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Interview with the Candidate 2007
Interview with Colleen Hawley
Candidate, State House of Representatives
District 77
Focus: Tangipahoa Parish
Q. Tell us a little something about your personal background.
CH. I am a 47 year old widow. I have two fabulous, handsome sons: Mark 19 and Jack 14. We live outside of Madisonville in St. Tammany parish since the early 1990¹s. I love to play golf. My favorite sport to watch is football. I walk 5 miles a day and I like to cook, but don¹t have much time to these days.
Q. Mrs. Hawley this is your first run for political office. What made you decide to run ?
CH. I became politically active about seven years ago when development hit western St. Tammany like a tidal wave.
There were issues impacting the I-12 corridor namely growth, transportation and infrastructure. I started by representing my
subdivision as their liaison with the local parish government and then became a volunteer lobbyist in Baton Rouge for issues of concern to our chamber of commerce and parish government.
Frankly, I never thought I would seek public office, but it has truly been a grassroots outcry to which I am responding. Individuals from every venue have encouraged me to run: business, non-profits, neighborhood organizations and elected officials.
Q. Why at the state level?
CH. Advocating for the I-12 corridor at the state level holds an interesting appeal to me. Our region has so many needs, sends a tremendous amount of tax
dollars to the state and yet often goes neglected and overlooked for areas to the west and north of the state. But post-Katrina the I-12 corridor will be the growth zone and Tangipahoa lies at its nucleus. We will be at the epicenter of the ³new Louisiana².
In December of 2004, I had lunch with John Hainkel here in Hammond, right before he left to go with his grandchildren to cut their Christmas tree. Senator Hainkel and my father were close friends and college buddies at Tulane.
He was a bit of a mentor for me politically and I wanted to get his candid advice as I was a recent widow raising teenage sons. I knew he would be blunt and
honest. He told me I should absolutely run and that my God-given talents dovetailed perfectly for the job. He spoke with great passion and affection for the
people of Tangipahoa. He said some of the work he accomplished and valued most had been done right here in Tangi. He spoke of the Columbia Theatre, the invaluable resource Southeastern Louisiana University is and the scenic Tangipahoa River.
Senator Hainkel was right and now Katrina has
fast-tracked Tangipahoa¹s destiny and high-lighted her crucial position in Louisiana¹s recovery. I have spent lots of time here and I too have fallen in love with the area and her people. She possesses a charm and character that is unique.
continued
Q. You mention growth. You got your political experience and your public reputation as a well-known and out spoken ³Smart Growth² activist in St. Tammany Parish. Tangipahoa is experiencing unparalleled growth in the Post-Katrina era. What is your
general opinion about growth and development?
CH. Let me start by saying people make a mistake if they look at growth as a bad thing. Growth cannot be stopped, but it can and must be controlled and manipulated so that it becomes a benefit to a community or region instead of its undoing. Development must be cultivated so that it enhances a community, does not exacerbate existing problems, does not have a negative effect on existing property values, does not cost local government more in services provided than revenue it generates and finally does not erode the quality of life or distinct character of an area.
Q. What advice can you share with Tangipahoa citizens about growth and Smart Growth
principles?
CH. Gosh, I could give a full day seminar on that topic, but I¹ll try to highlight the main points. You hear a lot of catch phrases and concepts like ³Smart Growth², ³New Urbanism² and ³TNDs² or ³Traditional Neighborhood Developments², but really it¹s not brain surgery deciphering between good development and bad development. There are basic hallmarks of good development and these are the questions citizens and local government officials should ask:
Is the proposed environment developed conducive to pedestrian accessibility to recreation, shopping, socializing and worship activities?
Is there a quality of space¹? By that I mean is the development secure, inspiring, humble, relaxing and warm?
Are there parks and plentiful open space?
Does the development preserve the natural environment?
Do the structures have a distinct architectural character?
Is there a range of housing opportunities and choices?
Is there an interesting mix of styles or is it simply a homogenous cookie cutter clone, where every house looks the same?
Has the developer sought community and stakeholder collaboration or have they done an end-run to avoid public input?
Q. What about density in regards to development?
CH. Density has been misunderstood by individuals fearful of change and growth, yet compact developments with a mix of uses and housing types can be a good alternative to sprawl. I have been through some incredibly tasteful communities which employ density in their residential design and I have seen other developments that have emphasized density as their primary design feature and they are like an open sore that afflict the visual and social character of a community.
Density in some shape or form is a good concept for both Tangipahoa and St. Tammany to embrace because I think it is important to maintain some portions of both parishes rural in character. It is one of the principles I have fought for most passionately. The crux of the problem in post-Katrina south Louisiana and particularly in the I-12 corridor, is that some developers want to abuse the concept of density and cloak their projects as ³new urbanism² when in reality it is simply good old fashioned GREED! Most American¹s wealth is held in their home equity I know mine is. Developers who disregard public input, circumvent the open forum process and act with a callous disregard for the overall good of the community in favor of their own self-interest, perpetuate a real disservice to the region by having a negative effect on existing property values.
Q. What can citizens do to protect the Tangipahoa they know and value?
CH. From what I have seen you are starting to do those things. I have attended and sent my staff members to the series of public meetings dealing with a land use plan for the parish. I went to the hearings, focusing on the Hammond and Robert areas. The way I see things is pretty simple. God is the master planner, you might say, the "Divine
developer". Look at nature. It is for the most part exquisite in design because it employs simplicity, diversity and symmetry. These are the same basic tenets that should be adopted in the planning process. The parish, with input from the citizenry, needs to designate and enforce which areas are best suited for what types of development: commercial, industrial, residential, recreational and agricultural, and also which areas are best suited for high and low density. Comprehensive planning and zoning is a must to ensure high property values, aesthetics, planning for traffic flow, drainage, sewerage, water and overall desirability of a place. The Hammond Downtown area is a perfect local example of the long-term benefits of good planning. The members of the Tangipahoa Home Builders Association, to which I have spoken, have strong feelings about growing Tangipahoa with high standards and visual integrity. I am very optimistic about future growth in this region.
Q. What are some of the major issues and concerns that you would address if elected?
CH. Louisiana has many problems, which have been festering for years. There is much work to be done. Here is a summary checklist which highlights my biggest concerns first for our region and second for the state:
Regional Concerns are:
-More funding for Southeastern University. What Dr. Moffett and his administration accomplish with the dollars they receive is nothing short of a parallel to the fish & loaves story in the bible. SLU is a force for great accomplishments in many aspects of life on the entire northshore. The depth and breadth of their
positive impact from
education to coastal restoration research to economic development activities cannot be
overstated. Just think of the summits we could reach if the university was properly funded!
-A greater emphasis on the community college
and vo-tech school systems, so that Louisiana can actually prepare our own young people for existing skilled jobs in the marketplace and stop importing
foreign labor.
- Meaningful funding for Infrastructure and roadways. The airport in Hammond is an incredible asset and catalyst for economic development, but the needs it still has in the way of infrastructure improvements prevent it from reaching its full potential and create public safety issues. This cannot be tolerated!
- More state troopers must be allocated to the I-12
corridor to take the pressure off of parish sheriff deputies from investing time in traffic issues so that they can focus on crime prevention and patrol activities that are a natural offspring of accelerated growth.
Issues that I want to address statewide include:
€ Stopping the chokehold staggering insurance
premiums have placed on our recovery.
€ Build a new a healthcare system where the
dollar follows the patient and quality healthcare emphasizing preventive care lowers healthcare costs and improves individual health.
€ Long-term dedicated funding for our coastal
restoration.
€ Reduce the state budget, return control to the people and create an enticing business climate that will attract good employers.
Q. If you had to pick one issue what would it be?
CH. That¹s easyŠ Ethics! Ethics reform would do more for Louisiana¹s economic development than all the German steel mills on the planet! You always hear politicians talk about the need and importance of ethics reform, yet very little meaningful legislation gets passed. My mother told me when I was a very little girl, ³actions speak louder than words². This fall Louisiana, because of term limits, has a real opportunity for wholesale change. Not just in who our representatives will be, but how we do business. I would caution the voters to look hard at all candidates, not at just what they say, but how they conduct themselves. What is their professional track record? Have any of their activities or dealings been part of the public record? They may speak of ethics, but do they seem to have difficulty in distinguishing right from wrong? Do they act in the public good or possess an agenda of self-interest? Are they controlled by special interest? Are they unwilling to fully disclose their financial records? Hold your candidates accountable. Hold government accountable. Get angry, get involved and let¹s build a new improved Louisiana!
Q. Tangipahoa Parish makes up 20% of your
district. What involvement do you have in
this parish?
CH. Tangipahoa Parish is very important to me. I am a member of the Tangipahoa Parish Economic Development Foundation, the Tangipahoa Home Builders Association, the Hammond Chamber of Commerce, and the Tangipahoa Future Network.
Q. How can you be
contacted?
CH. With the campaign in full-force, I am spending my time meeting and talking to the residents of District 77.
My email address is hawley4staterep@bellsouth.net and my phone number is 985-705-6777. Our website address is www.colleenhawley.com.
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