Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 65 BY SENATORS ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME, BROWN, BUFFINGTON, CHABERT, CLAITOR, CORTEZ, CROWE, DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY, GALLOT, GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA, LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH, MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHITE AND REPRESENTATIVES ABRAMSON, ADAMS, ANDERS, ARMES, ARNOLD, BADON, BARRAS, BARROW, BERTHELOT, BILLIOT, STUART BISHOP, WESLEY BISHOP, BROADWATER, BROSSETT, BROWN, BURFORD, HENRY BURNS, TIM BURNS, BURRELL, CARMODY, CARTER, CHAMPAGNE, CHANEY, CONNICK, COX, CROMER, DANAHAY, DIXON, DOVE, EDWARDS, FANNIN, FOIL, FRANKLIN, GAINES, GAROFALO, GEYMANN, GISCLAIR, GREENE, GUILLORY, GUINN, HARRIS, HARRISON, HAVARD, HAZEL, HENRY, HENSGENS, HILL, HODGES, HOFFMANN, HOLLIS, HONORE, HOWARD, HUNTER, HUVAL, GIROD JACKSON, KATRINA JACKSON, JAMES, JEFFERSON, JOHNSON, JONES, KLECKLEY, LAMBERT, NANCY LANDRY, TERRY LANDRY, LEBAS, LEGER, LEOPOLD, LIGI, LOPINTO, LORUSSO, MACK, MILLER, MONTOUCET, MORENO, JAY MORRIS, JIM MORRIS, NORTON, ORTEGO, PEARSON, PIERRE, PONTI, POPE, PRICE, PUGH, PYLANT, REYNOLDS, RICHARD, RICHARDSON, RITCHIE, ROBIDEAUX, SCHEXNAYDER, SCHRODER, SEABAUGH, SHADOIN, SIMON, SMITH, ST. GERMAIN, TALBOT, THIBAUT, THIERRY, THOMPSON, WHITNEY, ALFRED WILLIAMS, PATRICK WILLIAMS AND WILLMOTT A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the passing of a legend and icon in Louisiana legislative politics, Charles L. "Charlie" Smith, lobbyist, political consultant, poet, and writer. WHEREAS, very few ever reach the status of legend in the world of politics, in particular, someone who had never held elective office; however, Charlie Smith was unique; he had been a integral part of the State Capitol community for over forty years; he had reached that legendary pinnacle and rose far beyond it into the stratosphere of near political nirvana; he was without peer in the world of lobbying and persuasion; and WHEREAS, Charlie was born on September 9, 1942, in Mobile, Alabama, reared in Slidell, attended Southeastern Louisiana University, and later graduated from LSU with a degree in journalism where he often voiced opinions at Free Speech Alley, was active in the Young Democrats campus organization as its president, and developed a fervor for LSU Tiger football; and Page 1 of 5 SCR NO. 65 ENROLLED WHEREAS, he began his lobbying career in 1968 with representation for the Louisiana Municipal Association and soon after that the Associated General Contractors; "old-time" politics were the order of the day dictated by deals confected over cards and Kentucky bourbon; and WHEREAS, in the thick of it was Charlie Smith, a master of riding the roller coaster of legislative procedure; by 1970, Charlie Smith was Executive Director of the Construction Industry Legislative Council; he tackled the monumental labor-management battles of that era such as, Right To Work, Workers' Compensation, Unemployment Compensation reform, and the repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law; and WHEREAS, for nearly two decades Charlie Smith remained well-connected and extremely successful; however, he admitted later that his hard-charging lifestyle with unlimited bacchanalian excesses had begun to spin out of control, and like Icarus, he had flown too close to the sun; and WHEREAS, in 1987, Charlie had his moment of clarity, stopped lobbying in the midst of all his success, did a complete about face, stepped away from the political scene, and became a bohemian and poet in the French Quarter of New Orleans selling poetry in Jackson Square; and WHEREAS, this was his catharsis for several years; he held up the mirror and peered closely at the image; he delved deep within himself, examined every flaw, and came to grips with his demons; he wrote compositions and poems, published several books of poetry that include Still Waiting for Last Call, Throw Me Something Mistuh, and Still, Still Waiting for Last Call; each tome was a reflective look at both the past and the present; he was once arrested for selling poetry without proper municipal authorization, to which he lamented with a pun, "There is no poetic license in New Orleans."; and WHEREAS, after a seven-year hiatus, Charlie Smith returned to the State Capitol in 1994, took up the mantle of lobbyist once again, engaged in the process as before, but with a well-tempered demeanor and far less bravado; and WHEREAS, this time Charlie's life was on a more even keel, steady, assured, ready to go to work as an advocate for issues dear to his heart such as, funding for the arts, environmental issues, historic preservation, fishing industries, humane societies, parishes, Page 2 of 5 SCR NO. 65 ENROLLED and municipalities; and WHEREAS, Charlie believed that everyone and everything should have a voice in government, a citizen's inalienable right to representation in a democratic society, and he often represented those entities without pay, only because it was their right to be heard; this collection of unusual clientele included pets, fish, exotic dancers, museums, historic properties, Mike, the LSU Tiger, the LSU Tiger Band, LSU athletes, and the New Orleans Saints football team; simply because he thought "it was the right thing to do"; and WHEREAS, Charlie Smith changed political attitudes toward funding for the arts, to promote its worth as an essential support of the state's economic engine, tourism, to elevate the necessity of arts in education, and to find financial support for such worthy causes as Louisiana Artworks, the Contemporary Art Center in New Orleans, and the conservation of the Grand Opera House in Crowley and other historic properties; and WHEREAS, during his life Charlie Smith traveled freely in the inner circles of seven governors, John McKeithen, Edwin Edwards, Dave Treen, Buddy Roemer, Mike Foster, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, and Bobby Jindal and befriended many a well-connected politico as his comrade-in-arms; and WHEREAS, in 2011, Charlie Smith was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame, the only lobbyist to receive such a prestigious honor; and WHEREAS, Charlie lived his life without bias, accepting of princes and paupers with the same quantity of humanity; he was as akin to the free spirits of the French Quarter as he was to the policy-makers at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, Charlie possessed an innate ability to peer into someone's soul, to unravel the exterior layer, to see the real person within, to size him up, and to take full measure of his mettle and the capacity of his heart; and WHEREAS, Charlie Smith, the proud elder statesman of lobbyists, was an ardent admirer of the people and institution of the legislative process; he was well known for his pleasant disposition and kind heart, his affection for animals, his writing, and his passion for Louisiana, her culture, and her people; and WHEREAS, he was survived by his wife, Donna LaCava; his siblings, Fred Lee, John Patrick, May Helen, and Aaron Smith; his children, Kimberly Glass, Tracy Smith, and Page 3 of 5 SCR NO. 65 ENROLLED Cristina Smith; two grandsons and his many, many friends who knew him as a cherished commodity, for he was precious in small ways as well as great ones; friends who bade his departure with a hero's farewell; and from one acquaintance who stated that, 'if Charlie Smith did not exist, we would have to invent him'; and WHEREAS, Charlie was born at just the right moment in time and blessed with the right temperament to embrace all that Life had to offer, to overcome adversity, to live every day to its very fullest extent, and to wring the last drop of mirth, love, and decadence out of one lifetime; and WHEREAS, whether white knight or poet with feet of clay, Charlie, himself, may have distilled much of his existence into the composition, Options, from his book, Still, Still Waiting for Last Call, Life is just a string of options, of choices we must make, different roads to journey down, directions we can take. And there is no perfect choice, no pre-ordained way to go, we can't control our destinies or direct the rivers flow. But we know that joy cannot exist without the risk of pain for as flowers bloom in sunshine, they would die without the rain. Life is filled with "cannots", but they're balanced by the "coulds" and where there's a chance for evil, there must be a chance for good. And when we take out options, whichever path we choose, for every chance of winning, there must be a chance to lose. So your life is what you make it, you pick the pattern and the style, you can drown in tears and sorrow or light pathways with a smile. And you know life won't be easy from the first cry to final breath, but remember the alternative, the other side of Life is Death. So if you struggle past the hurdles accept the failures with the fun; if at the end, you're smiling, friend, you'll have run your race, and won. ; and WHEREAS, surrounded by loved ones Charlie left this world on March 1, 2012; forgiven of past transgressions by personal surrender to his Savior, Jesus Christ, and with Page 4 of 5 SCR NO. 65 ENROLLED peace in his heart, he was content to meet his God; he would have liked to stay, but it was time to go – it was his "last call"; and with quiet serenity he softly drifted away on a wisp of ether into the spiritual firmament to his eternal rest. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express its sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the passing of the legendary lobbyist, Charlie Smith, and celebrates his stalwart dedication to the legislative process. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the family of Charlie Smith.