re: Sid Edwards continuing to push his plan

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his spokesperson, Falon Brown

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so this is why she ain't on the news no more, huh? interesting

Genuinely curious: Why doesn’t Sid do this with BREC?

BREC seems to be a worse offender of wasting tax dollars than the library. Plus, the library arguably helps the greater public good versus some crappy soccer fields.

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I'm not in favor of moving tax dollars taken for the library system and given to the Police. If the library system can survive on 50% of their budget, then those tax dollars should be returned to the taxpayer. The mayor can propose a new tax for police. But we are overtaxed as it is and shouldn't be presented.

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I agree. We voted for those taxes to go to the Library. But Library taxes are too high, they should be cut.

Now if voters want to pass a new tax to pay cops, etc., that’s a different discussion.

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Genuinely curious: Why doesn’t Sid do this with BREC?

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He will. Trust me. He’ll go after every public service dollar that has any hint of helping minorities or lower income citizens until he gets his Trump patch for his letter jacket.

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By all accounts the library has been very good with their money. They are also overfunded. Contrary to what the die hard library supporters say, both can be true.

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THIS

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Parish leaders left the Library Conttol Board act in their own and of course they felt their mission was more important than everyone else’s so they kept growing and spending. A solid function system wasn’t the goal. They spent money on expensive structures, art and facilities where there was no real big demand. No one dare challenge them until now. You’d be painted as a kid hater or a community hater. Until now.

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Well this is bullshite.

The library board put a property tax millage on the ballot in 1986 to ask for dedicated funding because the city parish government (the city council and Mayor Pat Screen) slashed its funding and put the then money allocated to the library system into the GENERAL FUND where as usual it was pissed away into a black hole while the library staff was cut in half, the library’s were hours of operations were drastically cut and they relied on donations for books, maintenance and supplies.

So they put a ten year property tax on the ballot for dedicated funding so the exact thing the current Mayor and council is trying to do could not happen. Broome tried it too.

The tax was overwhelmingly voted for and renewed three times and comes up for renewal again this year. The library board since 1986 has spent the money exactly as they said they would and exactly as the voters wanted and approved. They built new library branches all over the parish and have since then renovated at least three of the early branches built-Bluebonnet, Jones Creek and I believe Scotlandville. THIS IS HOW A TAX SHOULD BE USED. DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO AND WHAT WE THE VOTERS YOU ASKED APPROOVED YOU TO DO AND BE TRANSPARENT WITH IT. By being transparent as they have been they are vilified.

All are state of the art facilities and all are used a lot. If you think they are not being used than you have not been in one within the last decade.

All of this has been done with pay as they collect taxes-no borrowing, no bond issues. Save the money and pay cash.

Now since they have been spending their allotted millage appropriately and have been good stewards with our tax money and no other agency, administration or council has they just see it as a pile of money to be taken from.

So-if you disagree with the library property tax you will have a chance in the fall to vote against it. That is your right.

And I am not opposed by any means to better fund the police or where actual funding should be given. However-this should be voted on as a way for the city parish citizens to decide and the Library Board should not be held hostage because they are the only ones who properly represent the people of the city.

No one seems to asks about the Council on Aging funding from its dedicated tax.

This money grab went from last week to fund a raise for Baton Rouge City Police (from a parish wide tax-I do not receive protection from BR City Police as I’m outside the city limits) to today funding many other department employees, mental health services (which we just passed a tax for a few years ago and low and behold Collis Temple enjoys the lions share of that money)

Drainage and road improvements (which we passed a dedicated tax for in the MOVEBR plan that I haven’t seen shite happen ) and “other initiatives “ meaning whatever the frick they want .

Community policing
Head Start
Address Food Deserts
River Center Renovations
Blight reduction
Homeless services
Beautifications
Repurposing the fricking Brave Cave? A metal fricking building?

frick each and every one of these.

So he says he will have to lay off 600 people.

600 people out of 4500 city parish employees which his own Chief Administrative Officer Charlie Davis called “an inappropriately large workforce.”

Sid is quickly learning how to be a typical politician. Stick one hand out and put the other hand in your pocket.

This is just another typical Baton Rouge ripoff.

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It’s what the voters have been supporting for years though when they vote for the tax renewals.

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This is because those retards allow people to vote on property taxes that do not own property or pay taxes. Those types are for every tax.

I like libraries, but I'm not in EBR

I'm just here to comment on the below quote

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If the police would write tickets for false plates, tints, erratic driving and littering, they would be self-sufficient.

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This is a true statement. I for one do not believe 50% of drivers in BR are commuters from Texas. I also saw a (2010ish) Yukon with an "antique" license plate. And apparently the new and used car market in BR is going gangbuster because of the number of temp tags

Also, you have to sit at a green light for a few seconds now just to make sure someone isn't running a red. I see that every day

You are exactly right. Look at our spending per capita, compared to other areas:

[url=https://postimg.cc/VJkdqgFz] [/url]

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Here is my question. The library has a dedicated tax as I understand it. Based on experience I had with tax for our fire dept. it can't be taken away.

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Agreed. It’s library money, spend it on libraries.

But in s few months they want us to vote on a new tax. A renewal actually. That tax renewal is why folks should be educated. It’s our chance to say wait a minute, Thxs for all you’ve done but we can’t afford to keep it up.

How can all these other prominent cities get by for much less? Why are we spending so much? Can’t we cut back?