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Within a few days of these words being written, there will be some big changes in government, both at the executive level in Baton Rouge and right here, in Terrebonne and Lafourche.
A new governor has been elected, and a new chief executive for each of these parishes. New members for each parish council will be taking their seats.
Promises have been made, honeymoon periods are likely in all cases, at least for a little while.
Gordon Dove did not run with any agenda in his race to the Parish President’s office other than promoting Gordon Dove, ostensibly for the sake of the parish as a whole. Danny Babin, who lost the election, likewise ran from a position of what he could do for the parish, and what he had to offer. Ultimately the voters made their choice.
In Lafourche Parish Jimmy Cantrelle bested Charlotte Randolph. She ran on her record. Cantrelle ran on his interpretation of her record.
But again, the choices voters made had little to do with the national partisan circus.
It would be nice to say that was the case in the governor’s race. But the election of John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, in a state where sympathies largely lie with the more conservative, and therefore more Republican principles, says a lot for the voters.
It was David Vitter, the Republican, who chose to make President Barack Obama, who is wildly unpopular here, an issue.
So where does all this leave us?
With a reminder for the new governor and the new parish presidents to bear in mind as their terms progress the principles upon which they were elected, and to pledge – to themselves if no one else – that they will stay true to them.
For Gordon Dove, this means a commitment to more transparency in local governmental affairs is necessary.
Dove’s predecessor, Michel Claudet, did many good things for Terrebonne Parish. It is likely that if not for term limits – and indications that Claudet clearly had enough with public life – he would have been re-elected had he chosen to retain the position.
But Claudet’s time in office began and ended with a less than sterling record on transparency.
When problems with administration during Hurricane Gustav became an embarrassment, getting a clear accounting of what actually occurred was like pulling teeth. That was near the start of the Claudet years.
Toward the end of his time in office Claudet – after obfuscating the circumstances surrounding the Houma police chief’s retirement – chose to dodge accountability. As his term came closer to an end, Claudet became less accessible.
It is one of the problems when CEOs become elected officials. They find it difficult to function openly, because CEO’s don’t really have to.
To Claudet’s credit, he delegated fulfillment of public records requests to Al Levron, who became really good at this, and handled that position conscientiously.
The parish attorney, Courtney Alcock, doesn’t earn the same praise. Her position on public records matters was in almost all cases that of an adversary, rather than someone who must delicately balance ethical duty to a client – in this case the parish government – with an understanding of that need to be transparent whenever possible. She does not timely return phone calls from reporters. There is little room for negotiation on matters of records release, and she has not evinced an understanding of the state constitution’s presumption that all is public unless specifically stated otherwise in statute.
In Baton Rouge the arrogance of Bobby Jindal saw the governor’s power being used to bully legislation through that concealed the workings of government more than allow it to be revealed, laws passed by a legislature that wouldn’t say no.
Change has already occurred in that regard, and it is hoped that the new governor will stay a course of working to shine more sunlight on government’s workings.
As a state legislator, Gordon Dove has always been approachable and available, and there is little reason to think that will change, as he adopts his new role in the Government Tower.
At all levels, we are hopefully entering into an era when Louisiana will again stay true to the principles behind its oft-skirted sunshine laws, and make room for a new openness in government, as a way of properly meeting its mandate of serving the people, rather than those who are in seats of power. •
