Vote like you care
29th October 2018 · 0 Comments
On November 6, you have an opportunity to put your ballot where your mouth and your heart are.
You have yet another opportunity to put people in public office who represent your interests and priorities.
This is a high-stakes election with some critical amendments on the ballot as well as judicial posts and statewide offices. It’s up to you to select the best woman or man to fill these positions.
But first you might consider the following questions:
Which candidate or candidates has a proven track record of integrity, professionalism and dedication?
Which candidate has been most responsive to the needs and concerns of the people of his or her district?
Which candidate has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to ending economic injustice, mass incarceration, unconstitutional policing, prosecutorial misconduct, educational apartheid, voter suppression and housing discrimination?
Which candidate who represents low-income, working-class and middle-class constituents has routinely authored and supported legislation that prioritizes the interests of the city’s wealthiest residents and the business community?
Which candidate or candidates have earned your respect, trust and support?
Needless to say, there’s a lot to consider before casting your vote.
Vote like there are some serious amendments related to criminal justice reform on the ballot.
Vote like you are banking on the people elected to public office to do what they say and say what they mean.
Vote like you care about democracy, justice and equity.
Vote like you care about public safety, quality public education, access to mental health care, affordable housing, voting rights and the people who live in your community.
Finally, vote like you care about you.
ORLEANS PARISH ENDORSEMENTS
LA Secretary of State: No Endorsement
Our editors have decided to wait for the December runoff to recommend a candidate in this race.
U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District: Cedric Richmond
Many focus on the recent national notoriety of the GOP Whip as evidence that Louisiana has returned to power in Washington. However, considering the probability that the Democrats will claim control of the U.S. House, the fact that New Orleans’ and the River Parishes’ Representative Chairs the Congressional Black Caucus cannot be underestimated when calculating Louisiana’s restored influence.
Cedric Richmond has enjoyed a meteoric rise in DC, through his political skill, intelligence, and general likeability. It is not an accident that he calls Steve Scalise one of his closest friends, and the two have effectively worked across the aisle to represent the needs of their home City and State. In doing so, though, Richmond has never lost– even for a moment–his commitment to racial and economic justice, and has served as a tireless advocate for his district. We recommend his re-election.
Judge Civil District Court, Division E: Richard Perque
Our editors have long argued for a third Domestic division in Orleans Civil District Court. There are just too many family cases on the docket that need attention, so the reader can imagine our pleasant surprise when Mr. Perque not only advocated for such a permanent change, but volunteered to stay in that third domestic section for at least a term so that custody and other family cases could be resolved by the same judge. He was under no legal obligation to do so, if elected, but pledged to serve in this capacity for a few years — even if another CDC judge is junior, and up to take over the domestic docket. Perque is more concerned with legal continuity for litigants than quickly moving up to the more high profile corporate cases. The fact that he is an expert on domestic and family law constitutes an equal benefit to this end.
Clerk of Civil District Court: Chelsey Richard Napoleon
Ms. Napoleon has served in the Civil Clerks office for two decades, and as Chief Deputy to the previous incumbent Dale Atkins for the last ten years. She possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the office, and a practical set of skills to further the digitization and computerization of the office. Her plans to consolidate operations and control costs – while improving outcomes – is born of a long insight on what constitutes effective management in the Clerk’s office. The Civil District Court serves as not only the state’s primary forum for business and corporate litigation, but also stands as the center of domestic and family law. A well-run CDC Clerk’s office is key to a functioning New Orleans.
Clerk of 1st City Court: Austin Badon
The First City Court is New Orleans’ equivalent of small claims court. Individual cases of less than $10,000, and civil cases of less than $25,000 can be heard without need of an attorney, and provide a lifeline for many who have rental and personal disputes. This office needs an administrator who sees the importance of expanding access to the court outside of the normal 9-4 schedule, and providing mediation in cases in evening and weekend hours so that many people can have their claims expedited without unduly impacting their work and family.
These are the elements of Austin Bado’s platform. The former State Representative’s experience in constituent services informs his plans to reform the Clerk’s office. As the position Badon seeks is mostly administrative, it does not need a lawyer to run the Clerk’s office, despite political ads to the contrary. It’s needs a capable advocate. That is Austin Badon.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Constitutional Amendment 1: Vote NO
This amendment would prohibit citizens convicted of felonies from seeking or holding elected or appointed public office for five years after their sentence is finished. While an exception would be made for offenders who are pardoned, this amendment displays a distinct lack of trust in the general electorate. The voters can decide who they wish to put into public office. That’s the nature of a democracy. Moreover, the concept that a citizen’s constitutional rights, such as seeking or holding an appointed or elected public office once their sentence is completed, should be suspended once they have paid their debt to society is ridiculous.
Constitutional Amendment 2: Vote YES
It is a relic of Jim Crow to not require a unanimous jury decision in a felony case. Its enactment in the 19th century was predicated on the idea that a couple of Black jurors could not stop a white-majority panel from convicting a African-American defendant. In other words, the current law’s logic was the essence of injustice. It’s time for this practice to end. By voting “YES,” it will. It would also bring Louisiana’s jury system in line with 48 other states, which require unanimous jury decisions for felony convictions. The concept of conviction “beyond a reasonable doubt” should not mean that only 10 out of 12 jurors must agree to issue felony convictions.
Constitutional Amendment 3: Vote YES
Enacting this amendment would allow local governmental entities could donate goods and services to each other, without need for compensation in return as Louisiana law currently requires. The current law requires a two-way arrangement, with one entity receiving the equivalent back for what it loaned or donated. It makes no sense when one parish has surplus items that could benefit another at no cost to its taxpayers. To provide a practical example, Orleans and Jefferson are working diligently to improve cross parish transport options, but current law makes it difficult to share resources, like lend a bus in a critical situation (without joining the RTA). This allows local government officials some latitude to be prudent.
Constitutional Amendment 4: Vote YES
Gov. Bobby Jindal, who ran on the platform on not raiding trust funds and one-time monies, became rather skilled at this type of budgetary shenanigan. He began using fuel tax money, earmarked for road, transit and other transportation projects, to fund the regular Louisiana State Police traffic control services. In other words, to plug holes in the budget, Jindal robbed critical infrastructure projects. Passing this amendment would prevent such a “bait and switch” in the future.
Constitutional Amendment 5: Vote YES
The implications of this amendment gave our editors some pause initially, but once we understood that this simply extends existing protections to trusts, and ends upon the death of each recipient, it appeared just a technical correction in the law.
Enhanced property tax exemptions exist for people 65 and older, disabled military veterans and their spouses, and spouses of military members and first responders who are killed in the line of duty. This amendment would extend those tax exemptions to property placed in a trust, where ownership is transferred to another person, so long as the person who initially qualified for the exemption is still alive and lives at the property. Once the person who initially qualified died, then the exemptions would no longer apply.
Constitutional Amendment 6: Vote YES
Entire neighborhoods in New Orleans are depopulating of their long-time, often Black homeowners because of sharp property tax hikes – often thanks to gentrification and homeshare services. This would put a small break on property tax increases. No longer would a catastrophic increase in one year occur.
Citizens would see their property tax bill increase gradually over four years if the assessed value of their primary residence increases 50 percent or more. This exception would only apply to properties that qualify for the homestead exemption. New construction or additions that cause a property to spike in value would not be allowed to take advantage of the phase-in period. This is just fair. No one should lose their home because their property tax increased by more than 50 percent in one year. That’s insane.
Our editors hope that this is just the first constitutional change protecting homeowners, and that the next may limit property tax increases to under 10 percent per year, or less, so that never again would an unexpected massive increase in property assessment threaten the loss of one’s home.
Parish Ballot item, Fantasy Sports Betting: Vote YES
This would bring the law in Orleans and other parishes into alignment with most other states. Online fantasy sports betting apps, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, would be legal to play in Louisiana. People could wager on fantasy sports from their smartphones in parishes that approve this amendment. It is absurd that someone can go to Harrah’s casino or their local video poker kiosk to gamble, and cannot do so at their leisure on sports.
This article originally published in the October 22, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
