the Winds of Change

Louisiana is changing. That is certainly no surprise to anyone. In fact, the very geography of our fair state was changed in 2005, when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck. Sadly, it took these natural disasters, and a few rather unfortunate events, to change the political process in the “Sportsman’s Paradise.” This is the state that elected Edwin W. Edwards to four terms as Governor. This is the place where precincts have been known to have 105% voter turnout for Senatorial elections. This is the place where, if you hoped to get a government contract, your handshake was just a way to slip cash into someone’s pocket. Ethics laws have been treated as mere suggestions. No Longer, for Louisiana has elected and inaugurated a reform candidate that actually went to work, drum roll if you will, REFORMING.
Change is being felt in Louisiana’s Congressional delegation as well. The decline in population means that we will be losing a congressional district. On top of that, we have lost, and continue to lose, legislative leaders. Let us not forget that one of our most senior Representatives, Billy Tauzin, retired in 2005. To compound this, Governor Jindal stepped out of a Congressional seat to enter the Governor’s mansion. Add to that, the fact that the seat in the Sixth district will be vacated by Congressman Baker, and suddenly, Louisiana’s congressional district has just lost three influential voices in the last three years.
So, you see, some of the changes we’ve seen are refreshing and some, not so much. Still, Louisiana has been shifting more and more to the right with every major event. The people are beginning to realize that the Democratic Party, that once had a stranglehold on the state, is not championing our causes after all. People are fed up with a Government that over-promises and under-delivers. They are asking, why we budget continuing programs with one-time funds. They’re asking why our tax rates are so high. They want to know why the government is paying contractors that are not delivering on their work. When all is said and done, Louisiana is waking up to the fact that tax and spend isn’t the answer, that corruption isn’t required to run a state, and that FEMA can’t fix these problems either. “Great”, you say, “but what does that have to do with me?” Simply put, we have a chance to keep change moving in the right direction. We need to fill Congressman Baker’s seat with another conservative that will fight for the issues that are important to us, such as lowering taxes, securing borders, cutting spending, limiting bureaucracy and protecting our rights. Senator Landrieu is up for re-election this November as well. She is a hold over from the old guard. A tax and spend liberal to the bone. Scandal and corruption have reared their head in her tenure as well, and the cleanup must continue. It is time for Louisiana to move forward, and gain respect in a nation that views us as a corrupt backwater that is not worth considering. Let us pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, and make a difference in the way we go about our business.