Endorsements in Oct. 22 Election

by Woody Jenkins

The Central City News is pleased to make the following endorsements in the Oct. 22 election:

Governor Bobby Jindal

Gov. Bobby Jindal has been a capable, honest, and conservative governor during his first term of office.  He has stood firmly for family values and has fought against higher taxes.  He has also reduced the size of state government, both in terms of overall state spending and the number of state employees.  He has served with integrity and without the conflicts of interest that have plagued so many governors.  Bobby Jindal deserves reelection as Governor.

Secretary of State

Tom Schedler

Tom Schedler served honorably as a State Senator before being named Deputy Secretary of State by Jay Dardenne and he is doing a good job in filling out the remainder of Dardenne’s term as Secretary of State.  Schedler is 100 percent pro-life and favors repealing the state income tax to attract investment to the state.  We support Tom Schedler for Secretary of State.

Attorney General

Buddy Caldwell

Former Congressman Joseph Cao qualified to run against Attorney General Buddy Caldwell but withdrew his candidacy.  Unfortunately, he withdrew too late, and his name will appear on the ballot.  This provides an occasion to state the fact that Buddy Caldwell has done an excellent job as Attorney General.  He has assembled a fine staff and has been a capable lawyer for the people of the state.  He deserves reelection

Commissioner of Agriculture

Dr. Mike Strain

Dr. Mike Strain has eliminated the controversies surrounding the department and improved its image, while instituting real reforms.  He is working the department out of some of bad investments entered into in the past. Dr. Strain deserves reelection.

Commissioner of Insurance

Jim Donelon

A man of honesty and integrity, Jim Donelon has represented the people of Louisiana during some of the most trying times imaginable after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav.  He deserves reelection.

Board of Elementary

and Secondary Education

Chas Roemer

During the past four years as a member of BESE, Chas Roemer has been a tireless advocate for school choice for children and parents who are trapped in schools that do not work.  He supported the establishment of charter schools in districts where parents had no choice.  He has pushed for tax credits for families that home school or go to a private school because they have no alternative.  He has pushed for more transparency for parents by helping design the school letter grade system so parents for the first time can begin to get true information about their children’s schools.  He has been a consistent voice for reform of the Department of Education pushing the department to become less bureaucratic and more responsive while simultaneously reducing its budget.  He says Louisiana spends $9 billion in tax dollars for K-12 education — over $13,000 per child — and that more money is not the solution.  He has outlined savings to the legislature of over $200 million dollars that could be found by reducing programs and overhead that is not productive and ways to reinvest that money in those schools that do work.  BESE may undergo some important changes in this election, and we need Chas Roemer’s continued presence on the Board to help steer public education in the right direction.

Sheriff Sid Gautreaux

Sheriff Sid Gautreaux has done an outstanding job as our sheriff.  Here in Central, where the sheriff has primary responsibility for law enforcement, Gautreaux’s job performance is apparent.  In areas of the parish under his primary jurisdiction, violent crime has decreased 42 percent and homicides 57 percent.  Property crimes have decreased 13 percent.  This is especially noteworthy in view of our distressed economic times.  Some of the reasons for Gautreaux’s success include increasing patrol deputies by 42 percent, adding the Zachary and Pride substations, community policing, and special neighborhood initiatives, such as in Central Woods.  We cannot begin to name all the ways he, his staff, and deputies from the Central substation have supported the Central community.  However, it is a fact that Central’s success as a community begins with public safety, and he has made this an even safer community to live in.  Sheriff Gautreaux has also been very supportive of Chief Doug Browning, and our new reserve police force.  Sid Gautreaux deserves reelection as Sheriff.