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| State Sen. Mike Michot, R-Lafayette |
In 2010, the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce took a bold step in its long history of representing the interest of business. That step, as recommended by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was the issuance of a voting record of local elected officials. The voting record report is a resource for the Chamber’s newly formed political action committee.
However, the simple idea of reporting on voting records brings with it the inherent risk of appearing to disapprove of a candidate or candidates, or having the report record being interpreted incorrectly. The Chamber, in reporting on voting records, provides numerical scores and not letter scores.
Unfortunately, as in the case of Lafayette Senator Mike Michot, the reported voting record tallied absences from significant votes due to his demanding and important role as Chairman of the Finance Committee. Thus, the unintended consequences were that a proven friend of the chamber and community received a low numerical score, which mischaracterizes Senator Michot’s legislative contribution.
Recognizing that the voting record, which is based on actual votes, did not accurately account for a pro-business philosophy, or an entire body of work, the chamber will modify its initial protocol. The Chamber will continue to communicate its positions on behalf of its members, will continue to monitor lawmakers’ votes, and will continue to hold them accountable.
The goal is to enhance the critical business infrastructure and environment for small and large businesses. That end will be achieved through positive, collaborative spirit by the Chamber, the community at-large and our elected officials on all levels. For at the end of the day, it is not “us” against “them,” but simply and collectively, “US”.
The Chamber leadership met recently with Senator Michot. We will work side-by-side as we face a most challenging 2011 legislative session. With Senator Michot as Chairman of the powerful Finance Committee, and the balance of our talented delegation, Lafayette has an unprecedented opportunity for spectacular progress.
Flo Meadows, chairman of the board
Jerry Greig, chairman-elect
Rob Guidry, president
MAY 24 Blogger Robert Mann posts this entry about the Baton Rouge Chamber's recent report on Louisiana's higher education system. It's critical to economic development, and yet our system is facing a "funding crisis" with no way to resolve it, the report says. The Chamber says control of tuition and fees must be returned to the higher ed governing boards.
MAY 24 Here's a NBC33 story about Tyrann Mathieu. He has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, inking a $3 million, four-year deal. He gets a signing bonus of $265K, but gets another, larger bonus if he doesn't get cut from the team for doing drugs. The deal reportedly includes mandatory tests and meetings for the player.
MAY 24 Jarvis DeBerry posts here about the redonkulus rhetoric that would have us believe NOLA is a safe city with a murder problem. Maybe the city's crime stats don't compare with its murder stats because you can't manipulate a murder, he says: a dead body's a dead body. It just doesn't make sense, he says, and his readers agree: a poll asks if they believe the city is safe, and more than 90 percent say no.
MAY 24 Jindal administration officials announced Thursday that the privatization of public health care is going to cost a lot more than they budgeted for, the Advocate reports here. "I'm so surprised," said no one. Anywhere. The cost they're projecting now is more than $1 billion - a lot more than the $626 million budgeted for it. And, it's more than it cost the state to operate those hospitals. So why are we doing this again?
MAY 24 Blogger CB Forgotston ridicules the recent PR campaign by the state GOP in the wake of a legislative auditor's request to both major parties. The GOP (apparently unaware that the Dems got the same request) started yammering about being targeted because it had "killed" a tax increase. CB finds that laughable, but it's also pretty funny that the GOP was comparing this episode to the IRS scandal (Because the President has so much to do with our state auditor. Right?).
MAY 24 Politico details some recent fund-raising efforts by Sen. David Vitter, which have raised the question of his future political plans. This time, it is a $5,000 per head "bayou weekend" that includes "Cajun cooking" and an all-caps "alligator hunt," the story reports. Funds raised go to a super PAC that can spend money to support Vitter in federal or state races, the story points out.
MAY 24 The pink building on Royal in the quarter was sold at a sheriff's sale Thursday, this Picayune story reports. An injunction that would have halted the sale wasn't enforced because the family failed to post a $150,000 bond, the story reports. So the owner of the mortgages on the building bought it, for nearly $7 million. Now the feuding family will have to negotiate with that company to get a lease on the building that has housed their business for close to 60 years.
MAY 23 This post in Louisiana Voice tells us about a bill by a Winnsboro lege that would require all public high school students to take at least one Course Choice online class in order to graduate. (What?) Blogger Tom Aswell says it's a monument to "waste and corruption," especially in light of the problems he's exposed with the program in recent weeks. Idaho had a similar program, but voters removed it by a 2-1 margin, Aswell says.
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"However, the simple idea of reporting on voting records brings with it the inherent risk" -- Inherent risk?!!
"The Chamber, in reporting on voting records, provides numerical scores and not letter scores." --- You gave the guy an "F". If that's not a letter, than I don't know what is.
"Thus, the unintended consequences were that a proven friend of the chamber and community received a low numerical score, which mischaracterizes Senator Michot’s legislative contribution." ---- Unintended Consequences?!!
C'mon Man!! Sounds like the Chamber needs to refocus on Education - OF ITSELF!!
You damaged a proven friend of business' reputation. I didn't see an apology, or 'WE WERE WRONG' anywhere.
The Chamber falls directly in the "Couillon" Category in my grading scale.