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Archive for August, 2010

Aug 31

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Under the Radar, Ravi Sangisetty Raises More Money Than Anyone Else

Currently, there is only one Democrat representing Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives, Charlie Melancon of Louisiana’s Third Congressional District. Melancon, of course, has decided to forgo a re-election campaign in order to challenge David Vitter for the Senate. Very early on (actually, before Melancon even “officially” announced his intention to run for Senate), Ravi Sangisetty, a young, Ivy League-educated, Indian-American lawyer, made it known that if Melancon was going to run for Senate, then he would run for Melancon’s seat as a Democrat.

Once Melancon made it official, Sangisetty and his campaign began aggressively yet quietly raising money, and because no one challenged him in the primary, he hasn’t had to spend aggressively. So far, Sangisetty has taken a relatively low-profile, which is probably wise considering the on-going blood bath between the two Republicans, Hunt Downer and Jeff Landry, who would like to challenge him. Both men are veterans of the Louisiana National Guard, and both are apparently “attacking” one another over their respective military experience, which has left some conservatives feeling exasperated.

Last week, Landry, who is supported by the so-called “Tea Party of Louisiana” (which is, in actuality, just a group of Republicans and not some independent voting bloc), captured more than 49% of the vote in the Republican primary, a strong showing but one that, unfortunately for him, means competing, once again, against Hunt Downer (who received 36% of the vote) in a run-off election.

I expect Sangisetty’s campaign will continue to play it cool, sit back, and watch as Downer and Landry spend money attacking one another. No matter who ultimately emerges as the Republican candidate, they will be bruised and, more than likely, in need of cash.

Regardless, the Republican candidate’s biggest challenge will be Ravi Sangisetty, because although he’s taken a low profile, he’s actually raised more money than anyone else.

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Aug 30

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Under the Radar, David Melville Prepares a Serious Campaign for Congress in LA-04

Two years ago, Republican John Fleming, a Minden-area physician and the owner of a string of Subway sandwich restaurants, narrowly beat Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche, a Democrat, to become the next Congressman representing Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District. Fleming won the seat by a margin of only 356 votes.

Although Fleming’s victory ensured the seat remained Republican, the nail-bittingly close victory demonstrated the district’s true competitiveness, which is often overlooked by political pundits and prognosticators. Indeed, some have suggested that Carmouche could have won the seat, had his campaign not taken such an aggressively conservative stance on social issues, a stance that likely alienated both libertarians and progressives.

After two years, Congressman Fleming has already established a record and a reputation as a far right ideologue. He quickly jumped aboard Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s TEA Party Caucus. He believes that the President of the United States is “undermining this country’s national defense, on purpose.“ Just last week, Fleming made national news after he said this to the Republican Women of Bossier:

We have two competing world views here and there is no way we can reach across the aisle. One is going to have to win. We are either going to go down the socialist road and become like Western Europe and create, I guess really a godless society. Or we’re going to continue down the other pathway where we believe in freedom of speech, individual liberties and that we remain a Christian nation. So we’re going to have to win that battle; we’re going to have to solve that argument before we can once again reach across and work together on things.

Apparently, Representative Fleming believes in freedom of speech but doesn’t hold much esteem for freedom of religion. To borrow a phrase from Governor Bobby Jindal, this isn’t just politics; it’s “spiritual warfare.” Fleming refuses to even cooperate with people “across the aisle” until the Christian right decisively wins the “battle” and, once and for all, ensures that America remains “a Christian nation.” Unless and until we do that, there’s only one other alternative in Fleming’s mind: socialism and godlessness.

It was a bone-headed but revealing remark, particularly from a Congressman who beat his Democratic opponent by only 356 votes. Clearly, Representative Fleming believes he can coast to reelection by mimicking Glenn Beck and brandishing his own religious bonafides.

There’s only one problem.

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Aug 29

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President at the Parkway

Early this afternoon, as we were packing to head back to Alexandria, a young man walked by the house and, seeing us on the front porch, announced, “The President’s down the street. He’s eating lunch at Parkway.” I was staying at my friend’s house on Lafitte, about a block and a half away from the historic bakery and tavern. So we hurried out of the house and walked over to the Parkway, where a swarm of Secret Service agents had assembled. The President’s motorcade was parked directly in front of the restaurant.

Of course, no one at the Parkway or in the neighborhood had been expecting the President and his family, and then suddenly, there was a flurry of activity. If you weren’t already in the restaurant or if you weren’t living within a couple of blocks of the place, there was no possible way you could have gotten in.

As we approached, a Secret Service agent asked us to empty our pockets and then swiped us down with a handheld metal detector.

For the most part, it was business as usual in the restaurant; when we walked in, there were even a few empty tables. The President and his family were eating lunch in the outdoor patio area.

I snapped a few (admittedly bad) photos from my cell phone:

The President and his wife were both very gracious, and Parkway Bakery and Tavern was a great choice for lunch. For over 100 years, it’s been a New Orleans institution, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the building was severely damaged. I didn’t notice it today, but the last time I was there, the watermark from the flooding was clearly visible. Most importantly, the place serves a righteous po’boy.

This was pure serendipity, and I have to admit: I think it’s particularly hilarious, because this morning, another local blogger, in response to my Deepwater Horizon post, implied I had taken an “assignment” from the White House.  Only hours after he posted this, I somehow found myself saying hello to the President, which may actually bolster his dubious claim. Though, as my photos clearly illustrate, I probably don’t yet have the chops to be a White House correspondent.

Aug 28

Flyover of Deepwater Horizon

I’m not sure exactly why I was invited to do this, but a little over three weeks ago at about seven at night, I received a phone call from someone at the White House, inviting me to participate in a flyover of the former site of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the current location of a cluster of clean-up crews.

I haven’t covered the Deepwater Horizon disaster with nearly the same passion and insight and detail as other bloggers in the State, but believe me, it’s not for lack of care; it’s because I’ve found myself so frustrated, disappointed, and angered about the whole thing that I simply haven’t been able to write coherently about the subject.

Eleven people dead. Five times worse than Exxon-Valdez. Oil seeping into our marshes and our estuaries and our beaches. A direct assault on our fishermen and an entire way of life.

The negligence, the lack of regulatory controls, the incentives given to cut corners, increase efficiencies, and ignore problems that could cause catastrophic disaster, the fact that this whole thing seemed preventable. The countless rescue workers who risked their own lives to respond to this disaster, the vast majority of whom lacked necessary safety equipment, and the unforeseen problems that this may create, like it did for those men and women who worked on the Exxon-Valdez response.

And the government?

On the federal level, it was too slow and way too dependent on BP’s PR machine. And, to me, our state government’s response was even worse: Overtly politicized, exploited by some as merely an opportunity to be seen on television, a response that was far too reliant on and defensive about “solutions” driven by engineers with contracts, instead of scientists with expertise.

It will take us years, if not decades, to understand the complete import of this disaster.

On Thursday, I boarded a Coast Guard reconnaissance plane, an HC-144A, with around five members of the mainstream media and about a dozen or so coast-guardsmen. From Lakefront Airport in New Orleans, it took about 45 minutes to finally arrive at the site. (I should make it clear that, although I had been invited by the White House, I took off work and traveled on my own time and dime).

Some pictures:

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Aug 23

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Disclaimer

For the record:

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Aug 22

2 Comments

SafeGrowth (or Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)

Last year, I attended a two-day workshop in New Orleans about SafeGrowth, which is, essentially, a pithier term for a concept known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). The workshop, which was sponsored and hosted by the AARP, focused in large part on the work currently being done in Hollygrove, a particularly violent and blighted neighborhood in New Orleans. Greg Saville, a criminologist, former law enforcement officer, and urban planner based in Washington State, led the workshop. Mr. Saville has written extensively on SafeGrowth on his blog, appropriately titled SafeGrowth, and he has worked with neighborhoods and communities across the nation, conducting what he refers to as “safety audits” and advising them on intervention policies and practices.

Obviously, Mr. Saville can explain these concepts much better than I can, but I’ll give it a shot. In basic terms, SafeGrowth is about recognizing and understanding the ways in which the built environment can create conditions that contribute to criminal activity. The term Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design was coined in the 1970s; it is a multidisciplinary discourse that has been a part of American urban planning ever since. I personally prefer the term SafeGrowth, primarily because I think it’s an easier and more approachable term.

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Aug 21

3 Comments

Times, They Are A-Changin’

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know I’ve written a lot about smart growth. It’s a topic to which I frequently return, one of my favorite subjects for a number of reasons. Understanding and implementing smart growth, I believe, are critical for any community that seeks to compete in the 21st century. As transportation and technological infrastructure has become more advanced, the American workforce has become more transient, which, ironically, means that the quality of our built environments is now more important than ever. There’s another side to this, too.

The American economy has increasingly become knowledge-based; that is where the quality jobs are, and that’s where the competition is.

There was a time, not too long ago, when cities relied on large manufacturing plants to drive their economic prosperity. This was particularly true in a state like Louisiana, where unions are practically non-existent and manufacturers can hire and fire as they please. In many ways, this gave Louisiana a competitive advantage, and for years, we had a solid track record of courting big name manufacturing plants into the Great State and creating quality jobs for vast numbers of people. These plants and the jobs they created became the backbone of many communities. And don’t get me wrong: We should do our best to protect those jobs and ensure they remain in Louisiana.

But there is an obvious problem looming on the horizon. Our workforce isn’t just aging; it is undergoing a fundamental transformation. This means we must completely rethink our traditional approach to economic development, particularly in Louisiana. We must recognize these changes in our workforce and in the very nature of our economy, and we must plan and act accordingly.

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Aug 21

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Drew Ward: Crossing Guards

I don’t think this issue requires much of an introduction because the debate over paying for crossing guards within the City of Alexandria has been an issue for most of the past years.  The existing system in which crossing guards are paid for by the City of Alexandria is simply not something that works anymore in this new world of added budgetary constraint.  And actually, as budgets get tighter, this will likely be only the first of many many such debates along the lines of what services should be provided and if so by whom.

This crossing guard issue hits to the core of what the purpose of local government really is.  Governments are formed to use the combined resources of a community to deliver to that community products or services for which it would be either prohibitively expensive or impractical for individuals to provide themselves.  Crossing guards, however, are simply not one of those resources that require special government funding and regulation.

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Aug 21

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Can We Be Honest About David Vitter?

Five years ago, when he defeated Democrat Chris John in the primary to become the first Republican in Louisiana elected to the United States Senate since Reconstruction, David Vitter positioned and marketed himself as a “family values” candidate. He ran a brilliantly entrepreneurial and effective campaign, no doubt about it.

During his first few years as a United States Senator, Vitter and his wife spearheaded the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority (the LCRM), an organization that funneled money and endorsements to hand-selected Republican candidates, with the hope of gaining Republican majorities in the Louisiana House and Senate. Ultimately, Vitter, his wife, and the LCRM failed, and believe it or not, Democrats still represent the majority.

To many, it may seem meddlesome for a United States Senator to involve himself so directly in local elections. For those of us in Louisiana, it harkens back to the Kingfish. But unlike Huey, David Vitter’s LCRM was unsuccessful, and, for the most part, they’ve retreated into the backdrop.

Now we face a decision about re-electing David Vitter as our United States Senator.

So, let’s be honest:

Unfortunately, Mr. Vitter has become a statewide and national embarrassment.

As it turns out, Senator Vitter, a man who once rallied for the impeachment of President Clinton on the basis of his affair with Monica Lewinsky, had a predilection for prostitutes. ”Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess,” Vitter said at the time.

When Vitter’s personal phone number turned up in the records of D.C. Madam Deborah Jean Palfrey, he quickly took to the stage and admitted to a “serious sin,” offering no other specifics and refusing to answer questions about similar “sins” in New Orleans. To be sure, Mr. Vitter has never specifically denied these accusations, though he decided not to take the advice he offered President Clinton and resign from office.

Remember, Louisiana elected Mr. Vitter, in large part, on his platform of family values, a platform that was publicly and irreparably destroyed.

Today, it seems, Mr. Vitter believes he can avoid criticism and win re-election to the United States Senate by running as a hard-line ideologue.

He’s not the “family values” candidate this time. He’s the candidate who runs commercials featuring ominous looking hispanics as a way of scaring people about illegal immigration. He’s the candidate who supports lawsuits that would challenge the President’s birth certificate. Instead of admitting his own faults and humanity, David Vitter is running a campaign built on fear, divisiveness, and subtle bigotry.

A few months ago, the prevailing, “inside the Beltway” wisdom was that anyone who opposed Vitter didn’t need to spend money in order to remind people about the whole D.C. madam/prostitution scandal, as if it was a fait accompli, as if voters didn’t need to be reminded about how this scandal completely undermined his credibility and effectiveness. Apparently, however, voters are in need of a refresher.

Seriously, can we be honest about David Vitter?

But most importantly, despite the prostitution scandal, Louisianans should review Mr. Vitter’s record on its merits: What has he championed for Louisiana? What has he returned to our Great State? How has he collaborated with our delegation in order to effectuate change? What has David Vitter really accomplished?

There are politicians who believe their job is political and ideological, and there are politicians who believe their job is practical and results-oriented.

To me, Mr. Vitter fashions himself as a partisan ideologue, instead of a champion for Louisiana.

And he still hasn’t been honest about his “serious sin.”

So, again, can we be honest about David Vitter?

Aug 19

1 Comment

CREDO Mobile’s Anti-Vitter, Anti-AT&T Ad

Apparently, CREDO believes that lampooning David Vitter helps business. Honestly, I’m not sure what to think about this.

Aug 18

10 Comments

Places of Worship

As some of you may know, I have a degree in Religious Studies, not that it matters and not that it commands much respect. For better or worse, we live in a country in which people can essentially label themselves as Reverends or gurus or spiritual teachers without having any formal education in the discourse of religion, let alone a bachelor’s degree in the subject.

And to me, that is okay.

Regardless of your faith, religion is usually considered to be something one can only gain and appreciate through ritual and personal experience, something that one can only truly comprehend after extensive practice, study, and commitment. Sure, you can be born and immediately confirmed into a religion, without ever having the opportunity to make your own independent decision, but either way, considering we are all free-thinking, sentient beings, I believe religion is something you must grow to understand. And I’m speaking as someone who was raised a Methodist and baptized before I could talk- which, personally, I believe to be a meaningful ritualistic acknowledgment and gesture. If your faith instructs that you will be damned to eternal hell unless you participate in the ritual of baptism, among other things, it makes sense that we should baptize babies, at least as an insurance policy. And I’m not attempting to sound crass or flippant; it is a powerful ritual.

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Aug 18

3 Comments

Adaptive Reuse of Shiloh Baptist Church

At nearly 106 years old, Shiloh Baptist Church, located on the corner of Washington and 10th Street in Downtown Alexandria, is one of the oldest structures in the city. Remember, of course, Alexandria was burned to the ground during the Civil War, and ever since then, as our local historic preservationists like to say, we’ve suffered from a “Tear It Down” mentality.

According to one study of Downtown properties, at one point, Alexandria had lost nearly 90% of her historic buildings, due, in no small part, to the construction of Interstate 49. And as Dale Genius at the Louisiana History Museum can attest, many of the buildings we demolished were architectural gems. In what was perhaps a misguided attempt at embracing modernization, we seemed to prefer demolition instead of renovation. When you look at the photos of what we have lost, it’s difficult not to feel a sense of frustration.

Although it may be understated and simplistic, I’ve always liked Shiloh Baptist Church. Notably, if you’re driving north on Interstate 49 and decide to exit into Downtown Alexandria, Shiloh Baptist Church is one of the first things you’ll see; it’s almost like a gateway monument, hugging the street corner, a plain yet eye-catching representation of Alexandria’s history and its architectural themes.

For over 100 years, Shiloh was one of the oldest African-American churches in Central Louisiana. The congregation was actually organized in June of 1882, over twenty years before the current church was built. Today, the building remains vacant and in need of major renovations. After being threatened with demolition earlier this year, thankfully, it was spared from the wrecking ball after a handful of local preservationists took action. There is still much work to do, but like I asked about the dairy barn, what do you think Shiloh could or should become?

Aug 17

8 Comments

Adaptive Reuse of the Dairy Barn

Without a doubt, the old Dairy Barn on the campus of Central State Hospital in Pineville is one of the most stunning and unique structures in all of Central Louisiana.

Kudos to Ben Pierce of Ben Pierce Photography for this incredible photo:

And yet, like so many of our historic buildings, the Dairy Barn is shuttered and hasn’t been in commerce for years.

Simple question: In the event that it is restored (it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places over twenty years ago), what should it or could it become?

Aug 15

8 Comments

CenLA Native Featured on Food Network

Amelia Durand, originally from Mansura (and I’m pretty sure now the communications director with a winery in California) is featured on the Food Network series Barefoot Contessa.

Ina, “The Barefoot Contessa”

The episode entitled “Cooking with Rice” features Durand’s family recipe for Jambalaya.  It’s nice to see the Central Louisiana version of this Louisiana favorite getting some good press.   Durand is the daughter of the former Mayor of Mansura and her family owns and operates Durand’s Food Center (by the way, if you’ve never explored on a short road trip, probably the best hog’s head cheese and boudin can be found around Mansura — I recommend Lonas Kelong’s (Kelong’s Grocery on Main Street), Juneau’s Specialty meats (expensive but good – across from the Casino), and T-Jin’s in Cottonport (especially for Hog’s Head Cheese — but call first before making the drive as they don’t make it everyday).

In case you didn’t know, the CenLa versions of most traditional Louisiana foods are quite different from the South Louisiana and New Orleans versions.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First is the type of terrain.  When it comes to a combination of growing vegetables, grazing livestock, and fishing and hunting, Central Louisiana has about the best land and weather in the entire state.  This means the people who settled here had access to considerably more ingredients than their cousins in the swamp.  Also, even though various Louisiana staples can be traced to either Cajun or Creole or Isleño (look it up) roots, the versions we know today are rarely the original pure forms.  Also, many of them like Gumbo and Jambalaya were sort of accidental to begin with.  You actually find Jambalaya in many cultures (as fried rice in Asia, as Paella in Spain and Latin America, and as various regional varieties in France).  It was simply a way to stretch leftovers and the various bits and pieces left in the pantry.  Poor food.  Interestingly, the word boudin in much of France actually refers to any food (often in a casing like ours) in which leftovers are mixed with rice and recooked.

Our native Central Louisiana versions of things like Jambalaya, Gumbo, e’touffe (it means ‘of the pot’ basically Cajun French for stew), creole, boudin, etc are really about the earliest example of ‘Fusion Cuisine’ you can find.  We were a hundred years ahead of the popularity curve on this one (sorry Emeril).  CenLa food is like CenLa culture and CenLa highways.  It’s a mix of everything that makes Louisiana great.  Our cuisine has its roots in the Prairie Cajun traditions of northern Acadiana, the Appalachian country food of North Louisiana (remember the area above Alexandria and Natchitoches was settled almost entirely by free land programs the US government instituted to bring in “Americans” from Kentucky and Tennessee to balance out the French/Spanish/Catholic established population of the state whom they feared would rebel), traditional planter cuisine from Mississippi, a bit of Texas, some traditional New Orleans Bourbon cooking (especially around Alexandria and remember New Orleans french settlers (many of whom first came our way) were not Cajuns and were in fact from an entirely different region of France), and of course some good local soul food from our black residents.  It’s a big mix, a lot of people and cultures, and a lot of flavors.  But that, is what CenLA is all about, and that’s wonderful fusion that is our Louisiana Cuisine.

Certainly the differences aren’t huge.  The main thing is we use more and usually better (perhaps I should say, more expensive or what would have been considered better way back when simply due to the higher availability of culinary resources in the region) ingredients.  And, it’s usually spicy (as in having lots of spices in it) yet not overwhelmingly hot and peppery (which tends to be the predominant spice in the Lafayette and Baton Rouge versions because pepper was a sturdy cheaper spice that everyone could keep back then).  The New Orleans influence usually means more vegetables and a more neutral roux or butter base.  And, our African influences generally mean that you’ll find considerably more okra (Gumbo actually is Senegalese for ‘okra’, so gumbo was originally any soup with okra in it), and more usage of meats like chicken livers and other organ meats from cattle and swine (the biggest difference between CenLa boudin and South Louisiana versions is the presence of liver in ours).

Well, check out the show if you see it.  Head down Highway 1 and taste your way around Avoyelles, and stop by Durand’s (I’m going to next time I get the chance. I’ve never had anything from there.).  Amelia’s recipe is in the link below:

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=308&S=0

Aug 11

4 Comments

The Funny Thing Is…

JacquesBarack, I am amazed by the way in which you have attempted to walk back your caricature of me as “Fetal Freddy.” Now, I am suddenly “Lamar” or the “City blogger,” and you’re quick to let all of us know that Von Jennings has nothing to do with what you’ve been blogging– even though you support her 100% and remain outspoken on her behalf.

I know, I know. You even asked me to contribute to your website. I should be honored, but please, let me spare you the bandwidth.

Here’s what I think: You are nothing more than an immature hate-monger, a bigot who got caught, a single blogger who is now attempting to create multiple personalities in order to win back our collective acceptance.

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