Cabrini Parking Hearing

We can surmise from the pan shot of the people in attendance at the meeting that there was opposition to the planned acquisition. Since the Town Talk and KALB have both done puff pieces to fulfill their obligation to cover the story, can anyone else enlighten the rest of us as to what transpired? How good is Cabrini's case and how sensible and adamant is the opposition?

Deal? Or No Deal?

Not to be the pessimist, but it is hard to bake a cake without the proper amounts of the correct ingredients and Cyntreniks was short 138.72 pounds of Ben Franklins to make the Bentley deal stick. Time to move on. The Bentley has historic significance to our community and is in need of preservation, no doubt. Who among us has the finances or business acumen to feed the white elephant all it will consume to have as a status symbol we can refer to as a landmark? Can a consortium of local investors be assembled to form an operating group that can lease the Bentley from Mr. Dean and have a satisfactory outcome? So far, no one in our community is stepping up - so why would any outsider be more aggressive. Does anyone have any observations that would make the downtown environment conducive to the economically viable operation of the Bentley Hotel? I would close by saying that we should all realize that Mr. Dean owns the Bentley hotel - not any one of us. It is rather disrespectful to discuss the outcome of the Bentley without the input of Mr. Dean - after all, it is he who owns the property. Any thoughts?

It's Deja Vu All Over Again!!!

Little did I know that the previous post was an invitation for the Board of Directors of Cabrini to feel the minds of the citizens of Alexandria had gone blank also. There is no need to ask why - just how many attempts are they going to make before success in blacktopping ballparks is achieved. Maybe Rapides needs to be the primary caregiver of choice for a while until they see the error of their ways. Care for the community ? - my fat hairy ass!!!!

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Any Thoughts?

Roll The Dice Anyone?

Again, I have dredged up the past as it may be a guide to our future. Read the article and see how you answer this question plucked from the end of the article.

Are we sufficiently confident to bet the nation's welfare--and perhaps its security--on the premise that history has taken its last wrenching turn?

http://www.afa.org/magazine/1990/0590edit.asp

A Voice From The Past - Sixteen And A Half years Later

This article was written in December of 1990 and bears review for those of you that believe that Russia is no threat and have not paid attention to recent stirrings of their discontent with their place in the world.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/1990/1290edit.asp

Just a Little Cow Town That Fancies Itself A Metroplex

It amazes me that the folk of our town bandy about one word characterizations of our city, like growth, crossroads, etc., that somehow allow them to believe that we are in one of the major metroplexes of the civilized world. It gives me pain to break it to you, but Rapides Parish has a population the size of some of Dallas's subdivisions which is fine because on balance, this is a pretty good place to live. Our growth just will not carry us to megatropolis standards in the next few years and Lord help us if it did because we have no plan. And that is the point. According to the Alexandria City Charter, the Rapides Area Planning Commission (a misnomer) is designated as the planning body for the city. Of course it doesn't work and sets up a situation for finger pointing and retorts of "it's not my job" as people develop properties in ever meandering and mixed use ways, then wonder why there are conflicts with commercial encroaching on residential and so forth. Does anyone else see a lack of cohesive and comprehensive planning for our area or is it just me?

I Have A Dream - And It Is Coming True

While searches and capacity caps are the antithesis of open meetings at the Alexandria City Council, I am joyous that public interest has risen to this level. There is no quarreling with the necessity of searches as the exchanges and opinions have become more heated and the number cap has been posted for a long time as the chamber safely holds 72 people by fire marshall standards. If this keeps up, the council may need to buy a big scream TV (ebonically correct pronunciation) for the city hall steps.

I Want My Car Back!!!

I find it amazing that folks that should know would gloss over a litle ole constitutional matter like illegal search and seizure. Using the Town Talk figures of roughly $850.00 in towing and storage fees and extrapolating that to the stated 500 cars - appears to be an exposure amount of $425,000.00 for that alone. Let's see, now we have attorney fees, damage to property, defense of employees for criminal trespass, etc. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe someone did not think this through? What say you, Mr. Citizen?

Loose Ends?

OK, the silence is deafening on several items that I would have thought there would a mere mention of some kind over the past couple of weeks.
Namely;
1. The Bentley Deal
2. The CLECO Deal
3. The second set of books kept by the city involving employee hospitalization.
4. The utility rate quandary the citizens find themselves in.
5. Any other deal I have missed but that you wish to add to the list.
Am I over-reacting?