(This post may not be of much interest to those outside of Louisiana or the Gulf Coast region... you are hereby warned - T.)
Times-Picayune - Mandeville mayor issued ticket 2 weeks after crash
Oh, God, they're all alike down here, the politicians... doesn't really matter which side of the lake they're on. He got drunk, rammed a toll booth barrier in a city-owned luxury SUV, and then it took two weeks for the bridge cops to issue a ticket? This is after the city police chief and the mayor got into hot water about misuse of charity funds... and a city-owned luxury guzzler? The town's been into renewal and environmental stuff since the guy took office, yet they lean so far right otherwise. "Family values" this, "limted government" that... but don't you DARE propose to pave over a wetland. There's so much hypocrisy in this place it's not even funny, yet I can't stop laughing. Makes me glad I officially live in an unincorporated part of the parish.
Still, I go into town, I spend money there (mostly on booze and photo development), and so I have every right to gripe. Price should get booted out of office, as should Buell and Loicano. They should also take Price's license away in the process. (Didn't the state pass "tougher" DUI penalties a while back that involve automatic suspensions?) They're all textbook examples of the cronyism, favoritism and corruption around here. Speak up and you won't even be able to work at a fast-food place... which could be life-shattering in a parish with such a high cost of living. Worse, you might suddenly find yourself slapped with some BS charge that just as equally ruins your life. Keep your mouth shut and you just might get to keep your job, or at least your quality of life. That's SOP around here - all it takes is one unfavorable word from the "haves" and your life is screwed. Shame, really.
We are part of a metropolitan area that gets more than enough bad press from the people in charge on the other side of the lake, what with Nagin's weekly racist comments and incompetency and Broussard (the Jefferson Parish president) attracting bad press like a magnet. None of these idiots should be helping to further damage the reputation of this region. Bad enough it's on life support as it is. This region still has a lot to offer in natural splendor, history, culture and industry (oil, seafood, Michoud, etc...) We're pissing it away by remaining silent and allowing "business as usual" to continue.
And yeah, I consider DUI as "road-related" news. The rest is just icing and built-up disbelief over "the system." Still, I'll try to find something more road (or computer) related for the next post.
No comments:
Post a Comment