Attracting outside investment and shortening ambulance routes are among the reasons local business leaders rallied behind the MoveEBR roads tax proposal during today’s Press Club luncheon.
“Our private equity firm invests more money in Baton Rouge than any other company, but it’s difficult for us to attract industry without infrastructure,” said Jim Bernhard, who founded The Shaw Group and now heads up Bernhard Capital Partners. “Why don’t companies come to Baton Rouge? Why should they?”
Following a speech by Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, Baton Rouge General CEO Edgardo Tenreiro and exiting Baton Rouge Health District executive director Suzy Sonnier pointed to several projects included in the MovEBR plan, such as the Dijon Extension project, would help patients and EMS vehicles get to and from Baton Rouge General faster, potentially saving lives.
“There are even health benefits with the new sidewalks, just getting people to move around,” Sonnier said.
Improved infrastructure is also the first step to accommodating a growing petrochemical workforce, said Jennifer Dunphy, plant manager at the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Plastics Plant. And attorney Preston Castille, addressing MovEBR criticism, said voters “shouldn’t let ‘perfection’ get in the way of a really good thing.”
But not everyone in attendance was as optimistic. Critics challenged the lack of a definitive timeline for some of the plan’s regional projects, such as roadway improvements in Central. Broome defended the plan, saying a program manager will be tasked with drafting a publicly accessible timeline after the tax plan’s passage.
Further questioned was the mayor’s allegiance to the proposed mental health tax, which will also appear on the Dec. 8 ballot.
“I do not think having two initiatives on the ballot will hurt either one’s chances because I think the citizens of the city and parish recognize the need for both,” Broome told Daily Report, “and both stand on their own merits.”
Meanwhile, the MovEBR campaign launched its first commercial during the LSU-Texas A&M game Saturday, featuring Bernhard and Mike Wampold—the two businessmen spearheading the campaign—sitting in a vehicle, lamenting Baton Rouge traffic.
Wampold, a Republican, says he blames Barack Obama, to which Bernhard, a Democrat, replies, “Fake news—Donald Trump.” The two then decide to fault a more widely agreed-upon Baton Rouge foe: “Let’s blame Nick Saban,” Wampold says.
The message is that traffic is a problem for everyone in the parish, no matter political party, and it can be fixed, says political consultant Michael Beychok, who is working on the campaign. Although he declines to say how much was spent on it, the MovEBR PAC campaign finance report lists a $12,000 expense for video production.
So will the message help gin up support for the roads tax? Possibly. Longtime political consultant Roy Fletcher, who is not involved, says the sense of cooperation in the commercial may resonate with voters. It also takes the focus away from city government, which is good, he adds.
“Who the two people are in the commercial, that helps,” Fletcher says. “Still, the question is can Mr. Bernhard and Mr. Wampold beat Mr. Tax?”
The next 12 days leading up to the election will be crucial, he says. The key issues will be voter turnout and whether any counter effort ramps up.
“If there is any opposition, you’ll see it then,” Fletcher says.
For more on the two tax plans see the recent Business Report cover story.
