State Representative, 95th Representative District

League of Women Voters^®
of New Orleans

State Representative, 95th Representative District

Una Anderson

NAME: Una Byrnes Anderson
CAMPAIGN WEB ADDRESS: http://www.voteuna.com
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION:
Address: Campaign Headquarters, 8118 Oak Street, New Orleans, LA 70118
Phone: 504-872-0388
FAX:
E-mail: admin@voteuna.com
PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat
PROFESSION: developer of affordable housing/public servant
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION:
Executive Director, N.O. Neighborhood Development Collaborative (a nonprofit developing affordable housing in Orleans Parish)
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION:
A.B. with honors, Harvard University, graduated June,1989. Harvard-Radcliffe Scholarship all semesters. Dean's List.
APPLICABLE TRAINING:
5 years as City Council legislative aide in City Hall (worked with neighborhoods to improve quality of life and city services, with businesses to navigate the City processes and with other Council offices to refine the City Budget)
6 years as a school board member (supported reform superintendent, Tony Amato, advocated for increased funding to the classroom and reduced central bureaucracy and for the expansion of charter schools)
3 years as a small business owner and small real estate developer
CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
Carrollton United Member;
Mater Dolorosa Parishioner;
Board Member, Alliance for Affordable Energy;
Board Member, CityWorks;
Board Member, Central City Renaissance Alliance;
Former track coach, Conrad Playground;
Former Board Member, Kingsley House;
Co-founder and former mentor, Myrtle Banks Mentoring Program;
Former Board Member, N. O. Council for Young Children;
Former Board Member, La. Council for Economic Education;
Former Comm. Chairman, Young Leadership Council
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS:
Elected to the Orleans Parish School Board in 2000 and 2004 from District 6
Ran unsuccessfully for State Senate, District 6, 2005
1. What are your top three priorities for the office and why?

I have chosen the three priorities below because I believe excellent public education, the growth of economic opportunity and clean and effective government build the base for New Orleans' and Louisiana's future. My additional platform issues are healthcare reform, community safety (both crime reduction and levees/coastal restoration) and housing (increasing the efficiency of Road Home and funding the Housing Trust Fund). I have worked continuously on neighborhood housing and development issues since Katrina and will continue to do so.

1) Continued Education Reform including expanding pre-K options, high school redesign, new local governance structure for Orleans Parish, expand charter schools and form a State Facilities Commission;

2) Economic Development focused on small business survival/growth by facilitating State pass-through of federal funding and addressing insurance expense, implementation of model entrepreneurship program centered around the universities, centralized funding/responsibility for workforce training at the Workforce Commission and the State Community and Technical College system and build business opportunities with Latin America through our Port and hospitals. Bringing New Orleans residents home, bringing new residents and reducing our crime rate are all critical components of a successful New Orleans' economy which also makes housing rehab, neighborhood development and hurricane safety crucial to local economic development.

3) Ethics Reform including full financial disclosure of all sources of income from all legislators, statewide elected officials and their immediate families, increase public access to information regarding lobbyists' expenditures, set criteria and strong standards (including no benefit to legislators' family and required audits) for State funding of local nonprofits and projects to clarify and curtail and fund the Ethics Administration following model enforcement in other States.

2. What specific legislation would you formulate or support to implement your priorities?

1) Education Reform: i) Expanding pre-K with accountability measures (every $1 invested leads to over $10 in long-term savings/benefits); ii) Raising the state charter school cap; iii) formation of State School Facilities Commission; iv) pay-for-performance measures for teachers.

2) Economic Development: i) establish an insurance risk pool to attract competing insurers; ii) establish entrepreneurship program modeled after Pennsylvania's very successful Ben Franklin program; iii) centralize workforce training funding through State Community and Technical College system with planning, phase-in and strong accountability measures; iv) invest in Port facilities; v) mandate continued deployment of State police and National Guard in Orleans Parish; vi) ongoing monitoring of Road Home to increase effectiveness.

3) Ethics Reform: i) legislation requiring full financial disclosure of all sources of income by all legislators, statewide elected officials and their immediate families; ii) new lobbyist reporting requirements; iii) establish criteria/accountability for State funding of local nonprofits; iv) research and implement funding models for Ethics Administrations nationally.

3. What problems do you see with existing ethics reform legislation and what additional reform would you support?

The ethics legislation introduced in 2007 was only the first step toward sending the national message that Louisiana is a clean place to do business. The biggest problem is that the 2007 Legislature used political maneuvering outside of Committee to kill the bill. The bill also did not require full financial disclosure for all statewide elected officials. In addition to the reforms listed above and reforms in the Ethics 1 bill, Ethics 1's second step (which I support) includes a prohibition against negotiated contracts between legislators and governmental entities, prohibition against legislators changing their vote after adjournment and prohibition against legislators entering private business relationships with lobbyists.

4. How would you rank infrastructure needs and how will you fund the needed improvements for the top three? For example: roads, bridges, levees, ecosystem reconstruction, municipal water and sewer systems and public transportation.

1) Levees and Ecosystem Reconstruction - Funds needed for levees should be funded by the federal government and every effort must be made to insure levees are rebuilt to Category 5 protection. Levees and coastal restoration have a $55 billion price tag (per CRPA) and drive La's ability to retain and attract residents as well as insurance rates. Even with up to $20 million/year from OCS oil and gas production revenue designated for coastal restoration, it will be necessary to allocate some state revenue from the state's sales tax surplus between now and 2016.

2) Public transportation (including airport and rail) - Leverage some state investment with major federal transportation dollars.

3) Roads/Bridges - With in excess of a $14 billion backlog of needed improvements, funding for roads is needed. Dedication of existing transportation revenue to this infrastructure, tolls to pay for specific road repairs leveraged with some state revenue could begin to address these needs.

5. What legislation would you support to educate a workforce for advancing the economic development of Louisiana?

See Economic Development and Education above. I would support continuing education reform, centralizing workforce training funding through La. Community and Technical College system with planning, phase-in and strong accountability measures and aligning the high school career options in the curriculum to the LCTCS offerings. This will close the current gap between high schools, our two year colleges and the workforce needs of our businesses.

Walker Hines

NAME: William "Walker" Hines
CAMPAIGN WEB ADDRESS: http://www.walkerhines.com
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION: Address: 5500 Prytania Street #626, New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: 504-231-4991
FAX: 504-553-5324
E-mail: walker.hines@gmail.com
PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat
PROFESSION: Financial Investment Analyst
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION: Capital Investment Management
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Bachelors, University of Michigan, 2007
APPLICABLE TRAINING: Commercial and Residential Real Estate Market Analysis, Investment Training, New Markets Tax Credits, Go-Zone Legislation
CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Member of New Orleans Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals (NOLA YURP)
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS: Worked for former Congressman Chris John (D-LA) in Washington, D.C.; Elected President of the Student Government, Metairie Park Country Day School
1. What are your top three priorities for the office and why?

My top three priorities in the State Legislature are:
1) Ethics Reform
2) Economic Development
3) Crime Prevention

2. What specific legislation would you formulate or support to implement your priorities?

I am the only candidate in District 95 to support comprehensive ethics reform, having endorsed the recommendations of: Blueprint Louisiana, LA Ethics 1, Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, and The Council For A Better Louisiana. I have a 10-point plan to strengthen Louisiana's ethics laws.

A corrupt state is a poor state. We must demand accountability from our public officials and hold them to a higher standard than ever before.

We can cure many of the social problems we have with economic solutions. We must reduce or eliminate the personal state income tax, especially for our teachers, police officers, firefighters, 65+, and small business owners. We are at a competitive disadvantage with our neighboring states, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida all having no personal state income tax. It's time we level the playing field, retain our own businesses and attract new business enterprises. If we uplift people economically, crime will be reduced. While adding more police officers on the street will reduce crime, it does not solve the root of the problem. I propose better workforce job training programs, more community events, cleaner parks with greater recreational options, an increase in two-year technical schooling, vocational training, better access and affordability to child-care facilities, and a universal pre-school education system.

These ideas are the solution to creating a safer, healthier, and more prosperous Louisiana. However, to address the escalating crime rates immediately, I propose adding a police substation in Hollygrove to combat the rising violence. I also propose adding cameras in high-crime areas throughout the city.

3. What problems do you see with existing ethics reform legislation and what additional reform would you support?

My ten-point plan to strengthen ethics laws in Louisiana as outlined in my literature is as follows:
1) Full disclosure of all sources of income for all candidates seeking political office in Louisiana
2) Stiffer penalties for those that break campaign finance laws
3) Restrict lobbyist access inside the Capitol during voting session
4) Prevent any government contracts from being given to family members or vested business partners of current State Legislators
5) Provide Louisiana Ethics Administration with funds and resources necessary to fully investigate possible ethics violations
6) Eliminate perks and complimentary tickets given to State Legislators from registered lobbyists
7) Increase State Legislative requirements to report all potential conflicts of interest
8) Strengthen the Louisiana Ethics Code by hiring an independent firm outside of Louisiana to evaluate current ethics laws and penalties.
9) Require all corporations to report names, the amount paid to each lobbyist, and legislation lobbied on by lobbyists to the Louisiana Ethics Administration
10) Release all information including financers and names behind third-party political ads.

4. How would you rank infrastructure needs and how will you fund the needed improvements for the top three? For example: roads, bridges, levees, ecosystem reconstruction, municipal water and sewer systems and public transportation.

Louisiana has the worst roads and one of the worst transportation systems in the country. Many states have begun using toll-roads to help pay for new and better highways. The state should seek a public-private partnership to help reduce state spending for transportation. Businesses benefit most from better highways and we must work with them to help fund new projects. I support a new I-49 from New Orleans to Lafayette. Only those driving on the new I-49 should have to pay a toll. The frequency of having to service automobiles in Louisiana is unfair; our roads must be better. I propose tax credits be given to those that use public transportation. The state should also look into using bio-diesel fuels for our public transportation to help save costs and reduce the impact of transportation on our environment and most importantly, our eroding coastline.

5. What legislation would you support to educate a workforce for advancing the economic development of Louisiana?

1) Expand Work Opportunity Tax Credits
2) Increase 2-Year Technical School Options
3) Teach Money Management Training, including financial risks and rewards of debt, credit, etc. in all public schools.
4) Implement Business Incubator Program throughout State.

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