Shame and blame on history of St. George

ROLFE MCCOLLISTER JR.

EVERY TIME I see another story about the mayor’s lawsuit against St. George or the Metro Council voting on another annexation request, I want to scream.

All this craziness could have so easily been avoided. The current division and anger all traces back to the failure of our legislative delegation—including then-state Sen. Sharon Weston Broome—who refused to let the people of East Baton Rouge Parish and the citizens of Louisiana vote on simply establishing an independent school district for their children.

Twice the bill was rejected, each time with legislators like Broome saying if a region wants an independent school district, then first form an incorporated city. The voters of St. George did just that and now Broome is fighting them in court, claiming city-parish government can’t afford the resulting financial hit.

These legislators forced the hands of parents, believing they could never get a petition done or pass it. More concerned with protecting the union-backed jobs in a failing public school system, the politicians underestimated the commitment of these parents to take care of their children.

These legislators were wrong in opposing the independent district in the first place. Baker and Zachary fought lawsuits to get independent school districts. Central did as well. Yes, they are cities, but not every school district in Texas is tied specifically to a city (there are more than 1,000 districts across Texas) and, most importantly, forming an incorporated city is not a requirement in Louisiana. It’s simply a political obstacle imposed by these politicians at the request of our school board and the teacher unions who care more about money and jobs than the best interest of children. It never was about education. It was always about money and power—and it still is.

But we should also ask, how many of the Baton Rouge elite or so-called community leaders who now oppose St. George (or are requesting annexation) lobbied for passing the bill for an independent school district? Are they having regrets?

Regardless, now it’s our community paying the price. We’re a parish struggling to navigate the drama, anger, division, and the expense of lawsuits for the foreseeable future. All because of the absence of good leadership and judgment by many of our legislators at the time. They put special interests over community interest and voted wrong twice. They are to blame and it’s the children who are suffering. Shame on them.

I hope we all learned something from this debacle of avoiding one issue only to face a bigger one. (This reminds me of our current flooding issues, which resulted from failing to deal with a problem long ago in multi-parishes. Now we face bigger and more expensive issues.) Next time, let’s stand up Baton Rouge, and do the right thing in the first place.

BIDEN IS MELTING DOWN

So much for the “hero” of the Democratic Party and “savior of the American dream.” What I see in Washington, D.C., looks more like a nightmare. I still can’t believe former Sen. Joe Biden is the best the Democrats could come up with to challenge and beat President Donald Trump (who had his own meltdown moments).

The question about Biden wasn’t so much whether he could defeat Trump, but was he strong enough and fit enough to effectively lead and serve? For a majority of Americans right now the answer is “no.”

Recent polls from both Pew and Gallup show Biden’s favorable rating dropping to 43%, down from 55% in July. Vice President Kamala Harris also has favorability numbers below 50%. Both are melting down.

That much was evident from the disastrous exit from Afghanistan— losing soldiers and leaving Americans—and it’s equally clear with the recent disaster of Haitians arriving by the thousands at our southern border. (One man, who left Haiti and moved to Chile for three years, said, “Biden told us to come.”)

The fourth-wave spike in COVID-19—after he earlier claimed victory over the pandemic—and the resulting mandates have not helped either. Then, of course, there’s his trouble with Congress on his agenda. He seems to be failing fast.

The honeymoon is clearly over for ol’ Joe and even his own party is divided. I haven’t even mentioned his own cognitive condition, often evident when he speaks and likely why they limit his public events and press conferences.

I predict he won’t make a full term. An especially scary proposition given the failure that has been Harris. Democrats must be worried. We should be, too.

The only folks who won’t acknowledge the meltdown of the Biden and Harris administration is the mainstream media and CNN, which worked to help get them elected. It is embarrassing and contributes to the public’s distrust of the media in general. (The media’s poll numbers also continue to remain low.)

Biden in his inaugural address promised better days, a stronger global reputation and a united America. Ha! How do you think he is doing?

CONGRATULATIONS

• There are 60 best places to work in Baton Rouge recognized in this issue. Kudos to each of them. Company culture is key in the battle for talent and this is certainly a feather in their cap. Well done. • Happy anniversary to Raising Cane’s. It was founded by CEO Todd Graves, right here in Baton Rouge, 25 years ago. From one location at LSU to 600—and 100 more coming next year. Baton Rouge is proud of Graves and Raising Cane’s for their values, culture and winning crew as they celebrate their 25th anniversary. To celebrate they are giving back $25 million to nonprofits in their many communities. What a role model.

RESTORING HOPE POST-IDA

There is much devastation in south Louisiana following Hurricane Ida. It will be a long road to recovery for many smaller communities hit hard. Our heart goes out to them all.

There are many elected officials, government agencies and nonprofits that launch into action after such a disaster. But always among the first to start providing meals and distributing supplies, as well as offering hope and encouragement, are the churches and houses of worship.

But I have learned that many of these churches were impacted, too, as were the lives of their leaders and staffs. Who will help them?

A charitable fund has been established at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to raise funds for supporting churches and houses of worship that were damaged by Hurricane Ida. I got involved with friends in initiating this effort because the churches—totaling 150 and rising—need help, too, and will be here for the long term in these communities.

The local church has always been the source of physical, emotional and spiritual support for Louisiana families. They need support now.

Donors can contribute to the fund at www.restorehopelouisiana. org. Restore Hope Louisiana contributions are tax deductible.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Who are the stars in our business community in the Capital Region? Nominations are now open for the 2022 Baton Rouge Business Awards & Hall of Fame. Information on the award categories and criteria, as well as the nomination forms, can be found online at businessreport. com/events. Deadline for entries is Nov. 5.