Steve Myers Campaigns for Less Government

Attorney’s Quest For Mayor Could Have Big Impact

by Woody Jenkins, editor

BATON ROUGE — Local attorney Steve Myers has launched a campaign for Mayor-President that is unlike any that voters in the parish have seen before.  His goal is to reduce the size and cost of the City-Parish government and keep local government within what he sees as its proper role — police, fire, roads, drainage, and sewer.

“Government is just one factor in society,” he said, “and there are many other institutions that play roles that are just as important, such as the home, family, business, and church.”

“But today government is like a bully that comes along and takes your money.  We should change direction by repealing a lot of stupid laws and reducing the size and cost of local government,” he said.

“The problem is, the people who care the most about local government — many of the ones who fund campaigns — are involved in a money grab.  They want to use the power of government to make money for themselves,” he said.

The other problem Myers sees is what he calls “the pitchfork crowd” that rises up from time to time to trample on individuals’ private property rights in order to serve their own interests.

In fact, Myers’ No. 1 issue is private property, which he sees as under attack in Baton Rouge.

Myers graduated from New Orleans Academy, a military school.  He earned a B.A. degree in journalism, an M.A. in counseling, and a J.D. in law, all from LSU.

He ran a strong race for the Louisiana House in 1991.

A real estate broker and owner of about 40 rental properties, he says the UDC, the parish’s comprehensive zoning ordinance,  is unfair and should be modified.

He said, “We should look at everything in City-Parish government through new eyes and make a lot of changes.”

Myers, founder and publisher for many years of Tiger Rag newspaper, has been using his writing skills in the campaign. Each day, he issues a new edition of The Myers Minute, which describes his position on a different issue in the campaign.  He posts all of these messages on You Tube and links them together through his website, www.TheMyersMinute.com.

Here are some of Myers’ positions on key issues facing the parish:

• Roll Forward of Property Taxes — Against

• Red Light Cameras — Against

• CATS tax — Against

• The Loop — Against

• Sewer User Fees — “It’s ridiculous!  It’s going up again.  This looks like a big slush fund that is ripe for corruption.  And nobody is fighting it!”

• Crime — He favors adding 70 police officers to the Baton Rouge Police Department.  “This is the hardest problem we face.  We need more officers, but right now it’s ‘catch and release.’  The root problem is that this country was founded on certain principles, and these are no longer being respected.”

• Consolidation of Sheriff’s Office and Baton Rouge Police Department — “It could make sense if everyone is willing to compromise a little. The police chief would be put under the Sheriff, and there would have to be a transition period.”

• Selection of Architects and Contractors — “The system is broken and needs to be reformed.”

• Highways and Transportation — “Nobody is going to reduce the amount of traffic.  Rather, we have to focus on how to move traffic better.”

Since Myers launched his 40-day campaign — exactly 40 days before the Nov. 6 primary for Mayor-President — his campaign has garnered a lot of media attention.

Myers was instrumental in killing the proposed “Rental Registry Ordinance” before the Metro Council.  He said, “This opened my eyes to the absolute intrusion of this law into areas of private contracts, property rights and civil liberties where government has no business being. Lines always have to be drawn in the law. These overstep the line. We need to be extremely vigilant to not let the pitchfork crowd influence public policy ordinances at the local level based on exceptions or anecdotal evidence. Civil liberties and rights can be affected as much locally as at the state or national level.”

Another of Myers’ pet peeves is what he calls the absurdly archaic and unconstitutional definition of “family” that the Unified Development Code contains.

Myers said, “In addition, I will use whatever ‘veto power’  and influence available to the mayor’s office to stop over reactive laws from being passed in the first place. And I will comb the code of ordinances for intrusive laws and implement a systemic plan to repeal outdated, antiquated and unnecessary laws and budget items.”

With all the media attention, Myers seems to be gaining traction.  Even if his candidacy is a long-shot, he has the potential along with independent candidate Gordon Mese, to draw away enough white votes from Mayor-President Kip Holden to force Holden into a runoff Dec. 8.  If that happens, Holden could be in serious trouble.