Oak Grove Community

Higher Gasoline prices at the pumps, and more taxes for all Louisiana Residents. Louisiana is wanting an increase in gasoline taxes to pay for Roads, Bridges, and more Reservoirs.
The Following is a letter sent to the Baton Rouge Advocate.

Dear Will Sentell,

Concerning your article DOTD says funds lag needed fixes to roads published in the Advocate on Aug 2, 2006.

Please be advised that Mrs. Jalon Pittman Beech has appeared twice before the Louisiana Bond Commission, and talked with them about wasting our DOTD tax money intended for roads and bridges on Reservoirs.

An Article By Michelle Millhollon "Commission hears concerns on reservoir project" was published in the advocate concerning the Bond Commission Meeting on July 22, 2005. At the Louisiana Bond Commission Meeting Mrs. Beech told the Bond Commission.

This is our D.O.T.D. tax money that would be used for ROADS. Should taxpayers spend 40 to 50 million to make a select few wealthy? The reservoir money is badly needed in education, health care, road construction, law enforcement and programs for the poor and elderly.

An article in the Advocate News reported a speech by Transportation Secretary John Bradbury stating. State officials have begun talks on ways to raise new dollars to improve Louisiana roads and bridges. Options include higher gasoline taxes, tolls, fees, permits and private/public partnerships. I have a cure for a portion of our state’s budget crisis. Stop wasting taxpayers’ money on unneeded and unwanted reservoir projects. Spend DOTD money on roads and bridges as it was intended.

The complete text of Jalon Pittman Beech's speech, Reservoir Concerns our Tax Money along with audio recordings is available on the oakgrovecommunity.blogspot.com blog.

Mrs. Beech appeared again before the Louisiana Bond Commission on Oct 20, 2005 and spoke. The complete text of her speech posted on the oak grove community blog is titled La Bond commission $45 million pork barrel.

At the July 22,^nd Bond Commission meeting, my father, Nevels Pittman and I testified before you regarding our objections to the funding of the proposed Washington Parish Reservoir.

You are approving money for reservoirs that is designated for our Department of Transportation projects. I don’t believe that the average taxpaying citizen of this state would appreciate DOTD funds being diverted from our roads, bridges, and other much needed infrastructure to unneeded reservoirs so that a select few can make some huge deposits in their bank accounts.

This commission has the opportunity and obligation to rescind funding for controversial and unneeded reservoir projects that send our state spiraling into debt. The state of Louisiana has to accept the charity of other states and the federal government just to pay our basic necessities.

If you tightened Louisiana’s purse strings and put a stop to the self-serving legislators who have been wooed by cunning real estate developers to go along with reservoir projects, our state could stand on its on.

You would at the very least, have another billion dollars to budget to worthwhile projects such as infrastructure, levee systems for our coast line, pay raises for state employees, hospitals, and I could go on and on.

Louisiana is wealthy with resources, but these resources are commonly exploited and misused. Louisiana consistently proves to the world that we are incapable of handling business without the appearance of impropriety.

The buck literally can be stopped here today, and what a proud day this would be for the citizens of Louisiana.

Sincerely,

Mr. James Moore

Quoted commentary by: Mrs. Jalon Pittman Beech
Oak Grove Community, Washington Parish

Also see: We Saw That DOTD Tax Money wasted on Reservoirs