“We have to work together and that is about the fifth time I have said it, so you know I am serious. I want your help. We’ve got to get this right,” Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards said last week to business leaders attending the Council for a Better Louisiana’s annual meeting. But those are just words from a politician—what will his actions (and budget and bills) say and reveal? What will “get this right” mean? It is often the complete opposite for unions and business interests—and Edwards ran arm-in-arm with the unions from the beginning.
In his first speech after his election, to the annual meeting of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, Edwards said, “You’re going to have a partner in the Governor’s Office.” He also told them he wanted to get rid of Education Superintendent John White.
If Edwards didn’t make it clear, Mary Cathryn Ricker, the executive vice president of the American Federation of Teachers, congratulated members for helping elect Edwards and said again, “You will finally have a partner in Baton Rouge.”
Is it really possible Edwards is courting both unions and business? Because we don’t allow polygamy in Louisiana. I suspect he is married to the unions—and he wants business as a friend. As soon as his budget, his bills and his appointments start coming out, that will be evident, and the honeymoon will be over.
Funny that Edwards warned the CABL audience, “We can’t all go to our corner and start lobbing grenades at each other because then nothing will get fixed.” I wonder if Gov. Bobby Jindal would accuse Edwards and his seatmate, Rep. Sam Jones, of doing just that? I hope he won’t fault Republicans for playing his old role.
At the luncheon, Edwards discussed few specifics (because he has few and discussed little in the campaign). When asked about new taxes, he replied, “Have I proposed higher taxes?” Just wait.
Most folks know little about the governor-elect except that he went to West Point. But usually you can tell a lot about politicians from the company they keep and who is talking in their ear. It certainly made many business folks and Republicans nervous when they saw and heard the names of those hanging at the election night victory party, and some thanked by the governor-
elect, such as Edwin Edwards, Mary Landrieu, Claude “Buddy” Leach, Karen Carter Peterson, Sam Jones and Linda Day. They’re baaaaacckkk!!
GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE
Abraham Lincoln described our democracy as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” And you and I are allowed free speech and the right to participate. We are not prohibited from or restricted in exercising those rights anywhere in this nation. We get these rights because we are Americans—and do not surrender them if we do not live in a particular Metro Council district.
In my last editorial I expressed my views about the idea of Isaiah Marshall joining the Metro Council to lead our community. Councilwoman C. Denise Marcelle objected to me opposing her appointment and discussing it with three Metro Council members, because I don’t live in her district. Like I should just butt out of her fiefdom. She is wrong. All of us should be concerned about our parish and region—and state. Getting involved is good.
Doesn’t Marcelle want us all to be concerned about crime, roads, jobs and schools in every council district? This is the problem with single-member districts and the “fiefdom” mentality it creates.
Marcelle told WBRZ, “I’m concerned people who have not had any input or done any real work in my community … now tell my district who needs to lead it.” I wasn’t saying who needs to lead it; I was saying only that Isaiah Marshall, based upon his record and resignation at the Capital Area Transit System, should not get the support of the council. I am certain there are better candidates from District 7.
I find it amusing that Marcelle now wants to use her district boundaries to keep others from having input, but certainly did not limit her recent campaign fundraising to her district lines. She has big donations from many living in other districts. She also accused me of being politically motivated. For what? Are her donors “politically motivated?” And did she ask each of them if they had done “any real work in [her] community” before she took their money? Sounds hypocritical to me.
Back in July, Marcelle got upset because the Baton Rouge City Court judges appointed their new City Court clerk despite Marcelle getting the Metro Council to pass a resolution asking them to wait until they could make it an elected position. The judges went ahead and made the appointment. She said it showed total disrespect because the Metro Council is the budgeting authority. She said, “I guess they forgot that.” Of course, Marcelle felt she was totally justified to speak up on this matter. Is she a judge? What “real work” has she done in the judicial system?
Well, as a resident and taxpayer in East Baton Rouge Parish, I feel we all have a right to speak up on parish governance. I wonder if Marcelle knows taxpayers help fund police, fire and Department of Public Works services in her district and every other district, too. I guess she forgot that. She wants to get in the judges’ business but have us stay out of hers. Hypocritical again?
I stand by my position on Marshall and hope the Metro Council will make a wise choice on an appointment—because Marcelle can’t seem to do so and would rather shoot the messenger.
VITTER’S FINAL CHAPTER
U.S. Sen. David Vitter has written his final chapter, and it didn’t end well. He cost Republicans the governor’s chair. He can’t put aside all the ugliness in the campaign with a 10-minute concession speech. And announcing his “personal term limit” by saying he would not run for re-election didn’t help. (That’s as subtle as Edwin Edwards announcing he was dropping out after finishing second to Buddy Roemer in the primary in 1987. Smart move.)
As for all the pundits and editorials trying to portray Edwards’ victory as some referendum on Bobby Jindal’s policies, with Vitter being the victim, they are full of it. Vitter blew this one all on his own—despite spending more than $10 million in a “red” state. All the other statewide Republicans did just fine on election day. In fact, I haven’t heard one person disagree with the premise that had either Scott Angelle or Jay Dardenne made the runoff, Edwards wouldn’t be the governor-elect. That’s a message to Vitter and bad news for Edwards.
CONGRATULATIONS
This fall, nine Louisiana schools were honored by the U.S. Education Department as Blue Ribbon Schools. There were 335 total in the U.S., which is an average of just over six per state. Louisiana was above average, and Baton Rouge had almost half of those honored.
Schools honored here were Baton Rouge Magnet High, LSU Lab School (U-High), St. Aloysius Catholic and St. James Episcopal Day School. Congratulations to these schools and to our many past winners for their commitment to excellence for our children and community.
REACHING HIGHER
I have shared with you before the story of David Thomas, whom I first met at Children’s Charter School. Jim Geiser introduced me to David and shared what potential he saw in him if he made the right choices.
David, an African-American who lives in north Baton Rouge near Choctaw Drive, went on to graduate from Redemptorist High and then Rhodes College in Memphis with a degree in neuroscience.
David is smart and has a strong work ethic. He worked two part-time jobs—at Our Lady of the Lake and here at Business Report—while he continued to pursue the chance to go to graduate school. I am happy to say that this fall, David began the journey toward his dream of a master’s in public health at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York.
David is an example of the impact of education on one’s life, and his friends and family are proud of his strong pursuit of his dreams and continued hard work. We all wish him continued success.
