John Walters (Licensed in Louisiana U.S.A.)

Good news to taxpayers. The Northshore Harbor Center located near East Lakeshore Subdivision has reduced their tax mills from 7 mills to 6.15 mills. This will reduce a $100,000 home taxes by $10.62 and a $300,000 home by about $19.12. Doesn't sound like much but it all adds up.

Bon Village Subdivision in Slidell has started a recycling program. Trash cans were set up at intersection collecting tin, aluminum and newspaper. Money collected from this program will go to area schools.

Soccer moms get your child registered to play soccer this Spring. You have until this coming Wednesday. You can go to their website or call 649-2175. Slidell is a great place to start your young ones career. This is where my daughter started and now she plays in college on a scholarship.

For the past three days I think I live in London. The fog is as thick as pea soup. I even had to cancel my fishing trip earlier in the week because we deemed it too dangerous to venture out. Last Thursday it was freezing and snowing. Over eight (8) inches of snow in the area. That's a blizzard for us. This week we are close to eighty (80). No wonder my sinuses are going nuts. I think we own the motto " don't like the weather wait a day". This picture was taken at 5 P.M.

Fortune magazine forecasts the New Orleans area will actually see an increase in property values next year. The only other area forecast to improve was Allen-Mission, Texas. These are the only two out of the top 100 markets in the country with positive forecasts. California and Florida have plenty of more pain to go thru. I am not familiar with Texas but I do know the New Orleans area well. We never had those crazy run up in prices like the "boom" areas. I never sold a house with more than one offer on it and for more than asking price. Of course this is only a forecast and things could change. No one knows for sure.

Congratulations to Joseph Cao (R) the first Vietnamese-American elected to the Unites States Congress ever. Now Louisiana boasts not only the first Indian heritage governor (Bobby Jindal) but also Joseph Cao. He defeated nine term congressman William Jefferson (D) yesterday. The turnout was low favoring Cao. Jefferson is also under indictment for bribery. Many of you may remember him for stashing $90,000 in his freezer. Cold hard cash baby. Think about this fact. This is a Republican winning in a heavy Democrat city (New Orleans). America is still the best land for opportunity. Never give up.

Earlier this month I posted a blog on gift cards and companies going out of business. This is for all of us who have a little amount remaining on gift cards. Now you can donate any unused portion to the Salvation Army. Many companies have agreed to pay cash to them for the remaining unused amount. Follow the link above and donate today.