Some folks just say it better, Letter to the Editor, The Advocate, November 15, 2014:
As I look at some of the highlights of our governor’s tenure, I am reminded of many a Western movie. Some of the highlights of his tenure are the gutting of money for higher education, i.e. our future; the raid on the insurance fund for employees and retirees under the guise of reducing premiums; the turning down of free money in order to maintain our same charity hospital system with contracts under the guise of creating a new system; the contracting out of care for the developmentally disabled so that private contractors can make a profit off the money we spend for the care of these folks; and the removal by a wave of the hand of the leaders of a supposedly separate and coequal branch of government who dare to disagree with him.
There are certainly more, and all of us have our own favorites.
The Western movies that come to mind are those depicting the townsfolk peering around the shades of their windows as the town boss and his gang act willfully without regard to law or decency. A courageous cowboy then rides into town, sees the injustices and is talked into cleaning up things, which he does. By way of analogy, it is Dodge City without Marshall Dillon, with Miss Kitty wringing her hands and watching helplessly.
Further analogy puts our state’s Legislature in the role of Miss Kitty. About all any of them have been doing while the “town boss and his gang” have been running rampant is peering around the shades and wringing their hands hoping that a courageous and decent cowboy (someone else) shows up. All of them should be honest with themselves and us and start wearing dresses like Miss Kitty.
Robert Boland
retired
Baton Rouge
As I look at some of the highlights of our governor’s tenure, I am reminded of many a Western movie. Some of the highlights of his tenure are the gutting of money for higher education, i.e. our future; the raid on the insurance fund for employees and retirees under the guise of reducing premiums; the turning down of free money in order to maintain our same charity hospital system with contracts under the guise of creating a new system; the contracting out of care for the developmentally disabled so that private contractors can make a profit off the money we spend for the care of these folks; and the removal by a wave of the hand of the leaders of a supposedly separate and coequal branch of government who dare to disagree with him.
There are certainly more, and all of us have our own favorites.
The Western movies that come to mind are those depicting the townsfolk peering around the shades of their windows as the town boss and his gang act willfully without regard to law or decency. A courageous cowboy then rides into town, sees the injustices and is talked into cleaning up things, which he does. By way of analogy, it is Dodge City without Marshall Dillon, with Miss Kitty wringing her hands and watching helplessly.
Further analogy puts our state’s Legislature in the role of Miss Kitty. About all any of them have been doing while the “town boss and his gang” have been running rampant is peering around the shades and wringing their hands hoping that a courageous and decent cowboy (someone else) shows up. All of them should be honest with themselves and us and start wearing dresses like Miss Kitty.
Robert Boland
retired
Baton Rouge
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