re: At what point do we (myself included) say enough of this and get the hell out this state?

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The lack of white collar jobs has less to due with the room for growth as the fact that is a shortage of educated workforce.

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Louisiana has got to do something about public education in this state. I'm honestly running out of ideas. In some districts, the only people interested in taking the lead in these school districts have political ambition. In others, a shite load of good, hard working people elect to send their kids to private schools and thus could care less if the local public schools fail or if a bunch of idiots get elected to the board.

I think we should split up the larger school districts in Caddo, EBR, Orleans, Lafayette, Calcassieu into smaller districts where local control is maintained and people have more skin in the game. And ensure that there will never be forced bussing of kids across those parishes ever again. Then start dumping cash into them to kick off a nationally competitive STEM program and the best facility improvements we can buy.

Basically every larger metro area in Louisiana (NOLA, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metarie, and Shreveport) should have at least a few more school districts that people take pride in. Then we can focus revamping what's left of the inner city school districts by going in hard on charter academies, magnet programs, remedial programs, and trade schools.

I am not quite sure what to do with shitty rural districts like St. Helena, Rapides, Pointe Coupee, or Ibberville. They have very little money and most of the people with real income in those areas would never send their kids to public schools. The people "involved" in those districts are usually politically ambitious are race-obsessed. In those cases I would start auditing the hell out of them and eliminate under performing teachers immediately (something that should be done state wide). Then maybe we can establish a few STEM academies to broaden the appeal of the public school system and partner with neighboring parishes to develop boarding schools for the most at-risk kids with the worst situations at home so we can at least attempt to break this cycle of failure.

And since the feds recently told all the states that they can't spend their billions of Covid stimulus funds on transportation infrastructure, I'd use it on public education and flood protection after we replenish the unemployment fund.

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I haven't done the comparison of property tax vs income tax, so I really can't argue here, but I assume property tax would drop that %

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That's inclusive of property tax. Yes, property tax in Texas is high, but it's not low in Louisiana. It's in the upper half of the country. Add in the 4% state income tax and a 3-4% higher sales tax rate and your total state tax burden is quite a bit lower in Texas.

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as a city? sure

in my area? demographics are probably similar to everyone else that posts here

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I understand that. Where YOU live seems fine, but your city had to devert resources and collects less of them because the demographics are so bad.

1987

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Louisiana has got to do something about public education in this state

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You can't teach people who do not value education.

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The only one that didn't have regular natural disasters was absolutely bland AF. The food sucked and the people were kind of standoffish. I was miserable there.

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Then living in Louisiana suits you fine.

I can cook my own food. I'm standoffish myself. Some people grow in a way that's not normal in the area in which they grew up. I have extremely little in common with those people who are still living in my hometown (Cenla). They like to hunt and fish, they love cooking good food, they love being loud and having a good time with others. As strange as it may sound, I don't like those things.

Other than the food and my family that remains, I am pretty much at odds with the entire attitude of the state. Politically and socially. The people I liked when I grew up all left. I had tons of friends in high school. 3 of them still live in the state of Louisiana.

People value different things, and at some point the familiarity of home just isn't enough to put up with a lifestyle you don't necessarily see eye to eye with. The weather is just the cherry on top.

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Except now instead of car only they are bike only, bus only, or rail only and too incompetent to run a mass transit system efficiently enough to make someone want to leave his or her car and use another transportation option. You can advocate all you want, but until cities stop electing incompetent leaders nothing will change one way or another.

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One of the main reasons, despite the cost, its hard to imagine leaving Boise. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of the left leaning issues the mayor/city council like to spearhead, but I am incredibly pleased with their emphasis on alternative means of transportation. And it's evident even going 10 miles west of town. We are in Meridian (adjacent to Boise) and its nearly impossible to navigate in anything other than a car. Boise is constantly doing surveys and trying to figure out how to increase different means of transportation, both to improve the health of the city and clear congestion.

Boise looks to pathways along canals for new transportation options

Article describing how 11th street could be used to connect the river and foothills

Boise Pathways Plan

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Its the shite kids/parents. Why care about school when government gives you everything?

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If we gear our public education system to cater to the worst among us, we wills screw over all of the kids who actually care about their future. It's not fair to them to be forced into bad schools that are full of students and teachers that don't care. That is happening in inner city districts all over the country, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Where Louisiana is being pragmatic and seeing some positive results:

Charters, Specialized Magnets, and STEM academies that require testing and a record of achievement to enroll. It's insensitive and likely branded as racist by people who want to preserve the status quo, but it does provide access to a decent education for students who care about their future.

I'd also argue that municipal districts like Central and Zachary are also an ideal solution to a lack of engagement among families that may value education. Give them local control, and they may pull their kids out of private school and start showing up to PTA meetings.

you wanted to bring levity to a situation by picking me out, specifically, and make a joke at my expense during an ongoing flood situation? the water is still half a foot deep in my house while your holiness of hilarity brings levity to the situation. thanks but i’ll pass next time you’re doling out unsolicited frickery at my expense.

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Yes, property tax in Texas is high, but it's not low in Louisiana.

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Depends on the district. Louisiana is a very anti-tax state. Overall it has the 5th lowest property tax burden in the country.

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Louisiana is a very anti-tax state.

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Lol, no. Louisiana has one of the highest total tax burdens of "red" states in the country