Posted on 06/01/2012 10:02:22 PM PDT by jwb0581
Within the last month, the law-abiding, tax-paying, functional citizens of Baton Rouge, LA have been dealt 2 body blows, the repercussions from which this city may never recover.
First, the passing of the "CATS" tax, or Capital Area Transit System - better known to local taxpayers as the empty bus circuit. The CATS upgrade passed by a 54-46% vote a few weeks ago, and levied new property taxes on the producers to further subsidize an inefficient free transportation service for the non-producers. CATS buses are regularly seen running routes around town empty of passengers. One of the promised CATS improvements as a result of the new CATS tax? GPS tracking of buses. So that our impoverished BR citizens can track buses on their smart phones. You can't make this stuff up.
Second, the Southeast Baton Rouge community, comprised largely of functional citizens, has attempted to break away from the horrendous Baton Rouge school system and start their own. The measure went before the State House, and needed 70 of 100 votes to pass since it would be a constitutional amendment. The initial vote got 66 votes, and a re-vote today got 61 votes. So the measure is dead for at least 6 months. Seen hugging and celebrating on the cover of our hometown newspaper after the bill's initial defeat were members of the congressional black caucus, who partnered with the teacher's unions to defeat the bill.
Baton Rouge is my home - a city with a rich history, and home to many proud American citizens. But I fear for what will become of our city after what has happened this month. Not only are we being robbed of our hard-earned money to fund the dysfunctional, we are forced to bus in more dysfunctionals into our own schools. We are being held hostage by those who want everyone to conform to the lowest common denominator. Success and hard work are envied and despised by enough citizens of Baton Rouge that this city may never be the same again.
After today's defeat in the House, you can sense something different in the air around town. The responsible people have had enough. And we are outraged. Our college graduates already leave for Houston in droves, and the events of this month could be the tipping point that drives huge numbers of us out of town. The mass exodus into neighboring small communities Denham Springs and Gonzales over the last 20 years will be nothing compared to what is coming.
It's a truly sad state of affairs. The non-producers, the dysfunctionals, those who are waiting for the next handout, have become so numerous in Baton Rouge that they now have the power. I can only pray that our once-great city still has enough fight left in it to make one last stand.
How much of this problem has been caused by displaced Amish from New Orleans after Katrina?
Yes, I know we have a representative republic, but the republics have turned into democracies.
God help us. We are destroying ourselves with increasing speed and agility.
Baton Rouge is such a beautiful city. Sure hope it doesn’t go the way of NOLA. BTW, I could have sworn that we had most of the hurricane refugees here in Houston.
“How much of this problem has been caused by displaced Amish from New Orleans after Katrina?”
I moved out of New Orleans in 1970 because I could see what was going to happen to that city. It happened long before Katrina. Katrina just focused it.
Unfortunately for Houston, many of the Amish from New Orleans are now there.
PS. I'll be in Baton Rouge in about 5 hours
We were in Baton Rouge last weekend for the Bayou Country Superfest.
No NOLA refugees there but the mayor was and he is a weird little dude.
About freaken fed up with folks having to call negros, “Amish” or some other crappola so as to not be labeled racist.
American negros make up 12 percent of the population. And cause proportionately skewed percent of crime, killings, thefts etc.
Great group of folks, just like Palestinians.
When the refugees were sheltered in our AstroDome, many Houstonians, including me volunteered to help.
When they asked for volunteers to pick up trash and take trash cans out, I said, “If these people cant even take out their own trash, Im not going to do anything to help them.”
Houston is an LSU outpost. I came to Houston from BR, made a great living, married, raised a family here.
My mom is still there, we visit BR often, but I wouldnt want to live there.
Join the Club Pal,you are certainly not alone, I live in Connecticut and the Inmates have been running the asylum for decades here.
I live in Monroe Ct.a town just south of Newtown the town that used to house a Large complex of Buildings that once housed the Mentally retarded,they have since closed and most of the Buildings have become eye sores,some of them have been refurbished and guess what they house now? Government offices,same Buildings housing the same Inhabitants
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/01/us-education-vouchers-idUSL1E8H10AG20120601
If so, why bust up school systems, when kids of all incomes will vacate, & thereby bankrupt, failing public schools for private schools?
Not to be ugly, but you seem to want to save the beast, while Jindal wants to kill the beast. I'm with Jindal on this one. You can't run or hide from the beast, you must kill it. Leaving a failed school system to create a smaller, "more manageable", "better" public school system just creates a smaller, more vulnerable target for the beast - the teacher's union.
IMO, the public school system has become a MAJOR propaganda arm of the Liberal dominated ruling class. We might as well give them the right of censorship, as to allow them to control what kids are taught. We might as well have a Nazi or a New Black Panther Party member as a nanny for 12+ years. That's the possibility when you have no option but public school.
Public schools should be relegated to "teaching" only those children deemed unfit for private schooling because of their violent/disruptive nature - in essence, a detention camp.
I was living about three blocks from the Dome during the time of our invasion. Volunteered to help and spent half a day there but couldn’t do much because I had “not been cleared” by the Red Cross. Tried to organize a story time for the kids but the Red Cross wouldn’t let me. The City hired people to keep the restrooms clean - of course I had to ask why the temporary residents couldn’t be assigned to K.P. duty to at least do the cleaning and food prep. Answer - they were too traumatized to work! Heard “Don’t you know we have just been through a hurricane?” way too many times. Finally gave up and went home.
Lots of hands out for anything free. There was free bus transportation to free movies, free bus transportation to free museums, etc.
P.S. We will be in Baton Rouge tomorrow morning but unfortunately this time we’re on our way to Mississippi for a few days of golf and relaxation. I am sure we will add just a bit to the local economy.
Only property owners should be allowed to vote on property tax increases.
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