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Archive for October, 2011

Oct 28

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Lisa

Just a note about my friend and former colleague, Lisa Harris, who announced a couple of days ago that she was stepping down as Director of Community Services for the City of Alexandria in order to become the President and CEO of one of the most respected organizations in our community. (Because she has not formally announced where, exactly, she is headed, I’m not going to break any news here, except to say: She will be an awesome fit, and it makes sense).

Throughout the last several years, Lisa held one of the most challenging jobs in the City. It may not sound or appear that way on the surface. Director of Community Services, to some, may sound like a fun job, and I’m sure that, more often than not, it was fun. She planned music and barbecue festivals, coordinated events downtown, championed summer programs for kids, and assisted countless non-profit and non-government organizations. In simple terms, she advocated Alexandria’s culture, and she was amazing at it.

In the Mayor’s letter announcing her resignation, he wrote, “Perhaps no one has to deal with so much push back and disappointment than the executive in charge of community funds. With so many worthy causes and limited funds the answer ‘no’ always outweighed her desired response of ‘yes.’” He is absolutely correct. It’s never easy and often heartbreaking to have to tell someone with an exceptional idea that the money is simply not there, and it’s even more difficult to tell a recalcitrant City Council, who ultimately controls the budget. But Lisa was always kind, sweet-spoken yet direct, and in the years I worked with her, I never doubted or questioned a single decision she made, which, by the way, is saying a lot. (I never had a problem asserting my opposition to certain policy decisions; thankfully, Lisa and I were always on the same wavelength).

To me, her legacy at the City will never be about Que’in on the Red. She always did an exceptional job, given her resources, but at the end of the day, Que’in on the Red was a creation of the Alexandria City Council; she was the assigned administrator. To me, Lisa leaves behind something much bigger and greater than a festival, and I know this because I worked with her directly.

More than anyone else, Lisa championed a new plan and overhaul for Alexandria’s parks and recreation, and because of her tenacity and leadership, we now have one. Lisa also championed a user-friendly website. I worked with her for over two years on this, and now, because of her, we have one. She pushed for more events downtown, a quarterly ArtWalk event, which has become very successful, Downtown Rocks events, and Brown Bag lunches. She also understood the incredible need for Alexandria to locate community, neighborhood, and corporate sponsors, and she was remarkably adept at seeking out and leveraging funds to promote Alexandria’s quality of life. I learned so much from her. I was able to take what she had done with her events and launch two regional summits, the Summit on Sustainability and the Summit on SPARC, both of which were much more successful than any of us had initially intended. I’d love to help plan another one, because at this point, thanks to Lisa, I know what to do.

We were incredibly lucky– each and every one of us who is influenced by the decisions made in Alexandria City Hall– that Lisa Harris shared her time and talents with our entire community.

So, my best of luck to Lisa, my mentor and former colleague. I miss collaborating with her, but I’m confident that she will continue to enrich the lives of students, artists, musicians, children, parents, families, and friends, and in so doing, she will continue to build a better and brighter Alexandria.

Oct 19

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Welcome to the World, Elle Marie Corbin

A few hours ago, my little sister Emily gave birth and, in so doing, made me an uncle and a godfather (godfuncle) at the same time.

Point of personal privilege here: If you don’t think women are better than men, then you’ve obviously never been close to a pregnant person. I am so proud of my little sister, so proud, in fact, that I felt compelled to broadcast my pride on my website. Congratulations Emily and Scott.

And welcome to the wild world, Elle Marie. It’s a strange place, but considering you began this journey with your eyes wide open, you’re off to a good start. Soak it in.

Oct 13

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My Ballot

Lt. Governor: Jay Dardenne.

During yesterday’s debate, Billy Nungesser proved that he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. Dardenne lobbed the easiest softball question ever: “Billy, would you tell us what the six agencies are that you’re going to be running as Lieutenant Governor?” It wasn’t even a softball question; it was tee-ball. Nungesser said he couldn’t name the “eight agencies” he’d be running (there are actually six) and implied that Dardenne was simply setting him up.

Nungesser is running for Lt. Governor, and just in case you’ve missed it, the race for Lt. Governor is the most important election in the State right now. The man doesn’t even know the most basic details about the job he seeks.

Governor Jindal, who will coast to re-election, is angling for a Cabinet-level position, despite what he says publicly. Even though I strongly believe Barack Obama will win re-election, in the event that he doesn’t, Bobby Jindal will abandon ship in a heartbeat for his dream job: Secretary of Health and Human Services, which means we’d be stuck with the Lt. Governor running our State in the interim. It’s that important, and Nungesser, Jindal’s hand-picked candidate, simply doesn’t have the goods.

(I am not making any endorsement for Governor. I won’t be voting for Bobby Jindal, and I also won’t vote for Tara Hollis, the so-called Democratic candidate. I’ll write-in Mark Moseley instead).

I’m not a big fan of Jay Dardenne, but he’s competent. I’ve met him personally, and I know he cares about my hometown. I also know this: Jay Dardenne understands the job; he believes in the job. We don’t share the same politics, but in this particular election, that really doesn’t matter: I’d vote for Dardenne a thousand times over Billy Nungesser. Plus, there are all those terrible Vitteresque rumors about Nungesser, and they aren’t going away.

Insurance Commissioner: Donald Hodge

This is, by far, the easiest decision. Donald Hodge is a progressive Democrat who wants to become Insurance Commissioner in order to eliminate the office.

Sheriff: Chuck Wagner

I don’t understand why William Earl Hilton is running again. He said he was retired. He said he supported Sheriff Wagner. Sheriff Wagner has done a fine job; there’s no compelling reason to replace him with the old guard. Wagner’s won national awards; he’s good and decent.

I, for one, wish that Mr. Hilton had remained true to his word, and while I understand his need to engage in negative campaigning in order to bolster his own chances, I believe this entire charade undermines his legacy. That’s a shame. Mr. Hilton’s criticisms are weak, and it’d be very easy for any one of Mr. Hilton’s opponents to go negative against him. Thankfully, they haven’t.

Either way, I am not nostalgic for the glory days of Sheriff Hilton– not because I think he was bad, but because Wagner has done a stand-up job. If you want to convince voters to fire the guy you supported and re-hire you out of retirement, then you’ll need to do more than merely turn on your political machine.

Again, I just don’t get it. I like Mr. Hilton and his family, and I don’t know why he wants to reclaim an office that is being competently and professionally run. It appears vainglorious, and that’s not a good final note.

LA House District 25: Lance Harris

I don’t know his opponent, Barrett Boyd, and frankly, I don’t care to. He’s campaigned on divisive endorsements.

Lance Harris is the polar opposite– a well-known and respected businessman who reaches out to all people.

City Marshall: Jerome Hopewell

I’ve successfully buried the lede, because here’s the bombshell:

 

Oct 6

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Steve Jobs

“There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

- Barack Obama

When I was seven years old, my parents bought me my own personal computer. It was the first computer in our house- a clunky and expensive Macintosh II. Almost immediately, I was hooked.

As a kid, I spent more time in hospitals and in physical therapy than I did outside, and in some way, my computer became my connection to the world. It was a way for me to connect to other people, a way for me to express myself, and perhaps most importantly, a way for me to establish my own voice. I launched my first website when I was eleven.

Steve Jobs didn’t invent the personal computer or the Internet. His accomplishment was even more profound: He created access to an entirely new world of communication, and in so doing, he gave kids like me the opportunity to be heard, to learn, and to be judged, exclusively, by their ideas. That is powerful stuff. That changes lives.

I was an early evangelist for Apple. I subscribed to the magazine MacWorld when I was in elementary school. I didn’t know what “stock” was, but I repeatedly begged my parents to buy Apple “stock.” My brother can independently verify this, by the way, and my parents didn’t take up my plea. If they had– not to sound braggadocios– they would have seen a 7,000% return on their investment.

But at my urging, my parents bought me an Apple Newton for my birthday one year. A couple of years ago, I found it stored away in a cardboard box, and miraculously, it turned on, nearly fifteen years later. Somehow, it still held a charge. To be sure, the Newton wasn’t a Steve Jobs creation, but he built on the idea– transforming our world with handheld devices like the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad.

I learned about Steve Jobs’s death from a text message I received on my iPhone. The President wasn’t being hyperbolic; he was being accurate: That’s how much this one man changed the entire world of communications. His products became ubiquitous, universal tools for human interaction.

But remember also, these tools are democratic. They are equalizing. They ensure that a seven-year-old kid who is bed-ridden because of an ailment or a surgery or a disability can participate in the discussion, in his own small way; they put a world of information at his fingertips. Steve Jobs didn’t invent any of this, really. He just made it easier and more understandable for all of us. It was about accessibility, not technological expertise. And in a world obsessed with technology, such thinking can rightfully be called revolutionary and transformative.

Oct 5

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Smoking Banned in Alexandria Bars

Yesterday, the Gret City of Alexandria became the first-ever city in the Gret Stet of Louisiana to ban smoking in bars.

I’ll be honest (sorry Mom): I’ve been seen smoking cigarettes inside of bars in Alexandria; it’s nothing I’m particularly proud of. In fairness to myself, I was young; it wasn’t something I did regularly; and I rarely go to bars. And kids, smoking is stupid; it’s bad for your health; it’s not cool; and seriously, it does choke up the available oxygen in a room. It’s never enjoyable to compete for clean air.

I have little sympathy for smokers who feel like their rights have suddenly been trampled upon. Seriously, if you need to smoke, then step outside; it’s not that difficult. Even if you dispute the science, you still have to admit that there’s a chance you’re forcing the people around you to share the air you may have made more toxic. So c’mon. Walk a few feet and light up outside. I think that’s more than reasonable.

I’m not making a value judgment: My maternal grandmother, who I loved dearly, was a smoker. She died of a lung disease at the age of sixty-four. She was also an incredible mother, grandmother, and a compassionate caretaker. And when she wanted a smoke, she went outside.

It’s not just about second-hand smoke; it’s about imposing a person’s toxic behavior on the rest of us. It’s a public health issue. In a bar, people can’t experience how drunk you get, but they can breathe your smoke. And it’s gross, and it may be toxic, which makes it pernicious.

On a final note, a commenter on The Town Talk incredulously wondered whether any of the supporters of a smoking ban had ever been to a bar, as if the definition of a bar was a place that allowed smoking. I have to respond:  Have YOU ever been to a bar outside of Louisiana? Seriously.

Welcome to the 21st century, folks. You can’t just expose others to carcinogens in an enclosed space. As drunk as you may be, you need to hobble off of your barstool before lighting up a cancer stick. Get used to it.