CPSB Meeting: Eric Tarver Lashes Out at Board members, then Storms out Meeting.

The Blog

C.M. Ambrose, Jr.

So it's been awhile, didn't have much to say and actually have been getting ready for a new season of the podcast, The Back Porch Experience's 2nd season which starts the first week of October.  With that being said, here goes.  I had never attended a committee meeting of the CPSB, so I decided to go after reading last weeks article by Crystal Stevenson on the top of the front page of the American Press. In the article  Board Member Wayne Williams accuses the Superintendent of lying to board members and the public. In the article, Mr. Williams is quoted naming a school in reference to cheating.
 When I  asked about his reference to the particular school, Mr. Williams stated that he mentioned "No School By Name" that cheats and also stated that he was unaware that the press had been invited to such a small gathering of parents, or that Crystal Stevenson was a reporter.  Beyond this dispute, all that's left are troubling issues raised by Mr. Williams.  The first,  the accusation that the Superintendent of the Calcasieu Parish Schools is "lying" to parents and citizens.From the article:

"In response to his suggestion that Lagrange High be torn down and a new school built, Williams said administrators told him the school system couldn't afford to build new schools.  He presented a highlighted document to parents that he said proves the School Board set aside $12 million to build a school for K-5 in Morganfield,  a development southeast of town."

There several other quotes attributed to Mr. Williams in the article including the References to "Junior Boy" as well as calling his fellow board members "incompetent". So I figured the next meeting would be interesting, it just happens to be a committee meeting, which is a good because it's generally a friendly audience with few if any parents in attendance so the board members are more relaxed.  Anyway, that was my reasoning for attending the meeting. The meeting begins, roll call, all but 3 members were in attendance,  the discussion begins about school fees, a grandfather/veteran spoke about the astronomical cost of fees for cheerleading and other activities. After responses from the board, this happened.

Eric Tarver Lashes out at the Board
 The meeting got to a point where the discussion was about an amendment to existing regulations regarding travel.  Visibly upset, Eric Tarver waited until everyone spoke, then he spoke to the board. The following is what Mr. Tarver said to the board and a couple of comments after prior to the vote.

Now after the vote which was counted and the results announced, Mt. Tarver visibly upset, gathered his belongings and walk straight out, speaking to no one. He was followed out but was gone.  Many seemed to not notice, some ignored.  It was never addressed after the recess.  Several things stand out about "what" Mr. Tarver said. Which seems to confirm some of what Mr. Williams is quoted as saying.  "Build more buildings" with money that was sold to taxpayers as teacher pay raises, not a one-time bonus or stipend. This and other issues brought up by Mr. Williams and inadvertently by other members of the school board will have to wait for the next article.  If you haven't gone to a CPSB meeting, you probably should, it's an unbelievable experience and you can decide for yourself if Mr. Williams assertion is correct, as stated in the American Press article:

"He said his fellow School Board members are “incompetent.”

Note to Anyone listening, it's 2017,  the CPSB meeting should be live streamed on their facebook page so all citizens could at least have the opportunity to see for themselves what's happening concerning their children, tax dollars, and what they are going to do about chronic failing schools. The cost of live streaming is minimal and takes nothing more than turning a camera on, then turning it off. Simple. It's called transparency.

Lastly, Mr. Williams, the subject of a front-page article last week, said one word in the entire 2 hours and 15 min meeting.  That word, "Here" when the roll was called.

Next article:  New Bond Issue and Mr. Williams accusations.

Random Thoughts

Everythinglakecharles.com

The Blog

Carl M. Ambrose, Jr.

These are 10 of the easiest vegetables you can regrow and not have to purchase again.  With concerns about food safety, GMOs, and the financial times which we live, this will take little effort and save you time and money.

1)Green Onions

One of the easiest vegetables to regrow is green onions because you can literally eat them and replant them. Simply cut off of the stems that you will use for your recipes and place the ends in a jar of water. Within just a few days you will begin to notice new shoots growing and you can replant them for regrowth.

2) Garlic

One great thing about garlic is you can purchase a few cloves and never have to buy it again. This is because new garlic shoots will actually grow out of the individual cloves themselves. And guess what? No water needed. All you have to do is place them on a dish in the sun and you will begin to notice new green shoots growing from the cloves. Pretty cool, huh?

3) Bok Choy

Bok Choy is another easy vegetable to regrow because the stem/root of the plant can be soaked in water with a little fertilizer and will begin to regrow new plants. Once a strong root system has begun to form and you notice solid greenery growing from the bulb, you can plant it. After you harvest it again you can repeat the process

4) Carrots

Eat. Grow. Repeat. That is the way of the carrot which is one of the easiest vegetables to continue to grow. All you need to do is keep the ends of the carrots and soak them in shallow water. New shoots will begin to grow from the carrot stubs as well as roots. In no time you will have brand new carrots to enjoy as a side dish or on top of your salads.

5) Basil

When it comes to herbs, the easiest one to continue to grow and never purchase more is basil. Why you ask? Well, the basil leaves themselves can be planted to grow brand new basil plants! Talk about the circle of life. So if you love cooking with basil, you can have a never ending supply by simply potting a few of the leaves.

6)Celery

Have you ever bought a big bunch of celery and didn’t know what to do with the “butt” once you’ve sliced all the stalks? Well, now you do–plant it to grow more celery. All you have to do is soak it in water and the plant will regrow it’s roots and you can easily plant it again to grow more stalks. Talk about a money saver!

7)Lettuce

Romaine lettuce is another excellent vegetable that is perfect for constant regrowth. All you need to do is soak the end of the head of lettuce for a week and you will begin to see new roots take shape. You can then transfer them to your garden or pots until brand new heads of romaine have grown. It’s a fairly simple process and you will always have salad available.

8)Cilantro

Cilantro is another herb that is great for easy growing and you can literally plant the cilantro leaves to start having new shoots begin to sprout. It can take a little longer with cilantro due to how delicate the herb is and that there is no root system, but it will grow and you can easily have cilantro for days!

9)Sweet Potatoes

Have you ever left a sweet potato in your fridge for too long and noticed it began to sprout leaves? This is because a sweet potato plant can actually regrow itself from the potato because it’s a root to begin with. Therefore, if you want to have a constant supply of sweet potatoes plant a few in your garden. In no time you will have brand new baby sweet potatoes.

10)Ginger

Ginger is a great herb for flavoring drinks, teas as well as soothing the stomach from ailments. You can also keep regrowing it by planting the ginger itself in the ground because it’s actually a root. So the next time you run to the store, grab some extra ginger and plant it in a pot. You will be surprised at how quickly it will continue to grow.

     There are other plants which you can easily grow, hopefully these tips will help you save some money and also give you something the family can do together.  It's time to grow food!   Until the urge to write strikes again have a great week.

Random Thoughts

The Blog

Carl Ambrose, Jr.

Reasons the CPSB Should Be Recalled

As taxpayers, citizens have very few means to voice their concerns in a way that get results.Your local government has the most affect on your life, just as that is the part of government that YOU have the most control over. Elected officials should do what's right for the community as a whole but as you have witnessed in Calcasieu Parish, SWLa. and surrounding  areas, that's not the case.  When it comes to the school board, it's members elected by the people to represent their "best" interest, as well as, make sure that the Superintendent is following the law and making decisions that enhance the school system.  If you want to see the problems simply go to a meeting, read the minutes, watch the edited videos of the meetings.  The minutes are very telling about many of the problems facing the 5th largest school district in the state, how problems are dealt with, or in some cases not dealt with. The members of the Calcasieu Parish School Board are suppose to represent the people and their best interest, they should not just be a rubber stamp  for the Superintendent. There is NO TRANSPARENCY, OR ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SYSTEM. In order for the citizens to have a fair accounting of the finances of the parish school system, and independent, forensic audit needs to be done, until then, no one knows where the money has gone or is going. There are many reasons this board should be recalled, here are just a few.

1.Not reading the superintendent's first contract 2013-2015,nor the second one.

By not reading the contract, they failed to know that the evaluation (Rubric) should have been done in November of 2015.  Once being made aware of the law not being followed, they allowed the "new" contract to be discussed. By not reading the "new"contract, they didn't know that the superintendent HAS NO ACCOUNTABILITY IN HIS CONTRACT, can make any changes and if it all goes down hill he gets  a $20, 000 raise for life, even though 21 schools are failing and district score dropped 11 points.

2. Not making sure that the Superintendent follows state law.

The original contract specifically states that the evaluation of the superintendent should have occurred in November of 2015. Is that not a legal binding agreement, IS THE LETTER OF THE LAW NOT CLEAR? While the school board attorney and Superintendent said nothing about the failure of the attorney to notify the board that a deadline had been missed. A weak explanation has been spelled out by an attorney and has been reviewed by other attorneys who DISAGREE with the ONE SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY.
"The superintendent shall at all times be the ethical leader of the district by complying with all applicable State and local ethics laws."

3.Not insisting that the board and the people have legal representation to have a 2nd voice on legal matters. Parishes of this size have as many as 3-4 attorneys simply due to the scope of legal work.

 The board attorney  is working for the superintendent.  How do we know that? He, by proxy, is the person who backs up the superintendent's positions  legally to the board and citizens. The citizens have no representation due to the either incompetence  or willful actions that are not in the best interest of the citizens.

5.Allowing the contract to be based on the wrong evaluation and allowing the contract to be reworded excluding a word on ALL standard contracts in the CPSB system.

The Rubric evaluation was to have been used, this was brought to the attention of the board in October of 2015. After ignoring repeated request for clarification of compliance with ACT 1., we got a weak response from the attorney. 

 There is one word that is in all standard employee contracts, at least in the teachers contract, it's missing from the new contract. If your school board member read both contracts and has read a standard contract, they should not only know what the word is, know that it was removed. The attorney and Superintendent are the only two people who could answer why. One could only assume that requirement was one that could not be fulfilled or had already been breached, and there could be evidence of the breach (i.e. minutes, etc). pure speculation and NOT AN ACCUSATION, but that is all that surrounds the CPSB, speculation, since transparency  is like the contract, Null and Void.

6.Failing to insure that the superintendent recommends "QUALIFIED" individuals for promotion as required by his contract. 

The organizational chart has been arranged and re-arranged to "make" positions for individuals, while qualified individuals are intentionally overlooked. Time, money and man hours have been spent attempting to get exemptions when qualified people are in house.  The hiring, promotion and organizational problems are systematic and through a simple public records request, the pattern can be found.

7.At meetings, little to no discussion about the kids, finding out what the superintendent plans to do to improve the current situation.  Just talk of an additional $17/yr  added to the superintendents salary for life with more than a 1/3 of the schools failing and school system receiving a lower letter grade. With this raise, the Superintendent will have raised his salary and retirement package by over 50% in 2 yrs. We get 21 failing schools, and 11 points lower and no say in how the money is spent. We also get the probability of  litigation, and no clear plan on what is going to be done to improve the schools. Just read the minutes of the meetings.

8. Allowing CPSB funds to be dispersed unevenly and biased.

Some schools get $100's of thousands of dollars, some get teachers who aren't certified.
The teachers were to have gotten a $4000 raise, some only got $3600 according to several school board members. There is a bloated administration at the CPSB, with NO TRANSPARENCY  you can't be sure the best decisions are being made.  

When the question of whose interest does the board or attorney represent, they aren't representing the children or citizens Some who received campaign contributions from certain groups, ALWAYS BACK THE SUPERITENDENT.  Some members have problems getting questions answered, items on the agenda, etc.  How bad? a board member asked about a double billing, still waiting on and answer, read the minutes.

  This contract does little to ensure that there is ANY ACCOUNTABILITY BY ANYONE. and more than likely be challenged in court, the law is clear.  Further more, this is strictly about the system, no one individual.  As it stands now the superintendent nor the board has ANY ACCOUNTABILITY.  Principals, teachers and students are all accountable, why isn't the board and the superintendent held accountable?  Every time that you make a purchase in Calcasieu parish, you are giving more money to this group, and you have no advocates. nearly $400 MILLION, it's your money.
Its time for the school board to be overhauled and revamped, so that the citizens benefit, not business.  RECALL THE SCHOOL BOARD.

There are many blogs, Facebook pages and sites that help to keep you informed about YOUR MONEY, USE THEM AND MAKE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE AND DEMAND TRANSPARENCY.
It's time for a forensic audit.

Below you will find documentation and links to other pieces that express similar concerns, that have not been addressed.

http://educatelouisiana.org/2016/06/18/calcasieu-parish-renews-bruchhaus-contract/

Random Thoughts

Everythinglakecharles.com The Blog

Carl M. Ambrose, Jr.

* They're 3000 counties in the U.S., 50% of the population lives in just 146 of them.

* There are roughly 7 Billion people on earth.

* 30,000 children die each day.

* There are 1 Million pounds of food thrown away each day.

* There are 4 Billion tons of toxic industrial pollution discharged per year.

* There are 2 Billion functioning cellphones thrown away per year.

*  50% of taxes got Military spending.

* Private corporations own and run 51% of everything on earth.

* The biggest problem facing America and the world in the next 5 yrs?

   Water, fresh drinking water.

   Corporations own the rights to much of the available drinking water in America.

* There are over 100,000 synthetic toxic chemicals mixed with organic compounds

   to create food, merchandise and products that or poisonous to you.

* Gold is being re-valued, as well as silver. 

   Gold and Silver production is Zero at present

   Demand will increase on precious metals that there is ALWAYS a demand for.

Randomness from Louisiana

     Senate Candidate Caroline Fayard held a campaign event recently in SWLa.  The event was held at the 1910 Restaurant & Wine Bar in downtown Lake Charles, nice crowd to hear the candidate speak and have a chance to talk to her.

    

     Speaking of the senate race, like the Governor's race it's off to a slow start.

The nine declared candidates have done little in the area of fund-raising or advertising.  With the state having budget problems and an upcoming session, attention is focused elsewhere.  The national election is also casting a shadow over this and other senate races around the country. While the major Republican candidates are the favorites in La., if Caroline Fayard, can get her message out, we could have a repeat of Last year's Governor's race, a republican against a democrat.  Though at this point, that does seem to be a long shot, kinda like the Governor's race. 

     In the race for the 3rd District seat there are six candidates: Greg Ellision, Brent Guymann, Erick Knezek, Gus Rantz, Grover Joseph Rees and Scott Angelle who  picked up the endorsement of the current holder of the seat and senate candidate Charles Boustany, Jr.

"I am proud to support Scott Angelle for the Third Congressional District. I've worked with Scott to support our farmers, our ports, and to restore our coastline. We fought together against the Obama administration in the wake of the Gulf drilling moratorium and won," reads the endorsement touted by Angelle. "I'm supporting Scott because he's the best candidate to stop Washington's war on oil, repeal Obamacare, and secure our border."

     While in Calcasieu Parish mums the word on the contract problems of the Superintendent of Schools. Conventional wisdom would think that copies were sent to more than us, knowing that the situation has been ignored by the local media for months.  Testing the waters...The quiet before the storm I would suspect...while state-wide..

   There might be some relief for teachers as  SB  342, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, heads to the full Senate for debate after passing out of the Senate Education Committee on Thursday. The measure seems to have a lot of support and is expected to pass. 

     Hopefully the last words on Piyish Jindal, seems he came out of hiding at the $800K+ hole to be seen in Washington, just as Lamar White, Jr. (he's everywhere you know) was dropping a dime on his flip to now endorsing Trump while letting Vitter rot on the vine in last years Governor's race. Read More

     After the worst flooding in recent memory Police Jury President addressed a major problem facing the parish.  Here is his statement posted on facebook.

     "We have a drainage crisis in Calcasieu Parish. The following is my opinion, and I’m speaking only for myself as a citizen and as 1 of 15 Police Jurors. I apologize for the amount of text, and before anyone calls me out for not specifically addressing this street or that street, or this neighborhood or that neighborhood, I ask you to understand that if I wanted to fully address every aspect of drainage in Southwest Louisiana, I would need to author a novel. We must not look at this issue as a “North Lake Charles, “South Lake Charles, or “Downtown Lake Charles” problem. Truly, this is a parishwide problem. The American Press once said I "stirred the hornet's nest" with this issue. In Calcasieu Parish, we have 7 independent Gravity & Drainage Districts; that's right...7 districts all with their own boards(5 members each), superintendents, staffs, and equipment. We have taken a natural watershed that God has devised and cut it up in 7 districts, many with boundaries that follow no waterways or watershed. These man-made, straight lines drawn on the map have set up artificial "drainage walls," where a citizen may be lucky to live on one side of the street with a drainage district that is sufficiently funded and their neighbor across the street live in a drainage district that is not sufficiently funded. Add these drainage board members to the 15 police jurors we have and the dozens of city council members from cities and we have over 50 independent minds with their own visions for drainage improvement. Consolidation has historically been controversial. Within Calcasieu Parish, we have case studies for similar services consolidation, case studies that have proven very effective (library, roads, mosquito control, juvenile justice). We must view ourselves as a community, as "Calcasieu Parish Citizens," not "West of the River Citizens," "East of the River Citizens," or "Ward X Citizens." The first question we must ask ourselves, is, philosophically, how will we move forward to solve these drainage problems in our parish? Will we act as a unified front with cooperation and a sense of community, or will we deal in sectionalism? I believe every citizen of Calcasieu Parish deserves to have quality drainage, every citizen. I do not consider myself living in an isolated incorporated Lake Charles. I realize that I am also a citizen of Calcasieu Parish, and water will go where it wants to go, regardless of artificial, man-made boundaries. There is no “silver bullet” that will solve our crisis, but consolidation is a good foundational start. Simply continuing to do something the same way because "that's just always the way we've done it" is not a concept I agree with.

We must take action based on science, cooperation, common sense, an aversion to duplication of services, and of course, using the tax payers' dollar so that they shall receive the best bang for their buck. I understand studies are cumbersome and time consuming, but would we rather spend money recklessly without the engineering data to back it up? 

Moving forward, I offer several solutions: 1) Stop the bleeding. We must ask developers to change the way in which they develop. Constructing concrete jungles and eliminating all porous land on some lots over the past 30 years has done no favors to the drainage crisis. Rather than simply pushing excess water into laterals, more water can stay onsite. The Police Jury may vote on this in the coming months. Stay active and involved. Let your Police Jurors know how you feel. 2) Use more funds from the Parish Road & Drainage Trust Fund to partner with cities and drainage districts for capital improvement projects. To be sure, roads are a priority, but our drainage problem has reached a crisis stage. 3) Comprehensive capital improvements with additional revenue to maintain what already exists and to increase capacity. Allow me to speak about Lake Charles/Ward 3 for a moment. Contraband Bayou needs to be dredged. Coulees and laterals downtown need to be maintained. One outside of the box idea: we have a good amount of green space surrounding either sides of 2-10 and I-10. Could we create drainage basins along these roadways to get more water off the street? Neighborhoods all across Lake Charles need improvements on ditches and laterals. To accomplish all of this will cost a great deal, more than the current Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, or Gravity Drainage District budgets will allow. The old adage “don’t tax you, don’t tax me, tax the guy behind the tree” would apply here, however the tree has been washed away by our drainage crisis. I, speaking as a citizen and taxpayer, personally am at a point where I realize this issue is paramount. This issue is a priority. This is a crisis. 

Decades from now, I want generations to look back and say “Thank God they did something.” I do not want these future generations to say “My God, why didn’t they do something?” I suggest you attend the next Police Jury Drainage Committee meeting and let your voices be heard. We cannot fix our problems overnight, but we must begin somewhere."

     At the beginning of the week did you notice the article on the renewal of a tax in the print edition of the American Press on the front page?  Coincidence right?  With taxes coming from Baton Rouge, and a tax rate that is the highest in the country, good luck, consolidation, furloughs and layoffs may be your only option. People aren't going to tax themselves too much anymore.

     A.L.E.C. controls Louisiana. Monsanto is expanding it's plant in Luling, La. Almost $1 Billion  expansion, we get 100 jobs and more pollution, what a deal. 

Hope your week is a good week. 

Random Thoughts

Everythinglakecharles.com The Blog

Carl M. Ambrose, Jr.

It been awhile since a new blog, so here it is random thoughts about the CPSB.

     If your child is a student in the Calcasieu Parish School System you need to read this. If you are a taxpayer in Calcasieu Parish you should read this and view the documents.

     Some background, prior to the vote on the sales tax to increase teachers pay, many people had reservations due to fact that the Superitendent of CPS was unable to balance the budget for....a long time, even when it was his only job. At the time of the tax proposal,  the plea was for the teachers. Of the 7,400+ employees of the school system, 2600+ are teachers. You would think that for sure all 2600+teachers got their $4000 raise, all didn't, some are rumored to have only received $3600 while some administrators, who NEVER deal with students, received the full amount. While we are on the subject of administration, someone should file F.O.I.A. or ask for a "forensic audit" to find out how many people are receiving a full pension as well as a cushy $50,00+ job and don't have to deal with students, as well as,  where is our money?  61 school,2600+ teachers, $330+ million dollar budget that will grow each yr. We have closed schools, fewer students, and in the past 10+ yrs 0 for 10+ in balanced budgets,  a common denominator that everyone knows. A total audit is the only we can account for EVERY DIME that is ours. Too many decisions made without the public's knowledge.

      Now this leads the the attorney who is suppose to represent the people of Calcasieu Parish by making sure that all laws are followed, all deadlines met, etc, you  know lawyer stuff that we aren't suppose to understand. He is FAILING miserably. In fact he may cost the school board some money, a lot, not $330 million, but a lot. The documents below outline how he has failed the public.

     Now to the President/Chair of the school board, who sets the agenda i.e. what can,who will, won't be able to talk and what will be  talked about, he campaigned on one thing and is now doing the opposite.  What can we say? He is using his position to Censor the very taxpayers whose money they have control of. Soon it will be all out in the open.  At this point as a taxpayer you have no idea if the money is being used wisely and can't find out because all decisions are made in either small "meetings" or Executive Committee.  Either way the taxpayers are shut out of decisions on their money.

     Some of you may be saying, "We already know that."  I would hope that you do, those that don't, you do now.  One would think that would be enough, it's not, there's more. The board now wants to take the University program away from LaGrange and Washington-Marion and move it to LCB.  This after  they discovered that won't have enough students to keep it open.  You may ask why does this matter since it would just be another school closed in NLC? Maybe they want to keep a public school close to downtown? not likely, maybe they don't own the property and if the school is closed, the property reverts back to the heirs.  So making the most gifted of these schools  get up earlier to be bused to LCB,( the program has only been in place for 1 yr) thus, in the process keeping LCB open and no one is the wiser.  The board has even gone as far as to send letters advising parents that they should attend a Thursday meeting, and not the Scheduled Tuesday meeting.

     Now about the stipulation that was put in place when the Sup. of CPS was placed in the position.
There many qualified candidate for the position the  of Co/Sup or whatever title they planned on using, but The superintendent chose someone NOT QUALIFIED, and asked for a waiver, IT WAS DENIED and still refuses to hire the qualified candidates in his building.  So earlier when I spoke of how the board's attorney could cost the parish money, this situation can, but you will never know, because the board has a long history of settling and keeping quiet ALL SUITS. You can go all the way back to to the late 70's and there  is a trail of settlements that you don't know about, just like you don't know about all the ones in the past, you don't know what's happening with your money.

     Speaking of THE LAW, below you may find another reason that all of the above decisions will or may cost the Parish more money. I received these in mail in an unmarked envelope postmarked from Baton Rouge, La. with nothing else, no note no explanation.  After reading them, no explanation was needed. Simple fact, of the 70 parishes with Superintendents, Calcasieu Parish is the ONLY ONE with a Non-Educator running it, and legally that may not be case.  Between a quarter of a Billion dollars and a half Billion dollars of your money, no matter who and where you are in Calcasieu Parish ,your school would be getting more money if the board made wiser decisions. Apologies to my English teacher.

     Enough for now...

These documents were sent anonymously from Baton Rouge.... 

All view expressed are those of Everythinglakecharles Blog,

random ramblings

Sunset at Civic Center

The Blog

Carl M. Ambrose, Jr.

     This past Thursday, nine of the Independent Presidential candidates came to Lake Charles to a debate.  The debate was hosted by Media Personality Jackie Simien with nine Candidates participating including Verone Thomas from Lake Charles, a Whig Party Candidate.  Mayor Randy Roach welcomed the candidates who included :  Dr. Lynn S. Kahn, John Fitzgerald Johnson, Robert Dionisio, Chris Keniston, Val Kittington, Rhett Sith, Sedinam Kinamo Shristin Moyowasifza-Curry.
The event was lived streamed, with other debates scheduled. (pictured below)

* Sasol is "delaying" the $14 Billion dollar project here in Lake Charles. Read More

* David Vitter is having his revenge against the state and John Bel Edwards, He and Steve Scalise are calling the shots from Washington via the defacto Speaker of the House, Cameron Henry. Two guys from New Orleans, running the state, from Washington, D.C.

*Lamar White,Jr. Is Everywhere, and Knows Things...see above.

*So "Feel the Bern" has arrived in Louisiana with Bernie Sanders opening a Louisiana campaign HQ   in Metairie, La. on Sunday around noon.

*Oil prices continue to drown the state's budget, $33/barrel today at the open.

*between 2005-2015 the population of Louisiana grew by 3% (133,960) (bureau of labor statistics)

*Between 2005-2015 revenue increased 9% from $22.2 billion to$24.2 billion (bureau of labor        statistics)

*Between 2005-2015 spending grew 15% or $3.3 billion  from $25.5 to $28.8 billion (bureau of labor   statistics)

*Republicans are trying to bankrupt the states, so social services can be cut.  See Kansas, Louisiana,
   New Jersey, Wisconsin.



****This Weeks Louisiana Facts ****

> 95% of hotels are at capacity in New Orleans for Mardi Gras

> It's a $500 fine to instruct a  pizza delivery to to deliver a pizza  to your friend without their          knowledge.

> Louisiana has the tallest state capitol building  34 stories and 450 feet.

> Gibson, La. is home to the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, a couple of miles where the couple    was killed.

> The first Opera performed in the United States was performed in New Orleans in 1796.

Crude Oil Prices Crippling the State Budget

Random Ramblings- The Blog

Carl M. Ambrose, Jr.

(Lake Charles,La) Yesterday the Price of oil closed below $27 a barrel. The Louisiana budget is based on $63 a barrel, you don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to see what's taking place. The state of La. uses oil prices to project what revenues will be generated via mineral revenues, adding corporate taxes and sales tax from employee spending. A reduction in those numbers causes a reduction in the state budget.  Jan Moeller, the Director of the Louisiana Budget Project had this to say to the Louisiana Radio Network:

"I think the original budget for this year was built on $63 a barrel oil.  I think the forecast has downgraded into the 40's, but I think it going to have to be dropped again."

     The lower prices for oil are and will adversely affect the state of Louisiana's budget, a budget that cannot take any more hits.

     As we the price continues to drops, not only will jobs be lost, but you can also expect sharp drops in Corporate tax collection, Individual income tax collections as well as sales tax collections.

This reduction in funds available to the state means there will be a reduction in state services, possibly layoff in many sectors and less money for the funding of roadwork and higher education.

     It is very important that Governor Edwards and the state legislature use care in the allocation of limited funds that are dwindling by the day. There are many factors that can come into play that can make this situation much worse. 

      As Rep. Neil Abramson has shown us there are self-serving individuals that don't care about what their constituents or the people of the state of Louisiana want or need.  It's time to root them all out, or else, nothing will change.  As long as our future is solely tied to the price of oil and remains below the break even point for the state...that hole in the budget, will remain.