I remarked to Xy a couple weeks ago that I didn’t know who our State Senator was, and then a few days later we got a glossy, full-color mailer that answered the question. Our State Senator, Edwin Murray, wants our feedback on what to do with the Louisiana budget surplus. The mailing includes a postage-paid postcard with the following five options (check all that apply):
- The state should pay for the increased cost of health insurance for retired teachers.
- The state should abolish the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
- The state should terminate the contract with ICF, who administers the Road Home Program.
- The state should bear the burden of fixing the educational system in New Orleans.
- The state should make New Orleans a priority.
There’s also piece that says Please note infrastructure includes police and fire stations, libraries, school, utilities, streets and sidewalks. I’m not sure what the point of this note is, since “infrastructure” is not mentioned in the five options. But there is a space to add my own ideas. Maybe I can write “infrastructure” there.
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Is it just me, clueless in Philly, or … hunh?
How did Louisiana wind up with a budget surplus in the first place?
It looks like we’re sending you Vallas. He didn’t perform miracles here, but he left things better than when he came.
Sounds like a particularly worthless piece of campaign fluff designed ot generate positive feelings from retired school teachers and to generate other positive statistics for a campaign.
Maybe we should spend some of the surplus on proofreading.
Vallas did a pretty big job in Chicago. Schools were reconstituted, teachers had to re-apply for their jobs. He was not popular.
I think the general opinion is he was a hatchet man brought in to break everything down and clear out the failures. He’s more of an administrator than anything else and not much of an education industry background prior to his position in Chicago.
There are many comparisons between public schools in Chicago and New Orleans. I spent a little time in both and wouldn’t send my kids to either in the condition they were in, but truthfully, Chicago schools were a big step up from New Orleans in terms of condition of facilities and dedication of staff and faculty.
As a former resident and taxpayer of both systems, I feel qulaified to make the following statements: He has no idea what he’s getting himself into. He wants to commute between NO and Chicago and since he is afraid to fly, he’ll be doing it by train. He has higher political aspirations than running school districts, as evidenced by his campaign for governor of Illinois. The best NO can hope for is that he is able to make improvements by subtraction before he is run out of town. He will not be making many additions or friends.
I wish we had political gadfly Sandra Hester around to welcome him, but I think she is probably in a better place.
You should make up as many extra boxes as you can think of. Take a piece of card stock and staple it to it with your list of extra boxes. Then check them all.
SEN. ED MURRAY another SLICK one, used to have a work.comp. contract with City way back when Morial was Mayor, a complete failure. City ended up letting out contract to private firm with skills to do the job.
This is the leadership we are left with!?
I don’t see the point in the card as well, but summize he’s just keeping
his name out to look like he’s doing work. Just like Bill Jefferson’s
SLICK three-tone colored phamplet I got yesterday in the mail. And,
as taxpayers we’re foot’in the bill. Why not give the State’s surplus
directly to the citizenry so we can afford to put all the politicians
in prison!? When will Jefferson get indicted!? Probably never, because
he’s probably got more on those who want to put him away. Yes,
I’m ranting BUT $%^%^&$% IT! Enough is enough! Our city and local
leaders need to be held accountable! Think globally act locally man!
Why would #2 and #3 require the use suplus money? If it costs the state to “do” and “not do” then we’re in a losing battle.
Since I work and blog in Shreveport…and at the risk of making some folks mad…I think the surplus should go to Shreveport.
I’d probably also mention something about not using the surplus to mail out a half-million postcards asking what to do with the surplus.
[…] Shepherd. Maybe he’s taking his cues from Senator Murray, who sent us a “survey” back in May. I’m a little surprised by this since we’re not actually in Sen. Shepherd’s […]