ACT 199 of the 2011 regular session of the louisiana legislature renamed and designated the kcs railroad underpass on main street a/k/a la. highway 165 in pineville, louisiana, the "fred h. baden underpass."
unfortunately, we missed the unveiling ceremony. it was this morning at 10:00 am.
that's a shame too because nowhere in ACT 199 does it authorize the pineville mayor, city council or the department of transportation and development to name the kcs underpass anything other than the "fred h. baden underpass;"
the obvious question to have asked the mayor, the city council and dotd would have been: where do you all get off acting contrary to the law? when after all the louisiana legislature legislated and passed into law pursuant to article iii, section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the constitution of louisiana and the governor signed -- a simple one page bill -- which plainly says that the official, legal name of this structure is the "fred h. baden underpass," not some psychobabblistic-mumbo-jumbo of a "fred h. baden memorial gateway"?
and ... "gateway" to what? it's a freaking freight train underpass -- it's mindful of uh ... hobo's, boxcar willie n shit.
what's more, they've unnecessarily squandered a fortune in taxpayer money on, among other things, landscaping, masonry work, lighting and light poles, paint and painters -- painting a bridge is not cheap, when what they should have done, if they were really fiscally responsible people, especially in these perilous times (for instance there is a report in today's town talk featuring pineville about how high gas prices "pose problems for public spending plans") was to have spent a few bucks on a couple of brass plaques and bolted them to the underpass and had an inmate go out there every morning to polish them with a $4.00 can of brasso and a rag.
the mayor and council with this ludicrous "gateway" facade scam has also obligated future generations of pineville taxpayers to have to shell out big money to maintain it just so.
what an insult to the memory of a man who was known for his fiscal thriftiness.
this "gateway" baloney makes even less sense than all the trashy electronic billboards the current mayor and council have encouraged and allowed to proliferate around town.
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UPDATE: gannett/the alexandria daily town talk saturday 24 march 2012
