While the state of Louisiana lurches right, some in Acadiana are concerned that Lafayette has moved leftward. Add to this, during these last four years, Josh Guillory was bombarded from every corner by local legacy media outlets. Will the media remain hawkish under a Monique Blanco Boulet mayorship? Many on the conservative end of the political spectrum say, “No.”
Our friends in Lafayette are still smarting from legacy media turning over every stone when it came to the Josh Guillory administration. He seemed to be the subject of the press’s endless conspiracy theories. However, those we (at Citizens) constantly exposed for actual cronyism, nepotism, and shady dealings routinely received a free pass. Which path will the legacy media take?
That’s why I’ll renew our call to you, dear reader, to support this very important work we’ve been doing for nearly seven years. While legacy media outlets are famous for protecting their progressive darlings, we’ve built our reputation on leading you to the truth with publicly available (but sometimes difficult to find) documents. In a sea of coordinated progressive voices, Citizens for a New Louisiana stands alone and apart, providing a perspective unique in the entire state.
A renewed focus on core government functions
Over the last four years, we’ve been inundated with national social issues intended to distract us from what’s truly important. The government doesn’t exist to force “diversity” on us through unrelenting social justice programs. Providing for the general welfare of the community isn’t accomplished by taxing everyone to fund the interests of a few fringe minority groups. The government’s purpose is not to diversify but to unify. Any reasonable person will easily grasp this concept. However, fringe groups are now accustomed to being furnished with the means to make the rest of us suffer.
Thankfully, the time to seek “diversity” for its own sake has now passed. As we embark on this new journey, I have confidence that our local government leadership will no longer be playing in this realm. As Andrew Jackson reminds us, eternal vigilance is the price we pay to secure liberty’s blessing. Therefore, our vision for the next four years will be to ensure local government focuses on economic development through infrastructure improvements. The various town hall meetings held by Monique Blanco Boulet should provide some insight in this regard.
This isn’t a new perspective for her, by the way. While at APC, Boulet did not appear to be a micro-manager. She surrounded herself with people who worked hard and paid attention to detail. There never appeared to be any type of affirmative action quota that favored social justice warriors. Her test was simple: you either do a good job or you don’t. I’m optimistic that she will continue her long-held practice on this much larger scale.
A renewed focus on infrastructure
In my vision for the future of Lafayette, the kind of infrastructure I don’t mean are things like yet another taxpayer-funded RaceTrac gas station. That’s the pretzel-twisting logic kind of “infrastructure” from previous administrations. I’m also not referring to the horrendous misuse of $166,000 in taxpayer dollars for another “greenbelt” project. All told, previous administrations have poured millions into useless penny ante projects that have amounted to absolutely nothing. Remember the BELL Helicopter fiasco? How about the great big egg they laid on Cajundome Boulevard, formerly known as the LITE Center? What about Nanette Cook’s $210,000 Fitness Park? Colossal waste!
I could go on and on about this kind of short-sighted idiocy from previous administrations. However, we’re here to cast a vision for the future. I-49 South is one of the key focus points that’s already emerged from Boulet’s pre-administration team. For the first time in my memory, a Mayor-President-elect has said they’re prioritizing Evangeline Thruway. This is a huge project that could change the financial trajectory of Lafayette and the surrounding parishes for decades.
I-49 South also emerged prominently at all three of her pre-inaugural town hall meetings. Yes, even the ones focused on housing and economic development circled right back to this one issue. Boulet calls this “a heavy lift.” However, it’s the single most important thing we should have been working on for at least the last fifty years. I’m excited that this is her agenda’s cornerstone.
Vigilance: The gravy train is actively courting Boulet
Our role at Citizens for a New Louisiana (and your role, too) is to be engaged. We are to use what influence we have to make Lafayette a better place. Get to know your elected representative on the city and/or parish council. Sign up for their email newsletters. Respond when they ask for input. If you don’t do these things, rest assured that the moochers will fill the gap your lack of involvement has created.
I know this because the three town hall meetings were bursting with scores of self-proclaimed progressive ideologues expecting financial help from the Boulet administration. For example, Sam Oliver from the non-government, non-profit corporation Acadiana Center for the Arts (ACA) was there, holding his hand out. He tried to make a big stink about our heroes on the Public Library board removing vulgar books from the children’s section. The good news is Sam’s antics were quickly shut down by LEDA’s Mandi Mitchell and Monique Blanco Boulet.
You may not know that the City of Lafayette has large sums of money budgeted for Sam Oliver’s ACA every year. Even though the new fiscal year just started on November 1st, the City of Lafayette has already written three checks to ACA totaling $71,220.99. Last year the City wrote twenty-two (22) checks to ACA for nearly a half-million dollars. Why are taxpayers funding this guy’s social justice war against the library? That is a very good question. However, remember that there are scores of such people and organizations loitering about.
Who’s going to be your watchman?
Make no mistake, Monique Blanco Boulet has incredible power to do nearly anything she pleases. We have Carlee and Kevin Blanchard’s “Fix the Charter” to thank for that. Under their “fix,” four of the five members of the city and parish councils are necessary to override a veto, each. What happens in these next four years will be determined by her strength of character. However, countless influencers will be attempting to nudge the administration in a direction favorable to their causes. That happened more than you may realize in previous administrations – including the last one.
Our mission at Citizens for a New Louisiana has been consistent yet simple. Let’s refocus every corner of government back to its core function. While I’m optimistic that we aren’t going to continue chasing social justice phantoms for the next four years, the price required continues to be eternal vigilance. We at Citizens for a New Louisiana must stay engaged as a counter-balance to the immense number of people pulling on LCG for their own special interest projects. You should play a role, too. Whether you actively participate or help to supply those of us who do, this mission is important enough that you should be regularly reminded.
Plato once wrote, “The penalty for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Are you doing your part to keep Lafayette (and Louisiana) on the right track? Join us now to keep your watchmen on the wall.
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