If Ind readers are any indication — you’re not: Ind readers are a more refined, discerning, handsome population of wonderful, smart people — the city of Lafayette is willing to pay a little more in property taxes to keep funding at its current level for Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Parks & Recreation Department, which operates 39 parks, 10 rec centers and three public golf courses. Eight of the parks are outside the city limits, although city taxpayers cover the cost of their upkeep.
Parcs & Rec Director Gerald Boudreaux told the City-Parish Council last Thursday that his department cannot continue to provide the current level of service on its current budget, much less on the 13.6 percent cut proposed in City-Parish President Joey Durel’s 2012-2013 fiscal year budget. The tax, paid only by city of Lafayette property owners, is 1.92 mills. It was set in the 1960s and hasn’t changed since then, even though the number of facilities Parcs & Rec operates has more than tripled since then.
That prompted us to pose a question to our readers via a poll (you can still participate in the poll; it’s located to the right of this story near the top of the rail): “Would you be willing to pay more in property taxes to keep Lafayette’s recreational opportunities at their current level?”
We’re happy the say that among the hundreds of readers who participated in the poll, an overwhelming majority — 85.2 percent — answered, “Yes. Recreation is an important component of quality of life.” The remaining 14.8 percent responded, “No. Parks & Rec is an unnecessary expense, especially during these lean fiscal times.”
MAY 23 Here's a story in the Picayune about some statistics that must come as a blow to folks who believe that any private school can do a better job of educating kids than any public school: Danielle Dreilinger reports that only 30 percent of the voucher kids are passing. That's less than half of the state wide average, she says. It's an interesting statistic because most of the schools (if not all) taking voucher kids have never had their students' standardized test scores released to the public before.
MAY 23 Stephen Sabludowsky blogs on Bayou Buzz about auditor requests here. Recently the state GOP started crowing about a request from the Legislative Auditor, claiming they were being targeted because of their anti-tax stance. (Uh, your what?) Denial and hyperbole aside, the state Democratic party blew holes in that theory with an email announcing they'd received the same request, Sabludowsky writes here.
MAY 23 Jim Brown blogs about the senate race in this post. He says that, given Bobby Jindal's "lack of traction" on the national stage, it might make more sense for the governor to consider running against Mary Landrieu for the senate seat. Since Tim Teeple left the Cassidy team, it makes sense he might land on a Jindal for Senate team, Brown opines.
MAY 23 In this Louisiana Voice post, blogger Tom Aswell writes of rumors that his nemesis, state Superintendent of Education John White, may be soon departing Louisiana for a federal post. It's hard to believe, given his performance, Aswell says, but stranger things have happened. An anti-White BESE member says that, if true, White is quitting before he can be fired.
MAY 23 In this post on American Zombie, blogger Jason Berry writes about the Mother's Day shooting. Mayor Landrieu said that "this is not who we are," but the fact is, this is New Orleans, Berry writes. The violence infused in the city is the result of a culture created by "sins of omission or sins of commission," Berry writes. It's not a problem that can be solved by legislating, policing, praying or publicizing, he says: Someone's got to understand what's happening first.
MAY 23 This post in the Westside Journal tells us what Port Allen Mayor Deedy has been up to lately: vetoing ordinances, apparently. This story is most interesting, however, when it delves into a petition that has been circulating around the city lately. It accuses the former mayor of a lot of nasty things; the former mayor says it is full of lies and "broken syntax" which may be a larger offense in his eyes.
MAY 23 This editorial posted in The Advocate is a bit confusing. The writing is poor - definitely not up to the usual editorial writing standard there - and the point is hard to grasp. Apparently, the writer is saying that privatization of state efforts is OK, as long as there is oversight and transparency, but Jindal's not good at that, and the legislature shouldn't over-react. Okey Dokey. Can't they get one of them Pulitzer-winning people to write an editorial?
MAY 23 This post on The Lens gives you links to a new Google Earth tool that allows you to see any spot on earth transform over the past 30 years. Bob Marshall, who covers the coast for the paper, says that in the case of Louisiana's coastline, it's possibly something you don't want to see, because it's not a pretty picture. There are several clips here, showing critical areas erode away. For Marshall, it was vindication for all those times he was met with eye-rolling when he talked about erosion.
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I did a poll of my kids: Would you be willing to pay more in of the family income to go to disneyland?
Yes. Vacations are an important component of quality of life.
or
No. Vacation is an unnecessary expense, especially during these lean fiscal times.
Can't wait to find out how it turns out?