Lawlessness: From White House to BR City Hall

Lawlessness is not only rampant on the streets of our cities.  It is also rampant in the seats of governmental power.  It’s easy to get heartburn watching the Obama administration violate the Constitution and laws of this country on a daily basis.

Just this week, the President released five of the most dangerous terrorist commanders held at Guantanamo.  What he did was contrary to our national security interests, but it was also against the law.  Federal law requires Obama to consult with Congress at least 30 days before releasing terrorists.

We have a long litany of usurpations by this administration including illegal spying on American citizens, helping to smuggle guns to drug cartels in Mexico, and attempting to write laws with his “pen and his phone,” as though this were a tin-horn Third World dictatorship.

But lawlessness is finding a home here at the local level as well.

The annexation of portions of The Mall of Louisiana by the Metro Council is an example of blatant disregard for the law.

The action by the Council is illegal in so many ways that it would take a team of Philadelphia lawyers to unravel the mess they have created.

Can you imagine Baton Rouge City Policemen patroling the halls of The Mall while Sheriff’s deputies answer calls in Sears and J.C. Penney’s.  Or the Baton Rouge Fire Department answering calls in the smaller stores, while the St. George Fire Department answers calls at Macy’s or Dillard’s?  It is absurd, but that is the system they have created!  Along the way, the Council ignored these requirements of law:

• All of the property owners did not sign the petition for annexation’

• The tract is not contiguous because the Kansas City Southern railroad property is included without their permission.

• The tract is not “compact” as required by state.

• The entire annexation is “unreasonable” and a pervasion of common sense and good public order.

Hopefully, the courts will have the chance to clear this matter up.  Of course, court decisions don’t mean much to the Council either.  The Rouzan case is a case in point.

The courts have ruled that Rouzan is an illegal development and that Tommy Spinosa is violating the servitude of the Hoover and Welch families.  But instead of demanding that Spinosa comply with the court’s decision, the Metro Council facilitates his efforts to ignore what the law requires him to do.

Ultimately, it is up to citizens to demand that our elected and appointed officials respect the laws which they themselves have created.  Otherwise, we will see our nation and our community slide into lawlessness and tyranny.

NOTES. The Louisiana Legislature killed some bad bills, including the reapportionment of the City Court and the EBR school board.

I had the opportunity to serve as MC at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans this past weekend.  It was a great experience.  I got to meet Gov. Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Rick Perry, and others.  Sen. Cruz was very impressive.  Many are hoping he will run for President.