September 25, 2008
By Rebecca Breeden
Ten days until the mayoral election, 225's October issue, which hits stands today, announces its endorsement of Kip Holden for reelection, calling him a “level-headed, engaged leader” throughout Katrina and Gustav. Read the editorial here.
Meanwhile, election season is heating up. If you didn't catch last night's Metro Council meeting, Pat Culbertson rattled cages by suggesting we scrap the $989 million bond proposal because it doesn't address the need for back-up electrical power to the city's hospitals and sewer plants. That may have shaken Holden's vision for Baton Rouge into his possible second term, but it didn't pass.
In other election news, Holden may be a no-show for some candidate forums, but that doesn't mean he's not the star of the show. At Tuesday's transportation and development forum at LSU, the three challengers spent a lot of time talking about Kip, who during his first term has helped raise social consciousness about using bicycles as an alternative to cars, and his taxes rather than actual transportation solutions.
“Kip's trying to get people out of this parish. He's raised every tax he could, now he wants to raise more,” says candidate Dan Kyle. “I'm not sure he's the mayor of Baton Rouge; he's done a lot more for the surrounding parish than us.”
Perhaps they weren't familiar with the audience, which mostly included environmentalists and bike-safety advocates.
For example, the first question to the candidates addressed smart growth and implementing transportation plans. Metro Councilman Wayne Carter instead talked about sewer and how it would save tax dollars to clear out canals throughout the parish. However, he later suggested some transportation alternatives for the city such as park-and-ride centers for the thousands who enter the city every day from neighboring parishes.
Ronald Johnson, an attorney/engineer, wants to eliminate the 10-12 split altogether because it's a bad design. His smarter solution is to mandate developers to incorporate bike paths and sidewalks at the very least (Carter says he wants this as well); then the city can systematically look at bike paths and speed bumps for existing communities, especially for areas near schools and hospitals.
And Dan Kyle, what a cat! He wins first place that evening for sticking to the topic. Kyle wants to fix the short-term problems before Baton Rouge focuses on long-term transportation plans, starting with the city's bus service. “All I've seen from CATS is reduced routes and increased rates,” he griped. In regards to the loop around the city, Kyle says we already have a loop: Burbank Drive.
What do you think? Share your comments below.
Comments
Posted by liberatedtiger on September 26 at 11:05 a.m.
Shhhhhhh! Dan Kyle just let out one of BR's best kept secrets. Burbank Drive is a great way to get around south Baton Rouge!!
Posted by pmccarron on September 26 at 3:20 p.m.
Eliminate the I-10/12 Split ?!?!?!?! - don't forsee a runoff in this election with comments like this from the opposition. Agree - Kip Holden 4 Mayor!
Posted by fourx5 on September 26 at 8:35 p.m.
"However, he later suggested some transportation alternatives for the city such as park-and-ride centers for the thousands who enter the city every day from neighboring parishes."
Congratulations. Welcome to 1983. It would have been easy enough to plan for something like that fifteen years ago, since Park and Ride has been taking cars off the road at little cost to the state for nearly thirty years in California and Texas.
Sorry - I'm just really frustrated with Louisiana, even though I managed to escape and am doing well in California. When are you folks going to learn? I can fly down there to visit family and eat good food anytime, but I sure as hell will never live in Louisiana again. Dirty, poor, often ignorant and proud of that fact, and a state that seems consistently about 20 years behind the average. You just elected George Bush Jr. for God's sake.
Enjoy it. See you when Louisiana get to 1990 - about ten years from now.
Posted by pmccarron on September 29 at 1:33 p.m.
Fourx5, stay in California, no need to return if you are doing well there. Park & Ride is the last thing Baton Rouge needs. We are not Houston. Baton Rouge needs a loop or non-stop major highway bypasses around I-10/12. Widen North Airline and Florida Blvd, replace lights with overpasses & ramps, and utilize the existing side streets to access the sides. Then do the same with Burbank to the south before it's too late. Modifying Florida Blvd into a major non-stop corridor would raise the commercial property values along the side roads, which in turn will raise the neighboring residential values and bring life back to mid-north Baton Rouge.
Posted by pmccarron on September 29 at 1:56 p.m.
Bottom Line: Kip Holden is an awesome mayor. Mike Futrell and Walter Monsour are excellent staff, Peter Newkirk with DPW - just a very competent administration. Drastic improvement in Baton Rouge (traffic, downtown development, smart growth, etc.) - since Holden has taken charge. Crime problem is due to Katrina - can not blame Kip Holden. Kip unified the EBR City Police with the Sheriff's Office. Police and Fire overwhelmingly support him and his administration. Baton Rouge supports him.
Posted by fourx5 on October 7 at 12:20 p.m.
I agree, Kip's a great mayor, if a bit misguided on Capitol (sic) Improvement projects.
The loop will turn out to be his monorail. (Simpsons reference, for those who watch). As tax revenues fall along with shrinking Federal stipends, "da loop" is going to end up a half-completed mess.
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