Venue, artists have tough time with Art Melt

Artists affiliated with Boudreaux & Thibodeaux, a block down from the Art Melt festivities at the Shaw Center for the Arts, historically have set up a few tables on the sidewalk to showcase their work, piggybacking off the popular event. This year, however, it was a no-no.

Forum 35 volunteers told David Wandell, sponsor for the weekly art lounge at the Third Street bar, the artists who set up in front of the state parking garage hadn’t paid a fee to be there. So the group picked up the tables and set up just in front of the bar, Wandell says.

The Art Melt street closure permit stretched to Florida Street. Forum 35 volunteers returned, this time with a police officer, to have the 12 artists either leave or pay a vendor fee of $50 per table.

“They never approached us about our plans or collaborating,” says Wandell, who talked the volunteers down from $600. “Literally as soon as we gave them a couple hundred dollars we didn’t see them for the rest of the evening. They gave us handwritten receipts with no contact information on it, nothing official that it was Forum 35 or Art Melt business.”

Erin Monroe Wesley, president of Forum 35, says she is investigating the complaints.

Meanwhile, Forum 35 officials are working on an official statement in response to the removal of a nude portrait for the Art Melt opening Friday evening, as well as the organization’s stance for future events, according to past president Jamie Griffin. To see the photograph that triggered the controversy, click here. For the full story, click here.—Rebecca Breeden

Smith repeats ‘punitive veto’ allegations

Gov. Bobby Jindal came under sharp criticism from State Rep. Pat Smith at the Baton Rouge Press Club’s weekly meeting today when she repeated allegations that the governor has undertaken “punitive” actions toward legislators and appointees. The Baton Rouge Democrat compared Jindal’s veto of $150,000 in funding for the Louisiana Art and Science Museum downtown with his request for Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member Tammie McDaniel’s resignation earlier this month, calling both punitive measures aimed at people for failing to fall in line with Jindal’s agenda. McDaniel, one of three Jindal appointees on BESE, has refused to resign.

Smith cited her opposition to school board reforms supported by state Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek as one of the reasons for the veto. Jindal’s office has denied Smith’s allegations, stating that the funding cut for the museum was based on the argument that the museum has no regional impact. Smith said she hopes the tension and inexperience of this legislative session will change, because more budget cuts loom in the state’s future. The problem, Smith says, is $900 million in federal stimulus money will only last for two years. With that money gone and no viable way as yet to generate more revenue for the state, she says, more budget cuts are sure to follow what was already a tense session for state lawmakers. “We have some repairs to do,” Smith says. “The federal stimulus dollars will be provided for two years, so hopefully that will give us some time to see how we want to look at facing those cuts.”—Emma James

Two Cents: BESE member, Tammie McDaniel, walks out on Governor

Our state has made tremendous progress on school choice in the last 18 months under Gov. Bobby Jindal and State Superintendent Paul Pastorek. But if there has been one area where the support for reform has been inconsistent, it has been at the BESE board. And unfortunately, one of the weakest links has been Tammie McDaniel. As one of three people appointed by Jindal to the BESE board, you would think she would advocate his agenda and try to bring the board together to support it. In fact, she seems to have her own agenda and usually creates division among the members.

McDaniel has played the victim in the press and requested a meeting with the governor before she made a decision about her future. The Governor scheduled that meeting last Friday at 4:30 p.m.

I spoke with a staff member present for the meeting, and what he described shocked me. It was more of a “greeting” than a “meeting.” It only lasted about a minute. But not because of the governor. The staff member told me that McDaniel walked in, saw the staffer sitting there with the governor (as someone from his staff always does, for follow-up), and said to Jindal, ‘I thought I was meeting with you.’ The governor replied, ‘You are, but I always have a staff member sit in with me.’ McDaniel said, ‘But that's not fair to have your adviser here.’ Jindal explained this is his protocol—at which point she turned around and walked out and left the mansion and drove home to Monroe. Never asked one question. That was it. The meeting she requested was over.

Now is that bizarre? Do you know of anyone who has walked out at the beginning of a meeting they requested with a governor or an elected official? Is it not strange in addition to being extremely rude? Does it sound like the actions of someone with good judgment? Not to me. She's an embarrassment and it's easy to see why the governor asked this appointee to resign. McDaniel can show us she is capable of making one right decision—by resigning. The governor and the children of Louisiana deserve better from his appointee. Read the full column here.. Send comments to editors@businessreport.com.—Rolfe McCollister

Historical foundation issues statement on Spanish Town development

The Foundation for Historical Louisiana has come out against any development in Spanish Town that does not fit in with the approved guidelines of the historic neighborhood. David Slaughter, whose plans to build an apartment complex ignited a controversy in Spanish Town, says he's pleased with the statement. Slaughter says his Capitol Lofts development, which will contain 67 units overlooking Arsenal Park, meets all of the guidelines. "This design fits in extremely well with the surrounding neighborhood," he says. The foundation says it would like to see everything possible done to preserve the 10 houses on the proposed site for Capitol Lofts. "Incompatible development can destroy what is important to preserve," the foundation said in a statement. Slaughter says he will use tax credits to rehabilitate three of the houses and put them up for lease, and he's donating the other seven to the historical foundation. "Maybe they can find some land out there for these houses," he says. While there's a shortage of vacant lots in Spanish Town, Slaughter says the houses could end up in Old South Baton Rouge. The Capitol Lofts project is set to go before the city-parish Historic Preservation Committee next month for approval. This is the first time the historic district ordinances and the committee have been tested by a significant development.—Timothy Boone

Campus chapel pastor’s letter is free speech, LSU attorney says

A letter from Rev. Dennis Eenigenburg of The Chapel on the Campus at LSU to Mayor Kip Holden that expressed fears about the “gay agenda” is constitutionally protected free speech and the pastor or the church should not be subject to any repercussions from the university system’s Board of Supervisors, system general counsel Ray Lamonica says. While LSU has policies against discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation, “the policies attempt to regulate conduct of those involved, not solely speech,” Lamonica says in a letter addressed to Joe Traigle, co-founder of the Capital City Alliance, which supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Baton Rouge. Eenigenburg’s letter was motivated by his opposition to the One Baton Rouge resolution that failed in 2007. CCA had filed a complaint against The Chapel with the system board. Traigle argues freedom of speech “does not excuse the public expression of bigotry and intolerance” in Eenigenburg’s letter. The Chapel has had a lease to operate on LSU’s campus since 1974. To read CCA’s complaint, click here. To read Eenigenburg’s letter, click here. To read the One Baton Rouge resolution, click here and here to read Lamonica’s response.—David Jacobs

Marine finance company joins AppOne

Marine One Acceptance Corp., a Dallas company that provides financing for boats, RVs and trailers, has joined the AppOne platform. AppOne is a Baton Rouge-based company that serves as a bridge between boat and independent auto dealers and finance companies. The move will connect Marine One with more dealers and streamline the loan process. Marine One, which specializes in helping people with credit blemishes, has originated more than $225 million in loans since it was started in 1995.

Business Report weekly planner: Marcelle schedules town hall meeting....Historical foundation to hear about carpetbaggers

Tuesday -- Metro Councilwoman C. Denise Marcelle will hold a District 7 town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Living Faith Christian Center. Representatives from the police department, litter court, department of public works, homeland security and emergency preparedness will be on hand.

Thursday -- The Foundation for Historical Louisiana will sponsor a presentation on "carpetbag" rule during Reconstruction at 6 p.m. at the Old Governor's Mansion. James Wilson Jr., assistant director of the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will give the presentation on the emergence of Northern-connected politicians in the state after the Civil War. Admission is free for historical foundation members, $10 for nonmembers.

See the full list of upcoming events here.

Executive spotlight: Andrew Bascom McCandless

As a child, Andrew Bascom McCandless and his father had what he called “weekend projects”—plumbing, electrical wiring and woodworking. McCandless loved working with his hands to create something from scratch—the types of projects that might live on beyond his involvement. McCandless, 30, has created a lot in a short period of time. In addition to the spin-off company he created while attending LSU, he also founded a consulting firm, Bascom-Hunter, that guides firms with business and technology development needs. But McCandless never gave up the tradition of “weekend projects” that his father had started. “I have always enjoyed building and see myself as a builder of things,” he says. “Sometimes I am building a house; other times I am building a business. I find it very gratifying to start with just an idea and then build something that can outlast your involvement in the effort.”

To read McCandless' full Q&A, click here. Here is a sample.

If you could have any job other than your own, what would it be?

I want to be involved with Louisiana airports. I have a burning desire to improve the airports in Louisiana and would love to be part of any effort that furthers this goal.