The East Baton Rouge Parish Department of Finance reported a $3 million increase in sales tax collection yesterday for the first six months of 2008.  When I see income increases in the city parish budget of this magnitude, I am more convinced than ever Mayor Kip Holden’s proposed tax increase is the last thing we need.

Mayor Kip Holden and city government need to work within the confines of the current budget.  The concept we should embrace is to spend money more wisely and pay as we go.  We need adjustments in current spending, not excuses for increased spending.

The city parish budget includes a mission statement to ‘provide the citizens of this parish with excellence in government.”  Excellence does not equate to our current inequities in traffic, crime and education.

Mayor Holden’s budget also makes another promise: “We will seek quicker and better ways to improve infrastructure through greater participation from state and federal partners and greater efficiency within local government.”  This statement sounds like an acceptable plan. 

“Fiscal responsibility”  is also mentioned in the city parish budget.  Lots of buzz phrases, but where’s the beef, Mayor Holden?   

The city parish budget has steadily increased since Kip Holden was elected Mayor of EBR Parish:

• $563 million in 2005
• $592 million in 2006
• $621 million in 2007
• $679 million in 2008

In fact, Holden’s budget increases have nearly doubled from $29 million increases in 2006 and 2007 to a $53 million increase in 2008.  Now, he wants us to pay more taxes to underwrite his $989 million plan for increased spending while we are on the cusp of a recession.  High gas prices, increased grocery costs, and a sluggish economy are not conducive to tax increases to the working class who are currently struggling with stretching their dollars.

The answers are simple.  Scrub the current budget.  Decrease spending.  Be fiscally responsible.  Seek more federal and state grants.  Develop more public-private partnerships. 

Believe it or not, spending in smaller areas is a good start.  If you can’t afford a $4.00 cup of coffee, then you make coffee at home.  City government should be no different.  Prime example:  24/7 security officers are not necessary.  Recently they replayed a clip on the nightly news showing one of Holden’s security officers holding an umbrella over his head while he got out of the car.  It made me realize that the Mayor has no regard for the taxpayer’s money or city-parish budget.  We simply need to cut wasteful spending.

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

Don Corleone said “I spent my whole life trying not to be careless.”  The Godfather could afford to not worry about his lack of morality.  The world he created was corrupt and his friends adapted the same philosophy.

We live, however, in the real world not in a movie, and the truth is that morality does matter to all of us save the criminal element.  The laws of the land and our support of those laws speak volumes about where we stand on morality.  The truth is that we embrace the law when a murder, rape or robbery is committed because humanity knows right from wrong and believes in punishment for failure to follow the law.

The same has applied to morality for centuries.  Unfortunately another school of thought keeps popping its head up.  That is the flawed thinking that immoral acts are ‘not that bad’ and we should understand ‘human frailty’ and accept these mistakes as ‘poor decision making’ that doesn’t affect performance on the job.  Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

Lying, stealing and cheating are not attributes a potential employer embraces in a new applicant.  Yet, I am amazed daily as I hear politicians or their representatives claim that what they do in private has no relevance to the job they perform.  Denial is not just a river in Egypt. 

Should voters embrace this mentality?  Would you hire a nanny for your children that slept with her previous employer?  Would you hire a contractor who overcharged your friend?  Would you turn your beloved pet over to someone abused his wife?  I’m fairly confident the answer is no in all cases. 

Don’t be confused with the difference between forgiveness and responsibility.  Forgiveness is a choice we hopefully make towards others and our self when we commit an immoral act.  Responsibility is when we are willing to accept the consequences of our actions.  Breaking down the moral fabric of our society is a common theme that we must reject.  

If politicians, their political consultants and representatives really believe corrupt morals do not matter let them try creating a political mail piece with the following language:

“I cheated on my spouse.  I worked behind the scenes to help a fellow candidate get elected for cash under the table.  I have lied to my constituents in order to save my image to the voters.  I believe that all the money I have taken, the adultery I committed and the lies I have told have no relevance on how I represent the voters once elected.  Trust me and re-elect me in the upcoming election.”

Now try to convince me that bad morals do not matter to the voters. 

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

David Dugas, U. S. Attorney, said there is no federal crime to investigate in the case surrounding an anonymous flyer accusing Mayor-President Kip Holden of an affair.  The Attorney General’s office has also withdrawn their investigation.

There is another investigation taking place. 

WBRZ filed a Freedom of Information Act request as well as several Metro Council Members to investigate the Mayor’s use of Baton Rouge City Police as his personal security detail.  The initial result indicates weeks with excessive overtime until 1:00 to 2:00 a.m.  The explanation for these times are listed as  ‘Mayor Function’.  What kind of governmental events go on in Baton Rouge until 2:00 a.m.? 

While some council members are asking whether the overtime should be paid by taxpayers, Holden’s attorney says the time sheets are irrelevant.  Irrelevant to whom?

More questions are being raised as to the amount of overtime for these late night events.  In one case, WBRZ showed a time sheet on the 10:00 p.m. news that had 31 hours of overtime.  

One must ask again why on earth would the Mayor consistently speak about charges and rumors if they had no validity?  What political consultants are giving him this advice?  Just a couple months ago Mayor Holden discussed rumors of his marital indiscretions with white women with the Baton Rouge Business Report.

The Mayor has created his own fiasco.  Holden brought up the alleged affair.  Holden overreacted to a flyer.  Holden called for a federal investigation.  Holden made counteraccusations that seem to have no validity.  All of his actions have now launched an investigation into his security’s time sheets, hours of operation and the amount taxpayers are paying for his midnight functions.  The next thing we will hear is that the paparazzi is following Holden around all hours of the night for these ‘mayor functions’. 

Now, Holden says he wants to be about the city’s business, put this behind him and just do his job.  GREAT IDEA!  It’s like a light bulb went off in his head.  BRILLIANT!  Thomas Edison would be so proud.  This is why we elected you Mr. Mayor.  SUPERB!  Maybe your midnight ‘functions’ will end and you will spend more time going about the people’s business who elected you.

Just in time for re-election, I might add.

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

The truth shall set you free.  Some consider that phrase difficult to embrace while others cling to it as a necessary biblical foundation to build upon.  Truth is associated with sincerity, openness and fact.  In politics, accusations and counteraccusations supersede the truth.  Mayor Kip Holden proved this adage true over the last few weeks.  

Recently the infamous ‘marital infidelity accusations’ flyer about Mayor Kip Holden has taken over the Red Stick like a hurricane and reading The Advocate has become like opening up the National Enquirer and the nightly news is like watching Entertainment Tonight. 

Thus the title of this blog:  Accusations & Counteraccusations

Accusation:  A flyer was created.  It was mailed to some voters in EBR Parish claiming Mayor Kip Holden got a black eye and fat lip from the husband of the woman he was dating.   Holden runs to the press and cries foul saying he is calling for a criminal investigation to get to the bottom of the source of the flyer.  Holden hires well-known criminal attorney Mary Olive Pierson to represent him.  Pierson tells the media she has investigators on the research trail and that whoever is behind it is “dumb as a box rocks.” 

1st:  Counteraccusation: Holden accused Byron Sharper as a source of the mailer and his brother as a man passing out the flyers.  Sharper flatly denied that accusation to The Advocate as well as denying his brother, Kurt, was distributing the flyers.  Sharper has now asked for time sheets and logs for Holden’s bodyguards to determine his activities for the past four years since the flyer states that bodyguards bring Holden around town to bars (on your tax dollars) and parties as a normal practice.

2nd Counteraccusation:  Holden made counteraccusations by saying “I think people pretty much know the character of people running against me on the council.”  Ironically, the only council member running is Wayne ‘Spider’ Carter who said he had nothing to do with the flyer and that he is very disappointed in the Mayor for making these statements. Carter flatly denies any involvement in the flyers.

3rd Counteraccusation:  Mayor Holden also claimed it was one of his opponents or their political operatives.  Like Carter, Dan Kyle, another mayoral candidate, had nothing to do with the flyer according to Scott Wilfong, the man who was contracted by a private party to mail the flyers, stated in a WBRZ interview.  

Mayor Holden may be the definition of irony in this fiasco.  While calling for criminal investigations and playing this out in the media, he is making his own accusations about others, painting them in a negative light.  In politics, this is known as subtle character assassination.  Holden seems to have developed it to a fine art.

When your backed against a wall, your reaction tells a lot about your character.  In this case, I would give Holden a failing grade.  He has taken the low road.  He has made counteraccusations with no proof.  He has become that which he says he loathes in others.  Perhaps the flyer was successful in that it showed us who our Mayor really is?  The truth shall set you free.

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

Mayor Kip Holden has presented a $989 million proposed tax increase for the citizens of EBR Parish.  The tax would last for 30 years.  Part of Holden’s tax plan includes building a new prison.  The Mayor refused to seperate the plan into components so voters could consider each improvement on its own merit.  So are we ready to pay for a new prison in the Red Stick? 

The new EBR Parish prison will cost taxpayers $135 million out of the new tax plan, providing 2,280 beds for inmates.  Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said,  “a new prison is needed to ensure that criminals do not walk the streets”.  I beg to differ.  Building a prison won’t keep criminals off our streets.  The problem is much bigger than housing. 

Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said “1,700 prisoners are behind bars in a facility meant to hold 1,594″ in a Baton Rouge Business Report interview.  Gautreaux also said that the new facility of 2,280 beds is “more than enough space to meet projected needs of 2,135 by the year 2025.”  These figures make no sense to me.  1,700 inmates plus 339 inmates currently housed outside the parish adds up to 2,039.  Are we to believe there will only be 241 additional inmates to house over the next 17 years?  That’s only 14 new prisoners annually. 

This is part of the problem with a 30 year tax proposal.  By the time we get a few years behind us, we are already working in a deficit.  Statistics can be made to sound good, but when you take the magnifying glass and take a closer look - well, not such a rosy picture is presented.

The bottom line is that we need to determine if building a new prison is a priority for the taxpayers.  This is just one component of a multi-faceted tax plan that Mayor Kip Holden wants you and your children to pay for the next 30 years.

Sheriff Sid Gautreaux would do well to study Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Phoenix who did not ask for a tax increase to build additional prisons until he created a tent city and showed that he could control spending and do away with the luxuries of prison life.  Let’s get rid of the color televisions and weight rooms and spend tax dollars on basics before we start paying more taxes for a new prison.

In 2000, the taxpayers voted down a tax proposal to renovate the prison with a 60% vote against the tax, and with only 10% showing up at the polls.  Fast forward 8 years to today.  We have spent an average of $7.7 million annually on the prison.  Sorry, but we need to spend money more wisely and on the neighborhood programs and facilities vs. a nicer facility for those who are a threat to society.  I say NO to higher taxes to fund a new prison.

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

When politicians get caught with their pants down it becomes a public scandal.  Today’s newspaper focuses on someone who has ‘gone public’ via a mailer claiming Mayor Kip Holden’s pants were caught down.  Supposedly Holden received a black eye and fat lip from an angry husband who caught Holden with his wife.  Holden denies the black eye came from another man and was due to a fall on carpet.  Why do I find that statement somewhat humorous? 

Mayor Holden is treading on potentially dangerous political ground as he has countered the mailer by going public himself and calling for a criminal investigation into the source of the mailer.  There is an old saying, “let sleeping dogs lie” which might have been a better approach during an election year.

It’s long been the talk of the Red Stick that Mayor Holden has been having a tryst with a white woman.  Mayor Kip Holden even spoke openly about adulterous stories during an interview with the BR Business Report.  At the time I scratched my head and thought he was surely committing political suicide and even blogged about it because I thought he needed new political consultants.  When Holden talks about breaking down the race barriers, I had no idea this was what he meant.

Politics 101:  Never, never, never let your opponent know your weaknesses, because your weakness then becomes your opponent’s strength.  

Honesty, integrity and honoring others is a part of the marital bond.  If you dishonor your marriage, then you have shown yourself unworthy of trust.  Voters seek those they can trust.  Pretty simple.

History repeats itself and gives us insight into how these things play out.  Take a look:

• Democrat Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, formerly called the “most honest man in Detroit”, lost all respect of his own metro council when his marital discretions came to light as they recently called for his removal.  Kilpatrick, of course, denied the allegations, but found himself in the middle of a Whistleblower Trial resulting in an $8 million court award.  Key note:  Personal security detail not only costs taxpayers big bucks, it can bite you in the rear. 
• Democrat Mayor Antonio Villarigosa, committed infidelity twice.  The first time his wife had just been diagnosed with cancer.  She left him and came back for more of the same.  Villarigosa claims that his personal life has no relevance on his political career.  Key note:  If you cannot be faithful to your spouse, how can you be faithful to the voters?
• Democrat Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco was drawn into the spotlight for his affinity for pretty women.  His wife left him and later he committed adultery with his campaign manager’s wife.  Newsom regained his goodwill in the community by seeking alcohol treatment and publicly admitting the error of his ways and for hurting his close friend.  Key note:  Honesty and asking for forgiveness publicly can work.  Just ask Bill Clinton!
• Other mayoral sex scandals ended in sadder circumstances including Mayor Jim West, found to be a player in the Boy Scouts of America sex scandal, who was recalled.  He died 5 months later.  Key note:  Sexual indiscretions and indictments can result in death. 

Sexual indiscretions are a tough topic.  Even tougher are those who commit these acts and then live in denial.  The Red Stick is like a small town.  People talk.  We are living in the electronic age where email and cellular calls hawk the news before God hears about it. 

Bottom line is that whether the mailer is correct or not, even Holden openly talks about the buzz of his indiscretions to the media through interviews about his crossover appeal and calling for a criminal investigation. Remember the old saying “be careful what you ask for”?

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

Know how to talk voters in to saying yes to a tax package during financially troubling times?  Dangle a bunch of carrots in front of them in hopes they will get so caught up in the carrots they will forget about the taxes.

Taxpayers are now being enticed to vote for Holden’s massive tax plan with another carrot:  a downtown museum, riverwalk, aquarium and theme park.  Holden says this will improve the quality of life for EBRP citizens.

Never mind the first 15 minutes of the news announcing the murders of the day or the bullets in your neighborhood and home invasions on the rise.  The tax package takes care of that also, because you are going to pay to build a new prison that will make space for more of those annoying criminals.

Holden will also get a renovated office with your tax dollars which will update the governmental building.  All of this wrapped up in more carrots that include a couple fire stations, a public safety building (new offices for the police and sheriff headquarters), and some traffic light synchronizations.  Just enough enticements to sell you on digging deeper into your pocketbook.

The $989 million tax package will be paid by a 1/2 cent increase in sales tax and a 9.9 mill property tax for homeowners.  And you only have to pay the new tax increase for the next 30 years!

DeSoto Park will require an additional $45 to $55 million in improvements that are not included in the tax package.  Holden hopes to convince the Governor to fund this project.  Forget about the fact that the Governor is already cutting the fat in our state budget this week. 

Since 2002 DeSoto Park was marked as a potential park location.  It has been a tangled web of issues surrounding funding, ownership and lack of priority with the state of Louisiana and legislature.  What makes Holden think he can change those issues with his tax package?

UPDATE:  Today Mayor Holden and ’shadow mayor’ Walter Monsour became indignant when the Metro Council asked for more time to review the plan.  Kudos to Councilman David Bonneno who led the charge for more details, more time and thought into Holden’s tax plan.

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

Mayor-President Kip Holden introduced his proposed tax package today with what he claims is the first of three announcements.  His tax plan, wrapped up with a nice red bow, promised two new downtown hotels and parking lots. 

This is all so confusing given that just last week developer Richard Preis announced his plans to build a downtown hotel with 300 hotel rooms, condos and retail space - a $135 million development. 

Now Holden proposes two more hotels in downtown wrapped up in his tax package.  I’ve seen some creative tax packages before, but this one might take the cake in trying to convince voters to pay more taxes!

Holden reminds me of legislators asking for a pay raise this past session by sending a subtle message to the taxpayers:  If you don’t pass the tax I’m proposing, then you won’t get the two new hotels.  Politics as usual.  The tax proposal also announces an expansion of the BR River Center including two new parking lots and 36,000 additional square feet of meeting space. 

Any way Holden packages his tax plan, it will be a difficult sale to voters who are struggling at the gas pump and grocery store.  Fees and taxes for voters of EBR Parish have continually increased since Holden was elected Mayor-President. 

The next few days should be interesting to see what other enticements Holden plans to sell us in exchange for raising our taxes.  No matter how he packages his tax plan, taxes are taxes are taxes.  How about scrubbing the budget Kip?

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

The race for Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish is officially on for 2008.  Four candidates have announced their intention to run including:

Current Mayor-President Kip Holden kicked off his re-election bid a couple months ago.  He is often referred to as an absentee landlord since the reigns of city-parish government were turned over to Walter Monsour by Holden.  Monsour’s nickname is the ’shadow mayor’.  Holden’s record shows he is a tax-and-spend liberal democrat proven by his actions while in office.  Just a few include: 

• Holden raised sewer fees
• Holden raised garbage and recycling fees
• Holden raised the fees for bus riders of the transit system
• Holden spent $130,000 to fund the International Heritage Festival, Fest for All, and Blues Fest
• Holden raised taxes for his Green Light Project (which has not solved our traffic woes)
• Holden spent more $$ for studies for proposed projects than in the history of EBRP
• Holden paid the Chamber of Commerce $1 million to create economic development projects (a job they are supposed to do without additional funding from voters) Note:  This resulted in the Chamber endorsing Holden for his re-election bid.
• Holden increased the spending budget for 2008 by 9.5% (never mind that they project another income increase in 2008 of $22-$25 million due to increased sales taxes or the fact that EBRP had a $41 million surplus from 2006)
• Holden has steadily increased the city-parish spending/budget as follows:
  • $592 million in 2006
  • $621 million in 2007
  • $672 million in 2008

Metro-Council member and business owner, republican Wayne ‘Spider’ Carter, announced his plans for candidacy including addressing a growing crime rate and no new taxes.  Carter has been an outspoken opponent of Holden.  Carter says he brings his business savvy and experience as a metro-council member to the table as a viable candidate.  Holden can expect Carter to continue to express his disapproval of Holden’s inadequacies.

Former EBR Parish School Board Member and defense attorney, democrat Ron Johnson, shocked everyone when he signed up this week as a candidate for mayor.  Nevertheless, Johnson has been quoted in the past as also saying that Holden is a tax-and-spend liberal.  Johnson is brother to Judge Ron Johnson.  No agenda has been announced to date by Johnson, but rumors are abounding that this could be Cleo Field’s candidate.  Time will tell.

Former BREC Board Member and former Legislative Auditor, republican Dan Kyle, announced his candidacy for mayor this week.  Kyle had previously hinted as to a run while criticizing the tax-and-spend democratic agenda Holden has shown for the past 3 1/2 years.  Kyle is known for his calm demeanor, but bull-dog approach to excessive spending and political agendas.  He could be a force to be reckoned with in this race.

I highly encourage voters to take a strong look at all of the candidates as this race unfolds.  I believe it is time for new leadership.  Holden does have charisma, but it takes less spending, no new taxes, and decreases in our crime and traffic woes to impress the voters.  We are not interested in a mayor who is a good motivational speaker.  We are interested in a mayor that will truly become the voice of the people by spending more time about the people’s business by reducing the cost of state government and improving its effectiveness for the people.

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican

 Thankfully Governor Bobby Jindal vetoed the excessive legislative pay raise today!  After the announcement this morning, I noticed something extremely interesting:  voters were glad, but still expressed reservations about what kind of statement Jindal was making.  This made me think, which is dangerous.

There is a question I have to ask.  Is Jindal our Whiz Kid or our Hero?  What legacy is he trying to leave as governor of our great state?

Whiz Kid?  A whiz kid is defined as a young person who is exceptionally intelligent, innovatively clever, or precociously successful.  This was the nickname given to Jindal by former governor Mike Foster.  There is no doubt Jindal is intelligent and successful.  He has catapulted himself to success quickly rising through the ranks of political circles to become one of the youngest governors of the state of Louisiana.  He attempted to be clever in handling the potential veto, but didn’t accomplish his initial goal which was to have legislators decline a pay raise or to ask him to veto the bill.  He wasn’t such a Whiz Kid in the current scenario.

Hero?  By definition, a hero is someone with great strength or courage with a nobility of purpose.  I cannot call Jindal a hero because he apparently vetoed the bill only to save his own political future.  Sure, he spoke against the pay raise, but chose to wait until the eleventh hour to make the right decision.  In his speech Jindal never said what we wanted him to say:  “The people have spoken and we serve the people.”  Instead he said the pay raise was not in line with ethics reform.  The real pain came for the voters when he waited so long to veto the bill.  No hero here.  Or is there?

Governor Bobby Jindal has operated his entire career as ‘the hero’.  He seems to thrive on ‘coming to the rescue.’  Unfortunately, he misses a key component.  Heroes act quickly.  By the time Jindal often arrives, the injured is in pretty bad shape.  Even mythical heroes act quickly (examples:  Superman, Batman) 

Heroes also inspire, win battles against all odds, are leaders, set examples and are the pacesetters.  They come in all shapes, ages and colors. 

Political heroes include Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt, Ulysses Grant, and Thomas Jefferson.  Inventors are heroes.  They are the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, Alexander Graham Bell and Eli Whitney.  Heroes are creative, powerful, persuasive individuals that make their mark in history.  The list is endless from Rosa Parks to Albert Einstein and from Sam Walton to Bill Gates.  People listen to heroes, they emulate them, and they know them by the intensive passion to fight for what is right and good and true.  They apparently do not make decisions based on political futures, but on the matter at hand. 

So, at the end of the day, what is most troubling about Governor Bobby Jindal are the weeks of delay that he spent toiling over a decision to veto or not veto an unacceptable pay raise.  We are so very glad he chose the better part; however, we are perplexed to figure out whether he truly is a Whiz Kid or just longs to be a hero for the people.  If he is choosing to be a hero, then we need him to act quicker, firmer and with more resolve in the future than he has in the past.

Jindal is charting his political legacy each day.  Let’s hope he learns from the past and makes decisions that leave a legacy both he and the voters can be proud of for years to come.  Our legacy depends on it.

Until next time,

Red Stick Republican