In de previous issue, we told you about a pipeline dat will start in Nederland and end up at a refinery in St. James Parish. Now, dem kinda proposals usta get rubber stamp-type OKs in our state.
But over de years, farmers, fishermen and crawfish growers have become a little gun shy about de promises made by dem slick advertisin agencies an public relation firms dat invade a target area. Day buy a buncha advertisin from de local media an get some well-known public officials to stand up and make rah-rah speeches for dar project.
Dis iz exactly what iz happenin’ wit dis proposed Bayou Bridge pipeline proposal. De Dallas ad agency iz buyin full-page ads in local papers, tellin folks how millions will be paid out to local folks, an jus how many tousands uf folks day gonna hire. (Day don’t tell you dat only 12 employees will be workin on dis pipeline once it’s completed.)
De Dallas ad agency had better get a lesson in Louisiana geography, az day advertised a public meeting in Napoleonville in de American Press. Oops.
Meantime, we are startin to see letters to de editor in local papers tellin folks how great dis pipeline iz gonna be for dis area.
De Calcasieu Parish Police Jury jumped on de bandwagon at what can only be called a really, really bad time. Though de vote wuz unanimous for de pipeline, dar wuz some jurors who expressed concern over some sites being abandoned by pipeline companies in our parish. An uf course, de udder members uf de jury wuz quick to chant de most used phrase at jury meetings: “economic development.”
De day after dis vote, a huge fire erupted at de St. James plant where dis transported oil iz to go.
But it looks like even police jurors are startin to ax questions about dem projects comin trew our area — damagin de environment an promisin, but not deliverin — clean-ups. It’s time for de DEQ to hold dem companies’ feets to de fire.
But we all know de oil an gaz bidness is one uf de mos powerful lobbies in our state. So you can bet de pipeline will be approved an de oil an gaz boys will be happy, too.
Sometin’s Happenin’ To De Y … Finally
Like a lotta udder folks, I wuz very sad to see how much uf a lickin de downtown YMCA took when hurricane Rita hit it in 2005. But like a lotta udders, I wuz hopeful it would be fixed and ready to go again in a few years.
Over eleven years later, tings are finally startin to happen at de Y. De Kirby Street Center for Community Enrichment haz donated de buidlin to de local Boys Scouts.
Now anyone who knows anyting about carpentry knows you gonna have a whole lotta problems in a buildin dat hazn’t had anybody in it for 12 years. But like in mos cities, Boys Scouts are usually supported by money folks. An we are confident dat money will come from de scouts.
But we all need to contribute when called on. An you can bet you will be called on to make dis renovation happen.
Now some may ask why dis transfer didn’t take place years ago. I can answer dat one. Shortly after Rita, dar wuz some money available to revamp buildins like de Y. But politics entered into de picture, an no effort wuz ever made to get some uf dat money. Fast forward to 2017, an dem political people no longer have clout in our area, an we can now envision a fine buildin dat we will all be proud uf.
Enough Already
Gov. John John Edwards boorayed to de legislators recently about needin mo money an axin dem to tap into de rainin day fund.
It doesn’t look like much will be done in de 10-day session except spend mo money de state doesn’t have. So de political can will just be kicked down de road to de April regular session.
Folks are gettin tired uf dar representative an senators goin to Baton Rouge an leavin us in a worse financial shape dan when day got dar for de beginnin uf de session.
Now Republicans can blame Democrats an vice versa all day long. It’s time for dem boys to put dar big boy pants on an attack our money issue.
Dis 1-cent sales tax haz really hurt some folks, an day are gonna be ready for dem legislators next election. Well, here’s some news for dem legislators … you weren’t elected for life, an if you get beat cause you voted for some major changes, den so be it. But get off de pot an do sometin to fix our state’s money problems.
Landry-Edwards Fight Continues
It’s no shocker dat State Attorney General Jeff Landry an Gov. John John Edwards aren’t fishin buddies. In fact, jus a few days after de las election, Landry let it be known dat he wuz comin afta Edwards, an would be runnin in 2019.
But for now, de battle royale (dat’s a pro rasslin term) iz over de $6 million Edwards wants to cut from de Landry budget uf $72 million. Edwards wants to take money from an escrow account he sez Landry should have.
Landry iz quick to say de cuts would keep him from targetin child pornographers, fightin pro-abortion moves, etc.
Expect mo uf dis for several years. Landry ain’t goin away, an Edwards iz buildin a big war chest already. Ain’t politics in our state great?
Spring Sports Swingin In Our Area
We’ve got high school and college basketball, and college baseball and softball iz gettin cranked up. We have some really good girls high school basketball teams in our area, especially in Barbe and Sam Houston. We have some great boys basketball teams in Washington-Marion and others. So watch de playoffs an support your favorite.
Meantime, baseball and softball are kickin off. McNeese baseball should be great, an de softball team could be ranked nationally before it’s all over. De LSU baseball team ain’t exactly sometin to sneeze at.
Sad to say, former Barbe standout Bryce Jordan will be out for de season after sufferin a knee injury durin a scrimmage. Watchin Bryce an his twin Beau haz always been fun for me when goin to LSU games. Bryce was de Most Valuable Player uf de Brewster Whitecaps in de Cape Cod Baseball League. Now folks, if you can play wit dem boys you ain’t chopped liver.
We wish Bryce a speedy recovery, an we wish all our area teams and college teams only de best.
Who Iz De Boss?
Wit Jindal gone an John John leadin de Democratic charge, one haz to wonder if de Republican Party can hold on to de clout it once had in our state.
Kennedy replacin Vitter was a washout. Now Kennedy may gain a little clout afta he’s in de Senate for a while an haz a few favors owed to him from hiz fellow senators.
Higgins iz probably lookin at de same situation. He iz also a Republican, which also helps as long az you have a Republican Congress an a Republican president.
Our state had gained some Republican clout when Cassidy beat Landrieu. All in all, it will take a few years to see if de Republicans still have power in our state.
Deep Taughts
10) Can de Barbe girls basketball team make it all de way to de state finals?
9) Will my wife Sedonia give me a Bass Pro Shop gift card for my birthday?
8) Why is it I find out I’m de cook when I arrive at a crawfish boil I’m invited to?
7) Why does my heart doctor ax me if I’ve been eatin cracklins every time I go
for an appointment?
6) Will de McNeese an LSU basketball coaches keep dar jobs afta dis season iz ova?
5) How can my lawyer charge me $100 for bein on hold on de phone for a half hour?
4) Traffic seems to have doubled here in de last year. Where’s de Go Zone
infrastructure?
3) Who stole all my corn soup off my stove?
2) Who will make de run-offs in dem Lake Charles City Council races?
1) Will Sedonia let me buy one uf dem high-falutin mowers so I can cut grass dis spring?
Final Shot
I axed my fran Lefty where hiz son, T-Brud, wuz gonna go to college next year. He sed T-Brud wuz lookin for a school where day offered courses in guidin duck hunts an huntin alligators. I told Lefty I didn’t tink day had a school like dat. Lefty sed if day could offer a degree in fishin like day do at Southeastern in Hammond, den dars bound to be a school for gator huntin an duck guidin. So, half-way jokin, I sed T-Brud should try Kaplan University. Lefty sed T-Brud had already tried Kaplan University an Gueydan Tech. Somehow, I get de feelin T-Brud isn’t gonna do too well in college.
‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.
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