Lindel Toups, Louisiana Official, Push To Defund Library For Having Spanish-Language Section Overruled By Lafourche Parish Voters

Meet the man who hates when Mexican learn. Seriously. Lindel Toups, is the Louisiana official who is a proponent of defunding a library in order to build a new jail. Toups holds a legislative chair on the Lafourche Parish City Council, and is looking to divert funds into a new jail because he doesn't approve of the library's programs. Toups, a notable jail proponent, explained why he de-values the library, "They're teaching Mexicans to speak English," Toups told the Tri-Parish Times and Business News. "Let that son of a bitch go back to Mexico." His support for a ballot measure that would take funding away from libraries stems directly from his distaste of the Biblioteca Hispana, the Spanish-language section found within one of the nine branch libraries.

Toups continued his rant claiming, "There's just so many things they're doing that I don't agree with. ... Them junkies and hippies and food stamps (recipients) and all, they use the library to look at drugs and food stamps (on the Internet). I see them do it." Louisiana's Lafourche Parish held a ballot election Saturday over the issue, residents voted to save library funds. According to Raw Story, voters on Saturday rejected the ballot initiative that would have cut library funding to finance the construction of a new jail, without this funding libraries would have become deficit. Apparently the residents of Lafourche Parish are not aligned with Toups views on immigration and education. Library System Director Laura Sanders commented on Toups recent comments stating, "We are here to serve all of the residents of Lafourche Parish, It doesn't matter what ethnicity they are, we serve them all." With the funding intact, the library system plans to bring its 9 branches and staff up to Louisiana standards, and to keep pace with advances in technology and e-books. About 43% of households in Lafourche Parish, which is west of New Orleans, lack Internet access at home, and more than half its residents hold library cards. Therefore a functioning and efficient library is necessary within the parish, however Toups seems insistent on finding funds for a new jail. He doesn't believe that his comments affected the outcome of the ballot referendum, "It's back to the drawing board now," he said.

John Chrastka, the executive of EveryLibrary, a nonprofit organization supporting libraries nationwide, believes that Toups comments most certainly impacted the race. "It made us suspect his motivations for going after the library funding." EveryLibrary relied on a serious social media push to reach the 55,000 people with Facebook accounts in Lafourche Parish, spending about $5,000 on advertising online, he said. Toups has a history of questionable legislation, namely his role as chief proponent of an anti-sagging pants ordinance. Although, he did attempt to save face following his unsavory comments, Toups denied making his early comments, but did clarify "I did say that Mexicans were good workers, I respect Mexicans and blacks. I work with them all the time." Glad we cleared that up.

RELATED:

Karla Alvarez Death: Ex Husband Alexis Ayala, Father React To Mexican Actress Tragically Taken Too Soon

Latinos In The US: Latin Music Legend Sergio George Talks His Past, Celia Cruz And Future Of Salsa In Next Hispanic Generation [EXCLUSIVE]

Image courtesy of Mattomedia Werbeagentur via Shutterstock.