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Congressional endorsements
By Rolfe McCollister
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Our new primary system whittles down the pool of candidates and gives us a runoff where we must choose the party standard-bearer for the general election. And we haven’t even really looked at the independents who will enter the race during the general election. But first, voters have to make some tough choices in the runoff elections for the Republicans and Democrats. Here are my recommendations:
Republican primary: Laurinda Calongne
Some of the old heads within the party tried to talk her out of running. Others have sought to get her to quit in the runoff.
But that just makes Laurinda Calongne more committed to becoming the next member of Congress from the 6th District.
Laurinda Calongne is about change—and I like that. It’s one of the reasons I supported Bobby Jindal in the gubernatorial race.
You may not know these candidates very well, but I have known both for a number of years and recently had the chance to interview each of them.
My family and I have known Woody Jenkins for more than 30 years. I like him and commend him for his service to our state for more than two decades. But at this time in the history of both our state and our country, I believe Laurinda Calongne is the best candidate in the Republican primary.
Calongne is a successful businesswoman who runs a health care consulting firm. She was a presidential appointee to the Council for Graduate Medical Education, which represents all teaching hospitals to Congress and the White House. She has worked for eight years with Congress and with both parties and is called upon frequently to advise on health care legislation. Calongne has a master’s degree from Tulane and received a fellowship in graduate medical education from the University of Southern California.
Laurinda Calongne is a woman of integrity and Christian values. She is a conservative who believes in lower taxes and less government. Her personality, intelligence, energy and business experience would serve her well in getting things done for the people of the 6th District. In the Republican primary runoff for Congress, I am endorsing Laurinda Calongne.
Democratic Primary: Michael Jackson
This primary is a faceoff between two men, who are both good lawyers and both fine state representatives—and who are also good friends. During my interviews with Michael Jackson and Don Cazayoux, each spoke of their friendship with the other. That’s refreshing. Both were involved in introducing the ethics package last year under Gov. Kathleen Blanco and supported its passage again this year. I have watched both in the Legislature, and each brings talents to the public arena. I have spoken to folks who have worked with both in the Legislature. In the end, I believe Jackson is the best choice in the Democratic primary.
Jackson has stepped out and is willing to challenge the status quo, as in serving on the board of a local charter school. He was willing to take a lead on ethics reform. And I believe he will be more independent, listen to and work with others, instead of following the Democratic institutions [i.e., labor unions]. Jackson is respected in both the black and white communities, and he would have to serve both in the 6th District. For these reasons, I am endorsing Michael Jackson in the Democratic primary.
Louisiana has a watchdog
Our new inspector general, Stephen Street Jr., wasted no time getting to work. He has already begun investigations and issued reports. Street, appointed by Jindal, is an attorney who handled fraud investigations with the state attorney general’s office. The Legislature, in a recent special session, made this office permanent with independent status—and gave it subpoena power. Street plans to add investigators to the auditors already on his staff.
The new state inspector general has established a telephone hotline for reporting fraud and abuse in state government. Complaints may be made anonymously by calling toll free at [866] 801-2549 or by writing the Office of State Inspector General at P.O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge, La., 70804.
No more greenbucks
A freshman in the Legislature, Rep. Dee Richard, a registered Independent from Thibodaux, has now gone to meddling with his colleagues. Good for him. He has introduced House Bill
272, which would eliminate the 144 scholarships given by legislators each year to Tulane University. A full tuition scholarship is valued at $33,000. Richard believes the school should award its own scholarships, not legislators—and he’s right.
The new ethics laws limit lobbyists from providing event tickets or spending more than $50 on a meal for a legislator—but Tulane can give them a $33,000 scholarship to award?
The program, which has been around for more than 100 years, was the center of controversy in the 1990s when it was discovered that some lawmakers had awarded the scholarships to family members or political friends. As the legislators cast votes on bills for higher education, including Tulane, this $33,000 gift to each lawmaker seems out of step with our new ethics laws—and it should be eliminated.
Won the battle, but ...
The school board got its 10-year tax renewal passed. They will have almost a billion of your tax dollars at their disposal. I hope they spend the money well and they get results for children.
But they need to be careful not to celebrate too much, because a look a the results can be telling. The taxes passed with about 64% of the vote, and that is strong, but there was only a 20% turnout. That means the 64% equates to about 13% of all registered voters—or one in eight.
Just as disturbing should have been an analysis of precincts where the taxes lost: Jones Creek, O’Neal area, Jefferson Terrace, Woodlawn, Highland Road, Cedar Ridge, Northeast and Twin Oaks to name a few. Those are some influential and growing areas in our community.
So, while the battle to win renewal for taxes was won, the war to capture the hearts of citizens and build community support rages on. If the system, its employees and supporters take this result to mean “the public loves us and thinks we’re doing well, so let’s keep doing what we’re doing”—our public schools in EBR are doomed.
To be fair, the evidence indicates any gains made by the public school system are largely limited to the magnet programs. [We know Baton Rouge Magnet High School is one of the top schools in the state.] What has been and remains a disaster is the regular schools within the parish for regular kids.
Unfortunately, I believe there are many who supported the tax as a way to be free of any guilt or responsibility for what happens to public schools and the children in them. Voters can say, “I voted for the tax, you have your money, the rest is up to you. Just leave me alone.” And maybe some in the school system prefer it that way. They want the public to have “checkbook participation” but nothing more. The fact is, if we leave it up to the system and the school board, we get a current ranking of 51st out of 61 systems in the state. I ask you, what is going to change that?