KPLC Hot Topic

Vitter Vs. Melancon

     Louisiana voters got to see senate candidates David Vitter and Charlie Melancon square off for the second time in as many nights.  As the two candidates head for the final days before the election, the campaigning has gotten hot and heavy.  The debate Thursday night was ripe with heated exchanges, as Vitter and Melancon traded jabs over integrity and ethics.  For those of you who watched last night's contest, who do you think won the debate?

Zero Tolerance

      Calcasieu Parish Schools have implemented a zero tolerance policy on fighting... But should there be a zero tolerance policy on bullying?  The prevalence of bullying in our schools nationwide is at an all time high.  A new survey finds half of teens have bullied a peer at least once in the past year.  The report from the Josephson Institute of Ethics was completed just last month and surveyed over 43 thousand U.S. high school students.  It shows that 50 percent of students admitting they bullied or teased someone recently.  And nearly half reporting they have been a victim of bullying.  Have you or anyone close to you been the victim of bullying in our local schools?  And what's your perception of how school administrators have dealt with the problem? 

False report

     She said she was raped on campus... Now more than a month later, the 18 year old female McNeese student says she lied. 18 year old Kolbie Wade was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, while the 19 year old man, Tyler Leger, who was wrongfully accused in her "made up" crime has now been released.  Kolbie admitted to police that she didn't even know Tyler Leger and that she made up the entire story.   Today in our "Hot Topic," we stress that no one should ever dismiss or not take it seriously if a woman says she's been raped.  And MSU Campus Police Chief Cinnamon Salvador emphasizes that "We don't want this to have a chilling effect on other possible victims of sexual assault.  A lot of times, they (women) will have this feeling that if it's reported, that they won't be believed and we want to make sure that people understand if you come to us we want you to report that..."  But the question is... do cases such as this one make it harder for other women who truly are victims of rape?  What are the ramifications of such false reporting on other women and the men who are falsely accused?

Don't Ask. Don't Tell

The legal battle continues over the military's "don't ask don't tell" policy for gays. A federal appeals court panel is considering whether to extend the policy while the government appeals a lower court ruling that barred the policy. A gay rights group wants the appeals court to let the lower court ruling stand. Is it time to end the "don't asks, don't tell" policy, and allow gays to serve openly in the military?

Should Cole resign?

     Just hours after being indicted by a grand jury, Calcasieu tax assessor Richard Cole turned himself in at the Calcasieu Correctional Center Thursday night.  He posted a ten thousand dollar bond and left.  The District Attorney has said Cole could get between 0 and 5 years on each of the two counts he's been indicted on.   District Attorney John DeRosier says the case will be handled like any other criminal matter.  He expects Cole to be in court within 30 to 45 days for arraignment.  Cole would only be forced to leave office if he is convicted of a crime.  But even though there's no legal requirement that he step down, do you think Cole can still adequately do his job as a public servant, with the shadow of this indictment over him?  Should he resign?

Postal Pickets

     Postal workers in the Lake Charles area staged an informational picket Wednesday at the post office downtown.  The workers say they are fighting transfer of mail processing from Lake Charles to Lafayette.  The workers fear that the U.S. Postal Service plans to relocate the processing to Lafayette in order to consolidate.  And they're concerned they could lose jobs.  Union members say the consolidation effort will hurt the local economy and slow mail delivery.  But a spokesman from the U.S. Postal Service told 7News that the idea of moving some operations to Lafayette is only being studied right now.  And if approved, no employees in Lake Charles would lose their jobs.  Are you for or against the idea of transferring the local mail processing to Lafayette? 

And The Audits Continue...

     Right on the heels of the scandal over the Calcasieu tax assessor audit comes news of yet another possible act of money mismanagement... this time in Baton Rouge involving the State Department of Public Safety and Corrections and State Police.  A state audit claims more than a million dollars worth of equipment was unaccounted for... and one state police employee got paid $8,215 dollars in overtime, for hours he did not work, and mileage he did not travel.  State Police Lieutenant Doug Cain says that employee has since been fired, and the money given back.  The second issue from the auditor's report is a million and a half dollars worth of unaccounted for equipment... like computers, desks, and other state tagged items.  What's your reaction to the findings in this latest legislative audit report?

Raising state income taxes?

      We all know the state of Louisiana is facing a looming budget deficit.  It's predicted the budget shortfall for next fiscal year could be as high as two billion dollars.  To stop the budget shortfall from affecting education in Louisiana, one state senator is proposing raising the state income tax on middle and upper income taxpayers.  You may recall, the middle and upper income got somewhat of a tax break when parts of the so called Stelly Plan were repealed.  If those parts of the Stelly Plan are reinstated, then middle and upper income residents would see their income taxes go up.  Some political observers don't see this happening.  That's because Governor Bobby Jindal has made it clear he's opposed to any tax increases.  But without them, higher education as usual, will take the brunt of the budget cuts.  With that in mind, would you be willing to pay higher income taxes to offset cuts to higher education?

Assessor Audit

     The Calcasieu tax assessor is under fire for an audit that reveals misappropriation of money in his office and the expensive lease of a vehicle.  Sevennews spoke with assessor Richard Cole on Thursday, and he says he accepts responsibility for those actions, and that he has paid back thousands of dollars.  Cole said, "We've paid back all the funds that was used at the office that was personal funds on the office credit card.  We've paid all that money back."  The audit showed that taxpayer dollars were used to lease a 2009 Suburban for Cole at nearly two thousand dollars a month.  And that Cole used the District's American Express card for personal expenses around 48 thousand dollars.  Cole claims that was because he was in a financial bind because of a divorce.  But he says that all the money has been paid back.  District Attorney John DeRosier says he will meet with the auditor next week to review the formal report and supporting documentation.  Do you believe a crime was committed? 

Cleanup Settlement

      ConocoPhillips and Sasol North America Inc. have agreed to pay nearly 6.4 million dollars and spend another 10 million dollars to clean a polluted bayou in Calcasieu Parish.  The agreement will bring the companies' costs for polluting Bayou Verdine to more than $28 million dollars.  Both companies already spent $12 million dollars in 2003 to clean up another section of Bayou Verdine.  What's your reaction to the almost 17 million dollar settlement?  And do you think such fines are a true deterrent to big companies polluting our waterways?