax to help build roads an’ bridges an’ udder vital infrastructure in our state. It wuz called de TIMED Program, TIMED standin’ for Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development. It wuz sold with de pitch line dat de gaz tax bein’ collected at de time wuz bein’ used for stuff udder dan highways, and dat dis tax would be earmarked for roads, bridges and udder stuff.

Dat wuz in 1989. It’s generated  $5.2 billion to DOTD to get some much-needed work done. Plan sounded great.

But az soon az de New Awlins boys got dar projects, which day made sure wuz priority one, day sez day wuzn’t going to pay in any mo. Dat’s when Randy Roach, who had been a state representative when de bill wuz passed, took a little trip to Baton Rouge to have a come to Jesus meetin’ wit’ dat New Awlins bunch. And dat wuz settled. We have four lanes on Highways 171 and 165 and some Port improvements to show for de TIMED tax.

Now a buncha legislators want to raise de gaz tax in our state to attack some much-needed work … or so claim some contractors who would benefit big-time from a gaz tax increase. Right now, we’re payin’ 38 cents; 20 uf it’s federal and 18 is state. And every time de price uf gaz at de pump goes down, legislators want to up de amount we pay for a gallon uf gaz.

An’ yep, dar’s some bills in de hopper already to jack up de tax by 4 cents. Folks would probably vote for it if it were earmarked like de TIMED program. But to just let dat money lay dar would be allowin’ de wolf in de chicken house.

 

Great Baseball An’ Softball Comin’

Some uf de top high school baseball and softball teams in our state are right here in Southwest Louisiana. De one dat stands out dis year iz Sulphur High baseball. Day are ranked No. 1 in de state an’ No. 3 in de nation.

You may recall dat las’ year, Barbe won de state championship an’ wuz crowned national champion az well. Could we maybe see Sulphur doin’ de same dis year?

In any case, we have state tournaments for girls’ softball, wit’ de Fast Pitch 56 State Championships at Frasch Park in Sulphur again dis year. An de’ boys’ state championships at McMurry Park will follow later in May.

Folks, if you want to see future college and possibly pro players in action, we urge you to go out and enjoy dese games.

 

Deep Taughts While Standin’ In Line

10) Why have only one clerk at de Lake Street Post Office when dar are 15 people standin’ in line? Don’t sound like service to me.

9) Who else iz gonna jump in de race for speaker Chuck’s state representative seat?

8) Can de Houston Astros continue dar winnin’ ways?

7) When are day gonna do sometin’ about 18 wheelers turnin’ over at de Opelousas Street Exit?

6) Haz T Claude lost all hiz marbles? He signed up for de Contraband bike races.

5) Why does my brudda-in-law know it all when it comes to boilin’ crawfish?

4) Since Suddenlink cut out some channels, will day cut my bill?

3) How can dem Contraband Days folks keep makin’ dat event bigger and better every year?

2) What am I gonna do now dat my dogs have fallen in love wit’ my crawfish etouffe?

1) Iz de LSU baseball team gonna return to de national championship in Omaha dis year?

 

Final Shot

I axed my fran Lefty if he wanted to go wit’ me to Delta Downs for some prime rib in de Vista Lounge an’ do a little wagerin’ on de ponies. He sed he would love to go, but wuzn’t allowed on de premises. Add anudder one to de list.

‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.

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