Colleen Hawley

EMILY METZGAR

Informed discussion of policy and politics in Louisiana

2007 Matters for Louisiana

Published: March 28, 2007

www.emilymetzgar.com

2007 is an important year for Louisiana voters – no matter what names end up on the gubernatorial ballot. Here’s why:

1. $29 billion dollars is A LOT of money. Setting priorities is the only way to ensure the surplus is spent responsibly and py raises don’t count as long-term policy solutions. Informed voters can call that bluff.

2. Chang can – and should – be more than a talking point. Reform is something that happens when policies change – not when re-tread candidates adopt a new vocabulary. Informed voters can see the difference.

3. The 2005 hurricanes brought both tragedy and opportunity. Louisiana has yet to exploit the opportunities while the tragedies (in the form of slow recovery) continue unabated. In 2007, voters have a chance to say something about that.

4. Accountability is not a dirty word. It can be the mantra of the 2007 elections if voters want it to be.

5. In 2007, the truth of Ambrose Bierce’s description of politics as a “strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles” will be clear to all. Informed voters won’t mistake one for the other.

6. When it comes to ethics, perception equals reality and Louisiana has a chance to make Louisiana’s reality one of the most rigorously enforced ethics codes ion the country. But it’s not likely to happen without informed voters bringing public pressure on their legislators.

7. Term limits can be more than a metaphorical house-cleaning. They are an opportunity to change the principles on which the state’s government operates daily. Informed voters know that re-electing the same people to the same (or even to new) offices is just a recipe for more of the same.

8. There’s no such thing as a “do over” in politics, but with the 2007 elections, Louisiana has the next closest thing to it. Check out the misery index. Those results aren’t inevitable, but they’re pretty darn likely if voters endorse continuation of old habits.

9. The internet can be a powerful political tool for any candidate, party or movement, but there’s no substitute for a compelling message, substantive content and an informed electorate.

10. Louisiana’s voters are smarter than their elected officials generally give them credit for. And this is the year for voters to prove it.