Posted on 06/18/2010 1:53:24 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
A modest proposal: The federal government should take over Louisiana. Might as well, at this point.
"We will do whatever is necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy," President Obama said....
Louisiana has had more than its share of tragedies in recent years, and some, such as Hurricane Katrina, could be deemed acts of nature. But whatever the cause, every calamity that befalls Louisiana is made worse by its corrupt civic culture. A protectorate could provide the structure of governance its people need.
It's hardly news that Louisiana's political class is not all it could be. But there comes a time when the U.S. taxpayer can no longer write blank checks to cover its dysfunction.
...Louisiana doesn't seem able to move beyond its dependence on oil.
Texas did it. Today, it is a major force in high-tech research, medical services, trade and manufacturing...
Thus, the Texas economy is one-sixth as sensitive to changes in the oil price as it was 30 years ago.
But in Louisiana, it's oil all the time. Mix a wealthy extractive industry with easily corrupted politicians, and you have makings for a Third World economy. (New Orleans has been called the best-run city in the Caribbean.)
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal appears fairly competent and smart. But look at the self-contradicting ideology he's tangled in...
...Much of southern Louisiana is under sea level and periodically floods. No sane person would build in these low-lying areas were it not for the federal taxpayer, who subsidizes flood coverage where private insurers would never tread.
...Louisiana need not remain a permanent ward of the federal government. As in the case of General Motors, Washington could help change management, then set Louisiana free to run its own affairs. But something must be done.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Let's keep an eye on how he treats Florida....27 electoral votes...no matter who the Dem candidate is in 2012.
There are already about 17 government agencies that have set up shop to “help” the citizens of Louisiana deal with the oil spill.
Jackson Lee territory.
Shouldn’t this be posted under the Friday Silliness thread?
I like how the author points out New Orleans corruption while glossing over that whole Chicago culture of corruption thing that permeates this White House.
The Houston Chronicle has fallen so far.
Jindal is doing a great job. The Feds are consistently screwing things up.
And she didn’t propose this five years ago, either. What a loon.
I can’t say on here what I want to about this article. Suffice it to say that the author can go straight to hell.
Houston is so much more richer, diversified, larger and successful than New Orleans will ever be, and yet many of its citizens still foolishly harbor a cow town inferiority complex against the Crescent City. Why can’t they celebrate their success, rather than denigrating those less fortunate.
She wants Louisiana to go through Reconstruction again so that they can fall fifty years behind everybody else once more.
Yea Texas! How y’all like them property taxes down there?! Mmmmmmmm.... mmmmmm.... mmmm.
Y’all look more and more like Kalifornia everyday! Illegals and gays... hurray!
- Sandy Squirrel
I think The Administration is very concerned about that. They are trying to divert attention from him hoping he shows some weakness or fault, then wham-o.
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