Lighting The Road To The Future Page 8 DataZone Who Dat Nation! “The People’s Paper” January 23 - February 5, 2010 44th Year Volume 20 www.ladatanews.com Page 2 Newsmaker Trailblazer We Like...? Pete Our Endorsements Rhodes Page 7 Page 6 Photos by Victor Holt Page 2 January 23 - February 5, 2010 Cover Story www.ladatanews.com ELECTION 2010: Profiles of the Mayoral Candidates compiled by Data News Editorial Staff As the date for the 2010 Mayoral Primary draws thority member and radio talk show host . Rob is the guidelines to make decisions as your mayor: near, candidates and their campaigns are busy buy- only current candidate for mayor to run in the last • Will it make our city more livable? ing ads, and making the rounds from neighborhood Mayoral Election . • Will it make our city more affordable? to neighborhood, and door to door . So much in- Rob, a native New Orleanian, was born in Baptist • How does it affect economic opportunity? formation to digest, in this, our third Mayoral Elec- Hospital in 1949 . He attended Jesuit High School, • Is it fair? tion since Hurricane Katrina and her floodwaters graduated from St . Francisville High School and By using this matrix, Couhig believes he can at- breached and devastated our city . With no less than Georgetown University and returned for his law de- tack the issue of crime and integrity in the police our very future on the line, we again are drawn to gree from Tulane . He believes that his background department; Battle blight and multi-million dollar the polls to make the decision which defines our di- allows him to understand the diverse personalities budget deficits by resisting the short term easy out rection and perhaps our destiny as the Great City of that make up our City as well as the problems and of raising taxes; and, create jobs for everyone who New Orleans . opportunities that confront us . wants to work . Data News Weekly, sees it as our most solemn Rob began his legal career at Adams & Reese, a duty, to provide as much of a spectrum for you to law firm of fifteen lawyers . In 28 years, he helped CANDIDATE JOHN GEORGES view your choices with, to assist you in making the grow the firm to well over 200 attorneys . Couhig DEMOCRAT very best decision based on stated platforms and was instrumental in its growth including the open- promises from each candidate . Presented here, in ing of the firm’s Baton Rouge and Washington, D .C . New Orleans native John Georges, 49, has 30 alphabetical order, are the candidates running to be offices . years of experience in the private and public sectors . your next mayor . We hope this information, coupled Recognizing the need for a firm that worked He is a past member of the Board of Regents and a with the research you have done already, can help with entrepreneurs, Rob, along with two other law- current commissioner of the Public Belt Rail Road, you to make an informed and well thought out deci- yers, started Couhig Partners in September 2003 . Chairman of Georges Enterprises and is involved sion . Today the firm has over 20 lawyers, an office in Ba- with various governmental, civic and philanthropic We encourage you to VOTE early! Take advan- ton Rouge headed by Louisiana’s former Attorney groups . In 2007, John ran for elected office for the tage of the added benefit of shorter lines and wait- General Richard Ieyoub and an affiliated consulting first time in the gubernatorial race, in which he gar- ing times, and don’t be caught up in Super Bowl group . He is also the managing partner of Couhig nered 186,000 votes and won New Orleans . In 2009- or Parade Traffic! Early voting continues through Investments, LLC which invests in small businesses 2010, he has decided to run for Mayor . Saturday, January 30, so don’t wait! YOUR VOTE in Louisiana . John Georges is now Chairman of Georges Enter- COUNTS MOST! As the only candidate for mayor who has been on prises . Georges Enterprises is comprised of several the radio for the last three years talking about every types of businesses, including grocery distribution, CANDIDATE ROB COUHIG major issue affecting our City, people know him, offshore marine services, video and arcade entertain- REPUBLICAN know his positions, and also know that he is the only ment, food services and investments . Georges Enter- fiscal conservative in this race for Mayor . prises began as Imperial Trading Company in 1916 . Rob Couhig is a committed lifelong fiscal conser- Imperial Trading is a wholesale grocery company vative with a successful career working with govern- PLATFORM that distributes goods ranging from candy to health ment as a lawyer, businessman, Redevelopment Au- Rob Couhig says he will use four conservative and beauty products . He has served as Chairman of Continued next page. 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Not responsible for publishing or return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. www.ladatanews.com Cover Story January 23 - February 5, 2010 Page 3 Cover Story, Continued from previous page. the Young Presidents’ Organiza- • Hold regular neighborhood other alternatives to continue he started his own successful In life, law and government, he tion and was recently selected as meetings to encourage citizen to improve public schools in company, Henry Consulting . always seeks to bring people to- a Young Leadership Council Role input into public safety policies New Orleans Troy has played a leadership gether to find common ground . Model . and practices, and will allow po- • Push to provide early childhood role on some of the most impor- As a State Legislator, Mitch John has 22 years of public ser- lice to keep citizens informed education for every family who tant and successful projects in the represented the Broadmoor vice experience . In 1992 John was about efforts in their neighbor- wants it for their children . City of New Orleans since Hurri- neighborhood for 16 years . Dur- appointed by the Governor to the hoods . • Keep current system for now, cane Katrina, and he’s also worked ing his tenure, he made his mark Board of Regents, the state agen- • Increase interagency commu- until a field of experts can ana- effectively with city governments as a reformer who could get the cy that coordinates all public high- nication, reducing duplication lyze how to better manage and and elected officials throughout job done . er education in Louisiana . The of effort and sharing informa- improve the school system for his career, including at the state As Lieutenant Governor of Board of Regents has budgetary tion to identify, track and appre- the future . and federal level . Some of his Louisiana, Mitch has served as responsibility for Louisiana’s pub- hend criminals . RISS (Rapid • Gather experts in education to many accomplishments and ex- an executive, managing a $127 lic higher education, including 19 Information Sharing System) recommend long term plans periences he would bring to the million budget and 800 employ- public colleges, universities, and technology is available and al- for public education in New Or- Office of the Mayor include: 20 ees . To deliver results, he put in professional schools . John also ready in use worldwide . leans . years of executive management place strict standards of account- served as member of the Univer- REBUILDING NEIGHBOR- experience at some of the largest ability . sity of New Orleans Foundation, EFFECTIVE AND OPEN HOODS U .S . corporations; Former Presi- After Hurricane Katrina, he led LSU Medical Foundation, and GOVERNMENT • There is no excuse for dent of United Water, the nation’s the effort to rebuild the tourism Tulane President’s Council, and • Enact stronger ethics and anti- the blight & crumbling infra- largest water and waste-water industry, and the thousands of served on the board of his chil- corruption regulations for all structure plaguing our city . management company; Led sig- jobs it creates . Mitch’s team got dren’s school where he chaired city employees, spreading ac- • Get code enforcement nificant recovery efforts in New more than $22 million in grant fundraising for the school’s re- countability to every corner of departments to work as one Orleans including the Unified money from Congress into the covery efforts after Hurricane government operations . • Review and improve the New Orleans Plan (UNOP), Ener- hands of hundreds of homeown- Katrina . John also serves on the • Continue the practice of having blight hearing process gy Smart, and the redevelopment ers quickly. New Orleans Public Belt Com- an independent commission • Establish clear goals for of the historic Pontchartrain Park During his tenure, Mitch has mission, and is in his second term monitoring the IG’s Office in the Sewerage and Water Board neighborhood; Assisted local, focused on creating jobs . He appointed by the Mayor . order to ensure that it, too, is and the Public Works Depart- minority and women-owned busi- launched the Cultural Economy The Public Belt Commission held accountable . ment, so public roads and utilities nesses secure over $150 million initiative to grow jobs through our is responsible for managing the • Recruit and retain a diverse, ca- receive targeted, timely and cor- in contracts since Katrina .