State Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, has thrown the first media jab in the race for governor with a radio spot that started airing on black radio stations in Acadiana recently.
The buy overlaps the area where TV commercials have been running for Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle.
The radio spot labels Angelle as “Bobby Jindal’s right-hand man” for supporting hospital privatization and cuts at Southern University. The announcer adds, “Without Republican Scott Angelle, Jindal could have never done the damage he’s done to Louisiana.”
The spot ends with a brief introduction of Edwards, describing him as a Christian and West Point grad.
Contacted for comment, Edwards said, “The bottom-line is Scott Angelle is only telling half the story. He’s a workhorse, but the wagon he is pulling is being driven by Bobby Jindal.”
Angelle, who has been appointed to several positions by the governor, offered a comment through his campaign manager Ryan Cross.
“Scott Angelle has been fighting for the people of Louisiana since before Bobby Jindal had a driver’s license,” said Cross. “We appreciate Rep. Edwards’ acknowledging Scott’s workhorse mentality, but we are only beholden to the hard working people of Louisiana.”
Dems Recruited To Run For Governor
The open primary system in Louisiana makes for interesting politics, especially in this year’s race for governor, in which a lone Democrat is obliged to protect his polled runoff position against a field of Republicans, at least two of which would benefit from another Democrat in the race, which would force an all-GOP runoff.
State Rep. John Bel Edwards is that lone Democrat. Also announced for the race are three Republicans, including Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and U.S. Sen. David Vitter.
While it’s unknown who’s behind the recruitment effort, at least three well-known Democrats have been approached about running for governor. None of them appear to be jumping in.
Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden has been encouraged to run, say aides. But he’s decided to remain a candidate for lieutenant governor. Holden has made it “very clear” that he only wants the No. 2 spot, despite being asked repeatedly to run for governor.
Other sources say former Opelousas mayor and one-time state Sen. Don Cravins, Sr., has received visitors as well, but he’s stayed quiet about it.
State Sen. Rick Gallot, R-Ruston, has been approached for a read about his feelings on running. He said he can read the politics on the move pretty well.
“Any candidate who would engage in that sort of tactic right now would be [sending] a signal of the kind of leadership they would provide as governor, and it would be an extension of what we’re getting from the current administration. It’s a divide and conquer technique.”
Vitter’s Cell Phone Gets Personal Again
Locally elected officials have received a special perk for attending recent association meetings this year: U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s personal cell phone number.
At the Police Jury Assoc. convention in January and the School Board Association meeting last month, Vitter provided his digits to the entire audience over the microphone.
Campaign spokesperson Luke Bolar said Vitter made it a practice long ago, and recently announced phone numbers for the Louisiana Sheriffs Assoc. and the Alliance for Good Government.
“It is really his personal cell,” Bolar said, adding it’s the number he uses to reach his boss and that the senator’s family uses to reach him.
The School Board Assoc. made up a pretty big crowd, and many had pen and paper ready.
“There was a little uptick in calls after this one, but nothing major,” said Bolar.
Multimodal Office Gains Traction
The checkered flag isn’t yet being waved. But the forces behind a new Office of Multimodal Commerce at the Dept. of Transportation and Development do feel as if a compromise has been reached.
The Legislature and governor approved the new office last year, as proposed in legislation by state Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma. The bill restructures part of the strategic decision-making process at DOTD by isolating roads and bridges for the department’s new focus.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of the new Office of Multimodal Commerce will be charged with coordinating commercial trucking; ports and waterways; aviation; and freight and passenger rail development.
The office is scheduled to come online next year, but first the Legislature must place into law the operational framework, which is based on recommendations from an advisory commission that’s been meeting over the past few months.
Chabert, the transportation chairs, department heads and others signed off on the recommendations. But a sticking point was whether a firewall should be created to separate the new office from DOTD. It was eventually left out of the recommendations. Stakeholders say if it resurfaces during session, it could be a deal-breaker.
“We’ll work as hard as we can to make it as autonomous as possible,” Chabert said. “And we’re going to continue to work the angles that please everyone.”
Lawmakers will have to vote this year on merging the divisions and creating a framework for the new commissioner. But the actual appropriations won’t be needed until fiscal year 2016-17. A salary will need to be hammered out. The office’s overall budget is already part of DOTD and can be pulled over into a separate unit, if that move is approved by lawmakers.
One item included as part of the official recommendations asks the Legislature to direct DOTD to develop a plan for intercity passenger rail, which has been bouncing around in studies in recent years and in talks with nonprofit partners. The recommendation also asks that additional personnel and funding be made available when they’re needed.
Chabert argues that the office will more properly position the state to take advantage of business opportunities such as the widening of the Panama Canal and increased energy exploration that DOTD is unable to focus wholeheartedly on with a massive backlog of transportation projects.
The effort is part of a larger national policy trend that recognizes a synergistic approach to multimodal commerce. Louisiana would be only the second state in the nation to establish such an office. Pennsylvania led the way in 2013.
Low-Key Blueprint This Session
Blueprint Louisiana, the good government group backed by businessmen and civic activists from around the state, is unlikely to play any kind of leading role during the upcoming regular session, according to its chairman, Phillip Rozeman.
But its membership doesn’t want the political class to take that the wrong way. The group will be active in supporting keys topics while lawmakers try to make sense of the budget mess. But the group is focused on drafting an agenda for the fall elections.
“This session, higher ed is an emergency and our group continues to support allowing the autonomy required to help our colleges get through the crisis,” Rozeman said. “We base this on creating the new normal of higher ed as a market-based enterprise.”
Blueprint will likewise lend support on “already staked-out ground” in transportation, early childhood education, public schools, coastal restoration and crime. Its backing of the Common Core standards hasn’t changed.
“On health care, public-private partnerships were part of the original framework, and we will continue efforts to support this reform as well as the concept of dollars following the patient,” said Rozeman.
But there will be no Blueprint-developed bills this session. Instead, members are working on an agenda for gubernatorial and legislative candidates to review. The group may stray from using the route of pledges for candidates this year, Rozeman said, but still plans on spending money to get support for its priorities and inform voters of who’s on board.
The top election issues for Blueprint include transportation and infrastructure, health care delivery, higher ed funding and budget reform.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.
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