 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
2nd District race offers clear contrast
Posted by: Admin on Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - 12:39 PM
|
|
|
| |
2nd District Race Offers Clear Contrast
Incumbent faces a fresh challenge
While some voters might need a scorecard to sort through the crowded Nov. 2 ballot for the 1st and 3rd Congressional District races, things are much simpler in the 2nd District.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
By Frank Donze
Staff writer
Link to article at NOLA.com
While some voters might need a scorecard to sort through the crowded Nov. 2 ballot for the 1st and 3rd Congressional District races, things are much simpler in the 2nd District. That contest is a two-candidate affair, and the contrasts couldn't be clearer.
Seeking his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat William Jefferson faces Republican Arthur Schwertz, a commercial real estate appraiser making his first bid for public office.
Jefferson, 57, a fixture on the Louisiana political stage for a quarter century, has near universal name recognition in a district covering much of New Orleans, most of Jefferson Parish's West Bank and a small part of Jefferson's east bank where seven in 10 voters are Democrats. Schwertz, 37, is a virtual unknown looking to represent an area where GOP registration is less than 10 percent.
The incumbent, who has what is considered a moderate voting record among Democrats, behaves more like a centrist on issues such as international trade. Schwertz, who describes himself as a Christian conservative, leans far to the right on issues like abortion, school choice and gay marriage.
A high-ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which handles all tax-related legislation, Jefferson is a major player in local and state politics. Schwertz, who has worked as a volunteer on a couple of campaigns since 2002, was elected this year as a delegate to the state Republican Party convention.
Since he succeeded political legend Lindy Boggs in 1990 to become the first African-American to represent Louisiana in Congress this century, Jefferson has never faced a serious challenge.
His tightest race came two years ago when he picked up 64 percent of the vote on the way to a first primary win against four challengers, including Public Service Commissioner Irma Dixon. When Jefferson hasn't been re-elected without opposition, his winning percentage has gone as high as 86 percent, in 1998.
Quality of life
Attempting to spring what would be a monumental upset, Schwertz is employing a theme that Dixon used in 2002, arguing that while Jefferson has focused on national issues, quality of life in the 2nd District has worsened on his watch.
"If you look around, is the district really better than it was 14 years ago?" asked Schwertz, who grew up in Gentilly and lives in eastern New Orleans. "I would have to say no. I'm running to offer people a change, to bring focus back to the people."
In an effort to illustrate his position, Schwertz points to the rate of violent crime in the metropolitan area, the demise of the Lake Forest Plaza shopping center in his neighborhood and the poor condition of many public school buildings throughout the district.
Jefferson, who says he knows nothing about his opponent and has "not had the pleasure of meeting" him, said his record of delivering tens of millions in federal dollars annually to the district speaks for itself.
From the $160 million Canal Street streetcar project to the ongoing modernization of the Industrial Canal and Louis Armstrong International Airport to the widening of the highway outside Avondale shipyard on the West Bank, Jefferson said he has been at the forefront of efforts to create new jobs and preserve existing ones.
"I'm the senior member in our delegation and one of the senior members on Ways and Means," Jefferson said. "And that plays a key role in the affect you can have on the institution."
When it comes to federally financed crime-fighting and public education initiatives, Jefferson said cuts in spending have come courtesy of the Bush administration and the Republican-controlled Congress.
"In many cases, Republicans don't get a lot of votes out of these areas, so they don't pay attention," Jefferson said.
Jobs a key issue
If he's elected, Schwertz said his top priorities would be two areas that he believes Jefferson has neglected: bolstering job training programs at community colleges and lobbying for tax breaks for companies that provide their own job training.
"While it is not the job of the congressman to create jobs per se, he should be working to foster an environment that provides better than minimum-wage jobs," Schwertz said. "There are things in Congress you can do directly and indirectly to create jobs and the easiest way is to lend his influence."
This year, Jefferson said he did just that, lending his influence to a Republican-sponsored measure that would change tax law for U.S. flagged vessels.
The new law, which is awaiting President Bush's signature, calls for freeing ship owners from most income taxes, instead assessing taxes based on the tonnage of their vessels. Besides producing savings for the maritime industry, Jefferson said the change will make U.S. tax policy consistent with other developed nations where the tonnage taxation system has sparked job creation.
Schwertz also has questioned the propriety of Jefferson's endorsement of state Sen. Cleo Fields' candidacy for the state Public Service Commission.
A videotape released during former Gov. Edwin Edwards' federal corruption trial in 2000 showed Fields, a former congressman, taking piles of what prosecutors said were $100 bills from Edwards and trying to stuff them into his pockets.
Fields, who has since been elected twice to his Baton Rouge Senate seat, was never accused of a crime. He has said that the episode occurred while he was a private citizen.
"If Mr. Fields had said what the money was about, it would be different," Schwertz said. "Is he hiding something? In my opinion, it makes me wonder about the credibility and character of Mr. Jefferson."
Jefferson said his support for Fields is a non-issue.
"Sen. Fields has always fought for the little guy and he always will," Jefferson said. "I don't know of anything he's done in his official life that deprived the public of the service they elected him to do.
"This occurred when he left Congress. Unfortunately he did it. But it doesn't define his life of service and what he can do in the future." Schwertz "is trying to pick something to strike a nerve," Jefferson said.
Campaign finances
Despite his opponent's lack of name recognition, Jefferson said he will treat the race seriously. He plans to tour the district in the campaign's final weeks, set up a phone bank and air radio and TV spots.
"I don't take anything lightly," he said. "It's my job to ask people to permit me to continue to serve."
Jefferson's latest campaign finance report shows that he has raised more than $800,000 since his last election and has about $315,000 on hand.
Schwertz reported raising about $4,700, and that total included $2,000 of his own money. His latest filing with the Federal Elections Commission showed that he had about $600 on hand.
Schwertz has been endorsed by the Orleans Parish Republican Executive Committee, the Jefferson Parish chapter of the Alliance for Good Government and Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer. Jefferson said he will announce his endorsements soon, adding that he intends to pursue the support of Republicans.
Asked if he considers himself a long shot, Schwertz said he thinks he has a 50-50 chance of winning.
"Either people say yes, we're pleased with the way the metro area is going or they say no, it's time for a change and they vote for me," he said. "Yes, I guess I'm facing an uphill battle. But so did David and he won. I'm not afraid. I know from where I get my strength."
. . . . . . .
Frank Donze can be reached at fdonze@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3328.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
