AGENDA

FINANCE AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
2:30 P.M. Room 348

Item 23:
Authorizing the Mayor-President to enter into a cooperative endeavor
agreement and professional services contract with the Greater Baton
Rouge Economic Partnership, a non-profit affiliate of the Baton Rouge
Area Chamber, for the term of one year to act as the City-Parish’s
Economic Development Department, so as to effect a professional
business development program that will provide quality job growth and
increased economic opportunities for the City-Parish, and to appropriate
the sum of $500,000 for the funding thereof. By: Mayor-President.

On the East Baton Rouge Metro Council Finance and Executive Committee agenda for the meeting on November 19, 2008 item 23 authorizes the city to renew its contract with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

This contract is for "a professional development program that will provide quality job growth and increase economic opportunities for the City-Parish."
The City of Baton Rouge will pay the Chamber $500,000.

My question is shouldn't this already be the mission of the Chamber and why does Baton Rouge have to pay $500,000 for these services?

If the Chamber is acting as the economic arm of Baton Rouge and being funded by tax payers, why does the Chamber have a political PAC (FuturePAC) that is active in City-Parish political campaigns?

The new Metro Council elect was almost entirely supported by the Chamber's PAC, of the 12 members 10 were endorsed by FuturePAC. the only newly elected members that were not supported by the Chamber was Bonds Addison and Smokie Bourgeois.

FuturePAC donated $5000 to all of the candidates they endorsed for the primary election. For those candidates that was in a runoff they donated another 5 grand to those candidates. After the primary they also donated money to two new candidates that were not endorsed originally. In district 7 FuturePAC donated $5000 to Denise Marcelle after Isaiah Marshall did not make the runoff. In district 6 FuturePAC originally endorsed Martha Tassin and in the run-off they donated $5000 to Tassin campaign but hedging their bets they also gave Donna Collins-Lewis $3000 for the run-off.

The problem I have is that the Baton Rouge Chamber is active in getting Metro Council Members elected with FuturePAC and then it contracts with the City-Parish to the tune of $500,000. To me it just doesn't seem right.

I feel that any Council member who has received money from FuturePAC should reuse themselves from any vote that affects the Baton Rouge Chamber.

Informational links:
Who FuturePAC endorsed originally: http://www.brac.org/site.php?pageID=58&newsID=793
Who FuturePAC gave money to for the primary: http://www.ethics.state.la.us/cgi-bin/la98/forms/PAC990133/15283/202E-3
Who they gave money to for the runoff: http://www.ethics.state.la.us/cgi-bin/la98/forms/PAC990133/15906/202E-3

Bones Addison on the Rise

It is my understanding that Bonds is contacting fellow Metro Council Members for their support for the Mayor Pro-Tem job. As usual in Baton Rouge politics he is turning it into a black white issue.

I was hopping that Baton Rouge Metro Council would get past the black white issue. I was hopping that we would see the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King dream that a person would not be judged for the color of their skin but the content of their character. Call me a dreamer.

The council is now evenly divided with 7 whites and 5 blacks, 5 women and 7 men, 6 democrats and 6 republicans. Either they can work together and get thing accomplished our they can spend the next four years fighting. It is their choice.

Benham & Bourgeois: Dumb and Dumber!

The runoff for District 12 East Baton Rouge Metro Council is like a bad dream between two candidates Dumb and Dumber aka Jim Benham and Smokie Bourgeois.

This is the second time that these two candidates have met in a runoff for the Metro Council. In the late 90's Councilmen Jim Behham was a one-man crusade trying to ban alcohol in East Baton Rouge. Benham's anti-alcohol policies angered most of the restaurant and bar owners in Baton Rouge. Smokie Bourgeois a local cult hero and the owner of Georges's Restaurant decided to run against Benham in the 2000 election. Bourgeois forced Benham into a runoff. Benham with the help of his fellow council member Lori Burgess won the race by a very small margin.

Now in 2008 Jim Benham only campaign promise is that he is going to rid the South Downs area of Tommy Spinosa Rouzan development. Who knows what Smokie’s platform is, maybe more drinks for everyone?

Benham is not taking any direct contribution nor is he putting his money in the campaing, he is taking in-kind contribution on items like yard signs and push cards. Bourgeios has raised a small amount of money. Both of these campaigns are very low budget.

Unfortunately it does not matter who wins, the real losers in this race are the citizens of the 12th District and the citizens of East Baton Rouge.