[StBernard] Walter Leger

[Westley Annis]

Westley,

I must respectfully disagree with your questioning Walter Leger's being
recognized as the BPW's 2006 Man of the Year.  I will be there to honor
Walter and the other recipients of this distinguished award.

I have known Walter for many years and truly believe he is very much
deserving of this recognition.

It may not surprise you to learn that Walter and I have been on opposite
sides of many issues.  We have had some fairly heated debates (some would
call them arguments) over the years we have known each other.  These debates
were over important topics that have real impact on the St. Bernard
community.  Philosophically and politically, I tend to be more conservative
than he is. (Are you surprised?)  While I did not always agree with Walter,
I never once had cause to question his motives for his posture.  I always
did, and still to this day do, believe Walter argues for what he truly feels
would be best for our community.  Although sometimes (perhaps a better word
would have been "often")  I didn't agree with his perspective, I never once
questioned that his deep love and passion for our community was the reason
for his position.

I have represented St. Bernard for many years in "region-wide" boards,
including the board for the Regional Chamber of Commerce. I attended many
meetings where at the table sat Frank Stewart (Stewart Enterprises), Jim Bob
Moffet (Freeport McMoRan), Bill Metcalf (CityBusiness), Ron Forman (Audubon
Institute), Dan Packer (Entergy), Bill Hines (Jones Walker) and others from
big business tried to command the meeting and control the discussions.   I
am proud to say that any time the "blue bloods" from New Orleans would
attempt to short change St. Bernard and Walter was in the room, he stopped
it.  He fought hard for our interests.  He also fought hard for the small
business community that is the lifeblood of St. Bernard.  Big business has
big budgets and big guns.  They constantly try to grab the funding and
command the discussions at the board table.  Walter made sure that the small
business interests and people of St. Bernard got their hearings and fundings
as well.

I've learned over my years of service that it's easy to be critical of
others who are in charge of controversial issues.  I was once
"hyper-critical" of just about anyone who was in the position of making
decisions and leading programs, especially where there were tax dollars
involved.  However, after having been in similar decision making position
for many years, I have learned to tame my criticisms and now ask myself
"What could I have done better and why didn't I do it?"  Most of the time,
after considering these questions for usually a very brief period, my
criticisms wane.

Westley, I truly do appreciate the valuable service you provide to the
people of St. Bernard.  I read your blog entries every morning.  I look
forward to them.  I understand what a labor of love this is for you.  I can
only imagine the time and money you've spent on this, out of nothing but a
calling to do good for us.  Your dedication  is genuinely appreciated.  It
would be easy for a critic to claim you are doing this out of self-promotion
or some other profit driven motive.  I don't believe that to be the case.  I
believe you are doing this because you truly love St. Bernard parish and
want to help its citizens.

I believe Walter has provided valuable service to and representation of the
people of St. Bernard for many of the same reasons you provide your service.
I believe Walter's position on the LRA has saved us from the hatchet that
the others in the region would love to use on St. Bernard.  Let's face it,
in the eyes of other leaders in the region, we have always been the bastard
step child, sort of the awkward cousin in the family that no one wants to
admit being related to.  I know the beautiful truth about St. Bernard. You
know it as well.  Walter has been championing this truth to the other
leaders in the region for as long as I can remember and it's time we thanked
him for it.

I wholeheartedly believe your criticism of Walter is unjustified.

Paul V. Perez