Annie Get Your Gun

You'll need it to defend yourself.

State senator Ann Duplessis, (is that like duplicity?,) has authored Louisiana's newest political embarrassment, Senate Bill 672, which calls for an increase in pay for state legislators. She seems to think that our poor underpaid elected officials need more than quadruple their current $16,000 salaries. SB672 would pay them $70,000 per year and also double their expense accounts. Here, read it yourself. (Yes, recent reports say $50,000, but this is the new and improved version dated 1/1/09. Now that's foresight!) (You know, technically the word 'authored' gives Duplessis way too much credit. She simply took the old bill which set legislator salaries, crossed out "$16,000" and wrote in "$70,000." Probably in crayon.)

This will essentially make our legislators the ninth highest paid out of all fifty states. Pretty good considering the most recent survey ranks our states economy 21st out of fifty. Heck, hardly seems worth mentioning, but still...

This comes only one year after Annie helped pass Smokin' Joe Toomey's HB489 which also increased the pay of other state officials and the governor. That's a lot of your money Annie's spending. If I paid state taxes, I'd be pissed. I'd be thoroughly enraged if I lived in the Lower Ninth Ward though. See, that's Annie's territory. I may be slightly off the mark here but, shouldn't she find some way to help her constituents rebuild their neighborhood before pissing away their hard earned money on her cronies in Baton Rouge?

Annie says that with recently declared monies in the state treasury her plan is now more affordable than ever. Really. Hey Annie, what about those empty lots in the Lower Ninth? Any way you can shake loose a buck or two for the families whose houses were destroyed? No, you say? Pity. Well, as long as you're housed, fat and happy... fuck 'em, eh?

Duplessis' record can be seen here. I find it interesting that she would castrate sex offenders, yet force women to bear the children of rape and incest. I guess that's just the way she was raised. I wonder who raised her to spend other people's money so freely?

Unfortunately, SB672 tore through the Senate Finance Committee with unanimous approval and virtually no debate, (big surprise,) and now is on its way to the full senate, presumably for rubber-stamping and a big laugh at all you hard-workin' Joes that are gonna pay for it. What can you do? Make your voice known! Call your senator and demand they vote this spendthrifts piece-of-shit legislation down the tubes! Visit the Louisiana Action Council and answer the SB672 Poll. Or you can sit there and twiddle your thumbs. It's your money... at least until Annie gets aholt of it.