Incumbent Disrict 24 state Sen. Elbert Guillory touts a new McDonald’s in Grand Coteau as a proven record of job creation, while Opelousas Mayor Don Cravins, the man vying for the same District 24 seat he held for 15 years, takes full credit for creating the state’s community college and juvenile justice systems.
The eye-popping, 90-minute exchange Monday afternoon on UL Lafayette’s campus between Guillory and Cravins offered tenebrous insight into how the candidates view themselves and their records, but gave voters even more knowledge on how the two view each other.
According to The Advertiser, the attack-style debate included multiple references to Cravins’ leadership in Opelousas in light of scathing audits on the city and the Opelousas Housing Authority, while Cravins brought up Guillory’s own ethical dilemmas and characterized the incumbent as a do-nothing legislator who’s out of touch with constituents:
“They have found a pattern of mismanagement, a pattern of giving contracts and money to cronies, to friends and family members. It’s all there. Compare the records,” Guillory said. “This is the record we’re talking about right there. Honesty and integrity? None.”
“He’s always been dishonest, he continues to be dishonest and he continues to not tell the truth,” Cravins said.
The jabs have been repeated by both candidates since long before the race began, but the bold and mud-filled campaigns of Guillory and Cravins still have political insiders guessing which candidate will secure the seat.
Guillory led the primary with 46.4 percent of the votes, with Cravins raking in a close 40.72 percent. The third District 24 candidate Kelly Scott, who received 12.9 percent of the vote Oct. 22, has since thrown his support to Cravins despite announcing post-election that he would not be endorsing anyone in the race.
One north Lafayette politico says Guillory has two big advantages in St. Landry Parish in the form of Sheriff Bobby Guidroz and Opelousas City Marshal Paul Mouton, both of whom share a disdain for the Cravins dynasty. With Guidroz winning re-election Oct. 22, one insider says Guidroz and Mouton are “trying to unite all of St. Landry against Don Cravins, but can that result in a victory for Guillory? I don’t know.”
Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court Louis Perret predicts that voter turnout will not exceed 10 percent in the Nov. 19 election, which keeps the District 24 race as one of the most unpredictable on the ballot.
JUNE 17 If anyone ever wonders why Saints fans hate Atlanta with a capital H, here's a good indication. Radio "professionals" at an Atlanta station created an entire segment around making fun of former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is now paralyzed by ALS. Listen, nobody's ever accused DJs of being rocket scientists. But how could someone think it is amusing to pretend to ask a man with a degenerative, fatal disease if he will be alive next week? The DJs have been fired, and are now whining about how gutless their former bosses are. Wow.
JUNE 18 Here's the latest from the Advocate on the fatal hit-and-run accident allegedly involving the president of the Livingston Parish School Board. He's accused by police of hitting a 21-year-old man on a highway early Sunday and driving away. The man died at a hospital later. On Monday, police seized the president's truck and towed it away. But he's available for board meetings: apparently a $500 bond is sufficient for this type of thing over in St. Helena Parish.
JUNE 18 Former broadcast journalist Griffin Scott has posted this plea on his blog for financial assistance from his readers. Scott, who says he was fired after he wrote something fairly innocuous (for Facebook) on his wall, is suing a media giant for his job back. He's framed himself as David going after a bloated media giant, and he's probably not far off.
JUNE 18 Here's a fairly absurd column posted on DIG Magazine about the completely absurd practice of naming killer storms. Tornadoes don't have names. Blizzards don't have names. But hurricanes do, and there's a big process to bestow them, Jacques Cormery writes. He's right about the crazy assemblage of names -- this year, there's everything from Tanya to Humberto -- and his idea that we don't waste good names on killer storms is a good one.
JUNE 17 Political columnist John Maginnis has some advice for Louisiana Republicans: grow up. After the schism that occurred in this past session - fiscal hawks teaming up with Democrats to spank the Republican "majority" and hand Gov. Jindal his, er, aspirations for continued solon control -- they need to figure out how to get along with each other, Maginnis writes.
JUNE 17 Here's the Picayune's obit story for Dorothy 'Miss Dot' Domilise, the lady who made poboys at the uptown restaurant that bears her name. Miss Dot moved to New Orleans during World War II, where she met and married her husband Sam. When she passed away Friday she was 90, and had spent more than 60 of those years working at the restaurant on Annunciation Street.
JUNE 17 This editorial in the Advocate speaks in favor of the consent decrees that have federal judges overseeing police operations and the sheriff's parish prison in New Orleans. Mayor Landrieu and Sheriff Gusman can't get along, so outside forces, like the Inspector General and the judges, are needed to make sure things run right, the editorial opines.
JUNE 18 Here's a post from Manny Schewitz on Forward Progressives that is good for a chuckle. Manny had an epiphany back in November, and is sharing it with us today: he believes that Fox "News" is killing the GOP by pandering to right wing nuts. Now, don't get it twisted: Manny's not broke up about it. He says he enjoys watching the downward spiral with a shot of whiskey and "a schadenfreude chaser."
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