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Post by TBEAR on Jan 13, 2006 17:59:04 GMT -6
It appears that with the debt we are currently into from the hurricanes, and poor planning / management, that our state will be the poorest in the nation for the next 10 to 20 years. Im sure within two years we will have the highest poverty rate.
After the nation saw what happened in this state no one, including the federal government, will want to aid this state in any reconstruction which will end up in destruction.
DONT forget what our weather forcasters are saying, we have another 10 to 15 years of storms like the ones we saw. So GET READY!!!
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Post by zoe10850 on Jan 15, 2006 0:56:53 GMT -6
I say we secede from the Union, and charge everyone to pass through the Port of New Orleans. Then, we cut off the natural gas flowing north in the middle of winter. I know we will not succeed, however, the Feds will come in and perhaps establish martial law, fix what is broke, and leave. We will do fine. Of course, that would take a leader with some initiative, which we do not see anywhere right now. I do know that if the present USL administration stays in the mansion for 2 more years, we will really be in a pitiful mess, because we will be very old news by then.....
Everyone owes it to themselves to drive to Cameron, Saint Bernard, Saint Tammany, and Orleans Parish and see what happened....despite the saying that a picture is worth..., you have to see. There are sections of N.O. that are worse than a war zone (and larger than the city of Lafayette), and getting worse by the day.........
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Post by cwhite on Jan 16, 2006 0:08:19 GMT -6
Yep, husband did some commercial shoots in N.O./Metairie area in last few weeks and called it a war zone. Saw some video from the area. Pitiful. Just pitiful.
I think at this point I'm equally disgusted with comments from mid-westerners and fed officials discounting and dismissing the desperation of our current state and the morbidly inadequate response of our state and local (N.O. area) officials. Screw those guys. I'm voting every old-timer out of office this go 'round that I possibly can.
As for Authement (and I realize this is a side note), he is past the opportunity for a graceful exit and has trudged (apparently incoherently) into outright dishonorable management of the university. They are freaking shutting classes down on Fridays after 12:30 (shoving all classes into an extended four day work week) to save money, raising tuition every semester and insisting that not only is all well, but that the d**n football team will rise to glory EVENTUALLY. He forces fantastic liberal arts professors in to asbestos laden and cramped quarters in ancient buildings for sub-par salaries and pours cash into the HOSPITALITY department. Give it up. New management is long overdue.
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Post by poor man on Jan 22, 2006 15:46:15 GMT -6
we were broke before the hurricanes hit. we were in debt because FOSTER promised the SAINTS a hellva lot of money that he knew in a year he would not have to pay a new administration would have to pay. Police, Fire, and Teachers are underpaid in this state. these are the people our children look up to for advice and guideance. we need to focus our money on teaching our children the rights and wrongs of life. may be we do need the FEDS to come in a analyize our situation and get us back on the right track. leave your thoughts cause im really not a FAN of the FEDS coming in but what other choices do we have
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Post by zoe10850 on Feb 13, 2006 18:20:59 GMT -6
we were broke before the hurricanes hit because we operate like a bananna republic. We have a poor set of priorities and even though we know better, we continue to mismanage what we have; natural resources, control of a major port, hard working people etc.
Example: Our own Governor BlankStare took a group to Cuba to explore trade avenues for our rice farmers (so we could sell them rice and receive sugar in exchange- she is from New Iberia, a sugar producer) and then when storms hit, and Castro offered assistance, she rejected his overtures. That is a show of co-operation from one bananna republic to another.
As for the Saints, I do believe Louisiana should make every effort to keep the team but I also believe that Tom Benson is greedy, and really is looking to mave the team regardless of what type of stadium he has or how much us taxpayers shell out to support the team. He made his team work out in tents rather than use the facility provided by state - a testament to his deasie to excel.
I believe SOME police are underpaid, while some are overpaid. I would suggest that one would review the state police pay scale before stating that police are underpaid. Police pay is largely a local issue, and should be. Ditto for firemen. I have little sympathy for teachers who receive almost double pay of many law enforcement officers, yet work on a restricted basis (9 months - 180 days, no shift work) and I know they have a college education, but so do nurses, and they do not make what teachers do. Furthermore, parochial schools pay less than public school, do not have a generous retirement system, yet there is no shortage of teachers; obviously there is more involved than salary.
Our focus should be on quality of life, education for all, and economic development, all long range projects. we cannot even agree on a levee board to protect us........
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Post by Select on Apr 18, 2006 9:54:34 GMT -6
::)We are the poorest state but we have RICHES POLITICIANS in country.
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Post by coolboy on May 5, 2006 15:39:13 GMT -6
I hate to say that Louisiana is in a downward spiral, but it is. The state's population was dwindling long before Katrina hit. The first thing we need to do is get our schools up to par. Stop trying to worry about changing the names OUTSIDE the schools, and take care of what goes on INSIDE the schools.
Has anyone thought about the fact that many of the New Orleans residents, who left after Katrina, aren't coming back? This may actually help the state, because much of the poverty that was in New Orleans is now in other states. I may have made a somewhat harsh statement, but it could very well be true.
The saddest part of this whole situation is that Iraq is costing the U.S. billions of dollars a month and the President gets every penny he asks for from Congress. Why do we pump money into so many foreign countries, but have to fight tooth and nail for FEMA trailers?
Personally, I think we need new government. I'm talking about from President Bush all the way down to our city/parish council. I am in Louis Benjamin's district, so I'll humbly accept your condolences now.
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Post by zoe10850 on May 8, 2006 11:52:08 GMT -6
La has been on a downward spiral since the 1950's, when we elected the Longs, Ellenders, Boggs etc to represent this beautiful state. They lined their pockets and voted to improve everywhere but here. We got little scraps.
The problem is everywhere; gasoline taxes paid - more goes to Alaska or Montana then here. Why is this acceptable? Why send money to Washington just to get a smaller portion back, AND allow them to dictate laws to us like drinking age limits, highway speeds, whatever?
It is no different than sending sales taxes to Baton Rouge so our legislators can send money to Winnfield or Dry Prong. I say if they do not have the tax base, they should not have what they do not pay for. We cannot fix our streets until 2020 with the money generated here because we need a road in the middle of nowhere to service no one?
As to a new government, I think if us voters got off our butts and actually demanded change, and let's start with ETHICS in government, things would improve. Politics should not be a career, nor a way to get rich. How dare we allow the John Breaux's to lobby the very people he worked with for 30 years. Why can a general be employed in the defense industry as a lobbyist? Why is it that once elected, these guys stay in Washington ? Could it be because they did nothing to make our homes desireable ? If we do not demand change, there will be none.
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Post by ronnief on May 10, 2006 17:29:15 GMT -6
maybe with a little less government, we would not be so poor. we are almost as bad as New Orleans, we have a consolidated govt, but we still have a city everything; city police, city court, city utilities (that is chapping),city buses, you name it. How exactly are we consolidated again ?
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Post by coolboy on May 17, 2006 21:33:49 GMT -6
Perhaps we just consolidated the city/parish council. I tell you what, I have always been a huge fan of smaller government. The main reason is that people in government positions are so incompetent. I read an opinion on the Advertiser's website about how Brusly has such a large surplus of funds that their city council has forgone property taxes for one year. Are you kidding me? Is there actually a government in place somewhere that works FOR the people by using proper budgeting techniques, then passing that on to the residents? Usually it's the opposite: Government squanders tax dollars, then charge taxpayers more.
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Post by ronnief on May 19, 2006 15:51:40 GMT -6
Brusly does it through extortion on traffic tickets. Be very careful on Highway 1 (Addis also), they operate much like Broussard with the traffic bs. If police would spend more time in neighborhoods patrolling rather than sitting on interstate/Highway 90 etc. I would feel a lot safer. I would feel safer still if the La State Police would obey the laws they enforce (how many times has a trooper smoked me on the road, only to see him parked on the side a little ahead, what is the hurry for that ?).
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Post by ronnief on May 19, 2006 15:55:06 GMT -6
The real (hidden)cost of government is the duplication of services. Lafayette is the smallest parish in the stat but we have 5 public works departments, 6 court systems, 6 law enforcement agencies, maybe 50 councilmen/aldermen, conflicting zoning, conflicting traffic laws etc. What does that cost, and who is exactly served by this mass of inefficiency ?
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Post by zoe10850 on Jul 14, 2006 12:25:30 GMT -6
Did anyone note the headline in the Daily Disappointment re: governor was courageous because she slashed $3 million from the largest budget in our history? Talk about a spin...she cut less than .00001154 of the budget. That is slashing ? I guess next the paper will say she singlehandedly rescued 500,000 people in New Orleans.
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Post by Taureau on Oct 2, 2006 9:10:33 GMT -6
Anyone going to Don's tonight for the "Good Government" meeting at 6:30pm? I think, I will go listen. Maybe I will learn something.
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Cajunguy
New Member
Duhhh, who's got the boudin?
Posts: 42
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Post by Cajunguy on Oct 2, 2006 10:15:56 GMT -6
I guess next the paper will say she singlehandedly rescued 500,000 people in New Orleans. You're saying she DIDN'T? And all this time, I thought she . . . Dayum, now I'm crushed. .
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Post by coolboy on Oct 2, 2006 15:58:38 GMT -6
Taureau, I wasn't aware of such a meeting. Where'd you hear about it?
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Post by Taureau on Oct 2, 2006 19:15:33 GMT -6
CoolBoy, The good government meeting notices are always emailed a few days ahead of time. Next time I will let everyone know ahead of time. Maybe we could sit in the heckler section and throw peanut shells at the speakers.
Anyone planning on going to the LCG meeting? If you plan on attending, you should plan on arriving early because the boudin go fast and so does the bacon wrapped shrimp. Just joking.
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Post by Taureau on Oct 2, 2006 19:21:57 GMT -6
CoolBoy, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you, that when you do attend a good government meeting, you sign in with your information and email, if you would like to be emailed. That is how I get notified. Nice folks. You should go.
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jaguar
Junior Member
Posts: 55
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Post by jaguar on Oct 2, 2006 19:26:25 GMT -6
They are a good group of people. A nice mixture of Republican and Democrat govt watchdogs. Congressman Boustany was to speak tonight. I was hoping to go but couldn't make it.
The meetings are usually every other Monday at Don's downtown. Social starts around 6 p.m. Meeting at 6:30. I posted the video of the meeting regarding the Lafayette Airport Commission and Paul Fournet's, etc. on another topic.
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fubar
New Member
Posts: 43
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Post by fubar on Oct 5, 2006 20:56:29 GMT -6
Poorest State & Modest Proposal - I have the solution to Louisiana as the poorest State. This has money saving for the federalies in it so it just might work. First we talk the folks in Puerto Rico into become a State and swap with them so Louisiana quits being a state and changes to their old system as a commonwealth. No income taxes, gambling everywhere, etc.. With the swap, the gummint does not have to buy a bunch of new flags (moving to 51 stars if PR went statehood and Louisiana stayed in) The money they save from having to print all of those new flags we talk the federalies into giving to the Louisiana legislature to spend as it wishes. Once that is done they will see how bad it really is here, in our new crawfish republic, and cut the ties from us as a commonwealth so we can go fully independent. We then can print out own money (Dixie notes, probably with Edwin Edwards' photo on them), run up a bunch of debt to the big New Yawk banks to pay for all of our retirements and then devalue our currency and screw the hell out of them. We can probably run that scam several times to keep us going. Once that is done we can sign up with Cuba or Venezuala for foreign aide. What fun it would be..... fubar
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