If You’re Happy with How EBR Is Going, You’ll Love Sharon Broome or Ted James

If you like what’s going on in Baton Rouge, you should stick with Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.  

Under her administration, our hometown has one of the highest murder rates in the United States. Crime has become an epidemic, made worse by the arrival of gangs in many of our neighborhoods. In some areas, people are afraid to walk down their street in broad daylight.

Blighted property is everywhere. Some estimates are that there are more than 5,000 houses, storefronts, and other buildings that are abandoned or uninhabitable.  Much of the city is dirty, dilapidated, and menacing.

In many areas, we see “trap houses” that are blighted buildings used for prostitution and drug deals. They degrade neighborhoods and the property of those homeowners who do keep up their property.

Trash and litter are rarely picked up, and debris, fallen trees, old couches, and furniture can be left by the side of the road for a year or more without being picked up.

In much of the city, there is no effort to plant trees or flowers or take advantage of our beautiful weather and growing conditions.

Retail is dying.  Office tenants are moving out.  The beautiful One American Place downtown has declared bankruptcy.  

The University Lakes, once a focus of beauty and pride, have been turned into a quagmire that has residents up in arms, thanks to the City-Parish government.

Young people are leaving.  In fact, the vast exodus from the parish which began years ago has continued unabated.

Traffic south of Florida is in gridlock much of the day.  It is mind-blowing to have to sit in traffic an hour or more to go two or three miles. The MoveBR plan, which we endorsed, has “moved” in slow motion.  While we faithfully pay the tax everyday, almost nothing is done to progress down the long list of roads we were promised.

There is a general feeling that no one is in charge and that if the city simply rots in place, it will be just fine. Hope is almost gone.

There is no need for Mayor-President Broome to announce any plans or initiatives.  Why bother to try to fool us?  Her plan is fully in effect.  We are living it, it’s not pretty, and it’s not working.

The mayor apparently hopes to duplicate the effectiveness of Vice President Kamala Harris. She describes herself as a “champion” of Kamala Harris. She worked hard to oust Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee and install Kamala Harris.

Then we have former Rep. Ted James, the other Democratic candidate for Mayor-President.

The opposition to Mayor Broome is so great that earlier this year when Ted James announced for the position, a number of prominent businessmen jumped on his bandwagon.  They were convinced (without any real inquiry on their part), that no one could be worse that Sharon Weston Broome!

So they latched onto Rep. James, the former state chairman for Kamala Harris for President, as their great hope to unseat Mayor Broome.

Had these dear folks bothered to research the record of Rep. James they would have learned that oh, yes, someone could be worse than Mayor Broome!

Ted is rightly defined as a far-left activist.  Not only is he deeply tied to Kamala and her policies, but he has charted his own left-wing record in the legislature, where he was a Zero percent conservative.

James earned the ire of law enforcement and the Louisiana Attorney General’s office for his “soft on crime” legislation.  He supported legislation to free thousands of inmates prior to the end of their sentences, which many believe contributed to the increase in crime.

He also opposed qualified immunity for police and sheriff’s deputies.  He opposed constitutional carry legislation. He was an advocate for allowing felons to serve on juries.

James has also been a strong supporter of abortion on demand and fought against the right to life.  He was considered one of the most dependable votes against the unborn child in the legislature even when a heartbeat has been detected.

James voted to allow men to compete in women’s sports.  He supported forcing people to be vaccinated, and he refused to support ending the governor’s emergency order.  

After resigning from the Legislature in 2021, he took a job in the Biden Administration before resigning to run for Mayor-President.

Ted James described his ideal political outcome this way:

“With Kamala Harris in the Oval Office and me in the Mayor’s Office for the next four years, Baton Rouge’s future has never been brighter,” he said.

On the other side of the aisle is the endorsed Republican candidate, Coach Sid Edwards.

Coach Sid is not a politician, but he is a man who loves this community and has worked to save the children of this parish for the past 44 years as a coach.

As a coach, he has won the respect and universal admiration of those he has coached, those who have worked under him, and those who have coached against him.  He has been the NFL’s National Coach of the Year and the State 5A Coach of the Year, as well as won three State Championships.

The Louisiana Republican Party and the Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish have fully vetted his stand on the 75 most important issues facing our parish, state, and nation.  They have also investigated his background and his ability to perform the job of Mayor-President. He is a man of character, and the Republican Party unanimously endorsed him.

The bottom line is, if you are happy with this parish, your best choices are Sharon Broome or Ted James.  They are good examples of the politicians who have brought us to this point.  However, if you want real change,  Coach Sid Edwards is your best and only real choice.