A Message from Ann Duplessis

Section: Business

Dear Friend,

It has been my privilege to serve you, the people of Senate District 2, for the past 4 years. When I took the oath of office, I took it with sobriety and sincerity knowing that there was much work to do on behalf of you, my constituents. I made it my promise to honor the trust you had given to me as your Senator and have worked diligently to enhance the area we love to call home.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our district suffered catastrophic damage; more than any other part of the city. However, we have worked extremely hard these past 2 years as a community to restore and rebuild our neighborhoods. I, both as a resident and an elected official, have been here with you. I have delivered all of the resources made available to our district and have pledged and will always put the interests of district 2 over any interest group or personal gain.

I understand the damage that can be done when interests other than that of the well being of our community take precedence. For nearly 20 years, we watched as our district was pillaged by greed and neglect. We lost businesses, simple recreational activities for our children were ignored, our schools declined without intervention and an unbalanced concentration of multi-family units drove down property values. My opponent was in office for 18 years and did nothing to attempt to solve the problems. As a matter of fact, his record shows that he actually contributed to them through the following:

· Constantly used taxpayer dollars to sponsor studies using a favored consulting firm that resulted in no development or projects.

· Promised Capital Outlay money for projects that were never delivered

· Used tax payer's dollars to purchase land for a Health Clinic in Eastern New Orleans on Chef Menteur Hwy and Read Blvd but a clinic was never built

· Owns a Burger King in Eastern New Orleans that received several Health Department violations for non-compliance and extreme sanitary issues

· Used his position in the Legislature to attempt to transfer ownership of Gaslight square and Willow brook apartments valued at over $30 million dollars to a nonprofit he had influence over for $1 dollar

· Led legislation to create a special taxing district for a proposed hotel in the World Trade Center where his current wife was a major partner. The project would have made millions of dollars.

Let Me Set the Record Straight!!! I have taken care of your business by:

· Bringing 2.8 million dollars for the redevelopment of Joe Brown

· Fighting and shutting down the Chef Menteur Landfill

· Bringing high tech industry through digital media credits

· Passing the assessors consolidation bill to ensure that resources for the community were distributed to the betterment of the community and not salaries

· Passing the School Readiness Tax Credit that provides credit to individuals for child care expenses of children five and under, to child care providers, to child care directors and staff, and to businesses providing assistance for child care.

· Launching Cultural and Fashion Academies for the youth in District 2

· Passing pay raises for state employees inclusive of teachers, firemen and first responders

· Providing bullet proof vests to protect our police officers as they protect us

· Ensuring that insurance proceeds could not be seized but used to rebuild homes

· Passing Rubber manufacturing tax credits to attract new a new industry to our industrial district

· Led the charge for film industry tax credits

My opponent would also have you to believe that ACT 35 was the reason teachers were fired. Here are the facts....

Prior to ACT 35 the State had the ability to take over schools due to the Federal Mandate

of the No Child Left Behind Act. Act 35 merely put in place a structure of management

for the schools once the state took them over. Hurricane Katrina and gross mismanagement was the reasons teachers were laid off. Katrina caused massive damage to buildings that were underinsured and thousands of students and parents were displaced. Without a citizen base and their sales and property taxes to support the system, t he Orleans Parish School System did not have the resources to open schools. Widespread devastation due to a natural disaster, lack of resources and a history of failing schools are the reasons teachers were laid off not Act 35.

Let's not go back to failed promises and mistruths. I have and will continue to take care of your business. Please vote Ann Duplessis, October 20, 2007.

Sincerely,

Ann D. Duplessis

LA State Senator-District 2