ANUDDER TAX???

For de las’ year, we’ve heard a whole bunch about de proposed Hurricane Museum on de Lakefront.  An’ we’ve seen lots uf folks an’ companies posin’ for newspaper pictures wit’ big checks made out to de museum. We’ve all gotten mail axin’ for donations.

From all money sources — big donors and gubments and locals — de project folks have raised $42 million. But museum folks say dat ain’t enough, so dey went to de Police Jury recently, axin’ for a property tax uf 1.5 mil parishwide to raise de additional $15 million museum folks said day need to build de facility.

De first presentation to de Police Jury axin’ dem for de tax in April wuz pretty slick. De secretary uf de museum an’ former Police Jury secretary Mark McMurry spoke to jurors. Now, Mark had a whole lotta clout when he wuz wit’ de Jury an’ he still haz a lot uf clout wit de Jury an’ community.

De three jurors who spoke after de presentation called dis project de greatest ting since sliced bread, so you can see de Jury will have no problem voting Yes to put de tax on de April ballot.

Now, dem folks what are on de museum boad are not a buncha cooyons. In order to give a little kick to de proposed vote, day claimed dat some revenue from de tax would also go to area museums like de DeQuincy Railroad, Imperial Calcasieu, Sulphur Brimstone and Children’s Museum an’ udders. In udder words, put enough groups in de tax package so all dem folks from dem udder museums will vote for de tax. De long an’ short uf it iz give az many folks az possible a reason to vote for de tax.

Now here iz de Police Jury facin’ a whole buncha problems wit’ drainage an’ roads lookin’ at a tax uf dis kind. Me, I tink despite de efforts uf some very influential folks in our area, dis tax ain’t gonna pass. Many question de need for de museum. Some I have talked to question de proposed location; others question de amount uf revenue dat will be generated; an’ still udders say day have enough taxes on dar property tax bill already.

My buddy Max sez New Awlins iz really drawin’ wit’ de World War II Museum. My answer iz, dat’s like comparin’ lobster to crawfish.

Upscale Housin’ Comin’?

KPLC ran a story de udder day about de proposed buildin’ uf 30 upscale houses in downtown Lake Charles. De development will be called Charpentier Place. De houses would be located at de corner uf Mill an’ Hodges an extend all de way to Division.

De price on de houses would range from $225,000 to $350,000. Bret Ellis, de developer, wuz on film sayin’ folks who lived in dem houses an’ worked downtown would be able to walk to work.

Ellis haz gotten approval from some agencies, an’ in de next few weeks will make presentations to udder groups.

Now, we tink dis iz somethin’ dat would be good for de downtown area. But at de same time, we ax what haz happened to de old Sears project whar de fella wuz gonna build apartments an’ shops on de property?

Now me, I can tell you de downtown area haz grown big-time in de last year, an’ I can bet you it will continue to grow. I tol’ a fran recently dat because uf de growth in our area, old timers like me won’t recognize dis area in five years. I only mention dis to say to developers in dis area and out uf town dat de time is now.

Happy Trails, Coach V

Now coach Matt Viator, who is takin’ de head coach job at UL-Monroe, haz done a great deal to bring McNeese football back into de forefront uf FCS schools trewout de country. He’s tied wit’ Bobby Keasler for most wins at McNeese and wuz 10-0 dis season.

For all dat, he’s earning $150 grand a year, which is chicken feed in dis day uf multi-million dollar contracts for coaches. When he goes to ULM, he’ll be making around $300 grand, or double what he’s makin’ now.

Meantime, McNeese officials are lookin’ at replacements for Viator. We understand de replacement would come from de current coachin’ staff. We can tell you dar are several members uf dat staff dat would do a very good job. Best uf luck to Viator and de cowboys.

You Call Dis A Shortfall?

When he took over as governor in 1972, Edwin Edwards often complained of Big John McKeithen leavin’ him wit a debt uf $800,000. Bobby Jindal iz leavin’ John Bel Edwards wit’ a whole lot mo red ink … $1.6 billion.

When Jindal wuz tryin’ to get somethin’ dat looked like a balanced budget, he used all sorts uf tricks, some uf which de legislators didn’t understand, in order to say we had a balanced budget. Well, everyone in our state knew dat wuzn’t gonna work, but Jindal got to say in de first Republican debate dat he had balanced de budget in our state.

Now legislators are havin’ to undo a whole bunch uf dis creative financin’. Dat financin’ ain’t sittin’ too well wit’ de big Wall Street ratin’ companies, an’ day are axin’ for “more conventional” methods uf balancin’ de budget.

De Legislature haz taken money from de highway fund (again) an’ haz also skimmed some money from de rainy day fund to help start at zero when Edwards takes over in January.

What Jindal did iz what bidnesses call “cookin’ de books.” To us, Jindal haz joined de list uf governors over de last 20 years or so dat have done a very poor job. Jus’ tink back … Foster, Blanco, an some say Edwards (Edwin dat is).

Iz Edwards De Education Governor?

It’s no secret dat both de state teachers unions supported John Bel for de governor’s race. It’s also no secret dat public school teachers an’ officials are knockin’ at hiz door, demandin’ dat we go back to de good old days. De group wants de rollback uf Jindal programs on education, like charter schools, vouchers an’ de gradin’ uf schools.

On de udder side uf de coin, you have New Awlins Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who wuz a big Edwards supporter who iz all for charter schools.

Now, de teacher groups have had several meetings wit’ Edwards to introduce legislation dat would benefit dem. De Legislature will meet in January in a special session an’ dem education changes will not be covered den. We’re talkin’ about March befo de lawmakers will take it up.

We remind you dat lots uf legislators like dem changes dat have been made in de last eight years. Lots uf dem are Republicans. An’ lots uf dem supported even bigger changes dan what Jindal proposed.

So John Bel iz gonna have beaucoup trouble right from de beginnin’ wit’ legislators an’ teachers unions.

How Much????

It came az no shock to folks in our state when Jay Dardenne wuz named commissioner uf administration by our new governor. After all, Dardenne had endorsed Edwards in de run-off, an’ he had bashed Vitter pretty good in de first round. Besides, Dardenne haz had experience in de trenches, havin’ been a floor leader for Mike Foster.

But what made me choke on my shot of Community coffee is Dardenne’s salary uf $243,000 a year. We gettin’ into pro baseball-type money dar. Dat kinda money, which iz nuttin’ mo dan a political payback, makes you wonder.

My buddy Max sed I got dis all wrong an’ dat Dardenne wuz de right man for de job, politics or not. Time will tell.

How Many Will Day Win?

Congratulations to de Kinder Yellow Jackets, who won dar second state class 2A title in three years. De Jackets, led by coach Bret Fuselier, defeated Mangham 35-20 in de Mercedes Superdome.

Dis iz de fifth state title for de school in de last three years. Dat’s because dar baseball team haz brought back a buncha hardware in de last few years. No wonder folks are goin’ to call Kinder Title Town.

Mo Mardi Gras Jumbo

Mardi Gras iz gonna be bigger an’ better dis year. Me, I like goin’ to Iota, Eunice, Mamou an’ back to Lake Charles for de parade on Mardi Gras Day.

T-Claude can’t come to Mamou wit’ me no mo. He wuz arrested las’ year for gettin’ hiz fran’s horse to drink beer. Have fun an’ be safe dis Mardi Gras.

Deep Taughts While Watchin’ De Weather Channel

10) How can de weather in our area change so quick dat we run our heater and AC on de same day?

9) What can I do to get J.J. Watt to cut my firewood?

8) Why all dem promises uf a speck to smoke for de holidays an no one delivers?

7) How much mo will de Astros spend on gettin’ good players?

6) Who really cares about LSU playin’ Texas Tech in de Texas Bowl?

5) Will we get better cable service an’ shows when dis French company takes over Suddenlink?

4) Ain’t it great dat I got all dem ceegars for Christmas?

3) Why iz de officiatin’ in de NFL so bad dis year?

2) When iz Donald Trump comin’ to our area?

1) How many of dem MSU coaches are gonna go wit Viator to ULM??

Final Shot

Lefty haz been behavin’ an’ me, I’m too old to not behave. So Lefty an’ I would like to wish you all de best durin’ dis holiday season. Tanks for all your support.

‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.