Not too long ago, voters turnt down the proposed property tax to help fund de much talked about hurricane museum.
Many dat voted against it sed dar wuz much mo important needs dat our local gubment should be addressin — for instance, de infrastructure in our parish, which iz nowhere near where it should be in preparin for de industries dat are comin here. Drainage iz in bigtime need uf attention. Water systems in some areas iz a Michigan waitin to happen —we could go on an on wit tings dat are needed.
Our Friday group made a call on it de Friday before de election. Two sed 80-20. And three sed 75-25.
De museum group spunt very little on advertisin to explain de proposal. An de idea uf sometin for everyone … well, dat dog jus don’t hunt no mo.
Like Jim Serra pointed out in a recent KPLC editorial: old money in dis area could come up wit da money needed to bankroll dis project. Now, some old money folks did step up. But a lot mo could, an should, pay back dis area dat haz made dem millionaires multiple times over.
Will de group downscale de project? Will dey come back to de voters again? Only time will tell.
Meantime, we continue to have one hell of an eyesore on de Lakefront, wit de ol Harrah’s property and parkin garage. Maybe a project on dat property — wit restaurants, etc., along wit a hurricane museum might work. But I wouldn’t rely on voters to click de yes button for dat, either. Folks are jus tired uf taxes, some uf which dey can’t even vote on, like de one-cent increase in sales tax passed by dem cooyons in de Legislature.
An den dar are ones whar we can say yes or no to, like de Hurricane Museum; and de folks in our area darn shore sed, “mais, non.”
Legislative Zoo Iz Open
If you watch de news, or read de newspaper, you can figger out real quick dat de legislators are jus draggin dar feet until right before it’s time to adjourn, which iz June 6.
Now dis iz nuttin new. By law, dey can’t raise revenue in dis session. But, boy, are day kickin around ideas to close dat $750 million gap in de budget for July1-June 30, 2017 — dat’s known az a fiscal year (not physical, az some uf dem cooyons in de House an Senate call it).
Now, me, I say if dey can’t raise taxes durin dis no-tax session, dey shouldn’t be able to cut services, needer. But, az you know, it don’t work dat way. An de cuts are de usual: education an health care.
Folks are gonna get tired uf dis someday, an Katie bar de door when dat day comes.
Already, Jon Jon iz talkin about a special session to start shortly afta de regular session ends on June 6. It would mean mo money spunt in dis special session, wit probably very little to show for it in de end.
Meantime colleges, hospitals, an parents are waitin to see jus what dat bunch in de legislative zoo in Baton Rouge will do. Colleges have been taking cuts for de las eight years. Hospitals have been proposed for closing, meaning de poor an needy will be without medical services.
An mamas an papas are waitin to see what will happen to TOPS. Wit high school graduations scheduled to take place in jus a few short weeks, it’s no wonder dat parents an grads are a bit antsy. Snooky sez if high school juniors and seniors would vote, dey would beat Jon Jon about like de museum tax got beat — 80-20.
TOPS Program Very Important In Our State
Right now, nearly half uf de students who graduate from high school in our state are eligible for TOPS — dat stands for Taylor Opportunity Program for Students.
If fully funded, dis comin year de program will cost de state $294 million. In 2001, it cost $104 million. Dis iz one way de colleges have managed to booray de Legislature — by raisin tuitions an fees. Nonedeless, de increased cos iz sometin de legislators are lookin at while facin a lot uf angry parents back home in dar districts.
Bills bein kicked around include raisin de GPA requirements from 2.5 to 2.75. Anudder would up de ACT requirement from 20 to 21. In udder words, day are tryin to weed out az many qualifiers az possible.
Parents an students ain’t none too happy wit dem proposals. An dey are remindin dar legislators dat dey vote. Fur will fly durin de final days uf dis session.
I’d Vote For Dat
In Illinois, de state comptroller haz issued a freeze on de paychecks uf all elected state officials. She pointed out dat de 10-month brew ha ha over how to tackle an $8 billion deficit dat will go to $10 billion iz hurtin education, families and bidnesses.
An you tink we got problems — $10 billion in de hole.
Chicago State University officials say day will run out of money in May. Doin something like dat in dis state would get some legislators to take action. An she’s right; why should elected officials get paid while udders are hurtin bigtime?
We used to have a state comptroller who could make dat happen wit de stroke uf a pen. Roy Theriot from Abbeville helt dat office for 25 years. But de new Constitution in 1972 did away wit dat office. Jay Dardenne, commissioner uf administration, could probably make dat happen. But dat would mean he wouldn’t draw hiz $235,000 a year salary.
Mark Your Calendars, An Check Dose Important Dates
McNeese and LSU released dar football schedules sometime back. Now de Saints have released dars. So dat means dat lots uf folks are havin to change dar schedules for duck hunts an, in many cases, weddins.
Happens every year. Wit de NFL draggin dar feet on sendin out dar schedules; brides-to-be go crazy because de men in dar lives get season tickets an — well you know what happens.
T-Claude’s son, Bubba, didn’t let dat bother him las year. He got married at a Saints game. Now dat’s what you call killin two birds wit one stone. T-Claude, him, he wuz happy, too, because de bride’s daddy gave him his tickets for de game. Ain’t nuttin like startin off on de right foot.
Day Comin Back Dis Year
Dis year, Sulphur will once again host de state championships in girls softball an boys baseball.
De softball championships, known az Fast Pitch 56, will be back at Frasch Park for de 15th year in a row. De baseball championships for all classes will be helt at McMurry Park, which features de finest baseball park in de state, hands-down.
Plan to attend dis one if you can. Some future college superstars will be hittin de diamond.
Now, wit all de brew ha ha going on in de Louisiana High School Athletic Association, we don’t know what will happen startin next year. But you can bet dat when day do hold de meetin to decide who will have dem championship tournaments in de future, our convention and visitors bureau will be dar to pitch Southwest Louisiana.
Sulphur Frontage Road Project Will Help
Da Police Jury recently gave engineers de go-head to let bids for de construction uf North Frontage Rd. in Sulphur. Dis road will run parallel to I-10 on de north side.
Tim Connor, parish engineer, sez dis phase will be 1.4 miles long. It iz de hope of many dat dis will eventually connect with Pete Seay Road. Dis phase will take about three years.
Now, dat’s good news for de whole parish.
A Good Showin
Me an my franz went to de annual John DeRosier crawfish boil at de Burton Complex recently. De crowd wuz tremendous, at $100 a couple. If anyone was even tinkin about runnin against John, day would certainly change dar mind afta seein dat crowd.
Dat’s what happens when you do a good job, az John haz. Me, I wuz a little disappointed dat Chris Flowers wouldn’t let me sing wit de band; udder dan dat, I had a blast.
Deep Taughts While Watchin De NBA Playoffs
10) Yes, McNeese iz dat good; dat’s de answer after they beat LSU 7-0.
9) When will all de gun violence in New Awlins stop?
8) How many gonna run for Lake Charles mayor next year?
7) How high will gaz get dis summer?
6) Why iz it I have to clean de bathtub when I’m done, but Sedonia’s dog don’t?
5) When iz dat trip to an Astros game dat T-Claude promised me gonna happen?
4) Why do folks call me a pig jus because I can eat 20 pounds uf crawfish at a time?
3) What’s wit all de crime in our area lately?
2) Why not station a tow truck at de end of 210 and I-10 bridges durin peak traffic hours?
1) Why iz Max always criticizin my cooking, when he hasn’t turned his stove on in 10 years?
Final Shot
I axed my Fran Lefty if he wanted to go to Houston with me an T-Claude when we take our trip to see de Astros. He sed he’d only go if it wuz 25-cent beer night. I told him I didn’t tink dat would be a good idea. He promised to behave, but me, I know better.
‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.
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