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On Oct. 4, we all go to the polls to vote on many important offices. Who will head our city-parish government is at the top of the list. I am familiar with all four candidates and have observed them for years—especially the past four years. Let me make it crystal clear to everyone reading this column: This was an easy decision. I will vote to re-elect Mayor Kip Holden.

I wouldn’t be surprised to learn after the election that Holden’s three opponents were in cahoots to split the vote into “north, south and black” in hopes of forcing a runoff. It wasn’t enough for Wayne “Spider” Carter, with Dan Kyle as his campaign manager, to get squashed like a bug in the Commissioner of Agriculture race, but now he and Dan want to split up and both get beat—again.

I am trying to take these three opponents—Carter, Kyle and Ron Johnson—seriously, but I guess this is the field that a very strong incumbent attracts—a weak one.

The real reason that Holden will be re-elected is not because of his opponents, but because he has done a good job. He exceeded many people’s expectations, kept things moving forward in the city and handled government well. He has surrounded himself with a good team, especially Walter Monsour, to get things done. He got high marks in a crisis—both post-Katrina and post-Gustav. And he is willing to take a risk and try something new for the future. I like that.

In addition, Holden attends every event in town, and folks like him. That’s hard to beat.

That’s not to say I have agreed with him on all the issues. I don’t like the garbage fee or his position on the downtown library. And I want to see the entertainment district get done. But you can see the list is short. Oh, I would like to see traffic go away, too, but we caused that over the past 30 years and even Houdini couldn’t get us out fast.

On Oct. 4, I will vote to keep Baton Rouge moving by voting for Kip Holden.

Hillar Moore for DA

Doug Moreau has finally decided to turn in his uniform as our district attorney after 17 years. He has been a true public servant and served with honor. Now the voters must fill his shoes.

You have two qualified candidates that I respect in Dan Claitor and Hillar Moore III. Both come from established Baton Rouge families. Each makes a good case for why they should be the next DA.

After visiting with both men, hearing their ideas and looking at their legal experience—as well as their life experience and community service—I believe that Hillar Moore is best prepared to step into Moreau’s shoes and lead the DA’s office for the 19th Judicial District.

Moore has 11 years of experience as a criminal investigator in the district attorney’s office, 18 years as an attorney and many years involved in his church, school, LSU and service as a youth coach and board member at the YMCA.

Moore will strengthen the outreach to victims and their families and focus on and pursue violent repeat offenders. He will also be proactive to prevent crime by working with faith-based and service organizations to reach young people and reduce juvenile crime.

Moore is prepared. He has the temperament and ideas to be successful and has proven his commitment to our community. He will be a true public servant in the tradition of Moreau, who endorsed him last week.

Metro Council races

There are races in 12 districts, but I did not make recommendations in all districts. [I will make recommendations for all districts in the general election on Nov. 4.]

District 2

This district has incumbent Ulysses “Bones” Addison facing three challengers. The number of challengers may indicate some dissatisfaction with Addison. I have been dissatisfied at times. I like the fact he speaks his mind. But he has also exhibited that fiefdom mentality when he says, “I wouldn’t dare try to tell Ms. Burgess what to do in her district.” Burgess is gone in 2009. With that thinking, it could be time for voters to send Addison with her.

District 3

Four candidates vie for this open seat. The two I know best would each bring a fresh face, new energy and new ideas. I like that the next generation is stepping up and offering to serve and lead. My two recommendations would be Chandler Loupe and M. Scott Wilson.

District 5

In this field of five, I am most familiar with one candidate, whom I have watched in action for years as she served her community and developed her leadership skills. She has a heart to serve and is ready to lead. I recommend Ronnie Edwards.

District 6

I believe this incumbent now has a steady hand and has grown in her position. I recommend the voters re-elect Martha Jane Tassin.

District 7

It would be enough to simply recommend “anybody but Byron Sharper,” the incumbent who has embarrassed himself and the Metro Council. He has six opponents. But I believe Suchitra S. Dyer has the strongest credentials and would be a good addition to the Metro Council. I recommend her to the voters.

District 8

Here is an incumbent who can see the “big picture” and remains cool under pressure. He is not purely partisan and works well with the mayor, and that’s a good thing. I recommend the re-election of Mike Walker.

District 9

Two candidates are running to take the place of Darrell Ourso. Joel Boé is a family man and conservative Republican who is active in his church, a leader in his civic association and understands business, too. He has an MBA from LSU. He is enthusiastic about the future and would be a strong addition to the Metro Council. I recommend Joel Boé.

District 10

This open seat has drawn five candidates. From what I know and have learned of the field, two candidates seem to have moved to the forefront. This will be a race to watch. I recommend Tara Wicker and Larry Selders.

District 11

This might be the strongest field and will be a horse race. It seems the entire group is “the next generation” [remember, I’m a 50something] and that is exciting. Good credentials. Strong interest in serving. And lots of energy. It’s to close to call, so do some digging.

District 12

Once again I was going to do an “anybody but Benham” recommendation because, as I wrote here before, in the 90’s, when Jim Benham was my councilman, and he was asked to put term limits for the council on the ballot so the people could vote, he told me, “I’m against term limits. Even if I have to deny the people the right to vote on it, I will.” We got it on the ballot without Benham and it passed 2-to-1. On Oct. 4, four of the open seats are thanks to those term limits. Now Benham wants your vote despite wanting to deny you that same “vote” on something he personally didn’t like. Not the kind of guy you want representing you on the Metro Council. I admire the three folks challenging Benham. He’s a step backwards. Since this is my district, I will be casting a vote. I recommend Kimberly Watts, who lives in my neighborhood on the street behind me. A lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, she will provide a new voice to the council from a mother and community volunteer who formerly served in state government. She has a fresh perspective and is looking to the future.

Kimball for Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Catherine “Kitty” Kimball has served on the Louisiana Supreme Court for 16 years and if re-elected will serve as Chief Justice of the Court. I will vote for her re-election. This race has gotten into a heated battle. Her opponent, Judge Jeff Hughes, has used a study by a Tulane professor and students to impugn the integrity of the court related to campaign contributions. This past week, the dean of the Tulane Law School issued a letter of apology to the court for the study, it’s many errors and the conclusions. So much for that ammunition. Then her opponent ran an ad highlighting Kimball’s travels, implying they were all paid for by the state. In fact, a couple of the trips were personal vacations, including one with her church. Totally misleading. Those are worrisome actions for a judge who wants to be trusted with a seat on the Supreme Court.

I understand former Sen. Cleo Fields is supporting Hughes, which Hughes did not deny. Confused? Well, it was Kimball who wrote the opinion disqualifying Fields from running for re-election based on term limits.

The fact is, support for Kimball is broad, and endorsements come from the Sheriffs Association, Louisiana Association of Business & Industry, AFL-CIO, Louisiana Medical Society, Democrats and Republicans, including former Republican governors. In addition to ruling on cases, Kimball has worked on the administrative side of the court to support and fund drug courts, CASA and juvenile justice reform. She has shown the ability to work with the executive and legislative branches to benefit the entire state. Kimball should be re-elected.

Calloway for district judge

Judge Curtis Calloway is fair and impartial and should be re-elected. He has been on the bench for 20 years—four as a city court judge and the last 16 as district court judge. Calloway says it has been a privilege to serve and he is dedicated to upholding the law for all people.

Calloway has been inducted into the halls of fame of the Southern University Law Center and the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society. He serves on the board of directors for CASA, which is an advocate for children, and the Baton Rouge Marine Institute. Calloway served as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Calloway has been challenged by City Court Judge Trudy White. It is my opinion that White has a chip on her shoulder and let’s race color her judgment. I wrote of one instance before. It involved the 2001 DWI case of Judge Don Johnson. An officer finds Johnson on the side of the interstate after he ran into a pole and tests him. His blood alcohol registers .107. The attorney for Johnson has a consultant claim that the results of the breath test are flawed. He makes all sorts of excuses, including that the powder from Johnson’s airbag might have interfered with test or that the police did not calibrate their breath-test machine often enough. So, White throws out the breath-test results and her colleague, Johnson, walks.

In May 2003, guess who slams into another pole and leaves the scene? You got it, Johnson. The next day when they found him it was too late to test him. It didn’t matter, he said, he hit the pole because he was avoiding a dog in the road.

Got that, White? I hope the voters did and will vote for the fair judge—Calloway.

Lambert for DA—23rd District

Some good men are running for district attorney in the 23rd Judicial District [Ascension, Assumption, St. James parishes] to replace good ol’ boy Tony Falterman. In fact, Falterman is having trouble letting go of power and is trying to handpick his successor and get Ricky Babin elected. [Falterman tried to do the same thing with his daughter, Toni Falterman, and push her into the assessor’s office in Assumption Parish, but voters were too smart and she was defeated.] Let’s hope folks are as wise when selecting their next district attorney.

If I were voting in this district, I would cast my vote for Louis Lambert. He has had a lifetime of public service and would be a full-time district attorney putting the people first. There are things that need to be changed—and cleaned up—from the Falterman era, and I believe Lambert will assemble and lead the team to get it done. District 23 needs a district attorney who will create a professional office that will protect the citizens and get tough on the criminals—not plea bargain cases for a light sentence. And they deserve a public servant who will respect them—not threaten them if they happen to disagree or oppose him politically.

I have known Lambert for many years and believe he will be “the people’s district attorney,” and his resume backs that up. Lambert is a life-long resident of Ascension Parish and an Eagle Scout. He’s served as a captain in the Louisiana National Guard, state senator and member of the Public Service Commission, former chairman of Governor’s Prayer Breakfast and chairman of the River Parishes Community College Board Foundation and the River Parishes Cancer Screening Board. He is member of the NRA and was named Legislator of the Year by Citizens and Victims against Crime & Violence.

Lambert has committed to instituting the first Code of Ethics, providing more transparency in operations of the office and eliminating conflicts of interest. All are good ideas.

The citizens of the 23rd Judicial District should elect more than just another attorney as their next DA. They should elect a servant-leader committed to law and order—Lambert.

First impressions

I had the chance to meet two of the new leaders at LSU: Chancellor Mike Martin and Athletic Director Joe Alleva. Both are impressive gentlemen and leave one feeling they will represent our flagship university well.

I found them to be enthusiastic about their challenges ahead and eager to make an impact at LSU. They seemed truly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the LSU family and indicated they had received a very warm welcome.

As for the chancellor, I got the sense that he is going to exercise his independence from System President John Lombardi and run his campus as he sees fit. I liked that—and it’s good for LSU. Martin also is ready to get involved in the community and make a difference. I liked that too and appreciated his spirit.

Both Martin and Alleva have big jobs and important ones in our state. We wish them much success.

Now more than ever

Gustav blew through town—and the United Way agencies responded with help. Red Cross with shelters. Salvation Army with 155,000 hot meals. Food Bank. St. Vincent de Paul. And others.

They were able to respond because in 2007, employers and employees in the 10-parish Capital Area pledged funds to the United Way that are now available. The key point is, our community is now in the midst of the 2008 campaign, collecting pledges for 2009. God forbid we have another storm next year, but if it comes, we must have these agencies healthy and ready to serve. That’s why this campaign—NOW—is so critical.

This was one of the worst hurricanes since I was born in Baton Rouge. But while these storms hit some of us hard once a decade, there are those who are facing the storm of cancer or abuse or homelessness every year—and they count on United Way agencies [49 of them].

So, I pray your family, home and businesses are OK. And the cleanup and repairs get done in the next few weeks or months. But as the new year comes, this storm will be a part of history with only tree stumps remaining as monuments. What will still be with us are our neighbors and friends in need—and thousands will be depending on the United Way. That’s why we’re counting on you and your company to step up and be a hero.

As this year’s campaign chairman, I am asking for your help. The national media are gone. There are no millions rolling in like after Katrina. The challenge must be met by me and you. If you are running a United Way campaign, please spread this critical word to your colleagues—and if you’re not participating, there is still time in October and November to help and conduct a campaign. Call Nancy Eckert at (225) 383-2643 or email her at nancye@cauw.org. Thank you for your support.