Bad Laws - Voters Lose

Often times, insane laws get passed under the radar. They stand unnoticed and undetected by the general public ... regardless of how dangerous they are to the common good. Once you do take notice, you have to wonder what was in the "lawmakers" minds. What in the heck were they thinking? Then again, perhaps they did think it out. Perhaps they fully understood the consequences of their actions.

Louisiana Senate Bill 811 (Regular Session 2008) is one of those bills. This wasn't just a bill that Junior (Don Cravins, Jr.) voted for and supported, it was authored by him! At first glance it appears to be a noble bill, one that is written and made law to help the less fortunate. But once you get past the title, it just goes downhill. Yes, we should all be asking Don Cravins, what in the heck were you thinking?

You may download the original version of the bill at:
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=505392.This bill is 67 pages of confusing and often times redundant legislation, but it doesn't take long to find that it is, indeed, a very dangerous bill. The following portions of the bill should concern everyone in this state, especially land owners of Lafayette Parish.

Page 1 begins by stating that the purpose of the legislation is to:

1. "to create certain parish redevelopment authorities;"
2. "create the North Lafayette Redevelopment Authority;"
3. "to provide for the formation of a program or programs for the use of appropriate private and public resources to eliminate and prevent the development or spread of slum, blighted, and distressed areas; "
4. "to allow the rehabilitation, clearance, and redevelopment of slum, blighted, and distressed areas; "
5. "to provide for the expeditious conversion of blighted or underused property into habitable residential dwellings needed to address the influx of displaced persons due to the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita;"
6. "to provide for the governing body of such authorities; to provide for the powers, duties, functions, and liabilities of redevelopment authorities;"
7. "to authorize public bodies to furnish funds, series, facilities, and property in aid of redevelopment projects;"
8. "to authorize the authorities to initiate expedited quiet title and foreclosure actions;"
9. "to provide for exceptions to public records laws;"
10. "and to provide for related matters."

What concerns me up front, is the creation of another government authority. Isn't City Government, Parish Government, Parish School Board, State Government and Federal Government enough? Don Cravins thinks we need another government authority? But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Item 5 provides for the conversion of "underused property" to build homes for Katrina evacuees. Underused property? What is that supposed to mean? The bill fails to define "underused". Similarly, the terms "slum, blighted, and distressed area" are nowhere defined either. I guess law that is open to the authorities opinions is acceptable to Junior. If this board doesn't think your property is being used enough or if they just don't like the looks of it, then they want to convert it to homes for Katrina evacuees? What if you don't want to convert it? Apparently items 5 and 8 give you a hint of what is to take place. They will just take it.

Nowhere in the bill is it directly addressed what is to take place in the circumstance where this board wishes private land owners to convert their property, but the owner doesn't want. What you do have, however, are cracks in the bill that would appear to allow the board to expropriate your land through quiet title and foreclosure actions. On pages 7- 8, section H, grants the authority "all powers necessary or convenient" to carry out land transfers by (1) law suits, and (3) acquisitions by "gift, grant, purchase, lease, or otherwise". The "otherwise" is undefined, which leads us to expect that if you refuse to give, sell, or lease them the property; then they will take it "otherwise." Part (3) ridiculously claims that the authority will not have the power to "expropriate, except that power which is granted" which really means that they can expropriate the property.

Further, Part (4)(d) on page 8 informs us that "no other law limiting or regulating the form or manner of the sale, lease, conveyance, disposition, or transfer of property by public bodies, including without limitation R.S. 41:1338, shall apply to the sale, lease, conveyance, disposition, or transfer of property by the authority." So, if any pre-existing law limits this authority in their action, then those laws will NOT APPLY!

Part (11) grants this authority to "To levy annually and cause to be collected ad valorem taxes." Of course, part (12)(e) stipulates that these taxes will be in addition to any taxes we are currently paying.

Effectively, this bill authorizes creating a new governmental authority whose purpose is to provide housing to Katrina & Rita evacuees. The authority is allowed to acquire the property in any way they deem necessary, regardless of what the owners wish. After their acquisition of these properties, they can and you know WILL tax property owners in the parish to further pay for the improvements they deem necessary.

Good job, Junior. Not in writing and getting good laws passed, but in writing and getting BAD LAWS passed. Is this 2008 bill an example of what we should expect if Junior gets elected to the US House of Representatives? Does this rancid form of land grabbing socialism fit Junior's definition of "Conservative?" America doesn't need land grabbers, Louisiana doesn't need land grabbers, and the Seventh District certainly doesn't need land grabbers. Wake up and smell the dirt, because SB811 is dirty legislation. The Seventh District doesn't need new or more laws like this. The Seventh District needs good Representatives. SB811 is a good example of BAD LAW and Don Cravins, Jr. is a good example of BAD representation. Download the bill to verify how Junior thinks Louisiana land owners should be treated.