re: Louisiana at risk of losing federal matching funds for infrastructure by 2019

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a seemingly endless amount of waste to fund transportation "studies".

Perhaps they can commission another study to study the wasteful transportation studies?

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the studies are federally mandated as per the national environmental protection act of 1969. if a roadway is going to get federal funds, an environmental study is the first step, and it's a law. the biggest study that gets demonized around here was the BR loop. because it seemingly fell through the cracks, it's often labeled as just a kickback. but many, many agencies were heavily involved and very, very serious about making the loop a reality.

but you know who wasn't very, very serious about making the loop a reality? the citizens of EBR and the surrounding parishes. everyone bitches about the traffic, but when push came to shove, they didn't want it. and public input is a huge factor in the environmental study. a contract was signed to perform the work with the full intention of helping traffic, many firms were involved and spent lots of time doing the work, then when the public was involved, they shot it down. the interstates can only be widened so much. there comes a point when alternate routes are needed. so many other big cities, and ones smaller than BR, can make a loop happen, so it's not like it was some outlandish money grab that was never going to work.

the same exact process is going on right now with I-10 and the lafayette connector. if the citizens don't shout it down, it'll go through, and no one will accuse it of being just a wasteful study.

Zero Infrastructure
Zero new Middle/Upper Middle Class jobs
Zero desire to make diverse economy
Zero desire to bring back educated folks

Why in the frick are yall still there again?

Food, Family, and LSU only go so far.

I can overlook highish taxes if it actually went to infrastructure to facilitate growth and better serve the taxpayers.

Things like widening I-10 in Baton Rouge, the Comite Diversion Canal, improving Airline Highway, replacing/repairing the old bridge in Lake Charles, finishing I-49, etc. Those are things that should have been addressed 20 years ago but never were.

Even the old TIMED agenda that voters approved did nothing for my area. We sure paid taxes for it though.

I find that a few vocal groups can go to these public meetings, demonstrate their opposition, and basically shut down a project even though the majority would like to see the project go through.

Unfortunately that happens around here a lot.

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Also a massive medicaid expansion

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Ding Ding Ding. Can't pay for what was on the rolls but lets add a bunch more freeloaders to the mix. Wasteful spending and dumbasses running the show!

The most effective way to combat the waste is to hire more investigators for fraud in Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, or any other major program that doles out money to people. The truth is that there is that the costs associated with hiring 10 more employees to investigate fraud would pay for itself either through greater cooperation with the laws or with what they uncover. Also, you could eliminate some positions within government through technology.

Tolls. Everyone builds new roads with tolls except Louisiana.... We just don't build anything.