Name: Cynthia Willard-Lewis
Website Address: http://www.cynthiawillardlewis.org
Contact Information:
P.O. Box 870485
New Orleans, LA 70187
Headquarters:
7500 Bullard Avenue, Suite 102
New Orleans, LA 70127
Phone: 504-243-1919
Email: info@cynthiawillardlewis.org
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Profession: Public Relations & Marketing; Motivational Speaking
Present Employer (if self-employed, what type of business): Self-employed
Highest Level of Education (include graduation date):
Bachelors of Arts, Xavier University of Louisiana;
Fellow, Loyola University Institute of Politics.
Applicable Training:
Cynthia offers 17 years of experience in public service and government.
Civic Experience (100 word limit):
New Orleans East Economic Development Foundation;
DeBore Elementary School Board;
Louisiana Coalition of Churches Board;
Total Community Achievement Problem Prevention Educational and Teen Pregnancy
Program, Board Officer; Victims and Citizens Against Crime;
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Political Experience & Memberships (100 word limit):
Administrative Assistant to the Mayor (Ernst N. Morial);
Urban Planner, Office of Policy Planning and Analysis, City of New Orleans;
Bureau Chief, Housing Division of the City of New Orleans;
State Representative, House District 100, (1993-2000);
Councilmember, District E, New Orleans City Council, (2000-2010)
1. What are your top three priorities for the office and how would you implement your goals?
My top priorities include: Fighting crime/blight; restoring quality health care; and recruiting new jobs/commerce are my top three priorities. Implementation will require securing all available resources from federal, state, and city government - an effort I am accustomed to as the district's former City Councilmember.
2. What specific legislation would you formulate and support to advance your priorities?
In order to rid the district of crime and blight, I will continue efforts I initiated as the district's City Councilmember to expand the Urban Corridor District to crack down on adult establishments and alcohol outlets that breed prostitution, crime, and blight and create an Environment Court to hear illegal dumping, blight, and environment pollution cases. To restore quality health care, I will secure funding to open new neighborhood health clinics, re-open Charity Hospital, and cut the red tape that threatens the reopening of Methodist Hospital. I will create new economic development districts to offer tax incentives to attract new jobs and commerce.
3. What is the best way to deal with the huge budget deficits the state will face next fiscal year?
We must continue to enact some of the smart cost-saving measures recommended by the Louisiana Streamlining Commission. The 10-member panel recommended 238 cost-cutting measure and more than half have been enacted or implemented. We should continue to review the recommendations and tighten the belt on state government spending. We must also strengthen our revenue base with a more dynamic approach to bringing new business and industry to our community.
4. Do you support or oppose a constitutional amendment to raise the homestead exemption to $150,000?
While I believe homestead exemption should be adjusted according to inflation, now is not the time to raise it to $150,000. It should be addressed in the future when we are not facing a $2 billion shortfall.
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