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Currency
Columnist Geoff Daily explores Lafayette’s economy and government, providing critical commentary about what’s working and what’s not.
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We’ve got five billion reasons for you to vote
In total, the one mayor-president, five city council members, five parish council members and nine school board members we’re electing will decide how $5 billion will be spent in our community over the next four years.
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COLUMN: The elephant in this election is Lafayette’s billion dollar infrastructure deficit
Years of kicking the infrastructure can down the road has finally caught up with us.
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The parish can’t afford to fix drainage without more money
Some want to claim that the only thing preventing us from fixing our flooding issues is a shift in priorities. But the reality is that the parish can’t afford to fix its drainage system without more revenue.
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Robideaux’s ‘mission accomplished’ optimism obscures a troubling reality
The mayor-president believes Lafayette is in its best financial position ever. His optimism overlooks flatlining property tax revenue.
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When up is down in Lafayette’s retail sector
Lafayette’s retail sales are on the rise after a string of bad years. But we still have a long way to go.
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Those rosy unemployment numbers don’t tell the whole story
An improving unemployment rate offers an incomplete picture. Fewer people aren’t unemployed. Fewer people are working.
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What happens when a Walmart dies?
Walmart’s decision shines a light on serious issues with no easy answers.
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Retail and home sales up, unemployment down, but there’s more to this story
Recent headlines indicate 2018 might be the year our economy started recovering. But there’s ample evidence that any optimism should be guarded given the situation our economy’s in.
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Robideaux’s library accusations are not grounded in fact
The mayor-president has accused the library system of defrauding taxpayers to the tune of $21 million dollars. Unfortunately for his credibility, the facts don’t back up his claims.
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Moving library money only looks like a good idea
Mayor-President Robideaux wants to rededicate $18 million from the library’s fund balance to pave roads and clean coulees, but there are hidden costs that must be accounted for.
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New federal data peers deeper into Lafayette’s economy, and it’s not good
New county-level economic data from the federal government paints a scary and precise picture of Lafayette’s economic decline.