[StBernard] House race in sprawling district draws crowded field

[Westley Annis]

House race in sprawling district draws crowded field
Post serves St. Bernard, east N.O. 
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By Bob Warren
St. Bernard bureau 
Those who said term limits would open the competition for seats in the
Legislature need look no farther for proof than the state House 103rd
District. 

 
The lack of an incumbent has contributed to a small rockslide of candidates
vying for the post. Six people are running -- Republicans Mike Bayham, Clay
Cossé and Mark Madary, Democrats Reed S. Henderson and Rob Ruffino, and Anh
"Joseph" Cao, an Independent. A seventh candidate dropped out of the race
last month. 

Bayham, Cossé, Henderson, Madary and Ruffino hail from St. Bernard Parish.
Cao lives in New Orleans. 

The election is Oct. 20. The diverse, sprawling district includes Arabi,
western Chalmette, parts of eastern New Orleans and the rural communities in
St. Bernard from Hopedale and Delacroix to the east side of the Violet
Canal. It includes suburban neighborhoods, fishing villages and a big slice
of New Orleans' Vietnamese-American community. The district includes 13,447
voters in St. Bernard Parish and 6,269 in Orleans Parish, according to the
secretary of state's office. 

Representatives receive $16,800 in annual salary, plus a $6,000 annual
expense allowance, as well as per diems and office expenses. 


Staking out positions 

The district was rocked by Hurricane Katrina. Not surprisingly, all the
candidates list closing the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, flood protection
and affordable insurance among the biggest issues. Each also stressed the
need for a hospital in the district. 

Because the field is crowded, it's improbable that the election will be
decided Oct. 20. A runoff, if needed, would be Nov. 17. 

Bayham, a former St. Bernard Parish Council member on leave from his job as
a grant writer for parish government, said he knows his way not only around
the state Legislature, but also Congress, where he said he has relationships
with representatives and their staffs. 

"A lot of our issues aren't settled in Baton Rouge, but in Washington," he
said. 

Bayham, of Chalmette, said he'll fight to prohibit insurance companies that
won't write homeowners policies from writing auto policies. "You can't just
cherry-pick where you're going to write homeowners," he said. 

Bayham also said his experience on the Parish Council's reapportionment
committee will help him when the Legislature redraws district lines after
the 2010 census. 

Cao, a lawyer who lives in Venetian Isles in New Orleans, said he hopes to
bring some much-needed attention to the Orleans Parish portion of the
district, which he said has been neglected over the years. 

He said the district suffered catastrophic infrastructure losses during the
hurricane. He said crime, public education and cleaning up a now-closed
storm debris landfill on Chef Menteur also are big issues in Orleans Parish.


Cao said one of the most important roles of a legislator is to help marshal
the resources -- -- from government or private sources -- -- to help the
district. "You have to get whatever you can from wherever you can," he said.


He also wants to work with the various communities within the district to
prioritize their needs. 

Cossé, a former St. Bernard Parish Council member who manages the storage
facilities as harbor master for the Southern Yacht Club, said ethics reform,
government spending and promoting regionalism are big concerns. 

"I'd take the same approach I took as a parish councilman: never adopt a
budget that uses one-time money for recurring expenses," he said. "We'll
need to take a long look at that budget. We have to get government spending
under control." 


Trying to bridge gaps 

Cossé said he would push for area legislators to develop a regional
approach. "I've seen how effective a unified front can be in
problem-solving." 

Cossé, of Chalmette, also wants to come up with fresh approaches to coastal
restoration. For instance, he said, once the Gulf Outlet is closed perhaps
the rocks used to make the jetty could be used to armor barrier islands. 

Henderson, a commodity trader from St. Bernard, said he would push for giant
berms to line the Gulf Outlet instead of traditional, narrow levees. The
berms, he said, would be huge, raised land masses that would inspire
confidence. 

"The first thing is safety -- we don't feel safe in St. Bernard," he said.
"People don't trust the levees. They're not going to move back if they don't
trust the levees." 

He also will push to eliminate state income tax on $50,000 of a person's
income. That money, he said, could be spent in the community, "turning over
several times" to spark the economy. 

He also wants to develop programs to attract new businesses to the district.


Madary, a St. Bernard Parish Councilman from Arabi, said one of the chief
issues is ethics reform. He said he will support any legislation that
strengthens financial disclosure requirements for all elected officials,
reins in lobbyists and creates transparency in government. 

He also will push for improvements in education, from programs for
4-year-olds to increasing the capacity for technical schools and community
colleges to provide job training, and the state's transportation
infrastructure. 

"We positively have a collapsing transportation system," he said. "(The
Legislature) fought more about cockfighting than about the transportation
system." Madary said the gasoline tax has to be dedicated to highways and
that he would support projects financed by tolls. 

"I've learned what political courage is," he said. "I have to make a
decision knowing I'm going to make somebody unhappy, but I have the courage
to make what I think is the right decision." 

Ruffino, a property appraiser from Chalmette, said one of the biggest
problems with insurance companies is that they are basing rates on computer
models showing an exaggerated amount of storm activity. He'll push to change
that. 

He also wants to fully repeal the Stelly tax plan, which eliminated sales
taxes on groceries and prescription drugs but raised income taxes on some
filers. "I know we've repealed 50-60 percent of the amendment, but it's
still flawed," he said. 

Ruffino also wants to help residents navigate the Road Home system. He said
the Legislature's impact on that system is limited, but leaders still must
be responsive to helping people in need. 

"I'm really worried about the candidate who wins this race representing the
whole district," he said. "It's not just St. Bernard and it's not just New
Orleans. We've had different agendas for far too long and look where it's
gotten us." 

. . . . . . . 

Bob Warren can be reached at bwarren at timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3363.