Let's talk local politics for a minute. My good friend and most excellent state Senator, Buddy L. Shaw, is not seeking re-election for District 37. He's not term limited, he's just not seeking re-election. He has worked hard for Louisiana for years in both education and in political service and I don't begrudge his retirement one bit. I do hate to lose him in the senate, though.
Running for his seat on the Republican ticket are Barrow Peacock and Rep. Jane Smith. Rep. Smith is term limited but apparently not ready to go home.
SIGIS is endorsing Barrow Peacock in this race. He's a conservative Republican and I believe right for the job.
Rep. Smith has made some bad votes that preclude my support for her. She voted FOR lifetime benefits for legislators who have served ten years or more. To my mind, public service is just that: public service. It's not a career, or shouldn't be, and it should not be your source for lifetime benefits. Seems egregious to me.
She voted in favor of the unions in HB 204 to conceal the collective bargaining process from taxpayers.
Via Northwest Tea Party Alliance, she voted FOR all of these tax increases:
- Increased the fee on Driver's License (HB219: Act 419; 2005)
- Voted to impose a 2.8% State Sales Tax on business utilities and other items = $160 MILLION (HB 1 Act No. 4, 2004 E.S.)
- Voted to impose a fee on other than new tires – (HB 846 Act No. 846, 2004 R.S.)
- Voted to extend the authority of colleges to raise fee up to 3% a year - (HB 993; 2004 R.S.)
- Voted to authorize the imposition of fees on aquaculture operations - (HB 1192; Act No. 865, 2004 R.S.)
- Voted to authorize a fee for conducting Medicare surveys - (HB 1391; Act No. 558, 2004 R.S.)
- Voted to authorize the LA Tax Commission to impose fees for services - (HB 1419; Act No. 285, 2004 R.S.)
- Voted to authorize an additional fee on shrimpers - (HB 1711; Act No. 904, 2004 R.S.)
- Voted to increase the tax on the sale of pesticide - (HB 1396; Act No.120; 2003 R.S.)
- Voted to increase the tax for engaging in beekeeping - (HB 1400; Act No.122; 2003 R.S.)
- Voted to increase the tax on services provided by the Horticulture Commission - (HB 1402; Act No.123; 2003 R.S.)
- Voted to increase the tax warehouse businesses - (HB 1472; Act No.172; 2003 R.S.)
- Voted to increase the tax for shipping sweet potatoes - (HB 1493; Act No.134; 2003 R.S.)
- Voted to increase the tax for the sale of feed - (HB 1652; Act No.173; 2003 R.S.)
- Voted to increase the tax for selling seeds - (HB 1675; Act No.175; 2003 R.S.)
- Voted to impose a 3.9% Sales Tax on food and utilities = $455 MILLION (HB 169; Act 22; 2002 R.S.)
- Voted to impose a Personal Income Tax by eliminating education tax credit = $18 MILLION (HB 238; Act 25; 2002 R.S.)
- Voted to impose a 4-cent Cigarette Tax = $14.2 MILLION - (HB 167; Act 21; 2002 R.S.)
- Voted to impose an additional 12-cent Cigarette Tax Increase = $44.6 MILLION - (HB 157; Act 19; 2002 R.S.)
- Voted to impose a Driver's License Tax = $4 MILLION - (HB 100; 2002 R.S.)
- Voted to impose a Trailer Tax Increase = $2.1 MILLION - (HB 244; 2002 R.S.)
- Voted to increase taxes on tobacco = $18 MILLION - (HB 117; 2000 R.S.)
- Voted to increase taxes by reducing excess itemized deduction & education tax credit = $88 MILLION - (HB 299; 2000 R.S.)
- Voted to increase personal income tax = $750 MILLION - (HB 295; 2000 R.S.)
- Voted to increase sales tax on food and utilities = $110 MILLION - (HB 140; 2000 R.S.)
- Voted for Car Rental Tax = $5 MILLION - (HB 193; 2000 R.S.)
- Voted for Sales Tax on food and utilities = $330 MILLION (HB 36; 2000 E.S.)
- Voted to tax certain LLCs = $2.4 MILLION (HB 285; 2000 R.S.)
This week I received a mailer from her campaign in which she says her opponent, Barrow Peacock, is "open minded" about abortion and marriage, totally misrepresenting what Mr. Peacock has publicly stated:
(Video courtesy of NWTPA)
Smith's voting record is here.
From Barrow Peacock's website on the issues:
- Vote "NO" To New Taxes
- Limit the Size of State Government
- Create a "JOB FRIENDLY" Louisiana
- Promote Conservative Values in Louisiana
- Support Term Limits
- Support Our Veterans
- Oppose ALL attempts to bring back Stelly tax
- Place a priority on and secure complete funding for the 3132 Extension
- Protect our senior citizens
- Oppose taxpayer funded bailouts
- Support Barksdale Air Force Base
Added: In an email from Mr. Peacock he assures me, "I am Pro-Life and believe marriage is between a Man and woman." Conservative values. Jane Smith "is lying" about his stance on these issues, he says.
I believe she is.
15 comments:
Pat, well said and good endorsement.
I agree with everything you said. I too will vote for Peacock.
Shreveport is dying (losing population) while Bossier is growing. Barrow Peacock is based in Shreveport, Jane Smith in Bossier. Shreveport represents decay and the past. Bossier represents growth and the future. That's why I'm voting for Jane Smith.
anon 8:00
Don't believe Bossier's propaganda. Bossier is sinking fast. Much faster than people realize.
This article is so profoundly biased that it is absolutely unpalatable. "Smith is not ready to go home." ? Perhaps the people of Shreveport/ Bossier are not ready for her to go home. We need her in Baton Rouge fighting for the good of North Louisiana, like she has for the past twelve years. Peacock has absolutely no experience, and at every turn he has taken the opportunity to slander the good name of Jane Smith, while inaccurately quoting her voting record. Jane is a real conservative, but she also fights for the people of Shreveport/ Bossier. Politicians are not in the job for the money. They get paid as much as school teachers, a profession in which Jane has experience, so when people get mad about someone working long hours to make life for us in North Louisiana more bearable, trying to get the benefits they deserve, I am enraged. Thankfully, people do not take stock in what a low traffic blogger has to say about politics. Your bias against Representative Smith discredits you as a viable source of anything other then ignorant opinions.
@rzcc: thanks Jane, thanks for playing!
@rzcc, "low traffic blogger?" LOL! How did you travel this way?
Sorry I've been gone all day and missed this:
"This article is so profoundly biased that it is absolutely unpalatable."
Duh. It's an endorsement.
@Jim
A credible endorsement weighs the pros and cons of each candidate, explains its reasoning based in fact, and then suggests a candidate. Endorsements are a process that can be done well, or poorly. This is done poorly,
@Rick
I painstakingly looked to see of anyone, and I mean anyone was dumb enough to contradict or wildly popular Governor's endorsement, and the endorsement of the far more credible Shreveport times. It took a while, but I found this poorly designed website, and chose to take the time to easily lambast this article for its clear lack of intellegence and utter irrelevance.
RCZZ, Wow! What intelligence you must possess. Have you thought that one reason Barrow Peacock's voting record isn't compared to Jane Smith's record is Peacock doesn't have one. If he did I'm sure I would have compared his record to the dismal one General Jane possesses.
Jane had her chance and as far as I'm concerned she's done enough damage. It's time to try someone else, and if that person is as bad a Jane Smith, the will need to go hmes, too.
Okay, I can't let it pass.
"This poorly designed website".
You're an asshat.
"clear lack of intellegence and utter irrelevance."
I agree that it lacks utter irrelevance.
intellegence? Heh.
RCZZ,
"Wildly Popular Governor?" "Credible Shreveport Times?"
For the sake of those around you I hope you sprayed the room after blowing those out of your a**!
I lost respect for Jane Smith when she sent out that dishonest flyer. That is the kind of gutter politics that we need to leave behind as we try to improve our state.
@ Rick- Name one way in which your life has suffered as a direct result of Jane Smith's time in the State Legislature. Here is betting that you can't. The simple fact is that all Barrow wants to talk about is Jane's record. When you have nothing going for you, when you are behind in the polls, when you don't have a real plan of action or platform beyond republican talking points that have become so cliched that they literally have no meaning, then you drag your opponent through the mud. If you don't then people realize you don't know what you are talking about.
@ Jim- Asshat? Really? Asshat. Wow, just wow. I wasn't aware I was being insulted by the kid that sat in the back of my fifth grade math class and shot spit balls at the teacher. The fact is if the website was more ascetically pleasing it would be more credible. Simple as that. And I used the correct word. I am glad you agree with me that this article and this blog are "utterly irrelevant."
@The Anonymous People- A.) Jindal is already winning by an overwhelming majority, and he is a wildly popular governor. There are numbers to back that up. A simple google search reveals a plethora of polls that state his approval rating as much higher then previous governors and much higher then the national average for Governors. And if you find this blog to be more credible then an actual legitimate Newspaper then you are frankly delusional.
At the final person- going negative has been part of the political process since the birth of this nation. Peacock has gone negative in every debate, and every time he gets a mic. It was his own fault for saying he was open minded when it comes to social issues such as abortion. He said that in an interview with the Shreveport Times. As far as an example of an election that exemplifies the mud slinging that is an accepted part of politics- I would cite the election of 1800 between Jefferson and Adams- two of our most beloved founding fathers. The attacks they mounted on each other were baseless and utterly offensive, and yet they remain some of the most respected American Heroes. Jane sends out one ad that actually quotes something the other candidate said, and you cannot vote for her? Talk about close minded.
rczz, or whatever your name is, I can name one thing Jane Smith did to make my life miserable. She voted for the motorcycle helmet law. Now, every time I ride my motorcycle in Louisiana, I have to wear a helmet and I'm miserable.
I'm not going into the taxes I pay because of her votes.
Post a Comment