What Happens Now?

Pierre Sez Thursday, May 18, 2017 Comments Off on What Happens Now?
What Happens Now?

The recent race for mayor of Lake Charles was de topic uf conversation for weeks at KD’s, my favorite mornin hangout. Now de topic iz who will complete de trifecta … police chief and city attorney.

Let’s visit de elections one las time. From de start, it wuz figured Nic Hunter would lead, an it would be a question uf who would stay wit him in de run-off. Afta qualifyin, mos figured de run-off would be Hunter, wit Carter representin old North Lake Charles an Marshall Simien representin de new North Lake Charles.

Carter eked out de second spot by a nose. People from trewout de city complained about de very low voter turnout uf only 30 percent.

Den de real race wuz on. Carter had Rev. Sam Tolbert, North Lake Charles’ political guru, in hiz corner, an Hunter had a very well-funded campaign. Voter turnout wuz much better for round two, wit 46 percent votin.

Hunter won wit 12,267 votes, or 56 percent. Both candidates did a good job on dar interviews on KPLC. Carter pointed out de turnout wuz still low, an we agree. Hunter thanked hiz workers an explained hiz plans to get ready to take office on July 1. He’ll replace Randy Roach, who had de job 17 years.

De question iz, who’ll be de new police chief an de new city attorney? If you want to hear debates on da positions, all you gotta do is visit KD’s any weekday morning. De political senior citizens will give you an ear-full.

We congratulate both Carter and Hunter for runnin good, clean campaigns. We wish Carter de bes uf luck at Mallard Cove Golf Course an Nic de bes at City Hall.

Council Races Had Folks Nervous

Along wit a new mayor, de city will have one new City Council member. Johnnie Thibodeaux defeated Rick McClain wit 75 percent uf de vote, an will replace Dana Carl Jackon on de City Council for District F. Jackson chose not to run for re-election, an instead to run for mayor, an got only 8 percent. Bet he wishes he woulda run for council.

Johnnie iz a former McNeese quarterback an a real energetic feller. We know he will do well. Incumbent Luvertha August won reelection by one vote over Nicole Moncrief: 1,189 to 1,188. We would tink we will hear from Moncrief in years to come.

Incumbent Rodney Geyen iz back in for anudder term in a race dat wuz tighter dan many expected. He beat Eric Doshier 55 to 45 percent. Mary Morris will continue az District A council member since local attorney Ron Richard pulled out uf de runoff.

We know all de council members will work wit de new mayor to make our whole area continue to grow an go.

New MSU President Should Do Big Tings

De appointment uf Dr. Daryl Burkel as president at McNeese should mean good tings for de school an de community. Burkel haz de political savvy to get de money McNeese needs. We know he will do hiz best to improve de enrollment.

Like de new mayor, Burkel takes office July 1. It’s not clear if and when he’ll step down az a member uf de Port Boad, uf which he’s now president.

De process for hirin de new president saw a lotta good names come forward. An we saw hard work on de part uf de selection committee to give MSU de best choice possible.

Trowin Good Money Afta Bad

My good fran Mike Jones writes a popular column in de American Press about tings dat happened 10, 25 an 50 years ago. Sad to say, I can remember some uf de 50-years-ago stuff.

But recently, he had an article from 10 years ago about how Hodges Gardens wuz gettin set to reopen az a state park — wit state fundin uf course.

Now we all know de garden area hotel an golf course have had bigtime problems. But dat doesn’t keep our legislators from once again considerin trowin mo money at de dead pony.

De numbers tell you dat folks travelin north use I-49 instead uf Highway 171. An it becomes a numbers game: fewer travelers, fewer visitors; an fewer visitors means less money comin in. Also, folks in our area now have beautiful gardens az close az Orange an Beaumont, so why would day want to head north? But dat doesn’t bodder de legislators, who still want to put money into dis “state park.”

Now, my fran Max iz always afta me about claimin our lawmakers both state an national need to bring home de bacon. Yes, I admit I do call for bringin home de bacon. But only when it benefits de area. Dis Hodges Gardens ting iz a bottomless pit.

Now, Here’s One Dat Works

Just de opposite uf de garden dat no one goes to iz de high school championships in baseball, softball and swimmin in Sulphur an de basketball championship in Lake Charles. Grandmas an grandpas come to our area to watch grandsons an granddaughters play in state championship games. An day spend money on hotels, restaurants an shops an buy gasoline, etc.

Tourism accounts for $400 million in revenue in our area. We can tank folks from Sulphur from years ago who had de vision uf Fast Pitch 56 softball an built de finest softball fields around. An dat just grew wit baseball fields at McMurry Park, de likes uf which many colleges would like to have. An, uf course, some uf de best swimmin in de country can be found at Sulphur Park and Recreation swimmin pool.

An all uf dis had to be sold by Shelley an de crew at de Southwest Louisiana Convention an Visitors Bureau. Workin together, folks from our area make high school sports generate a whole buncha pollution-free economic growth to our area every year.

Put It To A Vote Uf Dem Who’s Gonna Pay It

De Los Angeles Times reported dat Gov. Jerry Brown haz signed a bill dat will increase tax on a gallon uf gaz by 12 cents an a gallon uf diesel by 20 cents. Dis tax will mean $52 billion over de next 10 years for roads an bridges.

Now dar’s already widespread opposition to de tax, an lawsuits have been filed. Jus like in our state, it’s not dat folks don’t want to pay mo gaz tax. Day jus wanna make shore de money goes to buildin bridges an fixin roads an not pet projects.

In our Legislature right now, dar are seven different bills dealin wit gasoline tax. But citizens are fightin back by writin letters an callin dar legislators an tellin dem, “hell no!”

We all know about de State Police Retirement Fund gettin money out uf de gasoline tax in recent years. Dis iz de kind uf slush funding folks in our state an folks in California remember way too well.

We say let de legislators decide on an amount, den let de voters decide. An let de penalties for dippin into dat highway money be extreme.

Oh, It’s Happenin, Sweetheart!

Me, I like dat commercial where dis feller iz pullin hiz hair while lookin at hiz car dat haz had all four wheels stolen, an he says “I can’t believe this is happenin.” An de ole man in a restaurant apron yells, ”Oh, it’s happenin, sweetheart,” an den he kinda laughs.

Wit dat in mind, let’s look at Cheniere in Cameron Parish. Wit a construction cost of $20 billion, it’s de largest industrial investment in de United States. Driftwood LNG, at a cost uf $14 billion, will start construction within a year; an dat will be the second largest investment ever.

De Driftwood project will be located in de area uf Burton Shipyard Road an Highway 27 South. Yes, dar will be more traffic problems, but dar will be 5,400 mo jobs. Thanks to DOTD for widenin Highway 27 so folks an workers can get to dar jobs.

Deep Taughts While Peelin Crawfish Tails

10) Ain’t it great both de McNeese baseball an softball teams made de play-offs?

9) Who’s gonna replace Dr. Burkel on de Port Boad, an who will be de new boad

president?

8) When are our state legislators goin to get off dar cans an do sometin about our

roads & bridges?

7) T-Claude iz plannin a bus trip to Houston to see de Spurs an Rockets.

Will he invite me?

6) How many baseball players from our state colleges are gonna make it to de

majors?

5) Gov. Edwards had his tax package pulled. Whar is de leadership in de

Legislature?

4) How iz dat NFL draft gonna work for de Saints?

3) Who will Nic appoint police chief an city attorney?

2) Will we see Dana Jackson runnin for udder offices in de future?

1) Ain’t de line-up for Downtown at Sundown jus fantastic?

Final Shot

Lefty got invited by some frans to go fishin at Toledo Bend. He drank too much giggle juice, an put de moves on dis young lady who happened to be de wife uf one uf de biggest guys in de group. Lefty don’t look too good afta bein worked over wit a fly rod.

‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.

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