If you really want to know what’s wrong with our political system and the people we elect to office, it can be summed up in the current race for State Treasurer.
Here are the Duties of that office:
According to Article IV, Section 9 of the Louisiana Constitution, the treasurer is head of the Department of the Treasury and “shall be responsible for the custody, investment and disbursement of the public funds of the state.” The Treasury Department website outlines the treasurer’s duties:
- receive and safely keep all the monies of this state, not expressly required by law to be received and kept by some other person;
- disburse the public money upon warrants drawn upon him according to law, and not otherwise;
- keep a true, just, and comprehensive account of all public money received and disbursed, in books to be kept for that purpose, in which he shall state from whom monies have been received, and on what account; and to whom and on what account disbursed;
- keep a true and just account of each head of appropriations made by law, and the disbursements under them;
- give information in writing to either house of the Legislature when required, upon any subject connected with the Treasury, or touching any duty of his office;
- perform all other duties required of him by law.
- advise the State Bond Commission, the Governor, the Legislature and other public officials with respect to the issuance of bonds and all other related matters;
- organize and administer, within the office of the State Treasurer a state debt management section
https://www.treasury.state.la.us/Home%20Pages/TreasurerDuties.aspx
Nowhere in al that does it even once say or even imply that the job has once scintilla to do with:
- standing with President Trump to create new jobs or to cut wasteful spending, as former Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis would have us believe in her TV ads;
- fighting to make drainage and infrastructure top priorities in the state budget, as State Sen. Neil Riser insists in his TV ads;
- having the guts to say “No! No to bigger government, no to wasteful spending and to raising your taxes,” as former State Rep. John Schroder proclaims in his TV ads, or
- stopping cuts to education, healthcare and wasteful government spending, as the TV ads of Derrick Edwards insist.
So, why do they insist on campaigning on issues in no way related to the actual duties of the position they are seeking?
For the same reason candidates for Baton Rouge mayor (former Mayor Kip Holden and State Sen. Bodie White, who ran unsuccessfully for the job, come to mind) consistently campaign every four years on improving schools and reducing the number of school dropouts when the mayor’s office has zilch to do with the school board:
They consider the average voter to be unsophisticated, ignorant fools who don’t know any better. Or they’re so stupid they don’t know any better themselves. Those are only two choices.
Period.
Their campaign ads clearly illustrate the complete and total disdain the treasury candidates have for Louisiana voters. They obviously think they can throw up (ahem) fake news and pseudo issues that leave voters in complete darkness about each candidate’s relative qualifications to hold the job.
And by so doing, they send a loud message that neither is qualified for—or deserving of—the job.
When John Kennedy, who had previously served as Secretary of Revenue, an appointive position, ran for treasurer in 1995, he ran a somewhat relevant ad that said, “When I was Secretary of the Department of Revenue, I reduced paperwork for small businesses by 150 percent.”
That ad carried a message that actually resonated with small business owners drowning in paperwork and which at least sounded germane to the office of state treasurer—never mind that it was physically impossible to reduce anything by 150 percent. Once you reduce something by 100 percent, you’re at zero.
All of this rant about the four candidates for treasurer and the lame campaign rhetoric of candidates for Baton Rouge mayor—and just about any other political office you can name—just illustrates to what lengths politicians will go to cloud the real issues and to shy away from discussing matters they can actually address when in office.
How many times have you heard a candidate for U.S. Representative or U.S. Senate implore you to send him to Washington so that he can “make a difference”?
It’s disingenuous at best, fraud at worst.
So, on Oct. 14, be sure to go to the polls and cast your vote for one of the four frauds running for treasurer.
It’s the Louisiana way.
Louisiana Voice 
You wrote “They consider the average voter to be unsophisticated, ignorant fools who don’t know any better”.
Change “consider” to “recognize” or “know” and you’re onto something.
This Louisiana, college-educated-registered voter, wondered WTF are these idiots talking about that they plan to do if elected. They will do no more and probably less than what is actually required of them all the while looking for the next election “up.” Maybe they can rerun these ads when the content might actually match the job for which they applied. Sad.
After reading the job requirements my first thought was that this job should be appointive and my second thought was that a degree in accounting should be the first requirement for consideration. So I decided to check on everyone’s educational background. My, my, what a surprise. Davis – BA in communications and MBA from LSU. Schroder – BS in criminal justice. Riser – BA in business. Edwards – BA and MBA in accounting plus a law degree from I believe Loyola. Plus he’s the only one who is not a politician (yet), though in all fairness Davis’ past political posts have been appointed. Edwards currently leads the polls though only due to Republican candidates splitting the polls. Most notable though is that Edwards is in this position with zero support from his party which is Democrat. I know he’s made claims about issues that he would have no control over. I think he’s done his homework and understands that’s what people want to (regrettably) hear. I think I would be playing up my accounting education. It sure seems like that would come in quite handy in the Treasurer’s daily work requirements.
Excellent comments.
I have to always be pragmatic when voting for anybody because there is no perfect candidate for any office. On qualifications alone, I support and will vote for Angele Davis. I see your point about Edwards and do not disagree. However, I sincerely question his desire to hold the job. Maybe it is a lack of money, but he seems to be doing nothing to push his candidacy and he lacks vital experience in the intricacies of state government.
All successful campaigns today are data-driven. We do not see the real person when we see these ads and we have to accept that. We don’t have to like it, and I certainly don’t, but it is reality. As one example, I personally find it impossible to believe our current president has the support of some 40% of the American public, but he does, and I find it disappointing that his even greater support in Louisiana has led the Davis campaign to invoke his name in their ads.
The only thing I disagree with you on is making the Treasurer appointed rather than elected because I believe having an independent banker is important, particularly in Louisiana – and no matter who appointed her or him, the degree of independence vested in all statewide elected officials would be lost. This independence varies, of course, but I would not like to see it lost entirely.
Among the most important functions of the treasurer is direct dealings with Wall Street investment banks, and, more importantly, bond rating agencies. Those agencies place a great deal of stock in the credibility of the state’s banker. I believe Davis has established credibility with those agencies through her prior experience at the division of administration. Ratings from these agencies underlie the interest rates we have to pay on our bonds – a large amount of money. Why do the candidates not talk more about this? I have to guess because it, like the other real duties of the treasurer are, not to put too fine a point on it, boring. So, even though the duties are vital, they are not as exciting as being fictional superheroes.
I thought hard about the appointive versus elected position and I was a bit uncomfortable with it but came to my conclusion that when a person is appointed they must have the approval of the legislature as well or they will need to walk a fine line to be successful. Witness the current love between Darden and our present lawmakers. The position of Treasurer has a natural degree of independence built in due do its requirements and couldn’t really sway a legislator nor would they be in a position to really be a ultimate factor in any of the governor’s ambitions. Stephen, I know you have a great deal of experience in this arena and most probably are aware of other reasons why appointment wouldn’t work and I have immense respect for your insights. My background is in business and I’m not learned in the intricacies of government although I feel one could make a solid argument that neither are many that supposedly represent us. It’s just an idea I floated out there. I do feel that an education in accounting, especially at an advanced level, would be and should be a powerful tool of the Treasurer.
I can’t see into Edwards mind but I believe he is sincere. Upon inspection you’ll find he is running a social media campaign which would indicate a lack of funding. Lacking a knowledge in the intricacies of government is something almost everyone faces prior to winning their first election. Edwards story of being paralyzed in a football collision his senior year of high school and overcoming those odds to achieve advanced accounting degrees plus a law degree are inspiring. The fact that the Louisiana Democratic Party won’t offer any monetary support is a damn shame. This seems to be a regular reaction when they have a candidate possibly poised to be a challenger. But that’s a whole other mystery. I’m an Independent so I won’t be privy to their foolishness.
After much thought I will support Edwards. Stephen, I also respect your decision to support Angele Davis. She is my current number two choice.
And for all of you who are fond of saying “drain the swamp”, Derrick Edwards is your best chance to do that.
I am also supporting Derrick Edwards because he is the best, most qualified candidate. A few high level Democratic Party leaders have made a deal with Riser and taken $ to support him. Proof of that can be found in Neil Riser’s recent filings with the Ethics Board by looking at the New Orleans based political action groups those few people run.
As an elected member of the Democratic State Central Committee, working to support my party’s candidates at every level, I can tell you many of us are working to support Derrick AND to ferret out the DINOs.
We are the party of the people. We care about universal healthcare, diversity in all areas, especially voting, access to a good public education, a healthy environment, supporting renewable energy such as solar, wind and ocean wave technologies, the FACT of global warming and recovering America’s important moral leadership in the world.
That a few have sold out our values to enhance their personal political ambitions has already had repercussions. Perhaps you would like to write about it, Tom.