Although we've yet to hear it on the radio, the Tea Party of Lafayette - a well-known opponent of the Parc Lafayette development on Kaliste Saloom Road - has produced a slick public service announcement urging the community to come out against the project. Although we've yet to hear it on the radio, the Tea Party of Lafayette - a well-known opponent of the Parc Lafayette development on Kaliste Saloom Road - has produced a slick public service announcement urging the community to come out against the project. The Lafayette City-Parish Council will vote on ordinances Tuesday that, if approved, will clear the way for the creation of a tax increment financing district at the development or, as the PSA calls it, "a clever new way to impose a tax without a vote of the people."
The TIF will allow for the levying of additional sales- and hotel occupancy taxes at retail outlets that later open at the development. Those additional taxes would be placed in a trust fund intended to pay off bonds issued to finance a large part of the development. Parc Lafayette developer Glenn Stewart has said the additional up-front revenue from the bonds will allow him to build a 300-room, four- or five-star hotel at the site along with a convention center.
"It's not fair, it's not right, and we need to stop it before it comes to a neighborhood near you," says advertising executive and tea party confederate Carol Ross in the PSA's voice-over.
TPL members have been vocal opponents of Stewart's project. The two sides butted heads on Feb. 23 when District 8 Councilman Keith Patin hosted a town hall meeting to discuss Parc Lafayette and tea party members attended, fangs bared. Stewart famously and derisively referred to them as "idiots." (Photos from that combative meeting by Ind photographer Robin May accompany the PSA below.)
Read more about the confrontation here. For an overview of the Parc Lafayette project, click here.