“Is there anyone who can actually get something done at the Legislature?” the lady asked.
“Yes,” I told her. “He’s Senate President John Alario, a Republican from Westwego who has helped get more governors — Republicans and Democrats — out of difficult situations than anyone in state history.”
No surprises there, considering Alario has been in the Legislature since 1972, served two terms as speaker of the House and is in his second term as president of the Senate.
However, Alario has to deal with a new political phenomenon, a House of Representatives controlled by a small group of obstructionist Republicans whose No. 1 goal is to ensure the Edwards legislative program fails miserably.
Political analysts in this state generally agree it doesn’t seem likely the Legislature will accomplish its major goal at this session — reform of the state’s budget and tax systems. Failure means a repeat of the last nine years when lawmakers have had to deal with 15 mid-year budget deficits.
Edwards appealed for political cooperation in his opening address to lawmakers Monday, and stated what is clearly obvious. The partisanship that has gripped Washington, D.C., has made its way to Baton Rouge. He said it doesn’t work in Congress and won’t work in Louisiana.
Not surprisingly, some Republicans took exception to Edwards’ remarks. Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria and chairman of the House Republican Caucus, told The Times-Picayune when he hears talk like that it usually means “someone is disappointed that someone else didn’t agree with them 100 percent.”
Harris in the Republican Legislative Days Newsletter clearly states the goal of the GOP House leadership.
“Thousands of bills have already been filed for the legislative session starting today,” he said. “Most of the tax bills would raise taxes and should be defeated. But a few propose to lower taxes and should be supported….
“On the other hand, many increase taxes in a back-handed way — by eliminating valid deductions. These proposals really irk me.”
Stephanie Grace, a political columnist for The Advocate, said House Republicans aren’t as well organized as the Freedom Caucus in Congress. “But there is a large group,” she said, “as many as 25 strong, that comprises an informal ‘no’ caucus on taxes.”
Grace said House Republicans won their independence but have to figure out what to do with it. She said they proved they can obstruct, but now have to prove they can govern.
One of the biggest problems is the GOP’s refusal to accept the reality that nearly half the population in this state depends on government services in order to survive. The Louisiana Association of United Ways said statewide there were over 723,000 households, 42 percent, either living in poverty in 2014 or who were just above the poverty line or having trouble paying for basic expenses. Figures for Calcasieu and East Baton Rouge parishes were similar.
Some consider many of these households to be made up of freeloaders or citizens who refuse to work, but the facts simply don’t bear that out. The federal poverty level in 2014 was $23,850 for a family of four, and the United Way report said that same family needs at least $46,240 today to cover the basic costs of living.
Tyler Bridges of The Advocate has done some detailed reporting on House operations. He said after interviewing a dozen administration officials, senators and representatives that Harris and Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, frequently undercut House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, “in ways that would have been unthinkable in the regimes of previous speakers.”
It’s no surprise The Advocate struck out in its attempts to interview all three men. Bridges said Henry didn’t respond to five requests, Harris to four and Barras to two requests.
Alario told Bridges, “You have people coming in with hard philosophical views who won’t move off of them. It’s not good for democracy. You need to give and take. If everyone digs in, nothing happens.”
Now that we have talked about some of the leadership problems at the Legislature, let’s get back to Alario and why he could get something done if not for GOP obstructionism. The Times-Picayune in February of 2016, right after Edwards took office, interviewed some players from the past.
Timmy Teepell, former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s top political adviser, called Alario the top “franchise player” in the Legislature, the type of person you build a whole political strategy around.
Former Gov. Buddy Roemer, who was not an Alario fan at first, now says, “If I were governor now, I would trust John. I suspect (John Bel Edwards) will come to John before he does anything momentous. That would be the thing to do.”
Edwin Edwards, another former governor, said, “John Bel has no reason to want to change leadership. John Alario will put on the John Bel jersey.”
Charlie DeWitt, a former House speaker and longtime seatmate of Alario’s, said, “I don’t think John’s partisan. I think John does what John has to do to move this state forward.”
Alario does have his critics. I have been one on occasion. While he has helped the state negotiate through some rough financial times, he always makes sure his home parish of Jefferson is always included when the rewards are handed out.
However, give the man his due. The state sorely needs to be rescued from years of financial misery, and Alario could get it done. If only he had the chance.
Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than five decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or jbeam@americanpress.com.
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