re: St.George public forum, May 6 @ 6:30pm

quote:

---

BigJim

---

K thanks for your views.

I will add this, mall prices are not a concern for those who shop there. If you think people won't go because sales tax MAY be 1% higher, you would be wrong...now if a business were to leave the mall that people liked, then they might not go since their favorite store isn't there. I have trouble believing someone will buy something for $100, but decide not to go there if the cost would be $100.10....I bet 80% of the shoppers at the mall can't tell you what the exact sales tax is on purchases without looking at their receipt. So, I am meh on that issue.

quote:

---

A large part of my opposition to the SG incorporation is that I am a fan of consolidated government.

---

That is what I was trying to get out of Russian....a simple answer. You are entitled to your likes. I just didn't know what he personally had effected if SG happened.

I have a home in Lafayette and understand the pros and cons of consolidated governments....it's not all it is cracked up to be and there are STRONG proponents of both sides.

I will say this, if BAton Rouge is getting all of these taxes and they aren't keeping up the school system, especially when those systems have taxes written in as money that should go to them, well then maybe places like SG could handle their situation better on their own...I have no clue.

SO with all of the banter on here about pros and cons of SG happening, the underlying issue remains the same...and it seems as though it is lost in the stupidity of arguments..

Why, with all of the taxes going to the consolidated government, has BR let their school system become so poorly run and what seems to be a disaster? Or any other issues that are the underlying issues that make the people of SG want out?

quote:

---

Know you asked Russian but I wanted to share my $.02 on why BR has not annexxed this area sooner.

Remember City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge is a consolidated government. The city is not a separate entity divorced from rest of the parish like how it is in most parishes of the state. I think Lafayette is also consolidated and NO is by default since the city boundaries are the same as the parish line.

So the Mayor of Baton Rouge and the Parish President are the same person. And there isn't a city council and a parish council/police jury: those are combined into a metrocouncil.

So given that there really isn't a reason to annex the Mall of LA as the consolidated government has access to those tax recipients anyway. It would raise a little extra revenue (since the taxes in the city are higher), but would also potentially drive up the costs at the mall and make Ascension a more attractive shopping area.

Why would they annex these areas?

---

I guess you mean why would they WANT to annex these areas...because they can't unilaterally annex them.

The reason why, is because it should have been blatantly obvious that the people of the unincorporated area were unhappy with the allocation of 50M from the parish fund to fund city services.

Furthermore, it should have been obvious that the people of St. George were even more unhappy with the state of education in EBRP...and therefore may act to solve that problem.

In other words, the city should have foreseen this as a possibility.

quote:

---

And, it won't stop with the Mall and Perkins Rowe. Baton Rouge and St. George are intertwined. There will be a lot of competition for retail outlets to be on one side of the street or the other.

---

Again, this is a reason to support St. George in its efforts for an ISD...because the alternative is not positive for BR.

quote:

---

This isn't really a issue with Central, Baker or Zachary as they are "real" towns with clearer areas. No reasonable person is going to argue that the new Stake 'N Shake in Central is really being used by Baton Rouge residents and should be part of the city. I have yet to see a boundary of SG that has any real rationale behind it other than 'everything in baton rouge that isn't already incorporated.'

---

Again, this is a reason to listen to, acknowledge, and support St. George's efforts for the ISD. City and Parish leaders should have thrown their entire support towards the ISD for St. George, because it protects its own interest as you've stated above. They didn't, and any negative that comes out of this incorporation effort for BR is a result of arrogance and lack of foresight.

The reality is that, because of all that has happened to date, St. George will make a decision based on its own best interest. Obviously, BR leaders are trying to make some quick changes that would perhaps make it not in St. George's interest to incorporate.

But, it's lunacy to complain to St. George residents about the effect incorporation would have on BR when city leaders have done absolutely nothing to alleviate the threat of incorporation...and even worse have been vile and intellectually dishonest throughout. St. George supporters have been labeled as racists and terrorists. If incorporation happens, and it turns out to be a negative on the city of Baton Rouge, you can blame BR leaders who didn't feel like they had to address the concerns of a very significant portion of the parish populace.

quote:

---

You conveniently scalped that article.



Wow, that was pretty bad hackery on your part Russian, even in your own link.

---

I provided the link for everyone to read the entire article. That's more than anyone else has provided in this thread. GFY.

quote:

---

I already provided a link answering your question.

---

Ok, I just saw it, thanks...

I will say this, many many times in business (and this situation is business) a company grows and grows to the point where they are so stretched out, they start to lose focus on their original plan. Growth cannot always be sustained, regardless on the fact that the growth brings in more revenue. So companies are constantly downsizing or "losing" divisions which end up making them more focused and STRONGER.
Many times these companies, successful or not, hold on to the ides of if we keep it or buy it, our competitors will be fewer. Most of the time this does not work, even with the largest companies in the world, they are constantly regretting taking on assets which they end up not being good at running.
Point being, no matter what happens in the SG situation, there can be positives for BR, but it has to be run correctly with wise people. I personally don't think Baton Rouge elects officials with the brains to properly run the business of the government. People end up getting elected that have NO business being there and are only there to serve a particular segment of the population and will make a decision to help that segment, but is bad for the OVERALL health of the government.
Maybe by losing these areas and trying to keep up with all of these outlying issues, the BR government can start focusing on what issues persist inside of the city limits and make those issues better before expanding.
A poorly run business will not be a better run business just because it acquires/creates more revenue.....if it is poorly run, it will continue until the poor leaders/decision makers are GONE.

Good luck to both sides of the issue.

quote:

---

Again, you purposely scalped the article to quote something that rainey said, and eliminating context.

---

His entire comment was in the link I provided.

His saying "We didn't object" is a lie. Everyone knows that. If you pretend he wasn't lying, then you're dumber than dragginass.

He admitted they didn't agree to the forum with the media present. Piss off.

quote:

---

Did the mistake on the spelling EFFECT the pint or question?

---

Affect...and it's a quart, not a pint.

I'm not arguing semantics. I'm pointing out that you have little credibility if you don't know the correct words, or know simple math.

quote:

---

.I asked how the school system issue EFFECTS you.

---

Affects......and do you think the public school system serving wherever we live is not important to our economic growth and overall well being of where we live?

The actual print from the article you linked, Russian.

quote:

---

Lionel Rainey, a spokesman for the St. George incorporation effort, denied his group raised the concerns.

Asked if he thought the forum should be public, he said he was “indifferent.”

“We didn’t agree to do this debate in front of the media,” he said, but he maintained his group was not the one that canceled the event.

Talavera said in a phone call Saturday that “some of the panelists threatened not to show up” if the media attended.

“As a law school event, they felt it would be more professional if we did not have the media,” Talavera said.

---

What LSURussian quoted.

quote:

---

“We didn’t agree to do this debate in front of the media,” he (Rainey) said...

Talavera said in a phone call Saturday that “some of the panelists threatened not to show up” if the media attended.

---

That bolded section, and the following sentences paint a different picture than what you are portraying. Just be honest about it. Knowing when you are wrong and admitting it is much more admirable than knowing you are wrong and trying to make excuses.

quote:

---

Did the mistake on the spelling EFFECT the pint or question?

Affect...and it's a quart, not a pint.

---

quote:

---

I asked how the school system issue EFFECTS you.

Affects......and do you think the public school system serving wherever we live is not important to our economic growth and overall well being of where we live?

---

I did that on purpose you moron...hence the reason for the capitalization....geeez, now I'm getting a clearer picture of what your about on this board.

And yes, I do think the school system is important....that why it's so dumb for BR/EBR/everywhere, are so badly run that they would allow it to get to this point! Aren't you pissed at that?

quote:

---

You are obviously under the mistaken impression that I give a shite what you think.

---

So you admit that you are lying. So why should anyone believe anything you post on here. As you stated, you do not care what anyone thinks, so maybe just stop spreading your lies throughout these threads.

If you can so blatantly lie, get called out, and continue to push that lie, then what stops you from lying about everything else you posted?

All i'm asking you to do is admit when you are wrong. You were wrong in this matter. It really has nothing to do with the message behind what Rainey or you think. It's about being honest and not purposefully misquoting or leaving out context from quotes.