It started in January with an analysis of the Riverboat Gaming District and the changes the Parish Council had made to the new Unified Development Code that made locating a gaming establishment a possibility. Parish President Kevin Davis floated this idea as part of a larger entertainment district. The river boat gaming plan sunk under its own weight when over forty St. Tammany Parish ministers and countless residents took aim at this idea.
In February, I highlighted the new and improved White House website. The site is easy to use and informative. More voters are tech-savvy and expect governmental agencies at all levels to provide access to timely and relevant data.
In March, I railed against the idea that St. Tammany Parish residents would fare well if the homestead exemption was raised. It’s time to re-examine all of our tax policies in Louisiana. Will we have the political will to place everything on the table, including the homestead exemption sacred cow, and reprioritize government responsibilities, revenues, and spending?
Redistricting reform was the topic for April and May. Everything starts with the 2010 Census. It is imperative that every St. Tammany resident is counted! Redistricting articles are sure to be a part of our discussions in 2010 and 2011.
June was the ‘Information, Please!’ article. If you haven’t had a chance to read some of the reports produced by our hard-working nonprofit organizations, please take the time to review the work of PAR (www.la-par.org), the Bureau of Governmental Research (www.bgr.org), the Council for a Better Louisiana (www.cabl.org), and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center (www.gnodc.org).
In July, I outlined the League’s proposed schedule of events through May 2010. You can always visit our website at www.lwvst.info to find out more information.
I tackled the thorny subject of health care reform in August. I appreciate all of the readers who contacted me by email or phone to discuss this article.
Barbara Dodds, First Vice-President of LWVST and long-time environmentalist, wrote the September article about the northshore’s coast in support of our program on saving and restoring the northshore’s coast. Garrett Graves and UNO Professor Denise Reed were our featured speakers.
October 17 was an Election Day in St. Tammany for scattered pockets of voters throughout the parish. It is unfortunate that Fire District Five in Folsom did not realize its millage was set to expire and did not hold an election at that time. Fortunately, emergency loans are available for governmental entities that find themselves in a jam.
In November, I memorialized the passing of our former League President, Norma Gavin, as well as the passing of community activist Katie Planche Friedrichs. Residents were also encouraged to attend the League’s ‘Financial State of Our Parish’ meeting on Monday, November 9. The threat of Hurricane Ida stymied our best planning efforts. The meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, December 7 beginning at 5:00 p.m. The same panelists will take the dais at the Parish Council Chambers and review their budgets with us. Please try to attend the meeting and bring along a bag of food for the Food Bank.
As we take the time in December to reconnect with old friends and family, please remember the nonprofit organizations throughout St. Tammany Parish. Nonprofits are working hard all year to feed the hungry, provide clothing, teach literacy, build houses, offer health care, support children and the elderly, and yes, educate the voters. Our community is enriched by the efforts of nonprofits and volunteers. Please include them on your holiday gift list.
What’s ahead for us in 2010? On January 28, we’re co-sponsoring a forum with AAUW about the high school dropout rate and what steps can be taken to improve our kids’ chances of completing high school.
Qualifying for Slidell Municipal Offices and for the unexpired term for Mandeville Mayor is scheduled for February 3-5. The primary is March 27 and the general election is May 1. Mandeville’s next regularly scheduled election is Spring 2012. Who will qualify? Who will win? The League will ask all candidates to answer written questions and sponsor candidate forums for Slidell and Mandeville.
We will all focus on the Census in 2010. We have to do what it takes to spread the word that everybody counts. The Legislative Session begins at the end of March. What will the budget look like and what new bills will be considered? We’d like to see the Legislature require tax elections take place during the primary elections since so many races are decided without a general election.
Where will the new parish Eco-Park Waste Disposal site be located? How will it be paid for and what impact will its location have on the Comprehensive Rezoning Area Maps? What are the unintended consequences of the Comprehensive Rezoning process?
The League will be celebrating its 90th Anniversary in 2010! We’ll plan a special event to commemorate this date. After all, it also represents the 90th anniversary of women finally being given the right to vote.
We have more elections scheduled for the fall in 2010: Congressional and Senate, school board, Abita Springs, Pearl River, and Folsom, as well as tax and bond elections.
Conifer readers will hear lots more about all of these issues in the coming year.
We hope to see you on Monday, December 7 at the ‘Financial State of the Parish’ meeting, and we wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!