Entities do not paint a pretty picture
As a political columnist, I am often approached by complete strangers — and friends — and asked for my opinion on various government policies and activities from the local to the national level. I do not consider myself an expert on anything, but I probably pay closer attention to what government is doing more so than the average person on the street. So if I seem a little depressed or discouraged at times, you can see why.
I am always glad when someone expresses an interest because far too many people just don’t seem to care about government and politics these days. That fact, of course, is part of our problem. Those with a penchant for power and prestige get elected to of ce, often by a small percentage of registered voters, then begin working to make sure they get re-elected. Don’t get me wrong. I admire, in a way, those who want to serve in elected of ce. It is not easy and often not fun. But on the bright side for them, voters seldom hold them accountable for their actions.
With that said, let’s take a look at what is happening among our various governing bodies. At the local level, I am often asked if Shreveport will ever have another white mayor. Current population estimates reveal that 54.5 percent of city residents are black, 40 percent are white, and 6 percent are other races. The gap will continue to widen. So my answer is: No. But some local politicos believe a Democratic white woman might have a shot at being mayor — if she can attract some black support. And it is quite possible the city will have a majority-black city council after the 2014 elections.
Will that make for more contention among city of cials? Of course it will. Right now, we have the mayor and city council in a power struggle about who has the most authority to set policy and spend taxpayer dollars. Some council members are trying to take away powers granted to the mayor by the city charter, which was established in 1978. Where that political war ends up is anyone’s guess. And there is also a battle over a dog park, which has wound up in court. Disagreements between the mayor and council are not always a bad thing, as long as it does not hinder other important city issues that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, the battles often become personal rather than just political.
At the state level, we had a good governor in Kathleen Blanco, but she made the mistake of shedding some tears over the devastation and loss of life from Hurricane Katrina. With those drain. So we got a governor in Bobby Jindal, who is more concerned about his national ambitions than the state he was elected to govern. In an effort to nd some signature developments to enhance those national ambitions, he has basically destroyed the state’s educational and health-care systems as we knew them.
Finally, after ve years of being bullied by the governor, the state Legislature showed some independence in the recently concluded session. Never mind that legislators spent a lot of time trying to put more guns on the streets of Louisiana, the state with the most murders by gun per capita in the country. Nevertheless, they did put the brakes on some of the governor’s outlandish ideas, such as the elimination of the state income tax. The governor, however, was not deterred. He sent out a column to newspapers all over the state taking credit for what those independent-minded legislators accomplished. His political spin machine was operating at full throttle.
At the national level, we have a Congress which has received the lowest approval rating of any institution in history — at least since Gallup started polling in the 1970s. Only about 10 percent of Americans have any con dence in our national legislative body. With that kind of disdain, you would think that most of them will be thrown out of of ce in 2014. Don’t hold your breath. One has to be independently wealthy to challenge an incumbent member of Congress because he or she is constantly holding fundraisers and building a war chest from willing lobbyists and special interest groups.
Getting Democrats and Republicans to work together and compromise on policies that are in the best interests of the American people is an exercise in futility. Members of Congress are the poster boys — and girls — of taking politics to a whole new personal level.
The Obama administration is trying to do damage control on actions by stupid government employees while dealing with many challenging global issues. The president’s approval rating is on the decline, resting now at about 47 percent. It will likely go lower as time passes. The world, itself, is out of control. Dictators are killing their own people in an effort to stay in power. It is a sad commentary on the state of affairs today.
Every once in a while, there is a shining light, such as Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell. He represents 24 parishes and visits them on a regular basis where citizens can ask questions in a public setting of of cials from the utility companies regulated by the PSC. Campbell is always available and responsive to the concerns of his constituents. Now, that’s how government ought to work.
Lou Gehrig Burnett, an award-winning journalist, has been involved with politics for 44 years and was a congressional aide in Washington, D.C., for 27 years. He also served as executive assistant to former Shreveport Mayor Bo Williams. Burnett is the publisher of the weekly “FaxNet tears, her political career went down the Update” and can be reached at 861-0552 or [email protected].
