On Dec. 8, The Advocate reported that a “53-member education transition panel, including the presidents of the LFT and LAE, has already met four times behind closed doors.” This is not the way to begin a new era.
What I haven’t seen yet is an editorial from The Advocate or The Times-Picayune objecting to the discussion of “public” education in private. Why not? I thought transparency was their big issue.
It seemed to be an issue in the governor’s race at a Public Affairs Research Council forum in April. All the candidates proclaimed they would be more transparent as governor. Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards spoke of “a scope of secrecy that it is allowed to continue to exist.” But what does conducting all of the discussions of the transition committees behind closed doors in secret do for the citizens?
I asked the governor-elect that question. His spokesman, Richard Carbo, sent the following statement: “The transition committees are made up of diverse groups of individuals sharing, sometimes, personal thoughts on a particular issue. We’ve released the names of every individual serving on the committees and made them available to the members of the media who would like updates.”
Is that good enough for you—just to know who is serving on the committees? Some of the names are what concern people—and they want to know what is being said and proposed to the governor-elect.
Carbo sent me the document they released with the goals and objectives of each of the eight committees.
Discussions behind closed doors have touched on issues like review the personal and corporate income tax rates, and overall tax structure; review the annual $7 billion in tax credits, incentives, deductions, exclusions and rebates; review the economic development incentives to prioritize growing and diversifying the economy; providing fair and equitable accountability measures in education; protecting local control of schools; promoting higher standards for education for Louisiana students; supporting high-quality and legally funded school choice options; and adopting new strategies to reduce the number of inmates in Louisiana prisons. There were also goals for higher education, family and children’s services, transportation and health care.
Do any of these topics interest or affect you? All of these issues are serious and worthy of evaluation and discussion—but who gets to hear the discussion and the conclusions, which could become recommendations and eventually bills in the Legislature? What’s coming? We don’t know.
I also asked Carbo if The Advocate, The Times-Picayune or any of the media had objected. Carbo replied, “No, they have not raised this issue because we’ve been forthcoming with information and made the Governor-elect’s staff and committee members available on a regular basis.”
I contacted Robert Travis Scott, the president of PAR and a former bureau chief of The Times-Picayune, who said he had raised the issue of opening these meetings with the new administration and felt it was a missed opportunity. I also contacted Pam Mitchell of the Louisiana Press Association, who told me none of its members had called its legal hotline to raise the issue. This seems odd for daily newspapers that usually protest and often sue for access due to “the public’s right to know.”
The public knows very little in specifics about what Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards will propose and how far he will take some issues. Transition teams are made up of a majority of his friends, advisers and supporters—or those who think like he does. While this exercise is often ceremonial, it can reflect the views and direction of the new governor—and his closest friends and allies who will be whispering in his ear for the next four years. The public education committee has had five meetings in secrecy. What did they talk about, and who said what? We won’t read or hear about it in the media because they weren’t allowed inside—and the press never uttered a peep.
THE RACE FOR MAYOR
A new name has surfaced for the race for East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president. It is David Guillory, former head of the Department of Public Works. He is a nice guy. He now works for Compliance EnviroSystems, headed by Brad Dutruch. CES specializes in storm and sanitary sewer evaluations, as well as sewer environmental assessments. The company is a frequent contractor for the city-parish. An ethics opinion was requested to see if Guillory could go to work for CES. He was allowed to, with restrictions that he could not help with DPW transactions for two years.
Now it appears that Dutruch, Guillory’s employer, may be involved in Guillory’s bid for mayor-president. This is a little bit of déjà vu. It was in the 2000 mayor’s race that Ken Dutruch, Brad’s father, who was then doing engineering work for the city of Baker, led the fundraising effort for Baker Mayor Bobby Simpson. (I remember it well, as I was a candidate in 2000.) The big issue of the day was the massive sewer program and the notion of “deep tunneling.”
Ken Dutruch raised hundreds of thousands from firms involved in such sewer work, many of them in Houston. The plan then was to establish a “design-build model” where one firm—Dutruch’s—would lead the effort and choose all the subs. As you know, Simpson won that race and a bill was introduced at the Legislature to set up the design-build for EBR. But Simpson ran into a wall—Associated Builders and Contractors and Lane Grigsby—and the bill was killed. (Dutruch still got a lot of city-parish business.)
So is this history repeating itself? Does Brad Dutruch have his own candidate? Does he think being a black Democrat with the support of business money can get Guillory elected and leave things as they are downtown at DPW?
The race for mayor-president in 2016 is starting to get interesting.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
It was exciting to attend the groundbreaking for THRIVE Baton Rouge, which was founded by Executive Director Sarah Broome, who came to our city in 2008 with Teach for America. The unique residential charter school, which began in 2011, will open the doors to its new building in August. It will serve 160 students in grades six through 10, with anticipated growth rising to 350 students in grades six through 12.
In 2013-14, THRIVE was the highest-performing charter in our parish. It is an asset to our community and example of “thinking differently.” The students in the photo at left were excited and are joined by Principal London Moore, Residential Director ShaJuana Pierce and Broome (far left). Congratulations to all.
FOOTBALL CHAMPS
Baton Rouge high schools had a banner year in the Superdome for state championships. Congratulations to Catholic High, Parkview Baptist, Southern Lab and Zachary High on your success. You all made the Capital City proud.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
All of us at Business Report, 225, inRegister and Daily Report say thanks for your support in 2015. We wish you, your family and staff a wonderful and safe holiday season—and a very prosperous new year.
