forgotston.com

While it may not be obvious to the leges, there are serious problems facing our state.

The cost of government services are going up while the quantity and quality of those services are going down.

College students have taken to marching in the streets to protest cuts to Higher Education.

The poor, elderly and handicapped are being told that the state may no longer be able to provide a “safety net” for them.

Our roads are crumbling as we watch.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Joke’s on us

One of our leges who recently voted herself a massive pay raise because she was so overworked and underpaid has offered legislation (state law) to make the tea cake, the official state cookie. (See story here.) This is not a joke. I am not creative enough to make up something so outrageous.

Senator Yvonne Dorsey, D-Baton Rouge, could significantly lighten the load on herself, her fellow leges, the lege staff and the taxpayers, if she would simply withdraw the cookie bill from the files of the Senate.

If the rest of the leges who have such frivolous matters (anything not about improving the quality of life for our citizens) filed would do likewise, the lege could complete its constitutional responsibilities and adjourn Sine Die by the first week in May.

Save the fun and games for a future time when the citizens of our state are in a better mood and in a better position, financially and otherwise to appreciate the humor

Tea cake deprivation

A personal aside: I have lived in Louisiana all my life and I don’t have a clue what is a tea cake.  I don’t know who to blame for my ignorance; my parents for depriving me of this indigenous cookie or the inadequacy of the Louisiana public school system.  In any case, it is certainly not my fault.

Seriously

Finally, if the leges want to be taken seriously, they need to start acting in a serious manner.   Until then, they shall remain a joke.

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am

Our “Roads Scholar” governor continues to say one thing but doing another.

In the Alexandria paper was a story about The Scholar’s visit to the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce.

What he says

Here are excerpts from what Bobby SAID:

“We have taken a different path [than those in D.C.] in Baton Rouge. We’re not spending money we don’t have.”

Jindal pledged the state government will continue to live within its means — cutting spending and refraining from raising taxes.

“We have a fundamental decision to make,” … “Are we going to shift that burden on to the people, or are we going to tighten our belt and make tough decisions?

“As long as I’m your governor, we’re not going to raise taxes. We’re not going to do it the Washington way, we’re going to do it the Louisiana way. We have to do what every family and every business in this room is already doing — tighten our belt and do more with less.”

What he does

Compare the above comments about belt-tightening, means living, and not raising taxes with what Bobby DOES:

– Jindal pushed for higher taxes on college students and their families.
– Jindal approved higher taxes on our driver’s licenses.
– Jindal approved higher taxes on the use of our state parks and historic areas.

And, those are just the “revenue enhancers” he’s pushed in the last month.

Obviously, The Scholar believes all the citizens of Louisiana are ignorant and cannot discern between what he says and what he does.

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am

Saturday was a beautiful day in Tangipahoa Parish. The sun was shining; the temperature hit a high of 75 degrees. It seemed that people were everywhere enjoying themselves in the outdoors.

There was big Harley-Davidson Motorcycle rally in Hammond. Riders on very expensive bikes with American flags streaming from them were everywhere.

There was a huge barbecue and blues festival in downtown Hammond. People of all ilk filled the streets.

The Southeastern University Lions’ baseball team ranked 21st nationally was playing. The Lions beat conference rival Central Arkansas to take the second of a weekend 3-game series.

In other words, it was a great day to be an American.

Politicians are the problem

Lots of people these days are very vocal about their displeasure over the problems being created in our nation and state capitols. These folks are particularly unhappy about the financial and other burdens being placed on them by the politicians, especially during the worst recession that most have personally experienced.

Thank God, we live in a democracy so we can decide our own fate.

Thank God, for our soldiers who have fought and died and those who continue to fight today to preserve the right to control our own destiny.

But, I digress.

Rights, responsibility, duty

There was another important event going on in the southern part of Tangipahoa Parish on Saturday. There was an election.

The only thing on the ballot where I live was a referendum to authorize the imposition of a 9 mill Ad Valorem Property Tax.

Thanks to the sacrifices of others,19,436 citizens chose to register to vote in the taxing district for Saturday’s election.

The tax passed with 60% voting for and 40% against.

Unfortunately, only 1,006 of those citizen who even bothered to register to vote actually did. In other words in a democracy only 5% of those eligible exercised the right to determine one’s own destiny.

There are 29 precincts in the taxing district. The average number of voters in each of the 29 precincts is over 600.

There were 3 precincts in which nobody voted. There were 4 precincts in which only 3 each voted and not a single precinct in which actual voters numbered in the triple digits.

However, how does one look into the eyes the members of the military that we see daily in our community wearing their camouflage uniforms and not bother to do their duty by simply taking less than 2 minutes to cast a vote?

Saturday was a beautiful day, but it was a sad day. We get exactly the type of government which we as citizens demand.

If you don’t vote, please don’t complain to me about the way government operates. To see the source of your concerns merely look into the mirror and see who is staring back.

God Bless American — a country where we have the right to do nothing and have citizens brave enough to fight and die for our right to do so.

Nuff said.

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am