If Louisiana residents wonder why top execs pass on coming to our state or why young people leave, they only need read the newspapers and the things said by many of our state’s leaders. It’s embarrassing, and it explains the reputation we have. But I still believe we are better than our reputation and have yet to fulfill our potential as a state.
Recent headlines certainly reinforce that old reputation of corrupt politics: the indictment of Congressman Bill Jefferson for taking bribes. He’s innocent until proven guilty, but if I was a betting man, I’d bet on him being in the cell next to Edwin Edwards—his mentor.
I had a friend tell me a story the other day of his first meeting with Edwards. It was over lunch at the mansion, where this young man’s father had come to propose a new industry and discuss a grant from Louisiana Economic Development to get it started. My friend said the first words out of Edwards’ mouth were, “Now, you understand, I get 10% off the top.” There were other elected officials sitting around the table and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them wasn’t Jefferson taking notes. What a legacy Edwards left.
Despite the evidence against Jefferson, he might be thinking that the feds had video showing Sen. Cleo Fields accepting cash from Edwards, and Fields never was charged or went to jail. But that happened under then-President Clinton.
Reaction to Jefferson’s indictment shows how much tolerance to corruption and loyalty to our own there is among his supporters, despite the damage to our state’s reputation. It seems their pride or their politics requires they not back down.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, another embarrassment for our state, endorsed Jefferson last year for re-election. He said he found the indictment “disappointing” but did not regret supporting Jefferson. He noted Jefferson was helpful in this session of Congress and added, “that probably could not have been accomplished with a freshman congressman.” Hey, an effective corrupt congressman versus an honest rookie—that works.
State Sen. Derrick Sheppard, who ran third in last year’s congressional race and then endorsed Jefferson in the run-off, said he also doesn’t regret his support of Jefferson, saying, “No, I did the right thing. Out of the two candidates, he was the best person for the job.” Well, if corrupt was a qualification, he may have been right.
If Jefferson is convicted, we should expect a mea culpa from each of them acknowledging their poor judgment and the harm they did to the state in helping re-elect him. There are others who must be accountable as well.
But it’s not just this situation that hurts our state’s reputation—it’s issues like cockfighting as well. Are we the last state to outlaw this barbaric practice because we are leaders—or just stuck in the last century? What is the love affair with this sport and Ag Commissioner Bob Odom and legislators? Things change. There are no more buggy whip manufacturers. We have a labor shortage, and there are many jobs out there for those who operate cockfights. Give them a scholarship to the nearest technical school to learn a new trade. Let’s move on as other states have.
Sad thing, it’s not just legislators. I read a letter to the editor last week from a local attorney who defends cockfighting, noting that bullfighting in Spain is bloodier and it is a big tourist attraction. (Well, it’s not legal in the U.S., and I haven’t seen many tourists flocking to our state to watch cockfighting.) He also gets upset with the attitude toward those who run these cockfights. Then he concludes his letter by stating we should take pride in the fact we are the last state to have cockfighting, and if you don’t like it, just don’t take your kids—instead, let them stay home and play violent video games. (I don’t think playing video games damages our state’s reputation as being backwoods or barbaric—and I take no pride in being the last state with cockfighting.)
Reading and witnessing this behavior and logic reminds me often that 80% of Louisiana residents are native—the highest in the nation. We have been around corrupt politics and cockfighting so long we think it’s normal; IT’S NOT! Don’t think we are just like every other state; WE AREN’T. The fact we are unique can be a plus in many instances, but in these two, IT’S NOT AN ASSET! Wake up, Louisiana. We are better than our worst politicians and cockfighting. We are better than our reputation. Let’s prove it.
What a joke
Just when I thought I was done making fun of those who are term-limited and just can’t let go of the power, there’s more.
It appears that Senate President Pro Tem Diana Bajoie of New Orleans wants to swap seats with Rep. Jalila Jefferson, who is running for Bajoie’s Senate seat. To go from the No. 2 position in the powerful Senate to one of 105 lowly House seats just because you are addicted to the power is sad. Have some pride, Diana. But a former judge, David Williams, may mess it up for Rep. Jefferson. He is also running in the same Senate district, which since Katrina has become majority white.
I also found out that term-limited Sen. Noble Ellington is going to attempt to go back to his house seat just like his colleague, James David Cain.
All this could provide good laughs if it was all a joke—but the joke’s on us. It’s true. And for my final tale (I hope), retiring District Attorney Tony Falterman was trying to hand it off to his hand-picked successor, first assistant DA Ricky Babin. But former senator and PSC member Louis Lambert decided the voters needed a choice and joined the race himself. Now he’s the front-runner and likely to win. Good for him.
But that isn’t all Falterman was up to. His daughter is challenging the incumbent assessor in Assumption Parish, and her name is ... Toni Falterman. I have learned her campaign signs are the exact color and style as her dad’s signs except for that one letter. Isn’t that a coincidence? I gotta write a book about all this ... a joke book.
Expand the charter school
The Children’s Charter School opened about 10 years ago and has proven to be an asset as a public school in East Baton Rouge, providing parents and students a choice. They have operated a pre-K through fifth grade with more than 90% of their students “at-risk” and African-American. But LEAP scores have consistently been good, creating a waiting list to get into this school. Their charter is up for renewal.
Children’s Charter has asked, in addition to renewal, that it be allowed to expand into a middle school. Despite the request, Superintendent Charlotte Placide only advanced the renewal to the school board committee.
The system currently steals from the children by charging $3.60 per lunch, when its own Web site posts a cost of $1.60 per lunch. The school has asked to be allowed to contract its own lunch service and the system has refused, forcing it to be gouged. It’s wrong, and all these items should be addressed by the full board.
If the school system wants to know why it has lost students and public support—just look in the mirror.
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