If I could change something in Shreveport, it would be...
 

I frequent several forums around the internet regularly, and usually the topics that spark the most conversation are those that are started by open-ended questions.

In this case, if you could change one thing about Shreveport (or Bossier City, of course) regardless of budget and political red tape, what would it be? There's no right or wrong answer to this, just your opinion.

Bring back 'the Square'
 

I wish we could get back the 'square' under the bridge down town.. the new work down there is o.k. , but there first mistake was calling it the "Red River District" they just tossed away the history there when they did that.

could be I'm being silly... and just showing my age and longing for a better time :-) A-Train live at Humpfree's !

I'm afraid that what few drive by shootings there's been down there in the last year or so has just done in the area for entertainment ?

that freakin' Boardwalk in Bossier is something else though.. a few more clubs and some live music and they'd really have something going on :-)

Latenight.

Thats easy!
 

I'd like to change the weather. There are plenty of things that could be improved on, but the one thing that consistently comes to mind when Im in a critical mood is this God-awful weather.

Yes LateNight, you are showing your age.. "Ladies and Gentleman, Shreveport's own AAAAAAAAAAAA-TRAAAAAAAAAIN :-)

and Al, you are correct also.. do away with this darn heat.

Bob

What's there to change?

Aside from adding more condos to the downtown landscape and lowering crime to entice more people to move back into the city and halt the sprawl problem, I wouldn't change a thing.

Shreveport is beautiful, Bossier City is beautiful... it's all good, brotha!

Shreveport is my hometown and I love it. But sometimes I think that many of our problems are brought about by the "politically inbred" state we live in. So if I could change something, it would be to change states and annex us into East Texas. LOL ;) Either that, or pardon Edwin Edwards and re-elect him as governor. I mean if we are going to go freaky with our politics, then we might as well go all the way!

I picture the old "wild west" to be hot and dry and dusty and miserable, etc. Man I love those old flicks like "Bite the Bullet" and "Rooster Cogburn".. Never rains.. Reminds me of home.. LOL Better than newfangled shows like Deadwood.. (ducking) :D

Lol yup, Deadwood was a mud pit at times.. 'the old west' wet or dry, I bet a town like old Deadwood smelled somethin' awful !!

Well it did rain in "True Grit" now that I think about it. Or was that just lightning? LOL

The thing I would change is the application of taxes. I was born and raised in Texas (moved to S'Port 2 months ago), where there was no state income tax, and business taxes were low to entice business owners to start their own. It resulted in massive job creation.

Shreveport has a very charming downtown area (I call downtown anything with large buildings grouped close together). The really depressing thing is that the downtown area seems very dead. Just exploring the area near the ArtSpace revealed a great many empty shops, and near the Elvis Presley area. I don't know what Shreveport needs, maybe cut business taxes esp downtown area, but that place could be (and should be) booming. There's no reason that people should have to travel to Dallas for shopping trips.

Matty I had always heard that Texas had no state income tax, however the property taxes were higher to make up for that. Did you find this to be the case?

In any event, I do agree with you regarding business taxes and Louisiana not being as "business friendly" as it should be. If we are running a surplus, then why aren't our legislators cutting taxes? Duh, rather than trying to figure out how they are going to spend it all on government raises, economic development, etc. The best economic development tools is to be more competive on a national basis, starting with lower taxes!

Public Aquarium would be great
 

I would love to see some of my tax dollars go to build a public aquarium. It does not have to be like the one that was in New Orleans but more like Dallas public aquarium. We have chimp haven that cost the tax payer big time but nobody talking about a zoo or aquarium display ? Why is it that the chimps get all of our tax dollars ? I think Glover will keep supporting the chimps !
Cichlid Man

I completely agree with the aquarium bit. During the Revel, my wife and I visited the Conservatory (correct word?) the plant museum. I was utterly disappointed by the horrible shape of the facility. There were holes in the roof, leaks in the pipes that flooded some of the plants, and some of the plants had enveloped and killed off other plants.

Texas did have some high property taxes, but the price of houses were some of the lowest in the country, several thousand dollars less than Shreveport.

Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the use of property taxes for school funding is unconstitutional, and thus they have to find another way to supplement. I doubt Texas will resort to state income taxes because people are drawn to Texas for the low cost/high quality housing, massive business opportunities. MCI Worldcom had a massive operation in Texas, as did Alcatel, Enron, etc. and many of the former employees found it providencial to start their own businesses after the crash.

Texas has immense surplus and low taxes and intends to keep it that way. Louisiana needs to compare itself to Texas, economically, and get a clue!