Later dis month, on April 29, voters in Lake Charles will elect a new mayor, an also vote on key city council races.<\/p>\n
De firs go-round produced a lotta surprises in de mayor\u2019s race, an in some uf dem city council races.<\/p>\n
Lots uf folks thought I wuz crazy for pickin Nic Hunter to lead, an Wilfred Carter to stay wit him in de runoff. Several wanted to wager wit me. But I don\u2019t bet politics no mo. Dat\u2019s a shame; I coulda won a little cash an a few dinners.<\/p>\n
Everyone figgered Hunter would lead, but de question wuz: who would stay standin wit him for de runoff?<\/p>\n
Former councilmember an port boad member Marshall Semien wuz in de hunt, an came up jus a hundred votes short uf makin de runoff. Considerin de amount uf money he spunt, lots uf folks figgered Dana Carl Jackson would be in de mix, but he ran a very poor 6th in an 8-man race. He had to be disappointed wit dem numbers.<\/p>\n
De fact dat Carter\u2019s in de runoff tells you dat lots uf North Lake Charles voters stuck to dar guns. Rev. Sam Tolbert haz been pushin Carter \u2014 a former judge, city councilman, an state representative. Rev. Sam pushed Carter hard in dis first round, an is still pushin hard, workin on defeated candidates for mayor an council, an also for udder political folks to endorse Carter.<\/p>\n
Now, Sam haz a lot uf clout in Lake Charles politics, an will no doubt help Carter. But considerin how councilmembers Stuart Rutherford an John Ieyoub got a little egg on dar faces afta endorsing Dana Carl Jackson in de first primary, me, I doubt you will see anybody openly endorsin anybody in de city elections.<\/p>\n
An old politician tol me a long time ago never to mess in someone\u2019s politics, cause all it can do iz hurt you. Rutherford and Ieyoub endorsed a man who came out sixth. You tink Hunter or Carter won\u2019t remember dat when dem two come knockin at City Hall axin for stuff for dar districts?<\/p>\n
We Gotta Do Sometin About Voter Turnout<\/strong><\/p>\n Only 30 percent uf de registered voters in de city uf Lake Charles voted on March 25. What an embarrassment to our city an area. Whatever your excuse, it ain\u2019t good enough. If you\u2019ll be busy, or won\u2019t be to home on election day, do early voting. But get out an vote. Check wit de Clerk uf Court for early voter dates an locations. Need a ride on election day? Check de front page uf de paper. Dar are all sorts uf numbers you can call to give you a ride to de poll.<\/p>\n Jus remember, many young men an women have died in battle over de years so dat you might have de right to vote. It makes my blood boil when I hear someone complainin about streets or floodin, an you ax dem who dar city council member or police jury member is, an dey say, \u201dI don\u2019t know \u2026 I don\u2019t vote.\u201d<\/p>\n Jus imagine what kinda numbers we could put up on April 29 if everyone who voted would jus take one udder person wit dem to vote. Not so very hard, is it? An jus tink uf de difference it would make.<\/p>\n Mary In For Four Mo Years<\/strong><\/p>\n Local lawyer Ron Richard pulled out uf de runoff wit City Council District A incumbent Mary Morris.<\/p>\n Now, Richard claimed he wuz pullin out because uf low voter turnout. Never did figger dat one out. But I did notice dat in de first primary, Mary had 1,109 votes, an Richard had 550. Me, I tink dat had a lot mo to do wit hiz pullin out. I mean, she almost beat four in one shot. Maybe Ron crunched dem numbers, an saw de handwritin on de wall.<\/p>\n Southern Politics At Its Best: De Minaldi Situation<\/strong><\/p>\n Some real legal hagglin haz taken place in state district court regardin Federal Judge Patricia Mindaldi in de las few weeks, an mo fireworks are expected.<\/p>\n Minaldi, who took medical leave after she wuz pulled off a string of cases, now faces a lawsuit from a fellow judge challenging her mental an physical capacity to manage her personal an financial affairs.<\/p>\n All proceedings have been sealed. But attorney Tom Lorenzi confirmed dat he filed suit on behalf uf U.S. Magistrate Katheleen Kay, who haz served under Minaldi in federal court for de last 10 years. Lorenzi told de Associated Press dat Kay is acting in her personal capacity as a longtime friend of Minaldi.<\/p>\n Not so, says Glen Vamvoras, who is representing Minaldi. Vamvoras says Mindaldi is \u201ccompetent and able to manage her own affairs.\u201d He also claims dis suit is about takin her civil rights from her, an dat she is \u201ccompetent and able to manage her own affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n District Judge Clayton Davis was set to hear de case, but he recused himself, an de case haz been reassigned to Judge Ron Ware, who set a hearing for April 18.<\/p>\n Ware haz also ordered documents in de case sealed until dat hearin date. At dis writin, de American Press haz filed a motion seekin to have dem sealed documents released.<\/p>\n Folks, dis issue iz gettin attention all over de country. University uf Pittsburg law professor Arthur Hellman sez he haz never heard uf one federal judge suing another. Loyola University Law professor Dane Ciolino sez Minaldi shouldn\u2019t return to de bench if de state court finds she must have a \u201ccurator\u201d appointed to manage her affairs.\u00a0 Watch for mo on dis in weeks to come, folks.<\/p>\n Cold Response To Edwards Tax Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n Gov. John Bel Edwards haz released his proposed tax reform package for de Legislature to act on in de next few months.<\/p>\n Edwards sez dis package, which includes mo taxes on bidnesses an less on individuals, will eliminate yearly shortfalls like we been seein for de las 10 or 12 years.<\/p>\n Not so, sez LABI an udder bidness organizations, which are all set to lobby de House an Senate members in Baton Rouge. De questions is: Who will lobby for de poor folks who work for a livin an pay mo taxes dan folks in any udder state in de country?<\/p>\n An on top uf dis, we hear uf legislators kickin aroud de idea uf jackin de tax on gaz. We have talked about dis before, an will no doubt visit it again in future issues. My only question: Who iz lobbyin for de taxpayers uf our state, who got boorayed wit anudder penny uf sales tax las year wit a \u201cpromise\u201d dat it wuz a temporary tax? Well, we know dar ain\u2019t no such ting az a temporary tax. Temporary tax iz like bein a \u201clittle bit pregnant.\u201d It jus don\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n Now, Edwards may have trouble gettin hiz tax package trew de Senate. Dar\u2019s a buncha conservative Republicans\u00a0 dat ain\u2019t too fired up about any so-called taxin package, an are a lot mo interested in expense reduction.<\/p>\n Veteran\u2019s Clinic Still On Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n Angela LeBlanc, who iz an actin VA administrative officer, tol local reporters recently dat de new VA clinic at 3601 Hwy. 14 will open on schedule later dis year.<\/p>\n Dat iz good news for veterans who have been drivin to Alexandria, Jennings and Lafayette for way too long.<\/p>\n Dis iz a 24,000-square-foot facility dat haz been needed in our area for a long, long time. Lots uf folks in our area have worked real hard to make dis happen. We know de clinic will be used.<\/p>\n Congressmen Don\u2019t Stay Unemployed<\/strong><\/p>\n It is a common practice for congressmen and senators to get jobs as lobbyists once day retire or get beat. Our state haz certainly seen its share uf dem: Billy Tauzin, John Breaux, Jimmy Hayes an many more.<\/p>\n Recent additions include our former congressman Charles Boustany, who haz signed on wit Capitol Counsel in Washington, D.C., an former congressman John Fleming, who\u2019z been appointed by Trump to be deputy assistant secretary for health technology, within de department uf Health an Human Services.<\/p>\n Now dat, my franz, is a long title.<\/p>\n Anudder Way To Skin A Cat<\/strong><\/p>\n A couple uf Tulane lawyers are suggestin de state try a different approach to gettin mo money for coastal restoration.<\/p>\n Dan Boyer an Mark Davis are proposin dat de state pitch de federal gubment for mo money for coastal restoration from de standpoint uf waterways carryin military goods an equipment. Thus, we need mo money for better waterways. I know it\u2019s a stretch, but de federal gubment haz acted on stranger tings before.<\/p>\n Deep Taughts While Waitin In De Doctor\u2019s Office<\/strong><\/p>\n 10) Why iz Gov. Edwards always fightin Education Superintendent John White?<\/p>\n 9) When iz La. DOTD gonna stop wit de Texas turnarounds?<\/p>\n 8) Why do de city an parish want to trow mo money at de Cove Lane project?<\/p>\n 7) How can former State Police head Mike Edmonson possibly live on $120,000<\/p>\n a year?<\/p>\n 6) Who will replace Jason Dore az executive director uf de La. Republican Party?<\/p>\n 5) How many will run for mayor uf New Awlins later dis year?<\/p>\n 4) $275 million in bids for offshore drilling sites \u2014 does dat mean higher oil prices?<\/p>\n 3) When will day decide on de new McNeese president?<\/p>\n 2) Is de Astros gonna live up to pre-season hype an make de playoffs?<\/p>\n 1) Who ever gave T-Claude de idea dat he could make a better crawfish etoufee<\/p>\n dan me?<\/p>\n Final Shot<\/strong><\/p>\n I tol my fran Lefty dat I\u2019d gone to a real fancy restaurant in New Awlins an had a great seven-course meal. He sed he\u2019d gone to de Four Roses in Duson an had a seven-course meal, too \u2014 a yard uf boudin and a six pack.<\/p>\n Dat Lefty iz all culture.<\/p>\n \u2018Til next time, lache pas la patate.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Later dis month, on April 29, voters in Lake Charles will elect a new mayor, an also vote on key city council races. De firs go-round produced a lotta surprises in de mayor\u2019s race, an in some uf dem city council races. Lots uf folks thought I wuz crazy for pickin Nic Hunter to lead, [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[31],"yoast_head":"\n