Hot Button Editorial Blog

Protect and Restore

How many times over the years have we all wrung our hands and asked when somebody would come up with a science-based master plan to shore up our state's disappearing coastline, build back our depleted marshes and protect our urban centers from Gulf storms?

The answer is more times than we can count.  Well, just the thing we've asked for is staring us in the face.  But like the dog who chased the speeding fire engine and finally got his jaws around its bumper, the question is, "what are we going to do with it now?"

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has presented us with a bold plan which would take half a century and cost 50-billion dollars to enact.  Southwest Louisiana would be the second-largest recipient of that spending, at nearly 11-billion dollars.  Only the far-bigger New Orleans area would get more.

Though science-based, the Plan is not without controversy.  Some Cameron residents have already been vocal about it not giving our coastal parish enough direct protection.  And some Calcasieu Parish residents have raised eyebrows at a 44-mile levee system to protect against a catastrophic storm surge.  Any time you talk about levees here, the discussion arises about turning whatever's behind it into a big swimming pool.

We all have a chance to give our input at a public hearing at the Lake Charles Civic Center's Contraband Room this Wednesday.  Please try and attend.  The Plan will be on display 1 to 530pm and then the hearing will be 530 to 730 in the evening.  Public comments will be taken for a month and then it goes to the Legislature March 25th.

This is one of the most important projects ever proposed for Southwest Louisiana and its impact on our region will be significant.  Don't let it happen without your direct input.

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

Sewer Inspections

The feedback we've heard from Calcasieu Parish residents affected by the pending inspections of their mechanical sewer systems has been mixed, to say the least.  Some are simply shrugging it off as a reasonable price of admission to living in a neighborhood without a comprehensive sewer system.  Others have howled that it's a violation of their inalienable rights, some invoking Second Amendment comparisons.

We side with the first group.  If you're a hot button regular, you may already know that we've not thought much of the parish's historical nurturing of the development of close-in subdivisions without central sewer and water services.  And so we're left with this problem, where an estimated half of the area's 30,000 private individual sewer systems aren't working properly.

One person's runoff, not properly managed, is another person's problem.  All things considered, the inspections are the right thing to do and are being conducted by the parish in an very responsible manner which respects homeowners.  Click here for more information on what what you can expect from the inspection program, which is just now getting underway.

A home may be a castle, but it is not an island.  The sewer inspection program is a good idea, and will help make for good neighbors in subdivisions throughout Calcasieu Parish.

http://www.cppj.net/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2023

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

Water to Texas

When General Russel Honore' gave his keynote address to the Chamber Southwest last year, he assured us that water would be the world's defining commodity in the 21st Century.  Regions will be divided between those which have ample supplies of fresh water and those that don't. After a two-year drought it would be hard to ignore his warning.

And so the Sabine River Authority's proposal to enter into a 99-year contract to sell water from Toledo Bend to Texas ought to be a big red flashing warning light to anyone who lives or works in western Louisiana.  Southwest Louisiana is especially exposed.  We depend on our industrial complex, and our industrial complex depends on huge amounts of fresh water in their processes.  Any shift of water to Texas shifts the probability of the plants leaning harder on the aquifer under our community, which is something we just don't want.

99 years is a long time.  Nothing against our friends in Texas, but selling them our Louisiana water is simply a breathtakingly BAD idea.  If you agree, click here to make your own feelings known.

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

Budget Axe

Well, here we go again.  It's January, which means it's time for resolutions and wiping the slate clean...and another big swing of the state budget axe which lands squarely on our universities and technical colleges.

Of the $250-million in state cuts, higher education took an unforgivable $50 million.  That's because just about everything EXCEPT higher education has been protected by law in Baton Rouge so McNeese, Sowela and the rest of the state's institutions of higher education become Louisiana's fiscal whipping boys.  And let's not forget that 50-mil is just for the second semester, not an entire year.

School officials do the best they can to absorb these now-predictable body-blows, but if you look behind the reassuring soundbites you'll see the crumbling impact on our campuses, our faculty and our students.

Louisiana talks a good story about retaining our best and brightest and retraining our workforce.  But we can't move forward if our colleges keep getting kicked in the gut till there's nothing left to give.  McNeese and Sowela aren't being nibbled to death by minnows.  They are now being devoured by pirahnas. 

McNeese and Sowela depend on adequate state funding. The laws simply must be changed to protect higher education and they must be changed right quick.

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

New Year's Eve Fashion

Those who know me best know I'm about the least qualified person to dispense fashion advice.

But right now that's just what I'm going to do.  Because this New Year's Eve, if you plan on going out and partying, there's one fashion accessory you just can't do without.

It's called a "Designated Driver."  Don't even think of leaving the house without one or you might risk social alienation, the scorn of your friends and family, or perhaps even a DWI or the blood of innocent victims forever on your hands all because of a simple fashion faux pas.

All this week KPLC has been airing news stories and public service announcements as part of our "Project Roadblock" outreach.  The message is simple.  If you drink, don't drive.  Bring a "DD" or take advantage of one of the local services this New Year's Eve for free cab rides or tows home.  Click here for more details.

Safety is always in fashion.  This New Year's Eve, and indeed anytime you leave home, don't let your celebration turn deadly.  If you drink, don't drive.

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

Merry Christmas

Christmas is, as always, a series of wonderful snapshots; a reminder that in the midst of worries and challenges love, hope and joy always find a way to prevail.

Thanks to your generosity a number of local families are celebrating with toys and a special Christmas dinner they might not have had otherwise.  KPLC's Community Christmas in partnership with the Salvation Army Angel Tree received tons of food, toys and monetary contributions from as far away as Lafayette and Austin.  Thanks to all who gave and to the sponsors and volunteers who made it possible.

Lake Charles unwrapped its own Christmas present to Southwest Louisiana in the form of a new and improved Millennium Park.  As 2012 gets underway, so will work on even more lakefront improvements.

And just in time for Christmas came the reminder of a lovely 9-year-old girl named Madison Johnson of the Power of Words...how they can help or hurt people.  Let's hope her message thrives long after Christmas is over.

As Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let's remember that the best gift around any Christmas Tree is the presence of family, friends and God all wrapped up in each other.

From our KPLC family to yours, a very Merry Christmas!

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

Hot Button Feedback: The Power of Words

The following Hot Button Feedback is part of an ongoing series of commentaries from KPLC viewers.  It does not necessarily represent the views of the staff or management of KPLC and is presented as a public service.

Hi, I'm Madison Johnson and I'm 9 years old.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." As a nine year old this is a phrase I have heard  several times on the playground at my local elementary school.

I think that the famous quote should say. " Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names and words will hurt me. " Name-calling, sarcasm, insults, and negative words all will carry a sting of their own.  Sometimes this sting is long lasting .

Studies show that over 70% of people today have low self esteem because while growing up they heard negative words spoken over them.

My cousin Jade remembers the day that her 3rd grade teacher said that when she laughed she sounded like a hyena. Because of what her teacher said that day she didn't laugh out loud until the end of her teenage years. The power of a word.

Our words have the power to make a person feel like something or make them feel like nothing. Our words when spoken positively can have a life changing effect on other.  The power of a word.

I challenge you to begin to use your words wisely, choose to build others up and not tear them down, speak words of life over your friends , families, loved ones.  This world can be a better place using the power of a word.

Thank you.

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Dear KPLC viewers,

Do you have a reply to this Hot Button Feedback or a new Hot Button topic you'd like KPLC to consider?  Please @mail it to hotbutton@kplctv.com or you can friend me on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc.  We may post it here, use it in a future Hot Button, or ask you to record your own "Hot Button Feedback" to be seen on KPLC and kplctv.com.

Thanks,

Jim Serra, chairman, KPLC Editorial Board

Road Rants

I get lots of mail and calls from viewers telling me about your own hot buttons, and I'd say at least a third involve roads and drivers.

So word that state police are going to start cracking down on drivers who cruise, not just pass, in the left lane of Interstate highways, is welcome news.

I asked friends on my KPLC Facebook page about their own bad driver pet peeves.  Here's what they had to say:

First, distracted drivers, whether texting, reading, shaving, putting on makeup or whatever.  Annoying at best when they fail to go on green, or deadly at worst, as evidenced by what just happened on a Missouri Interstate.

Failing to enter a highway properly made the list.  Stopping in the entrance lane instead of properly merging or forcing another car to swerve left to avoid being hit.

Following too close.  Tailgating is a major cause of deadly accidents.

Those bright blue halogen headlights annoy many of you, making it hard for others to see.

And turn lanes are a source of annoyance, whether turning left from a travel lane or cars not pulling fully up to an intersection, blocking those behind them from using right turn lanes.

Too many holidays and indeed lives are ruined by careless driving.  A little courtesy goes a long way in keeping our roads safe for everyone.

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

Educational Alliances

Among Southwest Louisiana's critical issues is how to develop a trained and educated workforce ready to respond to our region's economic and social challenges.

To solve problems, you first need alliances, and to forge alliances you first need to simply sit down and talk, putting the greater good and shared resources ahead of parochial interests.

I'm pleased to say that's happening among some key local players in the education field.  McNeese president Phil Williams, Sowela chancellor Andrea Miller and Calcasieu public schools superintendent Wayne Savoy have quietly begun regular meetings to discuss short and long term solutions to complex educational issues.  Much of the good news we're hearing of late is born of those discussions, and we are confident that as those talks continue, more solutions will be found.

Another educational alliance worth noting really caught fire after a KPLC news story.  The "Workready U" pilot project is an innovative idea of Sowela and the Literacy Council to open up career pathways for people in adult education.  After receiving TV publicity, the size of the program doubled within hours from 30 people to 60.  Scroll down for more information.

Talking produces alliances, and alliances produce solutions.  Let's keep those hits coming, in education and other essential fields.

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Do you have a comment or reply to this Hot Button Editorial?  Please send it to hotbutton@kplctv.com.  We may post it here in the comments thread and/or use it in a Hot Button Rebuttal.

 What's YOUR Hot Button?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation!

 

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ON "WORKREADY U" WERE PROVIDED BY SOWELA:

The "WorkReady U" pilot project is an innovative joint effort by Sowela and the Literacy Council. It helps to open up education and career pathways for people in adult education.

--People can earn their GED and take career/technical courses at the same time. Basically, it bridges adult basic education (ABE) and career and technical education (CTE), an innovative combination that can put people into a career faster.

--It's for people 18 and up.

--The program is limited to 30 people. (But it may double.)

--It starts in January 2012.

--It lasts for one semester.

--The "point people" in setting this up are Dr. Rick Bateman, Sowela's Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success, and Tommeka Semien, Executive Director of Literacy Council of Southwest Louisiana.

--Sowela received a $100,000 Rapid Response grant to partner with the Literacy Council

--The project  offers coursework in two career and technical education programs for students that are simultaneously engaged in GED training offered by the Literacy Council. GED instructors will collaborate with the CTE instructors to ensure that reading, writing, math technical skill competencies are reinforced in both the GED and the CTE instruction. 

--GED students will be introduced to the MyFoundationsLab online mastery-based resource which will be integrated into the GED training. (Truth be told, I have no idea what this means.)

--The goal of the pilot program is to have students:

1. Complete the GED training program.

2. Completion of CTE courses that are part of a career pathway leading to high wage, high skill, high demand employment.

3. Demonstrate college readiness that allows on going training/instruction to move forward on the career pathway.

 

-This partnership illustrates Sowela's outreach into the community. It's underscores how Sowela ranks No. 3 in the nation in terms of growth among America's two-year public institutions, according to a survey announced last week by the educational publication Community College Week. (Enrollment at Sowela surged 23 percent from 2009 to 2010, which was the period surveyed. And it's grown even more since then, which is one reason why three brand-new buildings are going up.)

--Tommeka and Rick unveiled the program last week during the monthly Sowela segment on "Sunrise." That morning, nine people called to get into the program. By mid-afternoon, there were 20 calls, nearly enough to nearly fill the program -- and prompting the idea of doubling the size of the program (to 60). TV exposure works!

--For more information on WorkReady U, people may call 494-7000 or email to info@literacyswla.org.

Hot Button Feedback: Safe Holidays

The following Hot Button Feedback is part of an ongoing series of commentaries from KPLC viewers.  It does not necessarily represent the views of the staff or management of KPLC and is presented as a public service.

Hello, I'm Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier.

Since January 1, 2011, nine people in Calcasieu Parish have lost their lives as a result of domestic violence.  An additional nine people have lost their lives due to impaired drivers on highways of Calcasieu Parish.  Many families have been devastated because of the events precipitated by the individuals that caused these deaths.

There are numerous ways other than physical violence to cope with the stress the holidays often bring.  Please take time to reflect on that over the next few weeks.

If you will be drinking during this holiday season, please do not get behind the wheel of an automobile.  Use a Designated Driver.

The holidays are a time when we should enjoy our family and friends at social gatherings, not at jails, hospitals, and funeral homes.

If we all work at this together, we can end 2011 with good memories.  Happy Holidays to all!

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Dear KPLC viewers,

Do you have a reply to this Hot Button Feedback or a new Hot Button topic you'd like KPLC to consider?  Please @mail it to hotbutton@kplctv.com or you can friend me on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc.  We may post it here, use it in a future Hot Button, or ask you to record your own "Hot Button Feedback" to be seen on KPLC and kplctv.com.

Thanks,

Jim Serra, chairman, KPLC Editorial Board