the town talk published a story yesterday (see link or here) about a recent "pre-bid conference to discuss details to build a 3,500-bed emergency shelter just south of Louisiana State University at Alexandria on U.S. Highway 71." the town talk further reports that this shelter will cost at minimum $20 [14.8 eur] million up to $25 [18.6 eur] million dollars.
this is a total waste of money when we already have the rapides parish coliseum. if the state wanted to do whats right they would spend a tiny fraction of that (taxpayers) money on the coliseum to better prepare it as an emergency shelter. we can see from the town talk's report that this emergency shelter scam is merely a contrivance for yet another get rich quick scheme for politically connected surveyors, architects, engineers, contractors and all of their assorted sub-contractors and so forth always waiting in the wings to ride the states latest gravy train.
meanwhile, something that could really benefit the state and regions peoples, create jobs and provide real value, we're talking about hot wells, still sits empty and demolished. this is more than a sin and a shame since the state through the department of health and hospitals of all people, already owns hot wells.
its our hope that the citizens and the media question everyone, incumbent and challenger alike, running for state (and local for that matter) offices this year about what their thoughts and plans are for hot wells and just how they would put them into effect.
