Back to the future
To the publisher:
I read Mr. McCollister’s column on the renewed interest in combining Louisiana’s four boards governing higher education [“Publisher’s View,” Sept. 22].
For the record, I introduced legislation in the Louisiana Senate in the mid-1980s to combine the four boards. I had seen the competition among the colleges and the duplication of programs, and I was tired of all the time spent in the Legislature arguing about college names. I managed to get more than 20 votes in the Senate, but since it was a constitutional amendment it needed 26.
Gov. Roemer adopted the idea during his term in the late 1980s, and Gov. Foster and his aide Steve Perry after that [even though Foster voted against my bill as a senator].
The fact that it has resurfaced today tells me it may be a good idea.
Foster Campbell, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner, Bossier City
The debate comes Alive
To the editor:
Thank you so much for adding to the questions I already had concerning the Alive [not!] project [“Random Thoughts,” Sept. 22]. I linked the article to my Facebook page to try to help others learn of the failings of this debacle.
The mayor’s insistence on attaching his pet project is going to insure the failure of the somewhat needed infrastructure projects.
Dave Chaney, Central
To the editor:
Because of the city-parish’s extremely poor track record of maintaining facilities, I want to insist that funds [approximately 5% of the cost of building each facility] be set aside in a permanent fund for building maintenance. This fund should have ironclad requirements for use, meaning it can’t be tapped for other uses.
No longer must we tear down facilities that are 40 or 50 years old [sometimes even less] because they have been allowed to deteriorate because of a lack of timely maintenance. This is a deal breaker for me.
Sophie Cassidy Gibson, Baton Rouge
Mudslinging
To the editor:
If I own a “mud hut” and wanted to tear it down, then that is my business and not the business of the historical society or Spanish Town homeowners [“Can it fit?’ Sept. 22]. If they want to preserve a “mud hut,” then they can buy it and preserve it with their money.
That line of thinking never seems to cross the minds of the preservationist.
O.M. Thompson, Baton Rouge
Smells like TEAMS spirit
To the editor:
In your article entitled “TEAMS spirit” [Sept. 22], Exxon’s chemical plant manager complains that Baton Rouge does not have the quality of workers needed for their plants. He states how education is geared toward college preparatory and ignores the trade skills needed.
With this in mind, why are so many school districts in Louisiana trying to bypass the career program that was passed by the Legislature? The article suggests many reasons to implement the new career diploma.
Instead, the people in charge try to keep the education system status quo. It seems they would prefer to lose these students to dropping out rather than give them what they need to succeed.
Susan Hodges, Baton Rouge
Just say, ‘No’
To the editor:
Baton Rouge downtown is a black hole where millions of taxpayer dollars have disappeared [“We’re going to win,” Sept. 8]. And to no positive end. It’s not the center for shopping—Bluebonnet Boulevard and Siegen Lane are. It’s not the entertainment center. Most Saturday nights, it’s practically deserted. It has become the largest center for parking lots in the state. It’s time to stop wasting taxpayer money. Baton Rouge has much greater needs.
Charles Hall, Baton Rouge
To the editor:
So if we have the worst traffic already, why do we want to tax the citizens for economic development [i.e. Alive project] to make more people come to Baton Rouge and make the traffic even worse? I certainly understand the need for economic development, but who wants to come here? I say no taxes for anything until something is done about the existing traffic problems.
Lisa Traina, Baton Rouge
