The “Roads Scholar” was in Jefferson Parish on Wednesday regaling the citizens with his exploits.

According to a report by WVUE-TV in New Orleans ( story here), “The Roads Scholar” made the following pronouncements:

Governor Bobby Jindal said …that he will veto any tax increases lawmakers approve during the upcoming legislative session. (emphasis mine)

Jindal said he expects some lawmakers to try to raise taxes given the state’s money problems.

“The Scholar” really knows how to string words together. Unfortunately, they don’t always have much meaning.

Being a “conservative” “The Scholar” will certainly conserve a lot of ink in the veto pen as there will be no taxes to veto.

New taxes and tax increases are prohibited by the state constitution from even being considered, much less enacted, during the “upcoming legislative session.”

Taxes vs. fees

When it comes to extracting money from the citizens, “The Scholar”, apparently, differentiates between “taxes” and “fees” when it comes to raising money for state government.  As a practical matter, in Louisiana that is a difference with a distinction.

“The Scholar” opposes tax increases, but supports fee increases which CAN be raised in the upcoming legislative session.

For example, “The Scholar” supports the current increases in the cost of our driver’s license, college tuition and charges for use of the state parks and historic sites among other involuntary extractions from our wallets.

Suggestion

It would benefit The Scholar’s postgraduate education if between church services and fundraisers he would take a few minutes to skim through the Louisiana Constitution of 1974.

If he does, the next time he entertains us, he may actually enlighten us.

A tip of the hat to a member of the Crack Mullet Research Team who caught the comments.

C.B.

According to the state constitution every citizen of Louisiana is entitled to have one person representing them in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

The LA Lege assigned me to House District 73. The person currently assigned to represent that district is State Representative Steve Pugh of Ponchatoula.

Adoption sought

For reasons only known to him, Mr. Pugh has abandoned me. I am now an orphaned citizen.

Therefore, I’m offering myself up for adoption by another member of the LA House of Representatives.

I’m a native-born, healthy, law-abiding, taxpaying, self-sufficient, self-employed, insured, duly registered voter of Louisiana who requires little for myself from state government. In the interest of full disclosure, I am educationally-challenge as a result of having graduated from the public schools of LA.

Situation desired

My needs in a lege willing to adopt are: 1) A willingness to allow me to express to them my thoughts about matters of state government. 2) A willingness and ability to acknowledge communications from me. 3) A willingness to occasionally provide specific information about our state government that is otherwise not available to me.

Gender, race, religious preference and political party affiliation of the adoptive representative is irrelevant.

Adoption temporary

My orphaned situation should only be temporary. The adoptive relationship will only be needed until Mr. Pugh can gerrymander me out of House District 73 or until the voters in the district replace him.

If you know of any member of the LA House of Representatives who currently is experiencing a shortfall of population in their district and has the courage to represent a citizen of Louisiana, please forward this message on to them.

Currently, I believe that there are some House districts with population shortfalls in New Orleans as well as in my native Northeast LA.

Confidentiality guaranteed

To avoid harassment by the other leges, I will agree to keep confidential the name of my adoptive representative.

Any adoption charges are subject to limitations imposed by the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act and Code of Governmental Ethics.

C.B.

“I want you all to know that the [U.S. Education Arne Duncan] secretary told me privately that [LA Superintendent of Education Paul] Pastorek is probably one of the best superintendents in the nation,” U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu said. The Baton Sunday Advocate, March 7, 2010.

It makes one wonder what is Duncan’s basis for making that statement? Best paid? Best dressed?

It certainly has nothing to do with the quality of our education system which is consistently ranked last or next to last among the 50 states.

Frankly, I’d prefer one of the lesser superintendents whose public education system ranks at least in the top half of states.

Finally, if one wants a private comment to remain private, don’t tell Mary.

C.B.

Just like in families and small businesses, state government has to live within its means. That means we will have to reduce government spending to a level we can afford. Raising taxes is not an option, and would be the worst thing we could do in an economic downturn so we will make government work more efficiently and we will do our jobs while spending less money. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, December 15, 2009. ( See entire statement here.)

Despite the above rhetoric from The Roads Scholar about government “belt-tightening” it appears that the taxpayers of Louisiana of Louisiana will have to loosen their wallets.

Only July 1, state parks and historic areas will begin charging higher taxes/fees/revenue enhancers or whatever one calls them to make up for the revenue declines.

This tax increase is in addition to the increases on our driver’s licenses and costs to students (or their parents) attending state colleges.

Apparently, “living within its means” actually means living within its means after higher taxes are imposed.

How’d they do that?

The state constitution restricts the ability to raise taxes and fees to the leges and requires a 2/3’s vote of the lege to enact or increase them.  When did the leges increase the taxes imposed at state parks?

Finally, to quote “The Roads Scholar”: “Its time to match action to our rhetoric.”

Let’s hope Bobby can hear himself when he’s speaking.

C.B.

The Sleeper Tax

No, it is not a tax on people who sleep.

This is a “sleeper tax” similar to “sleeper cells” planted in countries by terrorists.   They awaken them at some future date to wreak havoc on the citizens.

Background

According the LA Office of Motor Vehicles this “sleeper tax” was planted in 1992.  That year a law was enacted as LA R.S. 32:409.1.A(6)(iii).  That was during the last Edwin Edwards administration.

The law allows (doesn’t mandate) the LA Office of Motor Vehicles to impose an additional tax of $15.00 on each application for or renewal of a personal driver’s license.

For 18 years, the tax lay dormant.

Ironically, during the “no tax increase” regime of “The Roads Scholar” the “sleeper tax” has suddenly been activated.

As of today, Monday, March 8, 2010, all applicants will have the tax on their license increased by $15.00.

More hypocrisy

While flying around the state in a taxpayer-funded helicopter telling his audiences that he would not support any additional taxes on the people in order to make up the budget shortfalls; he does just that.

The Scholar further said that in order to make up for the shortfalls in the various state agency budgets the agencies must “tighten their belts” just like the citizens.

Now, we learn that The Scholar was misleading us.  While saying “no new taxes,” he was imposing a new tax that even EWE would not impose.

Solutions

There are several ways to stop this “sleeper tax”:

1) If he wasn’t a hypocrite, The Scholar could simply call the Superintendent of State Police and tell him not to activate the tax.

2) Leges who don’t support higher taxes can simply repeal the “sleeper tax” during the upcoming Regular Session.  It can be repealed before the second week of April.

(Note: Despite what the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee (tax writing committee), Hunter Greene, R-Baton Rouge, has said publicly, taxes CAN BE REPEALED in a non-tax year.)

3) Leges who don’t support higher taxes can demand that the lege oversight committees hold immediate pubic hearings and stop the tax from being imposed until they have time to repeal it.

A vote by a lege not to repeal the tax increase should be considered as a vote for higher taxes.

What next?

Finally, this begs the question: How many other “sleeper taxes” there are currently laying dormant?

Ask your lege, he is supposed to know the law.

C.B.

To read more about the feud between Hebert and the local District Attorney go here.

Makes one wonder what Hebert does when it gets personal.

C.B.

According to the article below, our ethically-challenged, head of economic development, Stephen Moret needs more of our money to create economic activity.

Meanwhile, Thursday, right under Moret’s nose Chase Bank announced it would terminate 247 jobs in Baton Rouge.

Where does Moret plan to get more money to bribe businesses who aren’t in Louisiana? Cut healthcare? Cut Higher Education? Raise taxes?

Assume the risk

Perhaps Moret should cut his own budget. If the bribes are such a great gamble, he should be willing to “bet on the come.”   He could make up the loss of funding for his agency’s budget with the proceeds from the increased economic activity.

That way we’ll see whether these pie-in-the-sky efforts will materialize and last long enough to provide a return on the bribe.

It’s one thing to risk other people’s money; it’s quite another to risk one’s own as most of us do every day.

If Moret knew how to do his job he would have suggested that the state “invest” in tax and government “red tape” reductions for existing businesses. That’s real economic development!

C.B.

Baton Rouge Business Report’s Daily Report
February 25, 2010

Moret: General Motors plant not dead yet

The end of the Hummer line, if it happens, won’t necessarily lead to the closure of the General Motors plant near Shreveport. Louisiana Economic Development head Stephen Moret would prefer to see GM or another automaker utilize the plant, although he says another type of manufacturing is possible if an automaker can’t be secured. Plant owner Motors Liquidation Corp., which took control of some of GM’s assets as part of the company’s bankruptcy restructuring, has a federal mandate to focus on job retention and creation, not just selling off assets to the highest bidder, Moret says. Finding ways to inject more money into the state’s megafund will be key; the fund has about $56 million left that isn’t obligated, which Moret says isn’t enough for the projects already in the pipeline. GM plans to keep the facility open until June 2012. The plant once employed about 3,000, but that number is down to about 950. Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery was in talks to buy the Hummer brand but pulled out of the deal because it was unable to get timely clearance from Chinese regulators. GM reportedly is considering two other offers it had previously turned down in favor of the Chinese manufacturer. Eric Lane, vice president of Gerry Lane Hummer, says GM has sent 30-day extensions to dealer agreements set to expire Sunday. That’s a sign other buyers could be in the mix, he says. “Too many people like Hummer,” Lane says. “They have a worldwide following.” ­David Jacobs

A current Baton Rouge Metro Councilman plans to run for an open lege House seat. See the story below, from Tuesday’s Baton Rouge Business Report’s Daily Report.

While I’m not endorsing him, he clearly will fit right in with the current crop of lawmakers. He is clueless about the law, possesses no common sense and while craving public attention refuses to return phone calls to the media.

Just as bad is the condemnation in the story of the District Attorneys in our state. According to an Assistant Attorney General, the D.A.s don’t know the law.

Here’s a clue. The provision of the law that was violated is found in that little used document known as the state constitution in Article XI, Section 4.

Nuff said.

C.B.

Addison announcement runs afoul of state law

Metro Councilman Ulysses “Bones” Addison’s decision to announce his plans to run for the state House of Representatives by city-parish e-mail and a press conference in the Metro Council chambers today was a violation of state law. Bill Bryan, an assistant attorney general who handles election cases, said state law prohibits the use of public funds or public resources to promote a candidacy. “The law is pretty clear: You’re not supposed to use public funds,” he says. Addison could be prosecuted and face a fine of no more than $500 or no more than six months in jail, Bryan says. “A lot of people do this sort of thing without realizing they can’t do it,” Bryan says. “And district attorneys don’t realize they can prosecute this sort of thing.” Addison, who plans to run in the May 1 special House election to replace the late Rep. Avon Honey, did not respond to phone calls. Dennis McCain, city-parish public information officer, says a variety of political groups have held events in the Metro Council chambers. “Republicans, Democrats

Being tough on criminals is a universal campaign platform for politicians.   One can always tell when a politician is planning to run for reelection; they start padding their resume’.

In Saturday’s Daily Monopoly we learn that one lege is getting tough on crime.  ( Story here.)  He has introduced legislation for the upcoming lege session to expand from 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet the area in which one cannot use or sell illegal drugs.   This would include areas around schools, playgrounds, child day care centers, drug treatment centers, religious institutions and public housing units.

Why not increase the area to, say, 25 miles.   That way, the use and sale of illegal drugs would prohibited almost everywhere in the state.   Oops!   It already is.

Our leges clearly aren’t underpaid as they allege; they are simply working too hard.   Perhaps if their pay was reduced, they’d work less time and thus waste less of our time.

C.B.