Day: July 19, 2012

HUGE: “Jefferson Performing Arts Center’s $10 million (line of) credit suspended”

Let’s review:

New scrutiny for Jefferson Performing Arts Center ~ Rich Rainey 7/11/12

Slabbed does a compare and contrast on Jefferson Parish Performing Arts Center change orders: Elton Lagasse has some ‘splaining to do. ~ Doug Handshoe 7/16/12

Now the latest:

Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Jefferson, on Thursday temporarily blocked the use of almost $10 million in lines of credit to build the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie, saying he wants parish officials to explain why the project has ballooned in cost. Henry asked the state Bond Commission, which holds sway over credit for hundreds of state-financed projects, to delay the reauthorization of last year’s $10 million for one month.

Parish Council member Chris Roberts said he supported Henry’s actions. Roberts said he doesn’t think the parish administration has officially settled an issue that was raised in a scathing report by the legislative auditor’s office last year on the cost overruns at the long-delayed arts center. One change order of $5.6 million was paid even though Reda Youssef, capital projects director for the parish, said he could not certify more than $2.8 million.

Let’s circle back to my post of the 16th:

I figure if I am aware of the duplicity then Mini-Me must be as well thus putting Youssef to the question in a bit over a week at the council meeting in Grand Isle. I bet the council would be happy to see Youssef refute what he told the legislative auditors and he just may since he made up some of what he told them in an effort to shift blame to people like Bolotte. I see this as impossible situation….

And then this snippet from today’s T-P story linked above: Continue reading “HUGE: “Jefferson Performing Arts Center’s $10 million (line of) credit suspended””

Das Boot: Danny Monteverde solves the mysteries surrounding W.G. Landrieu’s DWI arrest

While the young Landrieu may have been drunker than Cooter Brown that is not where he was boozing the night before last folks as our own Jr’s speculation was spot on but for those that want the official skinny on Benjamin “Waxing Gibbous” Landrieu’s DWI arrest should consult with this T-P story by Danny Monteverde.

sop

Kevin Costner slithering back to the coast……

That’s right folks Bull Durham is headed back to the coast with his band to play the at the Sun and Sand Mississippi Film & Music Festival. Now Bull isn’t the only one full of it as event organizers are promising to draw 200,000 attendees to South Mississippi for the festivities but it is a nice thought.

Kate Magandy has the story for the Sun Herald for those interested in Bull’s latest project after fleecing BP with those bogus centrifuges he promised would solve the oil spill that didn’t. Along those lines Slabbed was able to obtain a partial playlist of Costner and his band’s gig as follows:

  • Magnum May
  • Knock three times on the centrifuge if you want me
  • We’ve only just begun (to fleece)
  • Come on Holstein
  • (Piyush) Blinded Me With No Science
  • Careful With That Axe, Baldie

See ya there. :-)

sop

Jim Brown’s Weekly Column: New Tax Gimmick – From Democrats and Republicans!

Thursday, July 19th, 2012
Batn Rouge, Louisiana

NEW TAX GIMMICK – FROM DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS!

You would think that in an election year, with anti-tax fervor at an all time high, our politicians at state and national levels would be adverse to mining every nook and cranny for more taxes. Democrats, generally, are more willing than Republicans to hop on a new tax bandwagon. But now it looks like Republican governors, in a desperate attempt to send more revenue to state coffers, are quite willing to stick purchasers with sales taxes for whatever they buy online.

Back in 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a state cannot charge an out-of-state company local and state sales taxes unless the company has a “physical presence” in that state. It’s been called the “Amazon exemption” and no sales tax can be charged unless the out-of-state company opens up a distribution center, a warehouse, or some type of facility in the purchaser’s resident state. However, the court decison gave congress the option of passing legislation that would give states the authority to tax such companies.

And that’s exactly what congress is now trying to do. The U.S. Senate is considering proposed legislation called the Marketplace Fairness Act that would give each state the authority to require “remote sellers” to collect sales tax on all sales, and follow the same procedure as are applied to in-state companies. This same concept has been floating around congress for years, but with strong Republican opposition. Since the Senate is democratically controlled, proponents are making a run to pass the new law this fall. Nothing new here. But now we have Republican governors, hungry to keep the home folks happy in a time of continuing budgetary shortfalls, ready to join the taxing parade. Continue reading “Jim Brown’s Weekly Column: New Tax Gimmick – From Democrats and Republicans!”