"The people of District A have spoken loud and clear, and over half voted for change. Come March 2, with the help of Our Pal Sal and the citizens of District A, we will return independence and accountability to the City Council." Jay Batt, quoted from 2002

Well said, Mr Batt!

The April 22nd primary election was the first round of a referendum on Jay Batt's four years as Councilman of District A. Batt received only 42% of the vote, which, for an incumbent, is an indication of widespread disapproval of his performance in office.

During his first term, Jay Batt consistently showed a total disregard for the zoning regulations and land-use plans of this city. He consistently showed a callous indifference to the concerns of his constituency outside of his home base in Lakeview. He consistently represented the interests of businesses and developers, many of whom are his friends and not his constituents, over the interests of the residents that he was elected to serve.

In the May 20 runoff, we have an opportunity to choose a better Councilperson, one who will actually do the job for which she's elected, which is, first and foremost, to represent the interests of the residents of District A.

After the 2002 primary election, Jay paid Sal Palmisano a $1500 "consulting" fee, right around the same time his Pal Sal endorsed him for the runoff in that race. Why didn't anyone make a fuss about this at the time, you may ask? Because the campaign finance report that showed Jay's payment to Sal wasn't filed until December 5, 2002, well after the March runoff election dust had settled.

Considering the anti-Morial climate then as now, a fuss may certainly have been raised about some of Batt's other "endorsement payments", if anyone had known about them at the time. Jay's 10-day campaign report from the 2002 election, also belatedly dated 12-5-02, shows a $15,000 payment to Marc Morial's political organization LIFE.

Ironically, Batt made a campaign issue out of accusing Scott Shea of both LIFE and Morial's support!

Batt also made payments of $15,000 to BOLD (the Black Organization for Leadership Development), $6,000 to Bill Jefferson’s Progressive Democrats, $6500 to the Treme Improvement Political Society, and $4000 to the Regular Democratic Organization.

So the next time you read about Jay Batt's "endorsements", consider their price tags. But don't hold your breath: we probably won't know what they really cost him until maybe... December?

2002 Campaign Report

2002 Election 10 Day Report

For politicians, the statements and promises made in earlier elections often have an unpleasantly familiar ring four years later. We've reprinted some 2002 election-related quotes that strike us as both ironic and relevant this time around...

From the Louisiana Weekly:
Palmisano did not wait long to announce whom he would support. He has endorsed Batt in the Runoff election slated for March 2. "I am endorsing Jay Batt because when I entered the race for District A I felt that change was needed. I still feel that way," stated Mr. Palmisano, "Jay Batt will bring the changes needed to District A and the City as a whole. He will address the issues of patronage and police protection, of new business development issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long."

Jay Batt greeted the endorsement with the words, "I am honored and delighted to have the support of Mr. Palmisano in the runoff election. The people of District A have spoken loud and clear, and over half voted for change. Come March 2, with the help of Our Pal Sal and the citizens of District A, we will return independence and accountability to the City Council."

In 2000 and 2002, Scott Shea loudly publicized Batt's "history of driving offenses, gambling and arrests, one of which resulted in a reckless driving conviction."

"One of them was a reading of .18. That would make him drunk enough for two people," Shea said. "He thinks there are two sets of rules, not only in politics but in life." (T-P, 4/12/00)

Jay Batt was a very lucky man, however, as reckless and drunk driving weren't the only offenses from which he managed to escape serious repercussions as a twenty-something "youth".

He was claimed as an "aider and abettor" by Harahan bookmaker Buddy Kollin (See the page here) in his 1988 federal trial in which Kollin also claimed Batt was "part of his gambling operation." Despite being one of Kollin's heaviest "plungers", Batt was not indicted and ended up testifying for the prosecution against his long-time bookie (See the page here).

Thanks to Ashley Morris, for his reaction to Jay Batt's new anti-Shelley Midura flyer that started raising a stink in District A mailboxes this week.

Jay Batt is just pure evil

Man, I thought maybe the guy was just a typical crony-loving puppet.

No, he’s evil. Lying through his porcelain-veneer teeth evil.

Today, I got a flyer from "stopshelley.com." This thinly veiled Jay Batt propaganda piece made me laugh hysterically.

The flyer says "The most frequently asked question in District A is “Just who is Shelley Midura and why are so many Out of Towners contributing to her campaign?”"

Yeah, right. The most frequently asked question in district A is really “Have you been slimed by Batt, too? Yeah, slimed. Like in Ghostbusters. He’s that slippery and oozy.”

So the propaganda goes on to say that Midura has hired “Out of Town Consultants, an Out of Town Campaign Manager, an Out of Town Photographer and an Out of Town Direct-Mail Operator”. They then encourage us to “JOIN THE STOP SHELLEY TEAM”.

They must think we’re as clueless as Batt.

Enjoy more at Ashley Morris: the blog

Republican District A council candidate Tom Wagner has chosen to endorse Shelley Midura in the runoff rather than fellow Republican Jay Batt.

Mr. Wagner said: “Following the primary, I have had an opportunity to sit down with both Jay Batt and Shelley Midura and discuss the issues I consider critical to our district, city and region. I ran for the District A seat with a firm conviction that our council must place neighborhood integrity and protection first in all considerations and the council must play a leadership role for good, effective, responsible government.” "With those important goals in mind, I wholeheartedly endorse Shelley Midura in the run-off. She represents an opportunity for a new direction for our district with an emphasis of neighborhood-friendly growth, not quick deals and unwanted commercial encroachment. It is also time to unite behind new leadership, untethered by past mistakes and committed to reform, streamlined public services and a vision for the future of our entire region. Shelley is committed to those goals and I am happy to support her in this runoff.”

10. Jay has become a master at patronage.

9. Jay has engaged in campaign finance abuse.

8. Jay has done nothing to clean up City Hall.

7. Jay associates with known ethics-violaters.

6. Jay rewards his friends and contributors to the detriment of his constituents.

5. Jay has failed to take politics out of the city's planning process.

4. Jay is anti-neighborhood.

3. Jay is anti-preservation.

2. Jay takes care of himself at our expense.

1. Because Anybody But Jay Batt would be an improvement for the residents of District A!

We've produced a new radio spot that offers some insight on Jay Batt's claim of being a "fiscal conservative."

Click the link below to listen to our radio spot, or tune in to WWL Radio.

''Pimp Jay's Ride'' Radio Spot

From the Times-Picayune, April 3rd 2006:

MORE CROSSFIRE IN "A": Batt's e-mail blast also took aim at Democratic opponent Shelley Stephenson Midura, who has recently painted Batt as a tool of Entergy New Orleans.

Calling her the public face of the "Anybody But Batt" political action committee that is working hard to unseat him, Batt accused Midura of launching "a smear campaign."

"Do we really need this desperate housewife/political handpuppet to be our next councilmember?" the Batt e-mail asked.

The reference to the hit ABC television show didn't sit well with the Midura camp. She demanded an apology, calling Batt's comment, "insensitive, insulting, and sexist . . . to her and to all the women in New Orleans fighting for our great city."

The exchange illustrated the increasingly aggressive tone of the campaign in District A. Batt has shown signs of feeling beleaguered by the "Anybody But Batt" group, which has raised a bit less than $20,000 and financed some attack ads against the incumbent. As evidence that the group pulls Midura's strings, Batt pointed to a $2,000 campaign contribution to Midura by Keith Hardie, one of the two principals behind the anti-Batt committee.

Alex Morgan, Midura's campaign manager, said the contribution does not mean the PAC controls her campaign. In a news release, Midura focused on what she considered Batt's cheap shot.

"We are desperate," she said. "I am desperate, as are so many others, for real leadership in District A."

We produced a radio spot that features the voices of ordinary citizens. It was not made, nor paid for, by any candidate or any committee supporting any candidate. We are just extremely concerned citizens who love New Orleans.

We hope this spot reminds you why we cannot have four more years of City Councilman Jay Batt in District A. Considering that our city is undergoing major planning for an uncertain future, you know that this statement is more true now than ever. Councilman Batt has not just been bad for his own district, he has affected us all. No matter where you live in New Orleans, you should be concerned about this race.

Click the link below to listen to our radio spot, or tune in to WWL Radio.

AnybodyButBatt 1st Radio Spot

Our yard signs are in! We have 18" x 18" signs with stakes for yards and 3' x 3' signs for large fences or porches on major streets.

We're trying to replace as quickly as possible all our signs that are being stolen or torn down from supporters' fences and even from front yards at quite a rate, so just let us know if you need replacements.

Please email us at anybodybutbatt@yahoo.com with sign location requests, and include the name of the resident, phone numbers, and the size of sign desired (yard or large) in your email.

Donations are needed to keep our ads running. Please help by sending a check, payable to ANYBODY BUT BATT PAC to 757 St. Charles Ave., Suite 304, NOLA 70130. Campaign Finance law requires that you include your name and address with your check.

Click on the cartoon for a larger version

We received this cartoon by email from an observer.

Apparently our attempt to shed some light on the tenure of Jay Batt in District A has annoyed our jovial councilman somewhat.

He has aired a commercial on WWL, aiming to counter what he claims is a smear campaign against him.

We have some thoughts and observations on this.

Due to popular demand, we have provided Batt's 2004 and 2005 Candidate's Campaign Reports for download at the end of this article.

The expenses section of the reports show LOTS of meals in our local fine restaurants, while the contributor list has some familiar names.