Term limits created an almost completely new legislature this year. That legislature’s exuberance in wanting to get a big raise right off the bat may create an almost new legislature next time, too. The reaction among voters has been overwhelmingly negative.
It is unbelievable that so many legislators went to Baton Rouge officially for the first time and almost immediately tried to triple its wages. They succeeded in passing a bill that more than doubles it. Now it has become the governor’s problem. He can veto it or let is go through without his signature.
The governor’s thinking is that he wants the legislature on his side to support the rest of his program of reform which has gone well so far. If he vetoes their raise, will they rebel against his program and spoil his administration? Or will they be fair to their constituencies and support the good parts of his program for the benefit of the state?
We can understand the governor’s anxiety in this. He is relatively new in the ways of politics and does not yet have the acumen of a Huey Long or Edwin Edwards.
But he should have said at the outset, “Hey, fellas, if you want a raise, let’s wait a while and show the people you deserve it. And then don’t ask them to triple your pay all at once.”
Whichever way he goes on this issue, we hope it will not torpedo the rest of his program which has gone well so far. We are still rooting for our new chief exec who has the brains and desire to be a great governor.
The most important levee should be along the coast
After a week at Grand Isle, it is easy to understand how important it is to save the coast of Louisiana. And it gives you a lesson on how to do it.
The surf was calm when we were there The water was clear.
The fish were biting in various areas. The crabs were not yet in the surf in abundance – – but wait until August.
It was hot, to say the least. But the occasional breezes made it an extravagant outdoor experience, away from enclosed air-conditioning.
Back in the 1940s when there was little air-conditioning in residences, people went to Grand Isle to be cool. That is because the Gulf breeze was the best relief from the summer sun. Today they go there mainly for fishing and sunbathing.
Nowadays, people have adjusted to air-conditioning – – and demand it. So now, Grand Isle, is an air-conditioned community just like every other in the sunny south.
But there’s a reason for this epistle. Grand Isle and other offshore islands in Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico are our first line of defense in protecting us from hurricanes. If they are healthy enough to calm down the initial surge, they will do a lot to prevent the devastation we suffered in the likes of Katrina.
As we savored the surf and grandeured in the sun, we decided Grand Isle is a great treasure. And it could be part of the savior of Louisiana.
But there are more barrier islands out there. We need to restore all of our offshore islands as our first line of defense against hurricane damage and erosion.
And we need to go from there to restore the deteriorated interior wetlands that have been so inundated with salt water that they cannot produce the vegetation they need for survival. Our future demands it.
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