dewster
| Favorite team: | LSU  |
| Location: | Chicago |
| Biography: | |
| Interests: | |
| Occupation: | |
| Number of Posts: | 26336 |
| Registered on: | 8/4/2006 |
| Online Status: | Not Online |
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re: Why do people have such a negative view of BR?
Posted by dewster on 11/17/25 at 12:25 pm to TheArrogantCorndog
quote:
7hrs I can drive to the mountains
4.5hrs I can drive to Houston
4hrs I can drive to white sand beaches in Perdido
3hrs I can have my boat in the water at Grand Isle
1hr I can drive to MSY and take a 1hr flight to Orlando
1hr I can be in St Francisville or Mandeville for a weekend
10mins I can drive to Tiger Stadium and Alex Box
There are far worse places to live. It's quite easy to be live a happy, fulfilling life in this area.
0
This seems like good practice:
This seems a little too conservative if most other similarly sized library systems issue bonds or take out loans to fund expansions and renovations......is that resulting in a lower than expected service level for tax payers that support library services?
At some point this goes beyond being credible, good stewards and potentially not serving the public adequately or aggressively enough. I'm not suggesting one or the other, but it's a debate that I have frequently with myself for other public and private sector entities including two that I'm personally involved with. Are we being too conservative? Are we not taking enough risks? Are we adequately demonstrating our value every day?
For many reasons, I think that Baton Rouge's park system (BREC) isn't adequately serving the taxpayers and they better step up their game before more people come to that conclusion. I am not sure I could argue the same for the Library system. Generally I'm impressed by the EBR library network, but I'm not sure enough taxpayers in EBR agree - and that's where there could be a problem.
If the library system was considered excellent by the majority of the taxpayers, there wouldn't be a need for yard signs to show support for the library system or to undermine a voter initiative that could reallocate funding away from the library system. The voters would not need to be reminded of the value the library system provides and the voter initiative would have failed by a much wider margin. It damn near passed.
Just my take.
quote:
Yes, the Library does have a large fund balance (retained earnings for any financial accounting types), with a primary reason being outcomes such as the one that happened Saturday night. The library keeps one year of operating expenses in advance, or "in the bank" to ensure the continuity of operations. Without this reserve, the EBR Library System would, for all practical purposes, close on December 31. However, with the fund balance that is already in place, the Library Board will remain open in 2026, and will go back to citizens with a new proposal that will hopefully be more acceptable to the voting public.
This seems a little too conservative if most other similarly sized library systems issue bonds or take out loans to fund expansions and renovations......is that resulting in a lower than expected service level for tax payers that support library services?
quote:
With that said, this library system has NO DEBT. You won't find any bonds (loans) issued for the purpose of building, renovating, or operating this system. Every building or improvement is financed on a "pay-as-you-go" method. On the day a new building opens, or is rededicated after a renovation, that building is fully paid and is debt free. Regarding future construction (new or additional buildings), one relocation/rebuild is currently planned for the Delmont Gardens Branch, and one new, smaller, "satellite branch" will be erected if/when a planned multi-use/multi-purpose development at the old Earl K Long hospital site is launched.
At some point this goes beyond being credible, good stewards and potentially not serving the public adequately or aggressively enough. I'm not suggesting one or the other, but it's a debate that I have frequently with myself for other public and private sector entities including two that I'm personally involved with. Are we being too conservative? Are we not taking enough risks? Are we adequately demonstrating our value every day?
For many reasons, I think that Baton Rouge's park system (BREC) isn't adequately serving the taxpayers and they better step up their game before more people come to that conclusion. I am not sure I could argue the same for the Library system. Generally I'm impressed by the EBR library network, but I'm not sure enough taxpayers in EBR agree - and that's where there could be a problem.
If the library system was considered excellent by the majority of the taxpayers, there wouldn't be a need for yard signs to show support for the library system or to undermine a voter initiative that could reallocate funding away from the library system. The voters would not need to be reminded of the value the library system provides and the voter initiative would have failed by a much wider margin. It damn near passed.
Just my take.
quote:
IMO, there are many faking poverty in Louisiana.
Correct, and despite the widespread masking of cash income to avoid taxes - Louisiana still posts a higher GDP than you'd expect.
IMO the ability to artificially mask income to reduce tax burden and exploit safety net programs are a very good argument that the state and federal government should be less reliant on income taxes and should introduce more controls for social safety net programs.
Louisiana's local governments typically have fairly low property taxes relative to other parts of the country, but sales taxes are quite high. I'm okay with that. But I'd like to see the state of Louisiana start moving away from income taxes - perhaps initially just for retirement income, then rolling it out for the rest of us. I also oppose property taxes just out of principle.
re: Awash with billions per year in federal money, Louisiana's funding surges
Posted by dewster on 11/17/25 at 12:01 pm to ragincajun03
Total budget was $26 billion during the early part of Jindal's first term. It's right around $50 billion now.
This was part of expanding Medicaid and one of the first things that Governor Edwards did. It was controversial because just the state's share of the expansion was daunting and concerning. We all expected it would result in higher taxes or reappropriation away from highways, education, etc.
I'm conflicted on this. In reality that results in more heath coverage in Louisiana and may even contribute to slightly more health services in rural areas and distressed areas. Both of those are good things.
If Louisiana didn't put up their match, some other state would and they'd unlock that federal funding instead of us. Refusing that doesn't result in a lower federal tax burden for me. And it could be argued that it increases spending locally. So if this program exists at all at a federal level, it's probably more good than bad that Louisiana exploited it - but that's also where I'm conflicted.
quote:
The Health Department makes up 43% of the current state budget. Of the $23 billion appropriated for Health, $16.4 billion comes from the feds.
This was part of expanding Medicaid and one of the first things that Governor Edwards did. It was controversial because just the state's share of the expansion was daunting and concerning. We all expected it would result in higher taxes or reappropriation away from highways, education, etc.
I'm conflicted on this. In reality that results in more heath coverage in Louisiana and may even contribute to slightly more health services in rural areas and distressed areas. Both of those are good things.
If Louisiana didn't put up their match, some other state would and they'd unlock that federal funding instead of us. Refusing that doesn't result in a lower federal tax burden for me. And it could be argued that it increases spending locally. So if this program exists at all at a federal level, it's probably more good than bad that Louisiana exploited it - but that's also where I'm conflicted.
re: Why do people have such a negative view of BR?
Posted by dewster on 11/17/25 at 11:34 am to Redstickbaw
quote:
Why do people have such a negative view of BR?
They live in a fishbowl and have not noticed that most of the issues facing Baton Rouge are similar to, if not less severe than what other many, many similarly sized cities are experiencing across the country.
Strengths - The areas where it's very competitive:
- Industrial base here is incredible; with many lucrative career paths for blue collar workers, electricians, engineers, etc.
- Job market has become more diversified in the last 30-40 years, so the area is less vulnerable to sector-specific downturns
- LSU and Southern aren't going anywhere. I'm not a fan of the trends in higher ed, but it's clear that LSU especially will benefit from growth and investment.
- Costs of living, while growing, is still lower than most of the country.
- It's easier to "keep up with the Joneses" in the Baton Rouge area. There are pockets where consumerism is extreme, but for the most part the focus is on community, family, and church and less on consumerist garbage. That's fairly rare for blue collar areas that have become regional economic powerhouses.
- LSU, the medical businesses, engineering firms, and major industry all keeps a steady draw of people in the area. There's been predictable but positive growth in the metro area, which is now approaching 900,000 people and will probably surpass 1 million by 2040.
- Relative stability of the local housing market: Baton Rouge avoids the most extreme of the RE trends sweeping the country at any given time (good and bad), which makes it fairly safe and predictable from an RE investment standpoint. I've found good people to help me identify opportunities in this area. If you are looking for investment real estate - the ups and downs are less extreme in the Baton Rouge area.
Weaknesses - The areas where I think the city and region are actually worse than average:
- Transportation and drainage infrastructure - we need major investment and planning here, and we need everyone pulling in the same direction for big projects. LADOTD is too incompetent, too slow, and too bloated to help.
- Crime - both police protection and the court system - this is a problem and it likely will get worse when a new DA is installed eventually. There are some absolutely crazy judges in Baton Rouge that create revolving doors in their courtrooms.
- Aesthetic Quality and cleanliness of public infrastructure. This can be solved if local and state government either hired better people or outsourced services entirely. There's too much litter, debris, overgrowth, along public roadways and in public spaces. Entergy does a horrible job keeping the highway and street light bulbs working (and that's their job)
Opportunities - Areas of focus that may become available:
- St. George has potential to be a huge draw of middle class back into EBR if they can get competitive public schools in place.
- Massive investments from new industry sectors, including steel (automotive) and technology could help draw even more economic diversity and growth.
- LSU is not fully exploited as a major economic driver the way that UT-Austin or The Ohio State are for their host cities. LSU getting more competitive with research and recruitment while continuing to be competitive on the athletic field could really change the trajectory of Baton Rouge and the southeast Louisiana region
- Highway Infrastructure - While the new bridge project is controversial in some ways, there's actually broad political support for shoveling cash into highway infrastructure. There's just a lack of cash and structural incompetence at the state level with LADOTD and legislative appropriation processes. Eventually we will have no choice but to invest here, and that will be a local economic boom.
Threats - areas where we could be in trouble
- Selected political sabotage of the oil and gas industry by left leaning politicians at the federal level
- Corrupt and authoritarian EPA that could handicap major industrial investments
- Infrastructure - the lack good, existing highway network and reliable electric grid are already holding the area back. It will become more difficult to address this if the area continues to grow, making major projects even more difficult to execute.
- Natural Disaster - Baton Rouge hasn't had a direct hit from a major Hurricane in a very long time. That doesn't mean it can't happen. It's clear that Entergy and the local power grid are simply not prepared.
- Racial politics, even locally, are still influenced by national trends. We saw that 10 years ago.
- Mid-career upward mobility. We have the gravitational pull for young people, but we fail routinely to keep them here, especially if they are aligned with white colar areas of focus outside of higher education and engineering
Well home construction isn't really lighting the world on fire, so what's causing this? Did we build too many apartments or corporate owned neighborhoods that price gouged, and now it's finally correcting?
Seems like it is very location specific, like all things real estate.
And that probably means that the stable communities that avoided the most extreme trends in real estate (good or bad) are also probably the most stable in weathering this too.
Seems like it is very location specific, like all things real estate.
And that probably means that the stable communities that avoided the most extreme trends in real estate (good or bad) are also probably the most stable in weathering this too.
re: US may owe $1 trillion in refunds if SCOTUS cancels Trump tariffs
Posted by dewster on 11/16/25 at 8:27 pm to Street Hawk
Well if the consumers pay them (and that's the argument they are making - that it's a tax) - it would basically have to be a massive tax credit or stimulus check.
So yeah the inflation pressure would be enormous.
But none of that is going to happen.
So yeah the inflation pressure would be enormous.
But none of that is going to happen.
re: How much of an increase in pay would it take for you to switch careers?
Posted by dewster on 11/16/25 at 8:20 pm to TitleistProV1X
There's 40 people in this country that can do what I do and I know all of them. I'm paid very well (unless you are my employer....then I am paid poorly and I'm about to leave any moment).
I've sort of made it my trademark to build out this particular solution, and I've been doing it as a consultant for 10+ years all over the globe. I only just last year moved to a massive company to make it work there in a way that nobody has seen before - not even me.
In 6 years I'm probably going to do the same thing at another company in this industry, then 6 years later start looking at slowing down significantly. I'll be approaching my mid 50s by then, and should have upwards of about $4m retirement savings and $5,500/month in passive income if I can stay healthy enough to adhere to my plan. By then I want to be able to be very, very involved in my kid's and family life and hopefully a few healthy hobbies I can do alone since I have zero friends.
Me deviating from my plan or accelerating an exit from my current project (I actually enjoy it because it's never been done before)......that would need to come with another $100K/year or so minimum, and a signing bonus pretty close to that. I know the exact company that would do this, but they may not be ready for another 2 years.
I've sort of made it my trademark to build out this particular solution, and I've been doing it as a consultant for 10+ years all over the globe. I only just last year moved to a massive company to make it work there in a way that nobody has seen before - not even me.
In 6 years I'm probably going to do the same thing at another company in this industry, then 6 years later start looking at slowing down significantly. I'll be approaching my mid 50s by then, and should have upwards of about $4m retirement savings and $5,500/month in passive income if I can stay healthy enough to adhere to my plan. By then I want to be able to be very, very involved in my kid's and family life and hopefully a few healthy hobbies I can do alone since I have zero friends.
Me deviating from my plan or accelerating an exit from my current project (I actually enjoy it because it's never been done before)......that would need to come with another $100K/year or so minimum, and a signing bonus pretty close to that. I know the exact company that would do this, but they may not be ready for another 2 years.
re: Best Baton Rouge Suburb
Posted by dewster on 11/16/25 at 8:12 pm to fightin tigers
quote:
If I ever have to move back to BR I will be all up in your area. Shopping at your stores. Buying the bolts at your hardware store
Jokes on you. My local hardware store is only open between 3:00PM and 3:15PM every other Tuesday.
Or at least that is how it feels since they are always closed when I need something.
I suspect that Ford spent a lot of cash on building their employee's skillset to handle maintenance and repairs of that Lightning EV model like that is rumored to be canceled due to poor sales.
When I see complaints like this by large, mature companies....I wonder why they haven't developed their own talent over the last 10 years. If they did, why have they not been retained?
re: Best Baton Rouge Suburb
Posted by dewster on 11/16/25 at 7:23 pm to fightin tigers
quote:
Out towards New Roads or St Francisville
Correct but the locals would prefer you never mention this.
re: Buy once cry once: High quality items you spent decent money on that are worth it
Posted by dewster on 11/13/25 at 9:00 pm to weagle1999
Can confirm the Speed Queen products are ugly but they last. Mine are under warranty until like 2028 or something.
Supposedly he still personally has put options PLTR and NVDA. I honestly don’t think he’s wrong about overvaluation. He’s just too early.
Generally I think there is too much cash out there looking desperately for value in anything AI or AI adjacent.
Generally I think there is too much cash out there looking desperately for value in anything AI or AI adjacent.
quote:
Probably a bit further back...but I remember the massive Santa on top of the roof leading into the Godchaux's building on Florida Blvd (now the FEMA building near the Greyhound bus station). You could hear him saying "Ho ho ho" for miles.
Oh wow I remember this. My mom and grandma used to take me there when I was 5 or 6 years old. They used to take me there in my grandmother’s car, which I remember because it had a red interior.
Godchaux’s hung around until well after Bonne Marche came and went. Bonne Marche was supposed to put it out of business. I think it didn’t close until the entire Maison Blanche brand went under. I got clothes there for my first homecoming dance, so it had to have been open in the late 1990s.
25+ year flashback time for me.
My older brother got me into a festival downtown (called Bonne Fete maybe?) around 1999 where Better than Ezra was playing. I was 14 or 15 years old and my brother was at LSU. The concert was at the parking lot by the water tower where the LSU Art Museum/Tsunami is now on Lafayette Street. I remember that experience vividly. My first real concert, and BTE was still huge at the time.
In those days downtown Baton Rouge was absolutely dead after dark. I think the Hilton was still an abandoned building.
We had an excuse made up and everything for our parents since Mom was not letting me do anything in those days. My brother was going to help me with Calculus homework at the library, but we went to the concert instead. He also took me to get chicken fingers from a restaurant near campus called Raising Canes - In those days Cane’s had maybe two or three stores and I had never heard of them.
A couple of years later that same brother snuck me into The Varsity. I was still in high school and I my brother (at the time a Junior at LSU) and his girlfriend (now wife) got me into The Varsity for free to see Cowboy Mouth.
The opening band for Cowboy Mouth that night wasn’t bad. It was none other than Maroon 5, who was largely unknown at the time.
My first Caterie experience was around 2005. Some local bands and I probably had the best time there with my undergrad buddies that I can remember.
Other vivid and random memories
Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. One that stuck with me was driving some friends (whose house and cars flooded in Metairie) to every car dealer in town so they can buy a vehicle - a Chevy Trailblazer or GMC Envoy. Literally every dealer after the storm was sold out of all of those, new or used.
Walk On’s in 2006 when the Men’s Basketball team beat Duke in the elite 8. Absolute blast. Maybe top 5 experience in Baton Rouge ever. Oddly enough I hate Walk On’s now. But in those days it was a great place near campus for away games. Hard to believe now since it feels so different.
Using Tiger Cash to buy Mr Gatti’s Pizza as a freshmen with my roommates after skipping meals all day. .
Going to the Mall of La on opening week in the mid/late 1990s. That was absolutely nuts. A real game changer for Baton Rouge. We didn’t know it at the time but that was probably in the last handful of brand new, traditional indoor shopping malls to be built from the ground up in this country.
Kirby Smith, McVoy Hall, and the shitty apartments off Burbank. All good memories since they were my first experience away from home.
The streaker incident of 2003 at Tiger Stadium. So much rain. So many cops tried to catch him but slipped.
Chelsea’s being at the north gates. Awesome place then.
I remember when Whole Foods opened on Jefferson. It was head and shoulders nicer than every other grocery around. Like shopping at Disney world.
1990s-2005 or so - Multiple serial killers roaming the area….every female student had mace and many had firearms on them by 2002. They linked an abduction next door to where I lived to Derek Todd Lee eventually. Lee also abducted women in Pollard Place (much nicer area down Perkins) in addition to the LSU area. But they were also finding bodies all over from the other killer whose name escapes me.
Maybe the early 1990s remember my aunt taking me to go swimming at the Bocage Racquet Club. At the time they had a taller diving board but I was too afraid to try it.
Oh and who can forget the Exxon explosion in 1989?
My older brother got me into a festival downtown (called Bonne Fete maybe?) around 1999 where Better than Ezra was playing. I was 14 or 15 years old and my brother was at LSU. The concert was at the parking lot by the water tower where the LSU Art Museum/Tsunami is now on Lafayette Street. I remember that experience vividly. My first real concert, and BTE was still huge at the time.
In those days downtown Baton Rouge was absolutely dead after dark. I think the Hilton was still an abandoned building.
We had an excuse made up and everything for our parents since Mom was not letting me do anything in those days. My brother was going to help me with Calculus homework at the library, but we went to the concert instead. He also took me to get chicken fingers from a restaurant near campus called Raising Canes - In those days Cane’s had maybe two or three stores and I had never heard of them.
A couple of years later that same brother snuck me into The Varsity. I was still in high school and I my brother (at the time a Junior at LSU) and his girlfriend (now wife) got me into The Varsity for free to see Cowboy Mouth.
The opening band for Cowboy Mouth that night wasn’t bad. It was none other than Maroon 5, who was largely unknown at the time.
My first Caterie experience was around 2005. Some local bands and I probably had the best time there with my undergrad buddies that I can remember.
Other vivid and random memories
Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. One that stuck with me was driving some friends (whose house and cars flooded in Metairie) to every car dealer in town so they can buy a vehicle - a Chevy Trailblazer or GMC Envoy. Literally every dealer after the storm was sold out of all of those, new or used.
Walk On’s in 2006 when the Men’s Basketball team beat Duke in the elite 8. Absolute blast. Maybe top 5 experience in Baton Rouge ever. Oddly enough I hate Walk On’s now. But in those days it was a great place near campus for away games. Hard to believe now since it feels so different.
Using Tiger Cash to buy Mr Gatti’s Pizza as a freshmen with my roommates after skipping meals all day. .
Going to the Mall of La on opening week in the mid/late 1990s. That was absolutely nuts. A real game changer for Baton Rouge. We didn’t know it at the time but that was probably in the last handful of brand new, traditional indoor shopping malls to be built from the ground up in this country.
Kirby Smith, McVoy Hall, and the shitty apartments off Burbank. All good memories since they were my first experience away from home.
The streaker incident of 2003 at Tiger Stadium. So much rain. So many cops tried to catch him but slipped.
Chelsea’s being at the north gates. Awesome place then.
I remember when Whole Foods opened on Jefferson. It was head and shoulders nicer than every other grocery around. Like shopping at Disney world.
1990s-2005 or so - Multiple serial killers roaming the area….every female student had mace and many had firearms on them by 2002. They linked an abduction next door to where I lived to Derek Todd Lee eventually. Lee also abducted women in Pollard Place (much nicer area down Perkins) in addition to the LSU area. But they were also finding bodies all over from the other killer whose name escapes me.
Maybe the early 1990s remember my aunt taking me to go swimming at the Bocage Racquet Club. At the time they had a taller diving board but I was too afraid to try it.
Oh and who can forget the Exxon explosion in 1989?
quote:
The Jack in the Box on the north gate of LSU used to be a Popeyes. And every know and then they ran a special of 20 wings for $5.
Emphasis on the plus after the 20. That's been a Jack in the Box since the late 1990s at least.
quote:
since women/girls are generally ignored
Wait where was I when this happened? Oh probably being ignored….my natural instincts being considered toxic.
re: Official Poll: Will Americans receive a $2k dividend check/deposit?
Posted by dewster on 11/11/25 at 7:25 pm to lsufan9193969700
I won’t. It will go to some but not to all.
And it will contribute to the inflation problem and I’ll probably feel that.
And it will contribute to the inflation problem and I’ll probably feel that.
Landry meddled.
He was always unlikely to get my vote, but now that will definitely not happen.
He was always unlikely to get my vote, but now that will definitely not happen.
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