Endorsements for November 16 election
4th November 2019 · 0 Comments
Governor John Bel Edwards received 21,000 fewer votes in this year’s primary than he received against David Vitter in the 2015 runoff. According to pollster John Couvillion, much of the deficit came from African Americans refusing to go to the polls.
There is never an excuse for a civically-minded voter to miss a chance to cast a ballot, particularly in such a critical year such as this. More particularly when African Americans stay home, bad results come to pass. Early voting begins November 2 and lasts until November 9, with the formal Election Day on November 16. That provides plenty of opportunities to vote, and we hope our recommendations help in your decision-making. Regardless, don’t give into the apathy that seems so ubiquitous this year. Go vote.
Governor of Louisiana:
John Bel Edwards
If the incumbent Democratic Chief Executive had accomplished nothing else than to have given healthcare to 400,000 Louisianans, he would deserve re-election. But, Governor Edwards has done so much more since taking office.
He inherited a state from the Jindal Administration rendered into budgetary shambles. Edwards not only stabilized Louisiana’s finances, but restored — and boosted — university funding for the first time in almost a decade. He quite literally saved the Southern University System and other Louisiana HBCUs from near economic and structural collapse.
No one likes sales taxes, least of all Governor Edwards, yet his accomplishment of building a coalition to pass a seven-year sales tax increase has provided the state with a $500 million surplus in 2019. These monies currently replenish the rainy day fund, and may address long deferred maintenance and infrastructural needs, as well as providing a revenue source to help raise teacher pay once more to the southern average. Or, at least, that’s what John Bel Edwards seeks. Neither of his Republican opponents have a viable plan to fund a substantial teacher pay raise.
Secretary of State:
“Gwen” Collins-Greenup
There exists no more important issue than voter access. Given the history of the Pelican State, vigilance in this area is no vice. Collins-Greenup has predicated her campaign on making sure that all communities, in particular poor African-American voters, have access to the polls – and not just on Election Day. She seeks further expansion of early voting and other methods of casting a ballot, providing opportunities for those with work or transportation challenges to make sure they have an opportunity to vote.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 1st Supreme Court District:
Hans Liljeberg
Hans Liljeberg’s practical experience on the District and Appellate levels promised to bring seventeen years of insight to the state’s highest court, augmenting the Supreme bench with his deep understanding of the law. He has worked in the trenches at each level, and can truly understand the impact of judicial review on lower court decisions. That two decades of experience deserves a chance to imprint jurisprudence in Louisiana.
LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS IN ORLEANS,
JEFFERSON & ST. BERNARD
State Senator 3rd Senatorial District:
Joseph “Joe” Bouie
The former Chancellor of SUNO entered the State House and found himself almost immediately elected to head of the Legislative Black Caucus, so in awe of his public stature were his colleagues. Not surprising. He became the conscience of the House upon the day that he arrived. In nearly his first year, Bouie managed the passage of Act 91 which restored local control of Orleans Parish Public Schools. His opinion on practical educational reform was taken seriously even by many of his Charter School opponents.
Bouie understands the needs, both in the classroom and without, of the potential student body of the New Orleans metro area – regardless of age. Such a font of wisdom must win election to the State Senate.
State Representative 97th Legislative District:
Matthew Willard
He may have a famed political last name, but no candidate came into our offices this season with a better understanding of the economic challenges that the working middle class of Louisiana will soon face thanks to automation than Matthew Willard. His insights on how chemical plants and teamsters will soon be run by robots, putting thousands out of work, proved both insightful – and frightening. His solutions, from retraining, to free college programs for those in the 40s, were innovative – and more importantly, fiscally prudent.
State Representative 98th Legislative District:
Kea Sherman
We opted for the impressive and energetic Kea Sherman. The founder of “Emerge Louisiana,” Sherman is mainly responsible for the recruitment of 23 women who are running for the legislature this year. She created LaFemme PAC to help underwrite the effort to make gender balance in the legislature look more like the public at large. She is a businessowner who has played a large role in the transformation of the Freret Street corridor, as well as a lawyer with many pro bono clients.
Sherman’s efforts to guarantee more recurring revenue streams for Sewerage and Water Board, and to institute practical limits for property tax increases on homesteads could each do more to keep long-time Uptown residents in their homes than almost any other reform. Kea Sherman though has a multitude of reform ideas, too numerous to mention here that could serve as equally efficacious.
State Representative 99th Legislative District:
No Recommendation
ORLEANS PARISH
PROPOSITIONS
PW HRC Amendment – Art. V, Secs. 5-1101 through 5-1103 – CC: Vote YES
A long-sought dream of civil rights activists in the City of New Orleans, this would amend Article V of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans to create a local Human Rights Commission to safeguard all individuals in the City of New Orleans from discrimination and to exercise all powers, duties, and functions provided by applicable state and municipal law. It’s about time. Please support.
Parishwide Proposition (Bond) – $500M Bond – CC – 30 Yrs.: Vote YES
Thanks to repayment of existing bonds, this would allow the City of New Orleans to borrow $500,000,000 in bonds for the purpose of making capital improvements in the City permitted by the City’s Home Rule Charter, including constructing, renovating, acquiring, and/or improving (i) roads, streets and bridges; (ii) public buildings, affordable housing facilities, libraries, and parks and recreational facilities; (iii) surface and subsurface drainage systems and stormwater management facilities; and (iv) public safety equipment. There would be no estimated increase in the millage rate to be levied in the first year above the 22.5 mills currently being levied to pay General Obligation Bonds of the City. Better streets at the same level of taxation is easy to support.
Parishwide Proposition (Millage) – 3.00 Mills – CC – 20 Yrs.: Vote NO
Here our Editors have to break with the desires of Mayor LaToya Cantrell. The Louisiana Weekly cannot support a higher property tax on families struggling to hold onto their homes at this time.
It is not that our Editorial Board disagrees that we need to devote more money to infrastructure, particularly the ever-failing Sewerage and Drainage systems. The Mayor is correct. They are in desperate need of repair or replacement. It is, however, that Mayor Cantrell just asked the New Orleans City Council to “roll-forward” property taxes by 50 percent after they were rolled back.
Higher and more accurate assessments were not supposed to lead to stealth tax increases, at least that is what the electorate was promised when the “IQ” ticket pushed for honest assessments in Orleans Parish. Nevertheless, that is what LaToya Cantrell just requested.
Madam Mayor, you cannot ask for a tax increase from the voters at the same time that you ask the City Council to go around the voters and approve an effective tax increase without the electorate having a say! Choose one or the other, and preferably next time it is the latter.
PW Prop. (Short Term Rentals Occupancy Tax) – 6-3/4 percent Short Term Rentals Tax – CC: Vote YES
Our Editors do urge our readers to support the six and three-quarters percent (6- ¾ percent) tax to be charged by the city on short term rentals such as AirBnB or HomeShare. Seventy-five percent of $10,500,000 estimated to be collected from the levy of the Tax will be dedicated to the infrastructure fund of the City, with the remaining 25 percent used to promote tourism in the City. Tourists paying to bring in more tourists makes sense, as does visitors who use our streets and sewers giving us funds to keep them unbroken.
Mid-City Security District – $250/$375/$150 Parcel Fee Renewal – CC – 5 Yrs.: Vote YES
The NOPD is overworked and overtasked. Allowing neighborhoods to pay a bit extra to provide more patrols and police on the streets has long been a position that our Editorial Board backs, and we ask the voters in Mid-City to support the renewal of this fee as well. No tax would be raised. It is an existing charge.
This article originally published in the November 4, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
