Thursday, June 30, 2005
Another Sad Day In Louisiana Politics
Bayou Buzzby Jeff Crouere
In Louisiana, we need elected officials who will bring honor and not shame to the state. We need behavior that is exemplary, not criminal. The public has been disappointed and disgraced by our politicians since the days of Huey Long. Of course there are many fine politicians in Louisiana, but their meritorious actions are overshadowed by the corrupt activities of their colleagues.
Louisiana will grow as a state economically when and only when we have changed our reputation for political corruption. We need to clean our own house. Unfortunately, in the last legislative session, bills to strengthen the state’s ethics laws died. Since the politicians don’t want to police themselves, it is up to prosecutors and more importantly the people. Voters need to do a much better job of evaluating candidates and electing ones of character, instead of ones with questionable ethics.
Louisiana is now at an important crossroads, as our state desperately needs to improve our image and grow our stagnant economy. We need to evolve to a state where the convictions of a sitting elected official and or judge become an extreme rarity, instead of a regular occurrence.
