But more politics loom on 2015 horizon
Another year has come and gone. This is the final column for Forum for 2014. It is unfortunate, but my deadline is before the Dec. 6 elections, so as I write this, I do not know how the final round of races came out. There are many unanswered questions at the end of what has been an interesting – and in many cases a vitriolic – election year.
By the time you read this, you will know who won the U.S. Senate seat, the Shreveport mayor’s race and city council seats, city marshal and school board seats. I will have to wait until the first column of 2015 to comment on what happened. I am anxiously awaiting the results on election night.
A few things we do know ahead of time. Shreveport will have its first mayor who never served on the city council since the mayor-council form of government was established back in the 1970s. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen. And, will Shreveport have its first majority-black council in history? It’s not a certainty, but a possibility as two city council races have a white candidate facing a black candidate.
The U.S. Senate race took a bizarre turn in the week leading up to the election. Websites and media outlets revealed that Republican candidate Bill Cassidy double-dipped on more than $100,000 in salary and nearly $250,000 in total compensation for work he did not perform at the LSU Health Sciences Center while serving as a member of Congress. It will be interesting to see if the emerging scandal resonates with voters. Cassidy is facing some serious ethical and legal challenges in the weeks ahead as Louisiana State University has initiated and investigation and two separate ethics complaints have been filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics.
While Cassidy canceled public appearances and appeared to go into hiding after the allegations surfaced, Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu was criss-crossing the state in a lastditch effort to win a fourth six-year term.
Will Louisiana voters send a three-term, powerful U.S. senator packing? Those are just a few of the things I am thinking about as I write this column.
Over the course of time, I talk with many people and receive numerous emails and phone calls from residents interested in politics. Sadly, it is hard to find anyone who does not feel that the political scene has become extremely distasteful and downright nasty. Political ads are filled with lies and allegations that are untrue, often attacking the opponent rather than telling what they will do to improve things if elected. Candidates – those who have the courage to enter the political battlefield – find that nothing is off-limits. One’s personal and family life is scrutinized to turn up any negative information. And candidates discover that it can be an expensive experience to run for political office and, if they lose, find themselves in debt.
From the national to the state to the local level, we see polarization in politics. Partisan politics have become so acrimonious that it is difficult for governmental entities to get very much accomplished. When you have the Republican leader in the U.S. Senate saying after President Barack Obama was elected that his party’s main goal was to defeat Obama, that is a pretty sad state of affairs. Back in the day, when I served on Capitol Hill, members of Congress disagreed on issues but never took the fight personally. They would fight the good fight and socialize afterward. Not so today.
This election year, thankfully, is over. But, oh ye of little faith. The new year – 2015 – is just around the corner. And guess what? It will be another blockbuster election year in Louisiana. The big race, of course, will be for governor of the Pelican State. Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal is termlimited and cannot seek a third term. The governor’s office in Louisiana is one of the most powerful in the nation, so there will be no shortage of candidates for the job.
In addition, all statewide offices will be on the ballot. That includes lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, insurance commissioner and agriculture commissioner. All state legislative offices – state senator and state representative – are also on tap. At the local level, there will be no shortage of interesting contests. Voters will elect a sheriff, assessor and parish commissioners (police jury).
So all the ingredients are there for what promises to be another mindboggling election year at the state and local levels. Candidates are already gearing up and could hardly restrain themselves to get started, but most were waiting for the 2014 election year to conclude so as not to confuse voters.
I do want to close with a personal thank you to those of you who support Forum and take the time to read my column. I approach the reactions to my column by being reminded of the famous words from poet John Lydgate and later adapted by President Lincoln: “You can please some of the people all the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” That’s my stand, and I’m sticking to it. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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 Update” and can be reached at 861-0552 or louburnett@comcast.net.
