BusinessReport.com

Thank-you note

To the publisher:

The members of the St. George Fire Department wish to express their thanks to the Business Report for its kind endorsement and to the voters of the district for the renewal of the 6 mill property tax on the Oct. 20 ballot (“Publisher’s View,” Oct. 9). This vote of confidence by the people in their fire department is both gratifying and humbling.

We pledge to continue performing in a professional and courteous manner in all our dealings with the public and to remain good stewards of your tax dollars. In short, we will work hard to keep your trust.

Eldon Ledoux, Public Information Officer, St. George Fire Protection District

Pulling together for B.R.

To the editor:

Those who stand in the way of change should be pushed out of the way if they can’t lead the way. Those who speak the loudest against anything are usually what they protest. People hate reflections of themselves. Those who won’t embrace diversity have no choice now; it’s too late. He who is not open to change and new ideas will be left to figure out why the old ones aren’t working. The “what” that Baton Rouge faces is no different than the “what” every other region seeks to answers (“Random Thoughts,” Oct. 23).

I now call Washington, D.C., home. Two things apparent here are diversity and progress. I’ve learned how people co-exist here because we have to. There are too many differences to not be tolerant and open to change. New ideas are overflowing here, and people have a true sense of community and are active in their communities. There are many great examples here of how new thinking can create a great region.

Like Baton Rouge, metropolitan D.C. has had its bout with transportation options. The counties and towns in the D.C. suburbs have all come together to form an alliance to keep Metro (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) operating. This transit model should be studied. The economy here is very diverse, which keeps D.C. ahead of the employment trends. Wages here in many cases are higher than average. There is nothing but culture in D.C. and its burbs. Museums, monuments, concerts, nature, theater and college and pro sports keep you too busy to say you have nothing to do.

Aside from the fact that housing costs here are probably four times that of Baton Rouge, I’m glad I made the move. Washington, D.C., has all the cosmopolitan flair of New York, London or Paris, but maintains a small-town vibe of Baton Rouge. “What” if we could study the nation’s capital to better help our state’s capital?

Warketreick Triplett, Washington, D.C.

A ‘toxic’ commentary

To the editor:

LSU fans’ supposed ill will to Nick Saban and their “fixation” on his every move is only matched by Paul Finebaum’s continued malice toward LSU’s program and Les Miles (Daily Report, Oct. 31). To the perceptive sports fan, it’s obvious he is consumed by and envious of LSU’s position as one of the nation’s premier football programs.

As a rabid Tiger football fan, I want to beat Alabama any time we play them and would hate to lose to Saban as much as any Bama fan would hate to lose against Dennis Franchione or Mike Shula. I am proud of LSU. I’m proud of Les Miles. I’m also especially proud that we have stellar writers at The Advocate who have more class than to consistently berate other teams’ coaches, fans and communities. (Someone from Mobile calling Baton Rouge a “toxic dump” is not only outrageous, but has no place in a sports editorial.)

If the good readers of the Press-Register cannot see through Mr. Finebaum’s rhetoric and sweeping generalizations about LSU fans, then perhaps they are no better than the Saban-hating zealots Finebaum claims overrun the state of Louisiana.

Jeff English, Baton Rouge

To the editor:

My husband and I lived in Birmingham for five years when he was doing a residency and fellowship at the wonderful University of Alabama medical center in Birmingham. We loved Birmingham and Alabama and the medical center that provided outstanding medical training.

Our middle son graduated from the University of Alabama, where he received a fine education. We moved back to Baton Rouge over 25 years ago and are proud to call Baton Rouge home. There’s no place like home (Baton Rouge), and I would venture to say that Alabama has some of the same problems that plague other southern states.

It’s too bad that the reporter chose to take the low road when he had so many positive things to say about Alabama and two fine state universities. I’ve told our Alabama friends that hiring Nick Saban is like having a date with the prettiest girl in school for homecoming: Enjoy the date, because he’ll move on when there’s a better offer.

Nancy Roberts, Baton Rouge

To the editor:

As a native and resident of Baton Rouge, I, like most residents, can’t help but feel somewhat offended when outsiders insult it. In this instance, however, the sad fact is that the offending Alabama columnist makes a valid point. Baton Rouge has suffered from incompetent government for most of its existence. Indeed, the number of unfathomably idiotic decisions made by our government over the years makes ranking the most egregious ones a difficult task.

But undoubtedly the most incompetent, ill-advised, shortsighted, and downright stupid decision ever made by our local government occurred circa 1909 when Standard Oil/Esso/Exxon was allowed to place a gigantic petrochemical plant right next to our downtown. This monstrosity has inexorably altered, for the worst, the development of Baton Rouge. It’s virtually doomed our downtown to permanent second-class status. After all, why would anyone want to locate their corporate headquarters in a high-rise overlooking something so awful?

The location of the plant also leads one to the undeniable conclusion that much of north Baton Rouge will never be revitalized through the sort of urban renewal efforts being undertaken in other cities. Again, no one wants to take a chance on building something nice in such close proximity to a huge industrial site.

Let me be clear about one thing. I’m not stating that either Exxon itself or petrochemical plants in general are inherently evil. But even a third-grader could tell you that such plants should be built “out in the boonies,” not right in the heart of town. I know there are readers who will inevitably say that the site of the Exxon plant is not the “heart” of town. Such a response misses the point. The plant sits on some of the highest and best land in the parish, and it’s right next to downtown.

I would invite all Business Report readers to try the following experiment: drive from the Baton Rouge airport to the north gates of LSU (Highland at Chimes), taking Interstate 110 to Government Street and then heading south on Highland Road. After you’ve completed the journey, ask yourself again if the Alabama columnist’s views are completely inaccurate.

David McCay, Baton Rouge

Cheers, not jeers

To the editor:

I don’t think people are smirking behind Mr. [Richard] Preis’ back (“Random Thoughts,” Nov. 6). Clearly he’s a very intelligent man who takes measured risks. However, I do think it’s annoying that he’s continued to announce start dates for his condo project for the last five years, and the building has failed to materialize. In the year that I’ve lived in Baton Rouge, there have been three start dates announced for his condo project. Maybe the fault lies in his willingness to so quickly contact the press prematurely.

Scott Bankston, Baton Rouge