Christmas Eve is not the best time to post, but last night I saw another newscast that ignored the viable Democratic candidate in Louisiana’s 1st District race for the U.S. House and I am angry. The Democratic candidate is me. NBC News spent several minutes covering Republican candidates, including those who have not made a decision yet and even those who have opted against the run. An afterthought was added at the end saying that there was one declared Democratic candidate. Indeed, they underestimate my threat.
I do not offer polished promises that I cannot keep. Anyone who claims to know all the answers is pompous and non-credible. But I do claim to know most of the questions. I have worked hard for the past year traveling through all 6 parishes contacting mayors, police chiefs and everyday citizens. I have the determination, resiliency and intellectual capacity to leave no stone unturned as I search tirelessly for all possible solutions. Representatives are not supposed to accept NO for an answer. They are supposed to fight tooth and nail, beating on Capitol Hill doors, making a persistent clamor until urgent constituent needs are met. For less urgent matters, a representative needs to be a skillful, unpretentious negotiator.
I am a fighter who is primed to expand my public service to include my whole district. On a smaller scale in a university classroom, I have learned the tremendous impact one person can have. After Katrina, I informally counseled students and tried to comfort and assure them. One of these came up to me at a recent event and told me I literally saved her and that she will never ever forget me. Another student because of me did not quit school and is now graduating with plans to attend graduate school in the Fall. I remember Jackie who at 57 and with ADHD was finally getting her dream diploma until her estranged husband murdered her 3 days before she was to walk across the stage. Jackie drew strength from me but would not take my advice to cut her 21-hour semester in the face of the harassment she was enduring. And I received strength from her as I weathered the tragic loss of a second beautiful grandbaby at the same time.
In 1949, I caught polio in a major N.O. epidemic. My fever spiked at 107 and nurses said the Werner baby, me, would not make it through the night. Then doctors said I may never sit up or walk again. All were wrong. Well-meaning neighbors told my parents that if Santa gave me a 2-wheel bike it would be a cruel tease. I was riding with daddy running alongside me in no time. I did not just learn to swim at Audubon Park, I dove again and again off of the high diver. There were murmurings that I may never have children. I gave birth to 5 and then adopted 2 more. I was labeled crazy for returning to college with 7 children in tow, but then I earned my Ph.D. and silenced the skeptics. My pediatricians tried to hide their misgivings when I adopted a baby who had the worst brain hemorrhage possible and yet live. He was born in February and not due until June almost 26 years ago. This baby, who was not supposed to have any intellectual development, is now a college graduate.
So I am used to hearing "it can’t be done". This familiar sound fell on deaf ears once more a year ago when I announced my candidacy for the U.S. Congress in Louisiana’s 1st District. Now with every day that passes, I inch closer to victory. I have broad bi-partisan appeal with members of both parties supporting me emotionally, asking for signs, and promising me their votes. 2 of my hardest workers are Republicans. 2 of my 7 children are Republicans. (We must have dropped them on their heads when they were little!) So I love Republicans, too, and can represent well all Americans. I am the people’s candidate all ready to use my well-practiced skills to fight for the working woman, the working man, the small business owner, our veterans, our senior citizens, our children, dairy farmers, cattle ranchers, tree farmers, shrimpers, fishermen. People are disgruntled with the aftermath of Katrina, the Iraq War, and the hypocrisy of some politicians claiming to be all about "values".
The thing I like least about running for political office is not the pace or the frenzy or the invasion of privacy. It is phoning to hawk for dollars. I am a Southern-bred lady with manners and this is just downright rude. Besides, I resent spending precious time this way when my time and talent could be better spent researching the issues, discovering solutions, and meeting people to hear their suggestions. I did not write the rules and until campaign finance reform is a reality, I must abide by them or suffer defeat. The majority of those responsible for legislating a change are multi-millionaires who are satisfied with the status quo. They do not want populist candidates murking the waters of their domain.
My most memorable donations, from those not related to me, did not require me asking. They came from people who gave of their substance on their own. A busboy at a sandwich shop pulled a wrinkled $5 bill out of his pocket and gave it to me saying, "Ma’am, fight for me." (When I get discouraged over raising funds, I just resurrect this poignant image.) The second memorable donation came from a retired priest on a limited income who trusts me implicitly to do what is right. A donor who does not live in my district and has never met me, is giving a fundraiser dinner in her home. This is how determined she is that a fellow Democrat wins this seat. I will make these folks proud and not let any of them down.
I am in this race for all the right reasons—to make a positive difference in the lives of mainstream people in District 1. Having lived in this district my entire life, I have a vested interest in what happens to us. I am not a political opportunist who plans to abandon this job for a more politically savvy one in the future like most of my Republican opponents. They were recently elected to other offices and before even being sworn in, they are grappling for the next rung on the political ladder.
So much work to be done! Hwy 25 needs to be widened into 4 lanes from Covington to the state line. This is a major evacuation route and is sadly only 2 lanes wide. Franklinton and Bogalusa desperately need to have long overdue FEMA commitments paid to waiting contractors. Our dairy farmers and cattle ranchers are in trouble. We need forest restoration and nutria laws renewed. Our levees need to be re-engineered and our wetlands and coasts restored. We need to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and encourage business. Louisiana is sitting on a wealth of sugar cane which can be converted into ethanol cheaper and with more return and less waste than corn. (This is not an experimental process but tried and true, as Brazil has been converting sugar cane to fuel for 30 years successfully.) Our public education system leaves a lot to be desired. Our senior citizens are forced to decide between taking their medicine and eating because they cannot afford both. Too many of all ages have little or no access to affordable health care. Property insurance rates and rents have skyrocketed. Criminy—in some places, it is as if Katrina happened yesterday. Indeed, so much work needs to be done and much of it at the state level.
I envision smart government not big government. Smart government manages funds more equitably. It enables its people to provide for themselves without unneeded giveaways. It is efficient government that is run responsibly. Smart government reverses the class warfare policies in Washington that give tax breaks to the upper 1% and give a raw deal to the remaining 99% of us. Smart government earns back world respect via diplomacy. Smart government protects the rights of American workers and does not export jobs or import inferior products. We need a smart government which stays out of our bedrooms, out of our emails, out of our telephone conversations, out of our bank accounts. We need to stop the stripping away of our Constitutional rights before we become like the complacent frogs which boiled because they did not notice or object as the water temperature slowly increased.
Government is supposed to be of, by and for the people, not of, by and for a few large corporations and those who make over $200,000 a year. I represent the pulse of mainstream people—not special interests. I am a determined, hard-working Louisianian who will fight vocally and legislatively for what we need. I have a strong voice and I am not afraid to use it. Time is of essence. The primaries are on March 8th. Being ignored on a major television venue is not small potatoes. So I am spontaneously venting to like-minded Kossacks regardless of whether or not this rant is read. Shamelessly, I am also asking for even the smallest of donations. Act Blue
We Need Reed