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It seems there is a logging company that has partially dammed up the creek that runs behind my mom and dads house. This was a huge contributor to the flood in their neighborhood during the last big rain. You remember? The one that flooded their house and forced them to get a bunch of new furniture, new carpet and make other flood related repairs? Yeah, that one. Well the good news is they finally got the house finished up and it looks great!
Dad has taken pictures and contacted the police jury to have something done about the logging company and the mess they made and left. The police jury is kind of like a board of county commissioners except they have the power to tax, cite people and the power to enforce the laws and rules they pass. The head of the police jury came out and looked at the area, took pictures and notes on it and has proceeded to duck my dad's phone calls since then. Members of the police jury have also recently been indicted and arrested for corruption. Hey, this is Louisiana where that kind of shit is something a lot of people are proud of! Stupid fuckers.
This is how bad it is here: I read an editorial in the paper the other day that said our current piece of shit governor should pardon Edwin Edwards, the former four-term governor currently serving a prison term for racketeering in the process that brought riverboat gambling to Louisiana.

Edwin Edwards and wife Candy leave a Baton Rouge courtroom during his racketeering trial in 2000
This is from a CNN report located here if you're interested:

Edwards, his son, a state senator and four others were charged with extorting $3 million in bribes and kickbacks from people applying for riverboat casino licenses.
Prosecutors say the extortion scheme began in 1991, when Edwards was out of office, continued through his final term as governor from 1992-1996, and went on after he retired...
During his 1983 gubernatorial campaign, Edwards bragged that the only way he could be defeated would be if he were caught in bed with "either a dead girl or a live boy." He went on to a landslide victory.

Edwin was a card ... all cajun, bigger than life and one of the most popular governors the state has ever known ... but he was a fucking crook! (He was also 72 and married to a 35 year old woman ... a former stripper if I remember right, but I may be wrong on that count. That was about the only thing I found to respect him for. Hee!) The lottery and the riverboats? Yeah, a portion of their profits was supposed to supplement the education system here and help build roads and shit.
You tell me ... in the latest survey you've heard of, where is Louisiana ranked in the country as far as education goes? That's right. We share a dead tie with Mississippi at the bottom of the garbage barrel. Yay riverboats! PFFFT! And have you ever driven here? The roads are the worst in the nation, I swear they are. Where the fuck is the money going? Into the pockets of the power brokers, that's where. Three of our past four insurance commissioners are also in jail. This state writes it's own jokes I tell ya. But I digress.
Last night, we had some hella storms sweep through here. It rained like you couldn't believe! Mom said it woke her up about 2 a.m. Everything was fine when she checked then, but this morning, they woke up with water in the fucking house again. I don't know how bad the damage is but that's not the point. Somebody needs to get off their ass and get this shit taken care of. The flooding hasn't happened in almost 20 years and now suddenly twice in six months? Yeah ... Happy New year mom and dad. Now sue the shit outta someone. Me ... I'm looking to move. I hear Texas is nice this time of year. Happy New Year to you and yours from all of us (me?) here at the Darkside. May it bring you peace prosperity and joy. Amen.