KPLC Hot Topic

Where the money went

    Questions are turning up about how millions of dollars from BP have been spent.  An Associated Press investigation revealed officials along the Gulf Coast have spent millions in BP money on gadgets, vehicles, and other things, that had very little to do with the cleanup.  For example, Gulfport, Mississippi spent 300,000 dollars on a vacuum truck that never sucked up any oil.  A Florida County spent more than half a million dollars on rock concerts to promote its oil free beaches.  And a LaFourche Parish spokesperson got a 3100 dollar lap top.  What's your reaction to these allegations of misspent money?

Lieutenant Governor Position

     Does Louisiana really need a Lieutenant Governor?  Four former Lieutenant Governors were making the case at McNeese State University Thursday night. The event was taped by Louisiana Public Broadcasting for airing at a future date. The discussion centered around the role of Lieutenant Governor in the past, present and future.  Right now the person in that position spends a good portion of his time promoting state tourism, and further developing Louisiana's tourism industry.  Some observers of state politics have suggested that the state can stand to do away with the position altogether... and thereby save money.  What do you think?  Should Louisiana do away with the Lieutenant Governor position? 

No Pay Raise

     For the second year in a row, tens of thousands of state employees will not see an increase in pay.  It comes after a state panel voted Wednesday to freeze employee salaries.  The decision affects rank and file government workers like Michael Duhon of Lake Charles who pleaded before the Civil Service Board... Duhon said, "I didn't get my merit increase last year and I'm not going to get it this year.  Gas prices are going up and diesel prices are going up."  But the state says it's sticking by its line that it just can't afford to pay workers more.  What's your reaction to the salary freeze?

Government Running Out Of Money

     President Obama says he will bring House and Senate leaders back to the White House today to try to come to some agreement to avert a government shut down on Friday. A showdown is looming over funding the federal budget.  Stop gap spending plans have been used recently to keep the government running. But that might not happen this time.  So what could happen Friday if the current funding agreement isn't extended?  For one, government employees deemed non-essential would be furloughed.  As a result, museums and all national parks would close.  Social Security applications would be delayed, but checks will still be mailed.  And passports and visas won't be processed.  But vital services would continue, including air traffic ontrollers, airport screeners, and the thousands of U.S. troops fighting overseas.  And even if there is a government shutdown, the IRS says Americans still must file their tax returns on time.  But refunds could be delayed.  Do you think Congress will come to some agreement in time to avert a government shutdown on Friday? 

Scaling back

     The proposed multi-million dollar Bord du lac Park and amphitheatre project is now being scaled down to make budget.  The news came at last night's Downtown Development Authority meeting.  Originally budgeted for 9.89 million dollars, the park's entire budget has now been slashed to 8.9 million dollars.  It's a tight budget to keep, and in the grand scheme of things, the DDA hopes quality isn't sacrificed for a few dollars.  Architech Randy Goodloe explained the changes saying, "Scaling down some things, we may even scale down the size of the stage area.  There are many moving parts to this project that we are going to have to take a look at every little piece of it and just make some compromises."  The City Council will vote on whether or not to move forward with the recommendations on Wednesday night.  What do you think?  Will the scaled down project compromise the original plans? 

Officer Reinstated

After a marathon Civil Service Board hearing a Jennings police officer will get to go back to work. Lt. Mike Janise was fired for allegedly not giving a sobriety test to a superior officer after a crash. He appealed that decision and Thursday night the Civil Service Board decided to reinstate Janise at a lower rank and after a 60 day suspension. Do you agree with the decision?