by Michael Lunsford | May 4, 2026 | Downtown Development Authority, EDD Tax Districts, Lafayette, LCG, Podcast, Sunshine
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn 2019, Lafayette city leaders approved the creation of five Economic Development Districts—special taxing zones that were supposed to drive growth, attract investment, and improve targeted areas across the city. The pitch was...
by Michael Lunsford | Apr 23, 2026 | Downtown Development Authority, Lafayette, Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadLafayette’s City Council approved DDA and Kevin Blanchard’s $1 million redevelopment study—then Mayor Monique Blanco-Boulet vetoed it. This wasn’t just a study, though. It was a shift in control. The agreement authorizes...
by Michael Lunsford | Aug 21, 2025 | Libraries, Podcast, St. Tammany
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadRemember Kelly LaRocca? She was the director of the St. Tammany Parish Library—emphasis on was. In this short and snappy episode, Michael Lunsford recaps how LaRocca’s departure came hot on the heels of a “totally coincidental”...
by Michael Lunsford | Aug 15, 2025 | Libraries, Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWe don’t usually share the behind-the-scenes work we do—but this time is different. For years, the Tulane University First Amendment Law Clinic, led by Katie Schwartzmann, has used its platform (and your tax dollars) to sue...
by Michael Lunsford | Jul 30, 2025 | Downtown Development Authority, Lafayette, Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadDo you remember Anita Begnaud? In this episode, we revisit a high-profile tax controversy from 2022. It involved the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in Lafayette, Louisiana. At the time, Citizens for a New Louisiana raised...
by Michael Lunsford | Jul 24, 2025 | Libraries, Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIt’s summertime, but the woke agenda never takes a break. From Lafayette to Livingston—and now St. Tammany Parish—Louisiana’s public libraries are the latest battleground in the fight for parental rights and community values. In...