forgotston.com

Paying taxes, especially these days is not a pleasant task.

The only thing worse than paying taxes is paying taxes not owed.

Apparently, since 1987 the Tangipahoa Parish School Board (TPSB) has been collecting ad valorem property taxes on property in the City of Hammond that is not within the taxing district. (See info here for details.)

In just the last 3 years that has amounted to over $40,000 annually that has been collected but not owed.

Taxation without representation

Anecdotal evidence is that not only were the taxes collected, but those from whom it was collected were not even allowed to vote in the referenda imposing the taxes.

Worst part

Here’s the part that is even worse. The TPSB doesn’t want to refund the money to the taxpayers.  The board is seeking legal advice to determine if they are forced to return the money.

My parents taught me that if one found some something that didn’t belong to them, one is supposed to return it to the owner.  Apparently, the members of the TPSB weren’t taught the same thing.

The good news is that all the members of the TPSB are up for re-election this fall.  At that time we can address our grievances about their lack of proper oversight and sense of right and wrong.

1 CB 8:00 am

LA “ethics judge” after the decision

Some weeks ago (See commentary here.), I suggested before doing something that might be unethical under LA’s Heh, Heh, Heh, Ethics Laws one not ask the Ethics Board for an opinion.

Instead one should consult a friendly lawyer who will tell you it’s okay to do what you want to do.

In that case, if you are caught (big “IF”), the Heh, Heh, Heh, Ethics adjudicators will, at worse, cut the required fine in half.

I was wrong! Yes, I will say it again, I was wrong!

Ignorance shall set you free

In Saturday’s Baton Rouge paper was a story (See here.) that shows the folly of my previous advice as well as my lack of understanding of the law.

Based on the latest decision by the ethics adjudicators (Administrative Law Judges), the preferable method of avoiding being fined for unethical conduct in our state is to be ignorant.

While I was in law school I got the impression that ignorance of the law was not a defense for breaking it. I was wrong about that too.

I must not have taken the course where it was taught that ignorance was actually the BEST defense. Obviously, the “ethics judges” did take the course.

The “ethics judges” found a bunch of out-of-state lawyers (Attorneys General of other states.) guilty of violating the law. However, they did not impose a fine because the Attorneys General didn’t know the law in Louisiana.

You must think that I’m making this up. I’m not nearly cynical enough to come up with a scenario so outrageous.

Free advice

Here’s my new free legal advice: Don’t read the law and don’t consult anyone who might know the law. Do whatever you want and then plead ignorance.

Of course, this is bad news for lawyers who make a living because they know Louisiana law, but that’s the breaks when one practices in Louisiana.

Laughter not always good

Clearly Bobby Jindal and the leges don’t give a damn about ethics in Louisiana and are proud of it. They must be because the leges passed the new ethics laws and the “Roads Scholar” actually dubbed the law as the “gold standard” of ethics.

Heh, Heh, Heh!  Bobby and the leges are not laughing with us, they are laughing at us!

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am

Monday afternoon, Rep. Dee Richard, I-Thibodaux, presented HB 1390 to the House of Representative to freeze the leges’ pay for two years.

Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, (Leader of the biggest lege pay raise effort in history.) opposed the legislation.

The legislation needed 53 votes to pass.  Unfortunately, only 51 members of the House voted for the bill.  Thirty-one against the bill and 21 were either absent or refused to vote.

Additionally, Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Plaquemine, voted Yea after-the-fact without a suspension of the rules.

To see how your lege voted go here.

Vote explanation

A vote FOR was a vote to freeze the lege pay.  A vote against was to continue the annual auto-magic lege pay raises. An absent is counted the same as a vote against.

Action needed

The bill can be brought up for another vote later.  If your lege voted against HB 1390 or was absent for the vote, tell them to vote FOR HB 1390 if it comes up again.

Remind your lege who didn’t vote or voted against HB 1390 their vote will be considered as another vote for a lege pay raise.

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am