Published January 14, 2008
Members of The Times Community Board offer their thoughts on the threshhold of a new administration and Legislature in Baton Rouge:
New lawmakers can set tone for Louisiana
2008 is a huge political year for the country, but statewise, it may not be more of a big deal outside of Louisiana. With a new governor, a new House and Senate (with mostly familiar faces) and other state officials, this could easily be the beginning of a new start for our state.
My hope is the northwestern delegation can work together towards some common goals for the betterment of this region. I want the people who represent us to do it in a respectful and respectable manner. I hope our newer legislators go to Baton Rouge with an open mind, ready to learn as much as he or she possibly can. I suppose the same can be said for some of our not-so-new representatives, also.
I believe if our delegation can stand together as a formidable unit and Bobby Jindal keeps his word about including the northern half of Louisiana in state affairs, we'll be headed in the right direction. However, I'm concerned with the skimpiness of leadership roles for people from this area. I also don't have faith in all of our local lawmakers, but I believe the ones I do have faith in can provide leadership that will override the faults of our weakest link.
