Folks dat have lived in dis area for a while know politics in Westlake haz always been like a cage full uf bobcats. Dem what iz in office ain’t got enough uf a vote to really flex dar muscles, and dem what iz out uf office have enough uf a voice to stir up tings at meetins an’ in de media.
Take for example de case uf de Chief City Administrator Lonnie Smart. Yet annuder group uf so-called concerned citizens has gone to de D.A.’s office wit’ some claims against Smart. An’ uf course, day made shore de American Press wuz made aware uf it so day could write a story about dar meetin’ wit de D.A.
Now folks, Smart haz been cleared in three separate previous investigations by de sheriff’s office, de D.A.’s office and de legislative auditor. An’ now here comes some folks who want yet anudder investigation.
Yes, me and Lonnie have been friends for a long time … but dis to me iz jus’ petty politics by dem what didn’t win in de las’ election. Enough iz enough wit’ Lonnie bein’ falsely accused.
Meantime dar are elections for mayor, city council and police chief goin on’. One uf de big issues in de mayor’s race iz de choice uf a new clubhouse for de golf course or a new police command station. In a recent debate between candidates for mayor Bob Hardy and council member Lori Peterson Manuel, Manuel stated dat given de choice, she would go for de police command station.
All we know iz dat dar wuz lots uf hopes for de national golf course and de council haz been tryin’ to get a clubhouse built, but money iz a real issue. Golf courses aren’t de hot money maker day used to be, and we’ve seen two area courses close in de las’ year. So de question uf need an’ return on investment haz to be posed here.
Politickin’ In Full Swing
Wit’ de elections set for Nov. 4, politickin’ iz in full swing. You can’t ride around witout seein’ school boad an’ district an’ city judge signs. You can’t turn on your TV witout seein’ U.S. Senate advertizements, and you shore can’t drive on de major streets in our area witout seein’ signs for de candidates.
De sign companies an’ TV stations are makin’ lots uf money off dis election an’ will make a whole lot mo between now an’ Nov. 4.
But now dar’s a new source uf advertisin’ I never thought I would see … drop-ins on de internet for senator and some uf de judges. Can’t day just leave me alone, at lease while I’m at my computer?
Post office ain’t gonna be left out uf de game. Az de election gets closer, your mail box will become loaded wit’ mailouts every day.
Jus wish I would have a little bit uf dat money dem folks are spendin’. In many cases, dar spendin’ a lot mo dan dem jobs pay. But dat’s Louisiana politics.
Here are a few corrections to de school boad races we ran trew in de las’ issue. District 6 iz what Debbie Theriot, Ted Atterberry, Gino Lubrano and Dean Roberts is in … not District 8. An’ District 12 boad member Joe Andrepont did not resign. He simply chose not to run again, an’ will be present at de next few meetings until de new boad takes over. Sorry for de errors.
Benoit Back Home
Like lots uf folks, we wuz glad to see Jennings policeman Ricky Benoit gettin’ back home afta bein’ shot in de line uf duty several months ago. It wuz an emotional day for family members an’ friends an’ Benoit az well.
He’s made a lot uf improvements since being hospitalized, and now he will continue his recovery at home.
Now we all know someone who is in law enforcement, and it’s incidents like dis dat remind us all dar iz a human bein’ behind dat badge an’ dat person haz a family to support an’ a life outside uf law enforcement. When day give you a ticket, day are jus’ doin’ dar job. Day didn’t write de law about speed limits.
Good luck, Ricky. Hope to see you back on a motorcycle real soon.
Dar’s Sometin’ About Dat Word ‘Grant’!!!
De Port uf Lake Charles jus’ announced de federal gubment had given it a $10 million grant. Now to me, a grant iz when a student iz given a scholarship for makin’ good grades. But dis federal grant iz nuttin’ mo dan our tax money comin’ back to our area less an administrative fee from dem bureaucrats in Washington uf about 50 percent. So dat “grant” probably cost de taxpayers about $15 million.
Now me, I’m glad we got de money instead uf somebody else. But it still gives me de choo rouge when day, and by day I mean dem federal gubment folks, call a press conference to announce a grant.
Ya Gotta Be Kiddin’ Me
A recent article in de papers showed dat de big money iz rollin’ in for de U.S. Senate race. Durin’ de latest election cycle, however long dat iz, Landrieu haz raised $14.1 million, Cassidy haz gotten $8.6 million and Tea Party candidate Rob Maness haz gotten $1.3 million.
Now, what haz made de news lately iz dat Landrieu wuz goin’ around attendin’ campaign fundraisers an’ billin’ de gubment — dat’s me an’ you; de taxpayers — for it. She ordered an investigation and paid what to her iz a small amount. She claimed it was an oversight.
Let’s me an’ you tell dat to de IRS when day start axin’ how you got or spent some money. See what happens.
Oh, Those Darn Amendments
When we vote in November, dar will be 14 amendments to vote on. Now some uf dem would be good an’ udders not so good for de taxpayers. One ting iz for shore, considerin’ how folks who vote have gotten a lot mo learnin’ about politics in our state de las’ few years, you can bet we will have mo informed voters in dis election.
We’re Loaded For Bear … Or Ducks … Or Wild Hogs … Or …
A recent report on de percentage uf de population wit’ firearms by counties (parishes) had some Texans scratchin’ dar ammo bags.
De list showed nearly 50 percent uf de residents uf de Fairbanks borough uf Alaska have guns.
Several from our state made de list. Rapides wuz No. 5 wit’ 52 percent, Terrebonne had 47.9 percent an’ ranked 17 in de country. Ouachita wuz at 18 and we in Calcasieu wuz No. 21 in the country, wit’ 46.4 percent ownin’ firearms.
Not a single county in Texas wuz in de Top 25. Wonder why. Maybe day jus’ ain’t talkin’.
I can understand de high numbers for Rapides an’ Ouachita, wit’ all de deer an’ duck huntin’ dat goes on dar. I can understand Calcasieu for all de deer hunters dat go to Texas an’ North La. But what I can’t understand is Terrebonne. Guess day mus’ shoot dar fish.
McNeese On De Map Now
Me, I have a niece who lives in Nebraska an’ wuz basically tauntin’ me about how de Cornhuskers wuz gonna booray McNeese by three touchdowns or mo. Well, de Huskers fount out right away dat dem boys from dat small school somewhares in Louisiana had come to play.
Almos’ does count sometimes, an’ it did in dis case. Dar were national mentions on college scoreboard shows, tons uf newspaper coverage an’ even mentions on de NFL broadcast de next day. Ya can’t buy dat kind uf publicity.
Now de Cowboys are lookin’ real good, so let’s get out an’ support dem at home an’ on de road. An’ be shore to wear your yeller an’ blue.
Jus’ wish our area stores would carry MSU gear. Now I know we’ve been through this before, but it angers me dat I see stores dat make dar money off de local folks sellin’ LSU, ULL an’ even some Lamar gear, but not MSU’s. Dar’s got to be a way to fix dis.
Deep Taughts While Listenin’ To KBYS — McNeese Radio
10) Ain’t it great to have our own area public radio station?
9) Will de Saints get it goin’ or jus’ trow in de towel early?
8) Iz dis great gumbo weather or what?
7) Who will be de top spender in dem school boad races?
6) Me an’ Jude Theriot doin’ a TV cookin’ show called Two Coonasses an’ a Black Pot — good idea or not?
5) Why do day keep comin’ out wit’ dem new cell phones an’ now a cell watch?
4) Why can’t my no-good brudda-in-law keep a job?
3) Why don’t our TV an’ radio stations record all de “political experts” at KD’s?
2) Does Mary Landrieu really live wit’ her daddy in New Awlins?
1) Ya tink all dem Saints executives an’ coach Sean Payton ain’t smilin’ at what de media iz doin’ to NFL commissioner Roger Goodel?
Final Shot
I axed my fran Lefty if he had heard dat new album with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga called Cheek to Cheek. Lefty, who philosophizes real good, had had six or more Budweisers by my count. He sed he knew Bennett had left hiz heart in San Francisco, but he axed of Lady Gaga, “did she leave hers in Morganza?” Me, dat’s what I like about Lefty — his knowledge uf music … or iz it Louisiana geography?
‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.
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