Divide and conquer?
The first volley in East Baton Rouge Parish’s battle over Mayor Kip Holden’s $887 million bond proposal was exchanged at the Metro Council’s July 22 meeting over the creation of a special taxing district.
The conversation was not about millages or the project specifics, but was more in line with a philosophical debate about which direction East Baton Rouge’s incorporated and unincorporated areas are going. Will the parish choose a unified future, or a divided future?
The new taxing district, passed by an 8-3 vote, excludes Baker, Central and Zachary from taking part in the revised bond issue. Holden’s first try at the bond issue narrowly passed in Baker, but it received strong opposition in Central and Zachary. Former city-parish chief administrative officer Walter Monsour says the decision to remove the northern part of the parish was made after a listening tour that included all 12 districts, but it’s no secret the exclusion will make the bond issue easier to pass.
While it’s great for municipalities to have input, Monsour told the Metro Council it’s more important for voters to have a say about the drainage, infrastructure, public safety and economic development projects presented in the package.
The Metro Council’s affirmative vote bolsters the administration’s position and sets a precedent that parishwide projects deemed to have priority should be placed on the ballot—even if it means leaving parts of the parish out of the decision-making process.
Joel Boé, Alison Cascio and Trae Welch voted against the measure on the grounds that a parishwide bond issue should include all of East Baton Rouge—not just the parts deemed most likely to pass it. The drainage issues in Welch’s District 1, which includes parts of Baker and Zachary, have not gone away. And no input was sought from the leadership of either city on the proposal.
“I’m an absolute fan of this administration and specific projects in this bond issue,” Welch says. “How they get paid for and who’s responsible to pay for them, that’s a different issue altogether. This doesn’t bring us all together. It divides us.”
No one on the Metro Council opposes the right of voters to decide on the bond issue. The vote simply determined which voters had a right to do so. The council votes again Aug. 12 on whether to place the bond issue on the Nov. 14 ballot.
For Boé, the creation of the new taxing district raises more questions. District 9, which encompasses unincorporated southeastern Baton Rouge, voted down Holden’s $989 billion capital improvements plan last year primarily because the all-or-nothing proposal included $400 million for the Audubon Alive! riverfront tourist attraction and River Center expansion. The price tag on those items has decreased to $366 million, but some public sentiment remains that such projects are a luxury—not a necessity—during the economic downturn.
Residents of District 9 also pay to maintain a new St. George fire station, and Boé says they might feel that paying for six new fire stations and one renovated station as presented in the plan amounts to a double tax since they won’t regularly benefit from the services. If other incorporated areas can opt out of the bond issue on those grounds, Boé asks, then why can’t District 9?
What Holden calls the ‘what’s in it for me mentality’ is stale because it prevents improvements for the entire parish. A bond issue does not serve all districts equally all the time.
“When an issue comes up, sometimes you’ll get a lot and then the next time, you won’t get anything at all,” Holden says. “The ‘what’s in it for me mentality’ comes back to you because people will hold you responsible.”
Ultimately, Holden is responsible for the direction that East Baton Rouge Parish takes and believes the vision presented by the bond issue is worth the risk of fracturing the parish. Whether or not voters agree will be determined at the polls on Nov. 14.—Emma James
The new [homemade] economy
In the hubbub of daily Internet commerce, homemade products and crafts tend to get lost in the shuffle. Enter Etsy.com, a virtual marketplace that allows Baton Rouge entrepreneurs that feature homemade products and art to get their fair share of time in the spotlight by connecting them directly to buyers.
Sarah Haviland utilizes Etsy.com to market her Think Brand Products, all-natural cleaners she makes at home in her kitchen and sells in local stores—from which a portion of the proceeds go to helping those living in poverty. She currently has seven products listed for sale online and two more in the works.
Although her online sales are low—only three sales have been made since she joined the Web site in January—Haviland says Etsy has helped the visibility of her products and identifying her market area.
“Now I can direct people to my Etsy site and they can actually see it,” she says. “It’s user-friendly and even though I will have my own Web site, I will continue to sell my products with Etsy.”
Grace Emden, owner of Cakes of Grace, a Baton Rouge-based business that specializes in made-to-order cake design, has utilized Etsy and her own Web site to spread the word of her business locally. The results, she says, have been good, netting between two and three orders.
“Obviously, sending a cake through the mail has issues,” she says, although she has had a handful of orders through the Web site. “But I can post pictures and show people what I am capable of. They can see what I’ve done and contact me directly if they are interested.”—E.J.
In memoriam
Gordon Pugh, a veteran attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson and a civic leader, died July 20. He was 71. Pugh had been with BSW for 43 years and had served as a partner with the firm since 1968, specializing in business and labor law.
“The reason I love law is that I love working with people. I like helping them resolve issues. That’s it,” Pugh said in a recent interview with Business Report. An LSU graduate, Pugh was involved with numerous organizations over the years, including an eight-year stint on the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Public Affairs Research Council.
The staff at BSW praised Pugh for his honesty, loyalty and community activities. “Gordon never lost sight of his responsibility to our community and dedicated decades of service to many organizations that serve the mission of creating a better community,” says Scott N. Hensgens, the firm’s managing partner. “He was a role model like none other, and I am proud to call him my friend.”
Who you know …
There’s Forum 35 and A6, of course. But neither focus exclusively on young professionals networking for the sake of business. As of this summer, Business Networking International, the world’s largest business networking organization, has a local presence with the newly formed Alpha Chapter, which helps professionals network in an organized environment.
The Alpha Chapter has a philosophy that “givers gain”—on display at the chapter’s grand opening on June 17 with members detailing business and revenue already generated through BNI referrals.
Chapter President David Beach of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney points to the strength in numbers the platform provides with 100,000 worldwide members in 5,000 chapters across 30 countries.
Beach credits Jim Starnes, formerly a BNI member while working as a financial adviser in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with encouraging him to bring the sharing to Baton Rouge.
“With all the referrals he’d receive, it really made him a jack of all trades and someone extremely valuable to his clients,” Beach says. After all, it’s what you know and who you know.—Ben Love
ExecutiveSpotlight
Elizabeth Ann “Liz” Betz
Executive director
Capital Area CASA Association
Hometown: Baton Rouge
Looking for Liz Betz? If she’s not at the office, she’s probably working in her garden, tending to the plants she currently has in the ground or planting new ones. Betz loves to give both plants and people the opportunity to grow.
As executive director of Capital Area CASA Association, an organization that provides court-appointed special advocates for abused and neglected children, Betz’s goal to meet the needs of children in East Baton Rouge Parish was realized this year. CASA’s role, Betz says, is to make sure children are placed in nurturing environments.
“I strongly believe all children deserve a safe, permanent home where they can grow and thrive,” she says. “CASA helps make sure that happens for abused and neglected children.”
To read the full Q&A, click here.
BookReview
Start Where You Are
Author: Chris Gardner
Publisher: HarperAudio
Year: 2009
Pages: 6 hours/5 CDs
This summer, you’re really going to do it. You’ve stalled long enough. No more dragging your feet. You’ve decided to start your own business, change careers, take on additional responsibility.
Now it’s time to figure out what to do next. In the new audio book, Start Where You Are by Chris Gardner, you’ll see that you already possess the information you need. You just have to put it all together.
Sometimes just thinking about acting on an idea can be overwhelming. You hardly know where to start or whom to ask for help. Gardner says you don’t need to worry so much if you remember that your greatest assets are within you.
But your dream is just that—a dream—unless you have a plan to implement it. Do your R&D and make a plan that focuses on what you want to do. And don’t be afraid about moving too slowly; Gardner says he drives his staff crazy by repeating this mantra: Baby steps count, too, as long as you go forward.
Once upon a time, Gardner was one of the “working homeless,” and in this audiobook, he uses his early adulthood as an example of what he preaches. Because he started from the bottom and is now the CEO and owner of Gardner Rich, you can bet that everything he says was personally vetted.
While what you’ll learn in Start Where You Are is definitely helpful, listening to it is a bit difficult, particularly if you’re trying to do other things while you’re listening. The tips come fast, and there are so many of them you’ll almost need to clear your schedule and listen twice.
But if you’re just beginning a new career, you won’t mind. And if you’ve been around the business block a time or three, this audio book is a great brain-poking reminder.—Terri Schlichenmeyer
FastForward
Paul’s problems
Paul Pastorek’s plan for change in education, which Business Report wrote about in “The gospel according to Paul,” on March 10, didn’t get very far this legislative session. He backed bills aimed at reining in the power of local school boards by limiting their compensation, imposing term limits and restricting their involvement in day-to-day personnel decisions. Those measures failed.
On the other hand, he fought efforts to create a new public school curriculum and high school diploma designed for poor-performing students who aim for blue-collar careers after graduation, and a proposal to delay a state takeover of Aiken Optional School in Rapides Parish. Those measures passed, though Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed the latter. Late in the session, lawmakers also cut $7 million from the education budget. Among his victories: passage of a bill listing the limit on charter schools in Louisiana.
Nevertheless, legislators spared no adjectives when describing their feelings for the controversial superintendent. After a rather heated exchange between Pastorek and Sen. Yvonne Dorsey, a Baton Rouge Democrat, over the Aiken measure, Sen. Joe McPherson, a Woodworth Democrat, referred to Pastorek as “one arrogant individual who cares more about winning than he does about the education of our children.”
When Pastorek complained of spending “an ungodly amount of time” debating Aiken—an issue he thought more appropriately handled through the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education—Dorsey had this retort: “That’s why you make the big bucks [an annual compensation package estimated at more than $400,000]. To spend ‘ungodly’ amounts of time on an issue that’s this important.”
In an interview with the Associated Press, Pastorek insisted it isn’t his style, but rather resistance to change, that poses the problem. “To the extent that people tend to focus on some of the challenges and some of the repartee that I have with legislators, that’s only part of my engagement. There’s a lot of the engagement that I have with people around the state of Louisiana that is very positive and very constructive and very successful, frankly. But that doesn’t sell newspapers and doesn’t sell ad time on television so you don’t hear much about that.”—Penny Font
TheGoodLife
Cool as a cucumber
A friend or neighbor has given you a bag full of cucumbers from their garden. You’ve sliced cucumbers for salads, sliced some more for sandwiches, diced some for a chilled soup and pickled some more. Still, the bag appears to be bottomless.
So why not make a beverage that’s refreshing any time of the year? The recipe blends the coolness of cucumber and mint with the sweetness of simple syrup and sweet and sour mix and the pungent aroma of gin. The taste, combined with the bright green color [determined by the color of the sweet and sour mix], evokes a day at the beach or a day at the spa.
Gin is a neutral grain spirit flavored in part by juniper berries. Bombay Sapphire, for example, has 10 ingredients: Spanish almonds, Spanish lemons, licorice, Italian juniper berries, orris and angelica root, coriander, cassia bark, cubeb pepper and grains of paradise.
If you’re not a gin drinker—it was the dominant white spirit in the U.S. until the rise of vodka in the 1960s but still remains popular through the resurgence of the martini—don’t let that prevent you from making this cocktail. Once the ingredients are shaken and poured into the glass, the gin becomes such an afterthought that you’ll wonder if there’s any alcohol in your glass. There is, so drink responsibly.—Scott Gremillion
Cucumber martini
1/2 large cucumber or 1/2 English cucumber
2 ounces simple syrup
8 mint leaves
3 ounces sweet and sour mix
4 ounces gin
1. Peel, seed and dice the cucumber, then place it into the food processor
2. Roll six mint leaves cigar-style, then add it into the food processor
3. Pour the simple syrup into the food processor, and blend the ingredients until the cucumber has been liquefied
4. Strain the liquid into the martini shaker, using a fork or your fingers to press as much liquid as you can
5. Add the sweet and sour mix and gin to the martini shaker
6. Dice the remaining two mint leaves and add to the shaker
7. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until cold
8. Garnish the rim with a thin slice of cucumber
Fortnight July 29 – August 11
July 29 – On this day in 2008? – Business Report took an in-depth look at the bond issue, which failed by 3,071 votes, in “Kip’s billion- dollar gamble.” Mayor Kip Holden on July 22 presented a revised bond issue to the Metro Council.
August 3 – The LSU AgCenter is offering a four-day, 12-hour Home Buyer Education Program at the West Baton Rouge extension office on Turner Road. The classes will focus on the financial aspects of buying a home. For more information, visit lsuagcenter.com.
August 7 – David Farrar, director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, will speak to the Baton Rouge Black Chamber of Commerce about new construction and technology in the library system. To register, visit nbrcc.org.
August 9 – On this day in 1965 – Hurricane Betsy made landfall in Louisiana, killing 76 people and causing $1.42 billion in damage. Betsy was the first landfalling U.S. hurricane to cause damage in excess of $1 billion.
August 9 – LSU Football Fan Day will be held at the River Center in downtown Baton Rouge. The team, including Coach Les Miles and his staff, will be available for autographs and photos from 3:30-5 p.m. Contact the LSU Sports Information Department at 578-8226 for more information.
August 10 – On this day in 1959 – The Louisiana Legislature held its shortest special session, lasting less than one hour. At issue was a slate of 21 bills that Gov. Earl Long wanted passed that included pork-barreling campaign funds and a bill that would have barred airlines from grounding stewardesses when they got married.
BusinessofPolitics
Bucking the trend
Baton Rouge Congressman Bill Cassidy has made a bit of a show out of his M.D. lately, especially with the national health care debate ratcheting up. But he recently took a stand that proves he doesn’t mind stirring the professional pot.
The American Medical Association has come out in support of a Democrat-powered reform bill that creates 31 new federal programs, agencies, commissions and mandates. Opponents contend it’s a full-scale government takeover while proponents argue it moves decision making away from corporations.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the plan could increase overall health care costs by $1 trillion or more. Cassidy, a 20-year AMA member, says he was “outraged” when the group made its announcement. “I feel betrayed,” he says. Along with the 11 other Republican doctors in the House, Cassidy wrote to the AMA explaining “serious objections.” He also sent a letter to supporters asking them to do the same.
One of a kind
Now that Gov. Bobby Jindal has selected his next executive counsel, he can begin focusing more closely on hiring a director for his newest agency, the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration. While legislators were fretting over reductions to state government, Jindal was quietly overseeing the reorganization of four different departments with House Bill 833. The legislation, now an act, merges them into the new OCPR, which falls under Jindal’s executive branch.
Garret Graves, the director of coastal affairs, says there are practically no increased costs to state government since resources were simply repositioned.
The new office pulls from the departments of Wildlife and Fisheries, Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, and Transportation and Development. Graves says the office could grow even more next year, since the governor’s team is also considering incorporating parts of the Department of Social Services.
Graves says there’s already a national search for a salaried executive director, and officials are seeking someone with extensive engineering experience and firsthand dealings with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We hope to have the position filled by next month,” he says.
At the Division of Administration, staff members are making room in the 2010-11 budget, which will feature a new line item for OCPR, arguably the first state agency of its kind in the nation.—Jeremy Alford
An honorable mention
Louisiana picked up a trio of top honors from Southern Business & Development magazine for its economic development wins in 2008. The state was named Co-State of the Year for the second time in three years, while Baton Rouge [for the second year in a row] and New Orleans were named as the top cities in their respective categories.
“Over the last three years no state in the South has performed better than Louisiana,” says the magazine, noting that the state has come a long way since the mid-1990s when its biggest deals were new Wal-Mart stores.
Those economic development projects appear to be bringing good salaries. Calcasieu and East Baton Rouge parishes were ranked third and fourth in the United States for weekly wage increases at the end of 2008, according to a report released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Seeing two vital economic indicators like wages and jobs increasing in tandem proves strong economic stability, especially amidst a national recession,” says Adam Knapp, president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.—Timothy Boone
Still built Ford tough
At a time when vehicle sales have dropped sharply because of tight credit and consumer unease, sales of Ford cars and trucks have increased in south Louisiana. Steve Kozak, the chief engineer for Ford Safety Systems, says the sale of the company’s cars and trucks is about 10% higher in the greater Louisiana region [Baton Rouge, New Orleans and much of south Louisiana] than during the first half of 2008.
He credits sales increases locally and nationally on the company’s strategy to promote the quality, value and safety of Ford vehicles. “This is part of a plan we put in place five years ago,” he says. “And for an American car company to have a plan is refreshing.”
Kozak says Ford plans to send executives to make regular trips to dealers in the future, part of a way to get the company’s vehicles out before local leaders. “Our best messengers are our own employees,” he says.—T.B.
ONTHEBEAT
Growing dough: Rotolo’s Pizzeria plans to add two restaurants within the next year. A location on Airline Highway in Prairieville is scheduled to open in September, and a restaurant on Millerville Road just south of Interstate 12 should be open by summer 2010.
Black gold: Portrush Petroleum Corporation entered into an agreement to drill for oil and gas in Pointe Coupee Parish. The Canadian company says it will develop a 1,200-acre site between Baton Rouge and Opelousas. Plans are to drill down to 11,600 feet.
Troubling signs? Louisiana ranked 39th for the percentage of homes facing foreclosure in the first half of the year. According to RealtyTrac, which tracks foreclosures nationally, one out of 360 homes in the state faced foreclosure during the first six months of the year, a 34% increase in the number from the first half of 2008, ahead of the national increase of nearly 15%.
Apology accepted? Despite the controversy of Art Melt officials removing Kenneth Wilks’ nude photo, Real People #3, from the Friday night main event, it once again drew record crowds to Third Street and the Shaw Center for the Arts. Forum 35 leaders later issued an official apology for the removal of the portrait, saying they’d work to ensure the mistake doesn’t happen in the future.
Indigo flag: Hotel King will carry the Hotel Indigo brand name, says Brace Godfrey of hotel owner Cyntreniks. Hotel Indigo is an upscale boutique brand comparable to W Hotels. The branding will require some exterior changes to the building, including new paint. Demolition will start later this month, in anticipation of the 93-room hotel opening in November 2010.
Houston-bound: Providence, a Mid City environmental consulting and engineering firm, plans to open an office in Houston next month. Rich Major, co-founder and managing partner of Providence, says the company has wanted to move into Houston for about three years.
Biofuel: Southern University Business and Research Corp. and Williams-Wallace Management Consultants plan to buy patented technology from TPA, a Michigan-based biodiesel producer, and set up a $12 million plant capable of producing 20 million gallons of biodiesel a year from feed stocks. The plant could be open within a year to 15 months and would have a staff of 20 to 30 employees.
