Election Crunch Time

The average voter may have finally started to focus on the Oct. 20 election. We might pick an outright winner for governor and many other statewide and local races. Runoffs will be decided Nov. 17.

This voter is searching the Internet, reading archived headlines, poring over newspapers and listening to audio of candidates. Getting this voter to the polls is the next step.

And The Times is trying to help.

Readers can review candidate bios and links on our election Web site. This shreveporttimes.com section will contain the Election Guide material appearing in The Times special section published Thursday. A sample ballot can be downloaded now and will be published Friday and Saturday

While the mantra of change echoes with "don't put the same ol’ faces back in office," Northwest Louisiana might benefit from returning a few. If leaders like Billy Montgomery (running for District 37 Senate after being term-limited in the house), District 8 State Representative Jane Smith and District 38 Senator Sherri Cheek are elected, they offer a senior coalition for Northwest Louisiana capable of helping newbie legislators navigate in Baton Rouge. They have a record of helping with Cyber Command and championing their constituents’ interests.

Locally, the Caddo coroner race is the most heated -- and the most interesting. It has been more than 20 years since there has been head-on competition for this job.

Dr. Todd Thoma is facing off with incumbent Dr. Mairus McFarland. Thoma, with assists by local attorney John Settle, is taking McFarland to task on administrative and operational decisions. Thoma has raised important issues about fiscal responsibility and use of specialized nurses, but you are the final judge of whether those points merit replacing McFarland. McFarland is credited with digging the coroner's office out of a major mess left by the late Dr. George McCormick. To McFarland's credit, he acknowledges the need to explore local autopsy options and makes good points about why some out-of-state autopsies are needed.
There is more to this debate.

Try to catch up on election issues by reading a few aging election forum headlines (1, 2 and 3).

Do your homework and review tomorrow's election guide published in lieu of the Conversations section. This guide will set you up to use the sample ballots being published in The Times Friday and Saturday.

As gubernatorial negative ads dissolve into desperation, don't be deterred by the process. Instead listen to audio of gubernatorial candidate stances and points:

• Walter Boasso: Download the interview
• Foster Campbell: Download the interview
• John Georges: Download the interview
• Bobby Jindal: Download the interview

Part of our process includes interviewing all the candidates and offering endorsements. A group of volunteer community board members and The Times editorial board met with the local and statewide candidates over a three-week period. Phew! A recap of the endorsements published these past two weeks will be published Friday.

Newspapers do endorsements to offer a considered opinion and provoke thought. We take a stance everyday on the issues that face our community. Why would we sit out on the biggest decisions facing the future of our state, the 2007 election? You shouldn't sit out either.

The most effective and most American duty we have is to vote. See you at the polls Saturday. Follow results online and in The Sunday Times.

Foster Campbell Channels Robin Hood

Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Foster Campbell (D) was easy to follow today, stumping on tax reform in a session with The Times' editorial and community boards. His platform to eliminate state income tax comes with a revenue replacement plan taxing foreigners getting rich off Louisiana oil in a Robin Hood-esque “scheme.”

Campbell contends the 40K miles of oil transmission pipelines statewide are an infrastructure stronghold. He plans to leverage them against oil companies for “fair share” contributions to state issues such as coastal erosion. He argues those pipelines are gold that will keep oil companies here despite new taxes being excised. (Listen to streaming audio.)

Campbell also wants to eliminate severance taxes on state-based oil production replaced by the new flat tax approach to oil processing. A local company would see a 50% reduction in taxes with Campbell's math. By his calculations, a $2B surplus would result.

Hmmm.

Campbell blew off Bobby Jindal’s flag waving on ethics reform as ineffective and ironic. He believes allowing lobbyists on the Senate and House floors are a bigger problem than some issues touted. Lobbyists' access to legislators during sessions is “too much influence, too close.” To force priority setting and reduce time on “trivial” local matters, Campbell would limit the number of bills legislators introduce. (Listen to streaming audio of the session.)

Other highlights:

• Forewarned losses of gaming revenue if Texas gets gaming within 6 years.
• Voiced unwavering support for “charity” hospital in New Orleans.
• Said PhD programs at LSU-S are a must.
• Picked on Entergy’s energy rates, saying they are dampening economic development in eastern parts of the state

As we closed, he expounded a little on Jena news saying it “got out of hand” and would not have developed into a national news event under his watch.

Storms Changed Boasso’s Politics

“Once you see dead bodies floating down the streets and people hanging on for help. ... And then you look at where you are years later, it’s hard to believe you live in America.”
– Walter Boasso, Louisiana gubernatorial candidate

Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Walter Boasso (D) explains how hurricanes Katrina and Rita shaped his political outlook in today’s meeting with The Times’ editorial and community boards. He says newspapers have called him a maverick Republican because he votes his conscience. He chose to leave the Republican Party, saying, “My party left me seven days in the water with nobody... My party lied to me.”

Boasso chose to label himself a Democrat “because an independent cannot win in Louisiana.” Listen to the audio stream.

Some points Boasso made during the meeting:
-- Wants a constitutional convention to restructure state government. Among other things, he favors three strong independent branches instead of the somewhat imperial governorship we have now.
-- Wants to pull government apart to look for waste, putting is back together in a more efficient form.
-- Asks: “Why does a teacher have to come every four years and beg for raise?”
-- Sees a hybrid health-care program in our future to provide a safety net (public and private dollars).
-- Wants to mesh technical and community colleges with high schools to provide vocational training and job prep.
-- Wants a different type of accountability in schools. Doesn’t like No Child Left Behind and will put all of the “rules on the side” looking at education reform.
-- Doesn’t see getting rid of income tax as a reality.
-- Believes everyone in elected office should have “glass pockets” to address ethics and corruption.
-- Confronts capital outlay system for funding local projects, sort of.
-- Describes how creating a better barrier system is an immediate plan to protect the shorelines. Would use navy surplus to create reefs.
-- Agrees with major problems dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane. Believes it is the biggest “man-made” disaster ever.
-- What would he say to President Bush? “George, I hope you go home and look in the mirror.”
-- Prioritizes focus as education, health care and jobs.

Boasso has a vision to plug Asian trade into the Mississippi River: “You are going to light Louisiana up like a Christmas tree (48:03 in the audio stream).

09/12/05 (left): State senator Walter J. Boasso and State Rep. Nita Hutter of St. Bernard Parish, and other officials talked to the thousands of residents that came to the State Capitol building seeking information on the parish's condition after Hurricane Katrina. (Times Photo/Shane Bevel/2005)

A Helping of Politics with Breakfast
Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Foster Campbell (D) raised the volume today during the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Group at Brother’s Seafood in Shreveport.

It may have been the bad PA system causing Campbell to raise his voice. He was noticeably passionate about his belief that eliminating income tax as a key to economic prosperity in Louisiana.

Campbell also explained that he believes Louisiana is last in many state comparison categories because we “squander our natural resources.”

He said he would fund gap left by the income tax break by getting more money from the oil and gas giants. To fund projects to address coastal erosion? Campbell said he’d go after those causing the problem, targeting oil and gas again to pay their fair share.

Gubernatorial race notes

Known candidates for Louisiana governor are St. Bernard Parish businessman Walter Boasso (D), Public Service Commissioner and Bossier Parish farmer Foster Campbell (D), Jefferson Parish businessman John Georges (R) and U.S. Rep. for the First District Bobby Jindal (R).
Other names reportedly in the race are Raymond Brown (D); Anthony Gentile (I); T. Lee Horne III (L); Hardy Parkerson (D).
Names in the mix or considering a run: Richard Ieyoub (D); Chris John, (D); Ray Nagin (D) and Dave Treen (R)
We'll know the official candidates for office after qualifying in September.

Louisiana governor's race candidates are sparring for attention.
--YouTube spots are posted: Boasso, Campbell, Georges and Jindal.
--Polls get people talking: Georges and Boasso.
--Questions about whether New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will enter the race are being chased by pundits and talk shows.
The La. Gov race is gaining interest nationally.

What topics will interest local voters most?
If the race ends up being about ethics, will candidates take questions head on? Would you support a pardon for former governor Edwin Edwards?
Republican Senator David Vitter's admission to D.C. Madam connections might drive attention to family values. Do you support gay marriage and/or gay couple civil unions?
SEND your questions.

Nagin to weigh in?
If Nagin jumps in, he could add energy to conversations about poverty, crime, race and New Orleans reconstruction. His re-election affirmed his political strength. Some believe his coy answers to a governor's bid are just a precursor to a different campaign. (View his famous "chocolate " city comments that did not seem to harm his political future.)

Endorsement work ahead...
The Times editorial board will be meeting with gubernatorial candidates as the election season heats up. These are endorsement interviews. We'll publish some of the board Q&As.
Don't assume our previous Jindal endorsement means we'll repeat. New players and new issues being reviewed with a new publisher and new community board members offer a clean slate. We expect to endorse a candidate roughly seven days before the election.

Important dates from Louisiana Secretary of State site:
Qualifying is September 4-6, 2007
Gubernatorial Primary Election is October 20, 2007
Gubernatorial General Election is November 17, 2007