Letter: BR election about more than crime

The city of Baton Rouge should be the gem of Louisiana, but because of years of neglect, we don’t make a favorable impression on visitors. We all endure the gridlock that is all too familiar.

We should all applaud Mayor-President Kip Holden for his initiative to initiate the road reconstruction of essentially country roads in the city. Some of the mayor’s proposals have been too grandiose for the funds available, and he seems to be at odds all too often with other leaders in the parish.

I’ve tried to follow President Pro-Tem Mike Walker in his effort to unseat Mayor Holden, but all I can find is his anti-crime position.

We need to hear more.

Everyone will agree that the crime rate is the most-urgent issue we face, but Walker must outline his vision of the continuing effort to bring Baton Rouge into the 21st century.

We don’t need hundreds of people taking more road trips to other cities like Austin to figure out what needs to be done. It takes money, which is in short supply, so we need a mayor who can work with leaders from the nine parishes in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area to make the decisions to spend the dollars we have wisely and that are best for all residents of the area to continue to improve our community.

Everyone would have to make sacrifices, but everyone would benefit and everyone could be proud of the capital city of the great state of Louisiana.

We need to hear more from the candidates on their plans for our future on all the major issues.

James Allbright

retired IT manager

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by jdk944 - 30/06/2012

I'm with you Bighug!! Phil states my thoughts about Mayor Holden well. Councilman Walker had tremendous potential BUT he has sold out his principals to, I guess, get votes. Someone has given him bad advice that he has chosen to take. He has flip flopped more over the last 4 years than a fish out of water. And he hasn't had a job in over a decade, entering the ranks of the "Career Politican"!!!! John Conroy owns several businesses, isn't interested in promising "political favors" to get ahead and is a refreshing option.

2) Comment by Elderly Man - 30/06/2012

This election is about more than crime and Councilman Walker is an awful alternative to our current mayor. However, we let our mayor squander enormous riches on downtown development while the read of our City/Parish needs more than the cultivation of sprawl. I past by the new library being built a couple of miles or so from where I live—another temple to wisdom maybe but without crosswalks, pedestrian lights, or sidewalks. We never get to giving ourselves the basics. Mayor Holden came full of promise. He will leave us unfulfilled and poorer. Unfortunately, Mr. Walker is no alternative. I will vote again for the mayor but not gladly.

3) Comment by Chucky - 29/06/2012

i am voting for hope and change. Holden is not change just the same old tax and spend and Baton Rouge is doing great, So the green light project has taken care of our congestion on the streets ? I thought voting the CATS tax was going to do that.

4) Comment by phil - 29/06/2012

I think the Green Light plan is about the only thing our Mayor can be given much credit for . But in reality taxpayers in EBR Parish can take credit for that because THEY voted in favor of the tax. One approved tax by voters for roads and that makes the Mayor a winner? How about the 2 loser tax propositions that failed because the same voters who voted for the road tax realized that the Alive project was a big disaster? How about that sewerage project that is now up to about $1.5 billion? Also, how about those terrible bridges we keep hearing about? More and more $millons of our tax funds continue to be pumped into downtown BR, and those bridges are STILL there in need of repair according to the Mayor. These are just some basic samples and there are many many more. We need a new leader in BR, and honestly I do not know who that should be. But we DO need a change!

5) Comment by Being_Stupid - 29/06/2012

Build the Loop. Building roads is a proper function of Government. Agree that Kip Holden has done a superior job of building roads in Baton Rouge. Although Mike Walker has also done a lot too to improve the roadways in District 11 (example: Harrells Ferry). Only criminals can be blamed for crime. There is only so much that a mayor, sheriff, or police can do to fight crime.

6) Comment by DMJ - 29/06/2012

Green LIght Plan, downtown re-development, transit upgrade....I thank Kip for his leadership. I'm sure Walker is a good man, but he does not seem like a forward thinker. Kip's the man! Let's let him finish what he started.

7) Comment by nimby? - 29/06/2012

it's time to dissolve the city-parish form of government .....

8) Comment by lovemykids - 29/06/2012

Walker has no plans for the future. He is still in the 1970's and 80's with his thinking.

9) Comment by Chucky - 29/06/2012

"Everyone would have to make sacrifices" The trouble is only the wage earner makes the sacrifice, and i for one am tired of putting my gold on the alter of misgovernment.

10) Comment by Bighug - 29/06/2012

That leaves John Conroy as the man to do the job.