So dis fran just returned from a tour of France (mostly to drink different kindza wines) an’ he came back wit’ pictures an’ dis idea uf a buncha lakefront restaurants. Folks could come by boat or car an’ enjoy good food from great restaurants. Sounds pretty good, don’ u think?
Well, firs’ uf all, de city would have to appoint a lakefront restaurant commission. Den de board uf health an’ de city inspector would have to sign off on it. Next, we would have de state boys come in wit’ dar tick book uf rules and regulations. Next, we would have to get a riverfront director … a political appointee who would make more dan de governor. An’ de list goes on an’ on.
But it would be a great idea for dat eyesore dat iz known as de Ol’ Harrah’s. If de right money people would get behind dis lakefront restaurant idea, imagine what better impression uf our city folks comin’ over de I-10 bridge would have uf us.
De garage haz to go, an’ sometin’ haz to be done wit’ de empty property. Don’t tink it will work? Jus’ talk to folks goin’ to eat at de Lake Area casinos without even steppin’ into de gamblin’ area. Me, I’ll have de red snapper wit’ a seafood topping.
It’s About Over
“Lame duck” is a political term used to describe a politician’s las’ term, where he or she doesn’t give a hoot an’ very little is done. Our lame duck legislative group finishes up June 11. So, dependin’ when you readin’ dis, de session will be over or close to over.
What haz been done iz still anybody’s guess. We’ll have a wrap-up uf what wuz passed an’ what lame-duck Gov. Jindal decided to veto when you read our next column on June 18.
De Chamber Southwest usually haz a little pow wow session where legislators tell us what kinda bacon day got for our corner uf de state. Me, I’m always interested in roads and bridges, cause dat’s what brings folks to an area to build and grow dar bidnesses.
However, since dis iz a lame duck governor wit’ lots uf term-limited legislators, you can bet dar won’t be any earth-shatterin’ changes to what we have seen goin’ back to de Foster administration.
Brown Fires At State Gubment
In hiz recent weekly blog, former insurance commissioner Jim Brown lashed out at what’s wrong wit’ de gubment uf our state. Unlike Treasury Sec. John Kennedy, he offered a solution on how to fix it.
Brown sez 50 years ago, da Who had a song called “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Some uf you may remember it. An’ de song ends with “meet de new boss … same az de old boss.”
Brown sez dat’s what we gonna have in de governor’s election wit’ any uf de announced candidates winnin’. Wit’ a Republican, we will see more time spent on national issues dat have been or will be settled by federal courts … issues like same-sex marriage, abortion, legalizing marijuana, etc.
How to fix de mess in our state? Here’s hiz solution. 1) Call a constitutional convention to rewrite laws dat are hurtin’ our state. 2) Look at all tax plans an’ change what’s not benefittin’ our state. 3) Revamp higher education. He claims dat despite all de money we spend on higher education, we don’t have one — not one — Top 10 university in dis state. He also talks about classes being taught by grad students and non-tenured professors.
On education, Brown says we should stick to John White an’ what he says on Common Core. On health care, we should take de feds’ money and run.
Now, Brown shoots straight an always haz. Maybe we should get a guy like him to run for de mansion — a feller who would do de tings mentioned in hiz blog. Dat way we won’t get fooled again.
Political Footballin’ In Higher Ed
Some legislators are mad at de boads uf higher education (notice I sed “boads” … dar are three). De lawmakers are mad because day say de laws are being ignored by de boads when it comes to admittin’ students wit’ low grades.
Folks, we’ve sed for years dat college in our state iz a recipe for failure. Kids who don’t belong in college choose to go because dar girlfriends or boyfriends are goin’ to a particular school; dar mama an’ daddy want dem to go; or because it’s cool an’ day will get to hang out wit’ dar friends. Nine months later, day have flunked out an’ day owe money bigtime for student loans an’ udder expenses.
Back to de legislators, who want to tell de different boads what to do. De boads iz havin’ none uf it. Ain’t politics in education wonderful in our state?
Protect Da Black Bear
You may have recently heard stories about Wildlife and Fisheries folks takin’ de black bear off de endangered species list in our state. At a public ceremony, day trew out all sorts uf numbers on de increase in de number uf bears in our state.
What de DWF didn’t say wuz de number uf poachers in our state. Talk to any real enforcement agent, and he’ll tell you story afta story about poachers. An’ you know day will be goin ‘after de fur from de bears. Mark my word — in five years, I can say I told you so.
College Teams Made La. Proud
Both de LSU and ULL baseball and softball teams did Louisiana proud in post-season playoffs. De baseball teams are loaded with Lake Area talent. LSU haz Jordon and Jerod Foster from Barbe. ULL haz one uf de top shortstops in de country in Blake Leger from Kinder as well as Stefan Trosclair from Sulphur and Gunner Leger from Barbe; future superstar Kennon Fontenot from Barbe; an’ former Sam Houston standout Evan Powell.
The LSU softball team includes former Sam Houston standout Baylee Corbello. Dar’s lots uf talent from dis area going elsewhere. An’ de migration will continue for at leas’ anudder year, az high school players choose LSU, ULL and Mississippi State.
Why not McNeese? Maybe we should have former coaches Tony Robicheaux, now at ULL, and Mike Bianco, now at Ole Miss. Remember, local players will bring local crowds, which will mean more money to build better facilities, which will mean more talent. And who knows, maybe some day we’ll see McNeese in de College World Series like LSU and ULL. So support blue and gold.
Way To Geaux, Reed
For dem uf you what don’t know, de Community Foundation wuz started in 2000 to help make tings better in our area.
De foundation recently presented my good fran Reed Mendelson its first Professional Advisor Award. Now Reed, who iz wit’ Ameriprise Financial, iz a big supporter uf de foundation an’ udder institutions, like McNeese University. We need more people like Reed to step forward to make a difference in our area. Congratulations to Reed — an’ to de res uf you who can, open your wallets an’ help Southwest Louisiana.
Better Cable Service?????
It wuz announced recently dat Altice, a French company, had bought a 70 percent share uf Suddenlink for $9.1 billion. Now Suddenlink iz de seventh largest cable provider in de US. Altice iz big in Europe, an’ rumors had it dat day wuz interested in buyin’ Time Warner.
Now, de question we are all axin’ iz what will dat do to our cable bill? Firs’ uf all, de regulators have to OK dis sale. Dat means de deal will probably not be final until de end uf de year. An’ if Time Warner iz trown into de mix, it will be even longer. Watch your cable bill, folks.
Billy Will Be Missed
We join wit’ all uf Southwest Louisiana an’ beyond in mournin’ de death uf local attorney Billy Baggett. Now Billy wuz a lot more dan jus a first-class attorney. He wuz a football star at LSU, and even played on de old Dallas Texans football team. He an’ hiz law firm Baggett McCall gave huge amounts to a variety uf charities in our area. Rest in peace, Billy.
Deep Taughts While Watchin’ College Baseball
10) Have dar ever been more rain delays in college playoffs?
9) How come ESPN don’t give de Astros de coverage a first-place team deserves?
8) Increases in college fees and driver license fees … how iz dat not a tax?
7) When iz T Claude gonna do dat shrimp boil he promised?
6) How did I let myself be dragged to Baton Rouge to a Taylor Swift concert?
5) Ain’t it great dat KPLC haz all dem ways uf lettin’ you know when bad weather iz comin’?
4) Iz everyting gonna work out for a 4th uf July trip to see de Astros?
3) Since a French company bought Suddenlink, will all de programs be in French now?
2) Will de tax for City uf Lake Charles employees pass?
1) When iz de Jindal goin’ away party?
Final Shot
Lefty went to Downtown at Sundown an’ wanted to sing wit Jo-El Sonnier. De police who hauled him off called him by hiz first name. Guess day knew him.
‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.
Comments are closed.