Foster Campbell

Foster Campbell impressed me today. I was not prepared for that. I have been doing some research into his “Oil Processing Fee” proposal and it seemed to have some merit, at least far more merit than what his opponents grant it. After listening to his pitch I am even more persuaded of its worth and due consideration. It is a policy proposal that begs for far more than sound bites it supporters and opponents will give it. It is a policy worthy of serious consideration and deeper investigation, and therefore so is his candidacy, since it is centered on the “Oil Processing Fee.”

Vote Your Convictions

This is a crucial time for the State of Louisiana. I have heard it said more than a dozen times, if Louisiana doesn't get it right in this next election, we won't ever do it. There are candidates seeking seats in the Governor's office, Caddo Parish Commission, House of Representatives, and the Senate. With so many seats at stake, it is imperative voters educate themselves on the candidates. This is not the time to say "iney," "meany," "miney," mo; but rather make sound decisions based on whatever you believe the basis for your vote is.

Great opportunities have transpired from the movie industry, the Port, and the new development on Youree Drive however, we still have a long way to go. Opportunities like these should be evident in less thriving areas of Shreveport as well.

As citizens of Shreveport, most of us are aware of the problems facing our city; healthcare, standardized testing, economic development, education, I-49, Neighborhood abandonment and deterioration, low wages, drop-out rates, and our elderly population to name a few. These issues mean a great deal to us as citizens and shape the way we will live our lives, at least for the next four years based on our votes.

So, I impress upon you to "Vote Your Convictions." Get to the heart of the matter and determine what the candidates in your district propose to offer you and your families to make your lives in Shreveport better. The sooner we realize we are better together, the sooner we truly can become "The Next Great City of the South."

FOR THE LOVE OF REPECT AND RESPECTIBILITY

Tomorrow is the last day of qualifying for people interested in running for gubernatorial and legislative seats, I can't help but hope – with all of my heart – that a few people will be pulling tricks out of their hats before the deadline.

I don't know who I'll vote for as Governor. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Right now, I'm more interested in the Legislative race.

There are a few districts locally and throughout the state that have worthwhile candidates, at least that’s what I believe.

However, there are other districts that leave me saying to myself, "that's it, no one else is running? Come oooon!!"

I know there's someone out there who's interested in making this state a better place. There’s someone with competence and compassion. I'm not so much interested in one's past as I am with his/her future.

Some candidate's futures aren’t as bright as others. Some people are running because they want to FINALLY get there. Others are more interested in the perks of being a lawmaker than actually making laws that will help Louisiana move forward. Some people won't do a great job in representing us.

But on the other hand, some people know what it takes to be a leader. Some are interested in seeing Louisiana progress. Some people care about the welfare of others and know how the legislative system works. Some people bring respectability to our communities and will represent us well in Baton Rouge.

Sadly, a number of those qualified people will not be signing up as candidates before tomorrow's 5 o'clock deadline. They should really reconsider.

Forward to the Past?

Congressman Tom Tancredo’s (R), Colorado, press release calling for a moratorium on further Katrina spending teems with innuendo and plays way too loose with the facts. In addition to his responsibility as a Congressman to tell the truth, he must also see the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is essential that he and every other critic of Katrina recovery take an open eyed visit to the Big Easy. Only then will they see the job ahead is not just big, but also is not easy. Nor, is it an inexpensive job.

In his criticism of Louisiana, he uses as an example reported misuses of debit cards from the weeks immediate immediately following the Katrina and Rita. He conveniently neglects to mention the fact that the debit cards were a FEMA controlled program, under the leadership of “heckuva job Brownie”. When Tancredo says, “It’s time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station.” he wrongly implies that all of the “waste, fraud, and abuse” is strictly a Louisiana issue.

Amusingly he uses examples over 100 years old to support his argument, Tancredo says the people of San Francisco, following the Great Quake (1906), rolled up their sleeves and got the job done themselves without waiting for government handouts. But going back to 1906 isn’t even far enough back for Tancredo, he uses the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 too. That’s not even last century, that’s back TWO centuries. Now I know some conservatives tend to like to do things the old way and are a bit reluctant to rapid change, but to go back two centuries for your example is bordering on ludicrous. My goodness, Mr Tancredo’s state did not even have a star on the flag in 1871. Does his energy policy draw heavily from the Amish example?

For some reason, intentional or otherwise, Tancredo’s statement glaringly omits facts such as the US government’s assistance in cleaning up after more recent disasters such as New York after 9/11, Washington state after Mount St. Helens in 1980. In her response to Tancredo, Governor Blanco notes the failure “to mention this $114 billion was distributed among five states - Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Florida - in the aftermath of three disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.”

Tancredo is correct when he says, “This whole fiasco has been a perfect storm of corruption and incompetence at all levels.” As a member of Congress he does have the duty to provide oversight of government spending, but he must also acknowledge that he has a responsibility to the citizens of the United States, which includes the people of Louisiana. He has the responsibility to provide them relief from a disaster resulting from acts commission and omission of the United States government agencies. Had administrations and congresses, past and present, exercised proper control of those agencies, no need to spend billions for the recovery of New Orleans would exist.

Teachers: A Higher Calling

September is here, football is in full swing, schools are in session and teachers are back in the classroom. This is a time for many new beginnings. Every football team is optimistic, every coach is pessimistic, no student has flunked a test, and there's a promise for cooler weather. However, the greatest of new beginnings are those influenced by teachers. That, in itself makes the profession a "higher calling" in my book.

Teachers have such profound impact on kids both positive and unfortunately negative. Yet it is such an under-appreciated group. It is a job so many people think they can do but so few can really do well. Today, they are saddled with so many non-education tasks one wonders when they ever get around to teaching sometimes.

Before my time on the Community Board is done I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all teachers! Just for fun I listed the last names of all my teachers from first grade through graduate school. I think I got them all but a few in college (hey it was the seventies). The point is they all have a part in building people, including me. They are so important that they may not remember our names but we sure remember most of them.

I particularly appreciate the inscription in my high school yearbook by my science teacher that prompted my decision to go to college and to major in science. Up to that point I was willing to pursue only that which I knew I could do. She led me to seek things beyond my immediate grasp.

Teachers are people and people sometimes fail. It seems too many teachers that fail these days somehow forgot that theirs is truly a higher calling. Thank you teachers.