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| Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson 
Democrat
Current Position: Councilmember-at-Large & Vice President, N.O. City Council (elected 2007)
Previous Positions: -Councilmember, District C (1990-1994 & 2002-2006)
-State Representative, Louisiana House District 102 (1994-2002)
-President, Louisiana Realtor Association
[Biography sources: http://www.jackieclarkson.org/, http://www.nolacitycouncil.com/meet/meet_clarkson.asp, http://www.nolacitycouncil.com/meet/meet_clarkson_long.asp]
First elected in 1990 and again in 2002 to represent District C, Councilmember Clarkson became the first council member elected to three non-consecutive terms when elected again in 2007 in a special election to fill a vacant council-at-large seat. In addition to her work in government, she is a licensed Realtor and has been a businesswoman for over 38 years.
Councilmember-at-Large Clarkson serves as Chair of the Special Arts and Culture and Women’s Committees, as Co-Chair of the Special Disaster and Recovery Committee, and as a Member of the Cable and Telecommunications, Criminal Justice, Public Works, Special Official Journal and New Orleans Register Ordinances, and Youth and Recreation Committees.
Clarkson has also been a strong and active member of numerous civic organizations including, Founding Member, National World War II Museum; Board Member, University of New Orleans Board for Business and Higher Education; Board of Governors, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre; Board Member, Cabrini High School; Board Member, Catholic Cultural and Heritage Center of New Orleans; Board Member, Overture to the Cultural Season; Board Member, GNO Young Audiences; Member, New Orleans Military Advisory Committee; Member, New Orleans Federal Alliance for Federal City; Member, LSU/Tulane Cancer Research Center Consortium, Advisory Board, Delgado Community College; Board of Ambassadors, Holy Cross College; Advisory Board, Louisiana Philharmonic; Advisory Board, NORD/NOBA Ballet; Member, Save Our Cemeteries; Member, Audubon Institute; Former Trustee, New Orleans Museum of Art.
Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, a native of Algiers, and her husband, Buzz, have raised five successful daughters, including Oscar nominated, Emmy award winning actress, Patricia Clarkson, and they have ten grandchildren. Councilmember Clarkson is the daughter of the late New Orleans legendary coach Johnny Brechtel, founder of the New Orleans Recreation Department.
Campaign Websites:
http://www.jackieclarkson.org/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5208992639&ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jackie-Clarkson/123011716058?v=info
http://twitter.com/jackieclarkson
Photos:
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0fI26ic5sM2Oz/340×.jpg
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| CANDIDATE'S RESPONSES
CULTURE
1. How will you work through budget challenges while preserving funding for the arts and for cultural programs?
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
2. How will you address bureaucratic challenges that currently hinder economic development?
ENVIRONMENTAL
Recycling & Waste Disposal Services
3.
Many view recycling as a safe and affordable method to manage New
Orleans’ trash and debris. How would you promote citywide recycling
knowing that the City finds it more economical to continue contracting
with waste companies?
Illegal Dumping & New Orleans East
4.
New Orleans East is disproportionately affected by illegal dump sites
and landfills. How will you ensure that New Orleans East is no longer a
site for illegal dumping?
INFRASTRUCTURE
Blight & Streets
5.
How will you address neglected properties, both public and private,
such as city-owned buildings, the Hyatt Regency, recreation centers,
and the old Tulane Public Health School building; crumbling
neighborhood streets; and widespread blight left in disrepair since
Hurricane Katrina?
GOVERNANCE
Access to Public Records & Access to Non-English Speakers
6.
What specific steps will you take to ease citizens’ ability to work
with city government and to access public records, information, and
services? Also, how will you make city government more accessible and
responsive to non-English speakers?
Council-Mayor Relations
7.
Our city has suffered in recent years because of ongoing quarrels and a
culture of distrust between the Mayor’s office and the City Council.
What immediate steps will you take to work with the Mayor on critical
issues facing our city? Please be specific.
Budgeting
8.
Some say the budget approval process does not provide enough time for
thorough review, does not allow for community participation, is not
readily available for public scrutiny, and lacks full disclosure of
each agency’s budget. How will you address each of these criticisms?
Office of the Inspector General
9.
Citizens and organizations such as the NAACP and the Louisiana Justice
Institute have voiced concerns about a number of issues involving the
Office of the Inspector General, including: Inspector General turnover;
OIG office and Ethics Review Board misconduct in spending, hiring, and
firing; allegations of racism and sexism in the office; and the lack of
a policy and procedures manual. How will you address these concerns
working in coordination with the new advisory committee, and make
changes that are both needed and acceptable to concerned citizens?
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
10.
What specific measures will you take to increase the ability of the
Council to work in partnership with neighborhood and community groups?
EDUCATION
11.
Research shows that the most crucial time to reach children and set
them up for success for the rest of their lives is before age 5.
Quality early childhood education ties into solving some of our city’s
biggest problems, including poverty, crime, and economic development.
What specific plans do you have for improving educational opportunities
for children 0 to 5 years old and for making sure that they enter
school ready to learn?
HOUSING 12.
Inclusionary zoning ensures that a neighborhood contains a mix of
low-income, affordable, and market rate housing. How will you ensure
that the Council enforces the inclusionary zoning ordinance to create
an equitable distribution of mixed-income housing throughout the city?
PUBLIC SAFETY
Youth & Crime / Rehabilitation of Youths
13.
Given that there is a high rate of juvenile crime in Orleans Parish and
a shortage of funds for all programs, what will be your priorities in
budgeting for services for youths? What is your plan for ensuring that
there are adequate community based services, including re-entry
programs and alternatives to incarceration and detention, to serve the
youth of our city?
Funding NOPD, District Attorney & Office of the Public Defender(OPD)
14.
The courts, district attorney, and public defender receive revenue from
bond forfeiture and bond administration fees as well as a portion of
the fines and fees levied against defendants after conviction. There is
an inequity in funding whereby the DA’s office has a budget of $13
million and the Orleans Public Defender (OPD) has a budget of $6.5
million. What will you do to fully fund the OPD and ensure reliable and
dependable funding sources for indigent defense in New Orleans?
Recidivism
15.
Formerly incarcerated persons compose ten percent of New Orleans’
population, and the recidivism rate in our community is fifty percent
within five years. What efforts will you take to create incentives for
businesses within Orleans Parish to hire formerly incarcerated persons
in our community?
Funding Sheriff's Office
16.
The Sheriff’s budget request to the City Council in 2007 consisted of
one page and five items. In 2009, the Sheriff submitted a two page
request to the council for an additional $13.5 million. If fulfilled,
the sheriff’s budget will be $36 million, one of the largest items in
the city budget. What will you do to ensure that the Sheriff submits a
comprehensive budget detailing the manner in which his office expends
city funds?
| | ADDITIONAL DATA [link to source where available]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Signed pledge from Forward New Orleans affirming support of economic development initiative. Details of initiative here: http://www.forwardneworleans.com/index.php/economic-development
ENVIRONMENTAL
Clarkson noted that she helped write the original sustainable master plan for the city including bike paths, walking paths and open access to the river. “We have not allowed people to do that except on the West Bank where I grew up. I hope I help bring that to the East Bank,” Clarkson said.
She also proposed “bringing the entirety of South Louisiana together in a multi-parish effort for bringing coastal protection in the maritime industry.” [A Green Platform for New Orleans' Next Mayor and Council, hosted by Global Green 1-26-2010]
Recycling & Waste Disposal ServicesClarkson advocates recycling [A Green Platform for New Orleans' Next Mayor and Council, hosted by Global Green 1-26-2010]
INFRASTRUCTURE
Blight
“We could be donating more of that property to get it into commerce. We have not used that law properly and effectively” and more demolition of the properties that need to be demolished…“We will speed of the process [of demolitions] on the next Council.” [Fox8 News Jan. 2010]
Signed pledge from Forward New Orleans affirming support
of blight initiative. Details of initiative here:
http://www.forwardneworleans.com/index.php/blight
Signed pledge from Forward New Orleans affirming support of city
services initiative. Details of initiative here:
http://www.forwardneworleans.com/index.php/servicesinfrastructure
GOVERNANCE
“I plan to do Charter revision on contract writing, and I will start that the day after I’m re-elected…starting this February.” [Fox8 News Jan. 2010]
Clarkson said we need a new City Hall “but not now, as much as it’s needed. We
don’t have the money. That’s not where our recovery and disaster money
should be spent…The site that we’re on is one of the choice sites in
the South…We can acquire the adjoining state property for probably
25cents on the dollar…You do a master plan on that whole spot of land.
You bring in tenants that will land lease from the city so that by the
time you build the new city hall there, you have enough tenants that
you’ve bought city hall free. I’m willing to be the Realtor free as a
councilwoman…no commission…free of charge. I’ve been talking this since
1990 and it will be a reality in the next 4 years.” [Fox8 News Jan. 2010]
Budgeting
“Jobs, jobs, jobs…If everybody would bring jobs, we’d have revenue.
We have to do a better job of collecting revenues, collecting sales
taxes. We have to reassess property and get more people on the rolls,
especially some of the people that are just not paying any property
taxes who should be paying taxes; and we need to bring more jobs, more
wage earners in this city who will not only buy commodities but will
buy property.” [Fox8 News Jan. 2010]
“I don’t use my [city owned] car for personal reasons.” “I also
think we cannot keep people like inspectors that go out and do jobs,
especially around the clock, first responders is no doubt. They all
have to have cars and we have to provide those and pay for them and
they have to be kept in good condition, and that’s a major cost. After
that I think they [the cars] can be cut way back, and it should depend
on the job.” Said it should also depend on the “use and abuse” of the
cars. [Fox8 News Jan. 2010]
Signed pledge from Forward New Orleans affirming support of city finance initiative. Details of initiative here: http://www.forwardneworleans.com/index.php/city-finance
EDUCATION
Signed pledge from Forward New Orleans affirming support of education
initiative. Details of initiative here:
http://www.forwardneworleans.com/index.php/education
PUBLIC SAFETY
Signed pledge from Forward New Orleans affirming support of crime
initiative. Details of crime initiative here:
http://www.forwardneworleans.com/index.php/crime
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