TIMES PICAYUNE endorsements we agree with

MAYOR: Mitch Landrieu
COUNCIL AT LARGE: Arnie Fielkow
COUNCIL, B: Stacy Head
COUNCIL, C: Kristin Palmer
SENATE DISTRICT 5: Karen Carter Peterson
SHERIFF: Marlin Gusman
Read their endorsements below

Mr. Fielkow, a lawyer and former Saints executive who
currently is council president, has been a thoughtful and
calming force during his first term on the council. He also
has been willing to take strong stands for good government
measures, such as leading a drive to open up the selection of
professional services contractors to greater public scrutiny. He
has pushed to make the budgeting process more rational and
played a leadership role in a public-private partnership to promote
economic development. As chair of the recreation committee, he
was instrumental in getting the NCAA to invest $750,000 in playgrounds.
He has served on numerous boards, including Greater New Orleans Inc.
and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.

District B
Stacy Head
Ms. Head, a lawyer with expertise in maritime and business litigation,
has been a supporter of good government during her first term on the
council. She works hard and understands the intricacies of issues.
She can be combative, and we are not always comfortable with the way
she handles discussions. But the district -- which cuts through parts of
Central City, Mid-City, Uptown, the Warehouse District and Central
Business District -- has benefited from her leadership and advocacy.
In a second term, Ms. Head promises to continue to work on blight reduction,
economic development and neighborhood needs.

District C
Kristin Gisleson Palmer
Ms. Palmer, an Algiers resident, headed up the Re-Building Together
program for the Preservation Resource Center until resigning in December
to run for this seat. Under her leadership, the program has rehabbed
250 houses since Katrina. She started with a staff of three and budget
of $800,000 and grew it to 60 workers and $3 million in funding. She
is vice president of the LA Smart Growth Board and was a founding
board member of Evacuteer.org, a group devoted to assisting residents
with evacuations. She would bring valuable experience to the blight
eradication effort and promises to focus on smart budgeting, public
participation in district priorities and developing new economic corridors.
The district includes the French Quarter, Algiers, Faubourg St. John,
Faubourg Marigny and Bywater.

STATE SENATE_5th DISTRICT_Karen Carter Peterson_As a state
House member for more than 10 years, Rep. Peterson has earned
a reputation as a progressive, savvy and hard-working lawmaker.
Rep. Peterson, a lawyer who is serving her second term in the House,
is an intelligent lawmaker who has been a voice for positive change in
Baton Rouge. She has consistently pushed for the reform of New Orleans
schools and was instrumental in getting the House to pass levee board
consolidation legislation after Katrina. She serves on some of the
Legislature's most influential committees, including Appropriations,
House and Governmental Affairs and the Joint Legislative Committee
on the Budget. She would bring the same leadership skills to the Senate,
where she says she would focus on affordable housing, crime prevention,
economic development, education and ethics._She is a graduate of
Howard University and earned a law degree from Tulane University.
This election is to fill the unexpired term of Sen. Cheryl Gray, who resigned
to move out of state. The district includes most of Central City, the
Lower Garden District, the Garden District and the Uptown and Carrollton
neighborhoods.

SHERIFF_Marlin Gusman_For the first time, New Orleans voters will
elect a single sheriff rather than criminal and civil sheriffs. Mr. Gusman
has served capably as criminal sheriff since 2004 and has made strides
in replacing the jail facilities, which were severely damaged in Katrina. His
plan is to consolidate what had been a sprawling jail operation before the
flood, which should make the operation more efficient and secure. He has
a good understanding of the duties on the civil side as well. Mr. Gusman
has a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Finance & Commerce
at the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Loyola University.
His combination of education and work experience is important to running an
operation of this size and complexity.

Mitch Landrieu for mayor

Which candidate can bring this community together and accomplish the
vital work ahead? Which candidate can manage City Hall's resources to
maximum effect for residents? Who can best work with state and federal
agencies to speed up rebuilding? Who best understands how to make
government work? Who can position New Orleans to be economically
competitive for the long run?
We believe Mitch Landrieu is that candidate.
…Mr. Landrieu understands the need to build bridges. And he has the ability
to reach across the racial and economic divide in New Orleans and speak
credibly to all sides in a majority-black city where there is considerable
wariness at the prospect of a white mayor. That is important not only to the
city's collective psyche but to its ability to work through the difficult decisions
inherent in rebuilding on this scale.
…A Landrieu administration also promises to build on the young entrepreneurial
and artistic people who are streaming in to be part of our recovery and to cherish
the singularity of our culture.
Mr. Landrieu would bring energy to the mayor's office and a fresh perspective on
how to meet the city's challenges. But he is in no way a novice. He represented
New Orleans' 89th District in the House of Representatives for 16 years. He is
serving his second term as lieutenant governor and deserves credit for making
that office a more relevant and effective arm of state government.
…He, of course, also is a member of a prominent political family, the son of a
former mayor, the brother of a U.S. senator and of a Civil District Court judge.
Some opponents will try to turn his family and political history into a negative,
but it is a strength for a city whose recovery depends in some measure on
Washington and Baton Rouge.
…New Orleans needs a mayor who is politically adept and who is dedicated to
the nitty-gritty work of governing. The city needs a mayor who can break through
logjams on federal aid and persuade CEOs to locate here. It needs a mayor who
will set priorities based on the livability and economic viability of the city -- one
who will figure out a way to pay for police protection as well as for libraries and parks.
Mitch Landrieu is that candidate.