Three Republicans and an independent candidate for the recently vacated House District 66 seat took aim at constitutional fund dedications, tax exemptions and credits, and Baton Rouge’s traffic woes at a debate today at the weekly Baton Rouge Press Club meeting.
The two political veteran candidates—Metro Councilman Buddy Amoroso and former Metro Councilman Darrell Ourso, both Republicans—touted their experience. Meanwhile, the two candidates who have not held public office—Republican attorney Rick Bond and independent consultant and former public schools volunteer Susan Nelson—rejected the idea that in-office experience was necessary.
Amorso vowed to find ways to grow the economy without new taxes, while Nelson said top-down government strategies and “one-size-fits-all” solutions have failed at the local level. Bond and Ourso hammered constitutional restrictions on the state’s funds and said LSU needs more support to be Louisiana’s true flagship university.
“This state has more flagships than the Navy,” Bond said. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do and if we’re really going to make LSU a priority as our main university.”
Two candidates, Nelson and Ourso, differed with Bond and Amoroso over whether rolling back some of the state’s many tax exemptions and credits amounts to a tax increase, with Nelson and Ourso saying no and Bond and Amoroso saying yes. But all candidates say all of the state’s tax exemptions and credits must at least be examined thoroughly during a budgetary emergency like the one that will pervade the 2015 legislative session.
“There’s no value added to $300,000 per episode for Duck Dynasty,” Nelson said, referring to the state tax credits the popular A&E TV show receives. “They’re not going to film it anywhere else. It’s in the swamp. So what we need to do is look at whether or not we get a return on our investment.”
All four candidates heavily criticized one of Baton Rouge’s most frustrating issues, traffic. They say a possible traffic loop around the city—in development purgatory for more than a decade—or the more recently proposed traffic toll bridge through the heart of the parish are viable options to relieve Capital Region congestion.
Amoroso touted a possible Pecue Lane interchange as a “Southern loop” for Baton Rouge. Nelson said a loop would be the best way to relieve high amounts of industrial traffic, but she and Bond both believe that even fixing small issues, like choke points in traffic or a more efficient traffic light here and there, could offer major relief.
“Yes, I support the toll road concept. Unfortunately, with a loop, it’s going to be a 20-year realization before it happens,” Ourso said. “We need to look at making improvements right now on La. 1, La. 30.”
The House District 66 seat became open when former state Rep. Hunter Greene unseated longtime family court Judge Annette Lassalle in the 2014 fall election cycle. Early voting for the District 66 seat has begun, with the election date set for Feb. 21 and a runoff scheduled for March 28 if necessary. —Robert Stewart
