Outtakes from the P.A.C.E. mayor candidate forum

Writing a narrative about a political Q-and-A isn’t always easy. The questions can vary widely, and sometimes contenders don’t give good answers – much less speak in complete sentences.



So today’s article on the P.A.C.E. mayoral forum honed in on the “Ron Webb incident,” as categorized by moderator Adam Giblin. Here are some quotations that didn’t make the article.


One topic each candidate seemed comfortable discussing was the plan to bring Louisiana College’s law school to Shreveport. Giblin said the Southern Baptist school discriminates against gays. He asked whether public money should be used to fund a private institution.

• “It shouldn’t be used because of our debt situation,” Libertarian Parker Ward said. “Government should not be involved in somebody’s personal life.”
  
  
• “If we’re not discriminating against anybody… we shouldn’t donate money to an organization that does,” independent Dana Bruhnke said, referring to the city’s personnel policy. “It would be great to have… but we have other budget issues to take care of.”
  
  
• “The city cannot do this deal,” said Caddo Commissioner David Cox, running as no party. “It should not do this deal.”
  
  
• “It’s a discussion that I’m interested in having,” said Mayor Cedric Glover, a Democrat who went public with the proposal for the city to buy the former Joe D. Waggoner Federal Building for the college. And then here are some wildcards.
  
  
  
  • “If you call my office, I will call you back.” – State Rep, Roy Burrell, a Democrat, taking a jab Glover. A common complaint from the public at City Council meetings is that Glove rand staff don’t return phone calls.
    
    
  • “We need a leader that understands coming from behind.” – Cox on how he we manage city finances.
    
    
  • “I do not think the will of the people… should simply be overturned by a judge’s ruling,” Republican Tim Goeders on recent court proceedings about Proposition 8, the California law that outlawed gay marriage.
    
    
  • “You’ve got to kind of make up your mind. Are you going to go forward or go backward?” – independent Hersy Jones on Glover’s decision to honor the city’s Confederate history.
  
  
  
  
  City Councilman Bryan Wooley, a Republic, missed the forum because he was sick, he said. He expects to be at Tuesday’s council meeting.
  
  
  Oration was not Bruhnke’s strong point. He acknowledged that with this swipe at Wooley: “I’m just going to work on my public speaking. One that’s not here – he’s very polished.”

Let the political games begin, Shreveport

Qualifying's done, and now the real campaigning can get started.

The Shreveport mayor's race, with nine contenders, obviously will be something we will follow closely. There will be some competitive council races as well.

So stay tuned. In the meantime, what do y'all want to know more about? And what are the biggest issues facing Shreveport's next round of leaders?

More from the Glover 'Mardi Gras' reception/campaign fundraiser

Peterson at Glover's fundraiser on Tuesday.

Here's what didn't make the article about Mayor Cedric Glover's soft launch Tuesday of his re-election campaign. I hear some in attendance received invitations that stated the event was a fundraiser. (Glover later told me it was.) But the one I saw never mentioned that. It said only that Glover would make a "major announcement" about Mardi Gras.

Former City Councilman Dee Peterson and chair of Glover's transition committee introduced the mayor. Peterson said he didn’t vote for Glover in 2006 but that he will this year. "He makes sure the trains run on time, and he has great vision," Peterson said.

Glover later returned the compliment, saying a former and long-time City Hall staffer credits Peterson as being Shreveport's best councilman. Glover – who was on the council before his time in the state Legislature and on the second floor at Government – is No. 2 to her. "I'm glad to have you on my side this time," Glover said to Peterson.

The mayor called his wife and "warrior princess" Veronica to his side for his speech. The accomplishments he noted include:

• Refinancing city debt that had fluctuating interest rates.

• Improving quality of life (Peterson mentioned Glover's property standards push, T.B.O.N.E., earlier).

And the promises:

• Mardi Gras parades will stay in Shreveport and in the Broadmoor and Captain Shreve neighborhoods along East Kings Highway.

• Shreveport will have a dog park.

State Rep. Roy Burrell, of Shreveport, considering a run for mayor

State Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport.

 

Late last week journalists and politicos circulated a press release from state Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, that said he is thinking about running for mayor. It was not quite an announcement, hence the lack of play in a news article.

Burrell is testing the waters to see whether more businesses and residents will back him. Here's an excerpt:

"Whether you are the first or the last mayor, black notwithstanding, you must keep this city moving and progressing," Burrell said about Mayor Cedric Glover. "Shreveport already has the basic infrastructure in place to be more advanced, but the momentum has been delayed in the last four years. Many people in the city are of the same opinion, it is time to get someone in city hall who can move Shreveport to the next level, and effectuate visible and productive impact and change."

A decision will come soon, Burrell said. We already know City Councilman Bryan Wooley, a Republic who represents southeast Shreveport, also may challenge Glover. Word on Wooley's decision is expected this month. And unless he tells me otherwise, I think we can safely say Glover, a Democrat, plans to seek a second term.

The election is in October. We'll know who the real contenders are come July, when candidates must qualify, or officially sign up to run.