Recommendations for the November 8, 2022 election
24th October 2022 · 0 Comments
Early voting begins on October 25, providing ample opportunities to cast a ballot all the way to election day itself. It might be easy for many metro area voters to simply conclude that their votes will not determine control of the United States House or Senate, though, so what is the point of going to the polls?
That blasé attitude ignores that listed on the Jefferson and Orleans ballots are critical races for Judge, School Board, and municipal offices – which actually impact the average citizen’s life far more than anything that occurs on Capitol Hill. Moreover, several constitutional amendments go before the electorate which promise to save thousands of dollars for the average homeowner in property taxes, and a Charter Amendment in Orleans would provide the City Council with the oversight power on Mayoral appointments that nearly every other legislative body in the Western World enjoys over the executive.
A lot matters in this election. Please vote.
MULTI-PARISH ELECTIONS
US Senate: Luke Mixon
In the recent movie Maverick, America turned to the graduates of TOP GUN to save the world from an outrageous nuclear threat. Louisiana should turn to this graduate of Top Gun to save Louisiana from an outrageous atomic bore. John Kennedy has been all over the political spectrum in his years in politics, but his embrace of Trumpite nativism of late has turned this one-time moderate Rhodes Scholar into the modern version of Senator Foghorn Leghorn. “Countrified wit, Johnny truly ain’t.”
First Congressional District:
Katie Darling
The Covington native and software executive made news nationally back in September when she produced an unorthodox web ad what included images of her giving birth, whilst verbally outlining her defense of a woman’s right to choose. She reminded Louisianans of the complex issues surrounding the Dobbs decision and the Roe v. Wade repeal.
U.S. Representative 2nd Congressional District:
Troy A. Carter
If there exists a congressman who has focused on the needs of South Louisiana while eschewing the vagaries of party politics, his name is Troy Carter.
Judge, Court of Appeal 4th Circuit at Large:
Karen Herman
A brilliant legal mind, Karen Herman brings depth and experience to the Appeals Court from her service on Orleans Criminal Court since 2008, and her tenure as its Chief Judge. As the former executive director of Court Watch NOLA, she received high marks for helping the court system get back on track after the disruption from Hurricane Katrina.
PSC District 3:
Lambert C. Boissiere, III
An advocate for Greater New Orleans, Boissiere has balanced a passion for incentivizing renewable power with the need to keep existing natural gas resources flowing to power plants. He has fought a lonely battle to bring the electrical grid up to date without placing the full cost upon overcharged ratepayers. A veteran of several post-Hurricane recovery efforts, the Commissioner knows the challenges of Louisiana’s aging grid, and what must be done to keep the lights on after a terrible storm. He is a walking encyclopedia of power knowledge, but most importantly, he stands sentinel against attempts by Entergy and Cleco to profiteer off of their monopoly statuses.
State Senator 5th Senatorial District:
Royce Duplessis
In a district on the forefront of gentrification, yet still possessed of endemic urban poverty, the State Senator to replace Karen Carter Peterson must be able to work across racial, party, and economic lines. We believe Duplessis can and will create coalitions to deal with crumbling infrastructure, rising housing costs, and the myriad of other issues facing this Senate Seat —stretching from the CBD and Central City, through Garden District, Uptown, Broadmoor, Gert Town, Riverbend, Hollygrove, and into the Shrewsbury neighborhood of Old Jefferson.
ORLEANS PARISH ELECTIONS
Judge Municipal and Traffic Court Division D:
Mark J. Shea
Judge Shea has literally redefined Traffic Court. His reforms instituting online case reduction, and allowing citizens to contest their tickets online, has saved the public time and dollars. This troubled court system has made major advances under his tenure, both physical and administrative. His tireless work reducing the backlog of old cases by more than 50 percent after the merger of the two court systems display his lifelong commitment to this bench, where he practiced as an attorney for 23 years, and where his father John Shea once sat on its bench.
Clerk 1st City Court:
Austin Badon
The former state representative took over a troubled office and updated it–technologically and otherwise–into the 21st Century. Which was major progress, because 1st City Court previously felt as if it had barely entered the 20th. He cleaned up and redesigned the Clerk’s office downtown into a user-friendly environment which welcomes the public.
Badon has done more, though, than just execute the constitutionally mandated operations in his office. He has been a real mediator helping tenants remain in their apartments during the economically toughest times of the pandemic whist also serving as a resource to landlords trying to keep up with their renters
Member of School Board District 1:
Patrice Sentino
Dr. Sentino has spent her career focusing on the educational and behavioral outcomes for children, adolescents, and their parents distressed by mental illness and emotional distress. Children in our schools suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet, Orleans Parish schools devote comparatively few resources or personnel to the mental well-being of its students. As a member of the Orleans School Board, Dr. Sentino seeks to mandate that any future charter school renewals specify the hiring of these trained medical professionals. A supporter of the neighborhood school model, Dr. Sentino wants to being more neighborhood connection to the various public charters, perhaps adjusting the OneApp algorithm to give geographic preferences in assigning schools.
PW HRC Amendment – Art. IV, Sec. 4-106 – CC: VOTE YES
This amends Article IV, Section 4-106 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans to give the City Council to same right as the Louisiana Legislature, the U.S. Senate, or frankly almost any other county council in the nation. It would be to require City Council confirmation of appointments by the mayor or chief administrative officer to head any executive branch department or mayoral office established by either Article IV of the Charter or by ordinance. There would be a check and balance, as there are in other branches of government.
JEFFERSON PARISH ELECTIONS
Member of School Board District 5:
Derrick Shepherd
The former state senator likes to joke that he received a grand tour of every prison in South Louisiana after his conviction. He explains that it gives him an opportunity to show kids where to go, and definitely where not to go.
Since his incarceration, Shepherd has dedicated his time to a charity that helps at risk young men stay out of legal trouble, helping them complete their educations and gain eventual employment.
He believes that the Jeff School System must confront the challenge of deteriorating school buildings and a student population almost half the size of what it once educated. That means new buildings, to serve a smaller class of children, yet located close enough to the students’ residences that excessive busing does not become even worse of a problem than it currently constitutes.
Member of School Board District 6:
Diane Schnell
The current interim School Board member has earned a full term because of her work effort and commitment. She essentially treats the Jefferson School Board as a full-time job, visiting with schools almost daily, and going far beyond the “once per month” meetings of the Board. It’s an attitude far unlike many of her peers, deserving of plaudits.
Mayor City of Harahan:
“Tim” Baudier
Under Baudier’s leadership, Harahan politicians actually focused on governance. The results are evident in multiple areas from parks to infrastructure. The greatest accomplishment comes from Baudier’s plan to acquire the sewerage plant, which will cut rates while increasing capacity.
Chief of Police City of Harahan:
Edward “Ed” Lepre
A seasoned veteran of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lepre has the breadth of experience to serve as an effective Chief, in a department in desperate need of leadership. His private work (until recently as the owner of one of the largest drug testing firms in the state) gives Lepre a perspective on how the recent scourge of powerful drugs, from heroin to fentanyl, are ravishing suburban communities like Harahan. He has pledged to outfit every officer with body cameras and has already investigated how the City Police Department could afford such an expense.
Councilmen City of Harahan:
Paul Johnston
Voters must choose five representatives on an at-large basis. Paul Johnston should be at the top of that list. The former Harahan Mayor and Jefferson Parish Councilman, has stood as the driver for most reform and administrative changes in the small city for over a generation He also supports the reform of creating district council seats, rather than election in the current At-Large system, which would provide equitable representation to all of Harahan’s citizens.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
CA No. 1 (ACT 130, 2021 – HB 154) – Modifies the maximum amount of monies in certain state funds that may be invested in equities : VOTE YES
This simply is an administrative amendment, giving Louisiana the same right as other states to invest retirement funds. Increasing to 65 percent the cap on the amount of monies in certain state funds that may be invested in stocks stands a standard procedure in other states.
CA No. 2 (ACT 172, 2022 – HB 599) – Expands property tax exemptions for homestead exemption property for veterans with disabilities: VOTE YES
This gives service-disabled veterans the $150,000 homestead exemption that other groups of veterans have earned. They sacrificed so much for us. Giving them to ability to better afford staying in their homes, as their disabilities often make it hard to maintain incomes is the least payback a grateful state can provide.
CA No. 3 (ACT 156, 2021 – HB 315) – Allows classified civil service employees to support election of family members to public office: VOTE YES
The Louisiana Weekly has, throughout our 97-year history, resisted any attempt to politicize civil servants, so supporting this amendment constitutes something of a break in tradition. Threatening job termination for simply saying one supports their relative is too extreme.
CA No. 4 (ACT 155, 2021 – HB 59) – Authorizes a political subdivision to waive charges for water under certain circumstances: VOTE YES
Okay, this is just common sense. The amendment would allow local governments to waive water charges that are the result of damage to the water system not caused by the customer. Right now, the law actually requires that a ratepayer covers the cost of any water loss. Local authorities have been told that they cannot forgive those excess and unfair charges. This amendment empowers them to do so.
CA No. 5 (ACT 133, 2021 – SB 154) – Provides relative to property tax millage rate adjustments and maximum authorized millage rates: VOTE YES
This amendment allows the levying of a lower millage rate by a local taxing authority while maintaining the authority’s ability to adjust to the current authorized millage rate. In other words, too often government bodies will roll forward millages after rolling them back for no other reason than they lose the right to do so if they do not take action immediately—even if they do not need the revenues currently. The fear of losing monies overcomes the ability to keep taxes low. This amendment would give local governments the surety to keep property tax rates lower, knowing that they could roll them up after an emergency and a catastrophic loss in revenue.
CA No. 6 (ACT 129, 2021 – HB 143) – Limits the increase in assessed value of certain property following reappraisal in Orleans Parish: VOTE YES
This amendment comes after a years long effort by Orleans Assessor Errol Williams and State Rep. Matthew Willard to limit excessive property assessment increases across Louisiana. Many homes in New Orleans have gone from $100,000 in value to $800,000 in less than 20 years, putting a massive property tax increase upon people guilty of nothing else than living in their own homes.
The radical assessment increases have devastated historically African-American neighborhoods and accelerated the cycle of gentrification. Willard sought a 10 percent yearly cap on an increase in the assessed value of residential property subject to the homestead exemption. In order to thwart his reform, local governments greedy for tax revenue without a public vote, limited this constitutional amendment to only applying to Orleans Parish.
That means a majority of the electorate across Louisiana must approve an amendment that applies only to New Orleans, a Herculean task often doomed to failure. Hopefully, voters across the state will embrace Williams’ promise that if the cap is approved for New Orleans, in a very short while, it will be extended to the rest of the state. He notes that a similar cap limited to Chicago’s Cook County was expanded to all of Illinois just a few years after passage. Approving this amendment for New Orleans promises that the homeowners across Louisiana will soon have their assessments capped at 10 percent.
CA No. 7 (ACT 246, 2022 – HB 298) – Provides relative to the prohibition of involuntary servitude and administration of criminal justice: VOTE YES
The amendment prohibits the use of involuntary servitude except as it applies to the otherwise lawful administration of criminal justice. This should be obvious. Just because someone is incarcerated does not mean they should be subject to slave labor. However, use of unpaid prison labor has continued for decades after its supposed end. This would constitutionally enshrine that protection.
CA No. 8 (ACT 171, 2022 – HB 395) – Removes requirement of annual certification of income for certain eligible disabled homeowners: VOTE YES
Homeowners who are permanently totally disabled enjoy the same freeze on property assessments as the elderly. However, currently they must annually re-certify their income to keep their special assessment level on their residences for property tax purposes, a burdensome requirement not required of other groups. For someone with physical disabilities, going to City Hall each year can be a horrid experience, but the Assessors lack the power to grant the assessment permanently, as they do for the elderly. This empowers them.
This article originally published in the October 24, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
