TAX FACES UPHILL BATTLE

Pierre Sez Thursday, January 21, 2016 Comments Off on TAX FACES UPHILL BATTLE
TAX FACES UPHILL BATTLE

Befo de holidaze, Mark McMurry, former Police Jury secretary, went befo de jury axin’ dem to place a tax on an April ballot to fund $15 million for de proposed hurricane museum on de lakefront.

Now, when it comes to matters like dis, Mark iz de man to make de pitch. He spoke uf how de tax would be used to not only fund what’s needed for de museum to be built, but also how every museum in de parish would also get a piece uf de pie: a good way to get  folks from surroundin’ areas to vote for de proposal.

But herein lies part uf de problem. Folks dat have no museum (like Moss Bluff) have no interest in votin’ for dis proposal. An’ in udder areas uf de parish, we’ve already heard dat dis museum tax iz a dog dat ain’t gonna hunt.

Folks are sayin’ day ain’t opposed to progress (if dat’s what dis tax iz) but dar are much mo needy issues for us to consider. Take for example drainage an’ roads an’ bridges. Tell dem folks what flood every time it rains dat a museum iz priority one an’ day gonna kick you off dar flooded property.

Now az uf dis writin’, de Police Jury hasn’t yet voted on whedder to put de tax on de April ballot. But if day do, you can bet passin’ de tax will be an uphill battle.

An So De Crusade Begins

De GO Group and Calcasieu Parish police jurors and staff are goin’ around de parish tellin’ folks what de drainage problems uf our parish are an’ what iz bein’ done to fix dem. De parish administrator points out in a press release sent by de GO Group director dat wit’ de growth in our area, we’ve seen an increase in de number uf bidnesses an’ residences an’ dat creates mo floodin’ issues.

Jurors, police jury staff an’ GO Group members will be at dem meetins to show what’s been done in certain areas an’ what’s planned. Folks dat attend will be axed for dar feedback … an’ you can bet dars gonna be plenty uf dat.

Go Group director Karen Clapp points out dat growth in our area must be considered if we are to “proactively shape it.” Me, I say dat developers who build dem bidnesses an’ houses an’ apartment complexes should be accountable for poor drainage dat comes az a result uf dar building.

All uf dis road show iz to set up a tax for us to pay. Me, I say let’s have a developer tax an’ in dat way de folks responsible for de damage due to floodin’ will be responsible for fixin’ de problem. We can take you to subdivisions right now where az you enter from a public road you can hardly see de roofs uf houses on de backside. Unless dar are big pumps gettin’ water outta dat back area, you can bet dem folks are goin’ to flood every time it rains and every time day will get on TV complainin’ about de floodin’ an’ den day will go to police jury meetins to do de same ting.

Although we tink de Go Group/Police Jury meetins iz a good idea, we tink it will take a lot mo dan a few PowerPoint presentations to take care uf our drainage problems. An’ we might add, de Go Group isn’t even addressin’ de road problems in our area already caused by de growth uf de las’ two years.

You Can Fly For Now

In 2005, Congress passed de READ ID Act, which sez you gotta have a passport to fly within de United States. Now folks who fly a lot complained to dar congressmen about it being hard an’ expensive to get a passport to fly in our great country. So de congressmen, always anxious to show dar constituents how they work for dem, got de Dept. uf Homeland Security to grant an extension to states to comply.

So for now your Louisiana driver’s license iz still good to get on a plane to go visit your relatives in Dallas or Phoenix. But be aware dat de day will come when Big Brother will DEMAND dat you present a passport to fly. Me, I vowed de las’ time I flew an’ day made me take off my shoes and charged me for my luggage to never fly again.

Appointments Kept Quiet

In our state, it’s always been customary dat appointees uf de governor to different positions iz directly related to who supported him or her in dar race. Now our area iz full uf Jindal appointees who are no doubt waitin’ for a letter or phone call from Gov. John Bel Edwards tellin’ dem dat dar services will no longer be needed, while at de same time big Edwards supporters are gettin’ good news. Call it what you want, but it’s downright political patronage, as Huey Long used to call it.

LSU boad members, Wildlife and Fisheries boad members and many udders go to big donors. Sometimes relatives uf de big donors get de best piece uf de pie. But dis time around, it’s a lot mo dan jus’ de governor who gets to hand out de goodies. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser an’ Attorney General Jeff Landry will also get to hand out political patronage jobs to dar supporters.

All dis, uf course, happens az members uf our Legislature battle wit’ mo money problems dan you can shake a stick at. T-Claude, him wuz hopin’ to get appointed to de state watermelon boad. After all, he did trow a watermelon party for Edwards durin’ de campaign. He wuz disappointed when I told him dem appointments wuz handed out to folks who gave a different kinda green.

Could He Be A One Termer???

Even befo he wuz swon in, John Bel Edwards wuz talkin’ uf taxes. Now he didn’t say “taxes” himself, but instead sent hiz Commissioner uf Administration Jay Dardenne to talk to de media about taxes.

Here’s the numbers, folks: a $1 billion shortfall before June 30 and a $1.9 billion shortfall for de fiscal year beginning July 1.

Dardemne, who himself will knock down $243,000 dis year, iz quick to point out dat revenue in de form uf oil an’ gas taxes an’ bidness taxes is down. He sez only so much can be cut, but taxes are gonna be necessary.

Now here’s a Democratic administration facin’ a whole buncha Republican legislators who are none too happy about some appointments Edwards haz already made; plus teachers unions who keep remindin’ him day supported him; an’ a whole buncha udder folks who are at de public trough.

Edwin Edwards complained when Big John McKeithen left him a $300,000 debt. John Bel haz a whole buncha mo money problems facin’ him.  If he expands Medicaid az he promised he would do, you gonna see an even bigger hole in de state’s wallet. Can you say “one-termer”?

Amazin’ Grace Will Be Missed

We were saddened to learn uf de recent passin’ uf long-time community leader Grace Savoie. She was involved in so many organizations dat helped de senior citizens uf our area. She wuz active in her church, Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

She an’ her husband Garfield had seven children, includin’ Appeals Court Judge Kent Savoie an’ Dr. Joe Savoie, president of de University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Grace wuz 96. She will be remembered by many she knew and served.

Jeff Davis Crime Alarmin’

We continue to read an’ hear about crime in Jeff Davis Parish. Just recently, we learned uf an arrest in a murder-for-hire case. Regularly we hear uf  drug arrests for hard drugs like heroin.

Now folks, Jeff Davis Parish iz not a big parish, an’ we have to admit a lot uf de crime is bein’ committed by folks from outside de parish. We hope a new jail will help put a stop to some uf de crime.

Deep Taughts While Watchin’ Mo Football Dan Should Be Allowed By Law

10) Ain’t it great we have such a big Mardi Gras right here in Southwest Louisiana?

9) Does Kinder plan to continue winnin’ state championships in football and baseball?

8) Can de Carolina Panthers win it all?

7) When will crawfish get big enough for me to trow a boil for my franz?

6) Will our area legislators vote for mo taxes?

5) Why all dem weight loss commercials on TV?

4) Will de Saints make some coachin’ and player changes?

3) Will de Astros make de playoffs again dis year?

2) Can de LSU Tigers basketball team keep on winnin’?

1) How come we couldn’t ring cowbells for de McNeese playoff game but Miss. State could in de Sugar Bowl?

Final Shot

My fran Lefty sez his New Year’s resolution iz to learn to shoot straight so he don’t miss big bucks like he did twice dis year.  I reminded him dat he’s had de same resolution for de last 10 years. He told me I really knew how to hurt a guy. I told him I only spoke de truth … an’ he wuz quick to ax if tellin’ de truth wuz my resolution. Boy, does he know how to hurt a guy.

‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.

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